Sept. 25 Newsletter: Charter schools get frosty reception at candidate forum
Weather: Sporadic rain this morning, 79 this afternoon
On this date in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Virginia Union as part of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's annual gathering.
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Most RPS School Board candidates do not favor charter school expansion
At a School Board forum Monday night, the idea of creating new charter schools in Richmond received little support from candidates — except in the 4th District, where all three people running said they would back the idea if there was sufficient community support.
Charters remain controversial in Virginia, where school boards have the power to block their creation. Only seven are currently operating, although Republicans at the state level have pushed for more in recent years, reports Sarah Vogelsong.
In 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a goal of launching at least 20 new public charter schools. That hasn’t happened, but 15 lab schools — a cousin of the charter that is connected with an existing college or university — have been approved under his leadership, and the State Board of Education this summer resurrected its long-dormant charter schools committee.
Read more, including why all three 4th District candidates are open to the conversation
Explaining Crusade’s support for Roday, former councilor Chuck Richardson says voters should look past race
The Richmond Crusade for Voters, an organization traditionally focused on preserving Black voting power and Black political influence, are backing Harrison Roday to be Richmond’s next mayor. Former councilor Chuck Richardson explained his thinking to Graham Moomaw on Tuesday.
“A lot of the members of the Crusade, because of pride, we wanted to have a person of color to be our next mayor,” Richardson said as he explained the Crusade membership’s decision to endorse Roday, a white Henrico County native with a background in finance and investing. “But after we looked at all of the objective evaluations, we have to admit to ourselves it’s time to do what Martin Luther King said. We have to judge people by the content of their character, and not the color of their skin.”
Black candidates have won every mayoral election held since the city switched to a strong mayor form of government in 2004. Despite the Crusade’s backing of Roday, former Council president Michelle Mosby has endorsements from many of the city’s Black civic and faith leaders, including former Mayor Dwight Jones and state Dels. Delores McQuinn and Michael Jones.
Read more, including who Richardson's group has backed in past elections
Council backs right to counsel in evictions, OKs 266-unit development in Swansboro
Declaring evictions without legal representation a “public crisis,” the Richmond City Council voted Monday to back the creation of a program that would give tenants facing eviction a right to legal assistance in the courts.
In other matters, the council approved a special use permit for a 266-unit affordable housing development on a low-lying parcel of land off Semmes Avenue in the Swansboro neighborhood, despite flooding concerns. Read more
At early voting event, Kaine and McClellan decline to weigh in on Richmond mayoral race
Two of Richmond’s top Democrats are encouraging voters to cast ballots early and support the party’s nominees up and down the ticket. But they’re not giving any cues about which particular Democrat they think Richmond should elect as its next mayor.
“I voted for the winner,” U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said with a smile Monday when asked who he voted for in the five-person mayoral race. He said only that the field is made up of “very good candidates.” Read more
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A decade after the first ice bucket challenge, the VCU Health ALS Clinic is ramping up research diagnosis and treatment on the national stage.
The VCU Health ALS Clinic tripled in size since inception in 2011. It is the largest clinic in the commonwealth. “We went from having a very small research footprint to being a destination research program for the entire region,” said Kelly Gwathmey, M.D., director of the clinic. Read more.
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Helene's impact on Richmond, and remembering Gaston
After several days of social media chatter, Tropical Storm Helene formed Tuesday morning in the northwest Caribbean, heading north into the Gulf of Mexico where it will become a hurricane, reports Sean Sublette.
Conditions are favorable for rapid intensification, and a major hurricane is likely to take shape just before dawn Thursday. The impact will likely be felt as waves of rain in Richmond on Friday.
We may have breaks of sun on Sunday, Sublette writes, but overall the next several days look cloudy and damp before the atmosphere becomes unclogged toward the middle of next week. Read more
In other news
- Richmond finance manager said not to include tax credits in reports, email shows (Times-Dispatch)
- Megadeth responds after Peter Frampton 'rats out' metal band, spilling tea on Richmond concert cancellation (CBS 6)
- How would Richmond’s 2024 mayoral candidates support Black reparations? (VPM)
- Large fight breaks out at Kings Dominion, sheriff’s office says (NBC 12)
The editor's desk
Here's hoping that weekend rains don't dampen the Folk Festival, one of my favorite annual events. This year's edition will take place two weeks earlier than normal to avoid falling on Yom Kippur.
Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org
