$140M deal for Russell Wilson
Meet founder of MOMS Inc. B1
Richmond Free Press © 2019 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
VOL. 28 NO. 16
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
www.richmondfreepress.com
Shake-up
10 RPS principals out, 7 others on warning, sources report
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A10
APRIL 18-20, 2019
Ms. Sims
Ms. Green
‘Greatness like no other’
By Ronald E. Carrington and Jeremy M. Lazarus
Ten Richmond schools will have new principals next fall as part of a leadership shake-up that Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras is undertaking as part of his schools improvement plan, the Free Press has learned. Overseen by RPS Chief of Schools Harry Hughes, the changes will include replacement of principals at Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall and George Wythe high schools, according to sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to comment. New principals also are expected at at least one middle school, Henderson Middle, and five elementary schools, the sources disclosed, including J.H. Blackwell, Fairfield, E.S.H. Greene, Overby-Sheppard and Elizabeth D. Redd. One school was not identified. Principals being replaced are expected to finish out the school year, then resign, retire or accept another position, including a return to the classroom or a lower administrative position, such as assistant principal, sources said. George Wythe High’s principal, Reva Green, already has tendered her resignation, and Greene Elementary’s principal, Linda Sims, has filed for retirement, according to a School Board document. Though no one being replaced has been identified publicly Please turn to A4
Paper trail
Parent’s FOIA request shows more to RPS 2018 toilet paper debacle By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Richmond Public Schools expects to finish the current school year with plenty of toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning supplies at each of its buildings, according to Michelle Hudacsko, chief of staff to RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras. There is sufficient funding, and instead of a staff member being assigned to take orders from schools and get them filled, the “schools receive automated janitorial supply deliveries so that they don’t have to place orders. We also keep a small reserve on hand, if needed,” Ms. Hudacsko stated in response to a Free Press query. That’s a far cry from last year when at least 40 of the school system’s 52 buildings, including the Richmond Technical Center, ran short of the essentials, resulting in a small brigade of parents and others pitching in to provide toilet paper and paper towels. Cindy L. Anderson, an RPS parent and businesswoman, created a fundraising site to generate donations and then played a key role in purchasing and delivering the supplies in an effort to resolve the embarrassing situation. She credits teacher Mary Gresham with issuing the first social media alert on May 31 about a shortage of toilet paper and paper towels and that there was no money “in the cus-
Matt Slocum/Associated Press
Tiger Woods holds the championship trophy wearing the green jacket donned by winners after coming from behind to claim victory Sunday at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga.
Tiger Woods roars back to win Masters Tournament Free Press staff, wire report
AUGUSTA, Ga.
Tiger’s back! The fallen hero and crippled star is now a Masters champion again. The 43-year-old Tiger Woods thrilled viewers — and himself — as he rallied to win the Masters Tournament for the fifth time on Sunday in a comeback that goes well beyond the two-shot deficit he erased before
By Arianna Coghill Capital News Service
Medical marijuana dispensaries to open in Va. By Ben Burstein Capital News Service
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Efforts grow to preserve history of Saint Paul’s College
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Virginians with a doctor’s recommendation soon will have access to medical marijuana through CBD and THC-A oil dispensaries throughout the state. The Virginia Board of Pharmacy has approved five companies to open the dispensaries — one in each of the commonwealth’s five health service areas. The dispensaries will provide CBD and THC-A oils to approved patients only. The Board of Pharmacy met in private last year to review 51 applicants before selecting five: PharmaCann in Staunton, Dalitso, Dharma Pharmaceuticals, Green Leaf Medical in Richmond, and Columbia Care, to be based in Portsmouth. Background checks will be conducted before each company receives a license. There are no scheduled opening dates for the dispensaries, but it’s possible they could be operational by winter. Green Leaf Medical will set up its dispensary in the Swansboro neighborhood in Richmond, serving the surrounding area south to Emporia in Health Service Area IV. Green Leaf is a producer of CBD and THC-A oils, along with other medical
a delirious audience that watched memories turn into reality at Augusta National. Tiger had gone nearly 11 years since he won his last major, 14 years since that green jacket was slipped over his Sunday red shirt. He made it worth the wait, closing with a 2-under 70 for a one-shot victory and setting off a scene of raw emotion.
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
Thrill of the hunt When it comes to an Easter egg hunt, Zalaya Shaw, 3, is a pro. Not only was the youngster good at finding the colorful treasures, she enjoyed admiring their bright colors. She took part in the 7th Annual Easter Egg Hunt & Celebration sponsored last weekend by Putting Communities Together Inc. Please see more photos, B2.
memory alive began in 2012, the year before the school shut its doors. “We saw the writing was on the wall,” said Sylvia Allen, a member of the conservation effort. Thus the James Solomon Russell-Saint Paul’s College Museum and Archives was born. James Grimstead is the museum’s chairman and director. He and Mr. Conner discussed the idea with Saint Paul’s officials for a year before they decided to close the school.
LAWRENCEVILLE “Challenge by choice” was the motto of Saint Paul’s College, which closed in 2013 because of financial problems and declining student enrollment. Now the citizens of Lawrenceville are living up to that motto — by taking up the challenge of collecting and preserving artifacts documenting the 125-year history of the historically black college. Please turn to A4 Lawrenceville residents and other supporters of Saint Paul’s College have opened a museum to showcase documents and memorabilia, including an original copy of “Adventure in Faith,” an autobiography written by the Rev. James Solomon Russell, who was born enslaved, became an Episcopal priest and founded the school in 1888. The year-old museum has been such a success that it is ready to expand to a new location. “We’re trying to create a place that could be a home VCU Capital News Service to the alumni and that they The collection of artifacts and memorabilia at can identify with,” said the James Solomon Russell-Saint Paul’s College Bobby Conner, vice chair- Museum and Archives is outgrowing its current man of the project. home at 219 N. Main St. in Lawrenceville. Organizers Conversations about plan to move the museum to larger quarters in the how to keep the college’s Brunswick County Conference Center this summer.