Richmond Free Press October 28-30, 2021 edition

Inside: Election coverage A6, A8, A10; Endorsements A12

Richmond Free Press © 2021 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

VOL. 30 NO. 44

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

www.richmondfreepress.com

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Meet this week’s Personality B1

OCtobER 28-30, 2021

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Former President Obama brings last-minute boost to Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s gubernatorial campaign

By Chip Lauterbach

Former President Obama brought a welcome gift to Democrat Terry McAuliffe in his campaign for governor – a surge of energy ahead of Election Day next Tuesday, Nov. 2.

President Obama campaigned last Saturday with Mr. McAuliffe and the statewide Democratic ticket before a cheering crowd of nearly 3,000 people outside the James Branch Cabell Library on Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus.

President Obama called Mr. McAuliffe, who served as Virginia’s governor from 2014 to 2018, the right man for the job because of the many successes of his first term.

“With Terry, you don’t have to wonder what he’s going to be like as governor because you’ve seen it,” President Obama said.

“He walked the walk. He didn’t just talk the talk.”

He also gave a ringing endorsement to the two other Democrats on the statewide ticket, Delegate Hala S. Ayala for lieutenant governor and Attorney General Mark R. Herring for re-election to a third term, and for the party’s candidates for the House of Delegates.

President Obama pumped up a crowd that clearly was eager to see him, with people shouting, “I love you!” to the former president. “I love you, too!” he shouted back.

The crowd began to boo as President Obama said that Mr. McAuliffe’s opponent, Republican Glenn Youngkin, is seeking to win by signaling support for former President Trump’s claims about fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

“Don’t boo,” President Obama told the crowd. “Vote. Booing doesn’t do anything. Booing might make you feel better, but it’s not going to get Terry elected. Vote!”

Recent polls show the governor’s race to be a dead heat between Mr. McAuliffe and Mr. Youngkin, a former co-chief executive officer of the Carlyle Group investment firm and a Please turn to A4

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Former President Obama fires up a crowd of nearly 3,000 people last Saturday as he campaigned for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Saturday, Oct. 30 is deadline to vote early in person Voters in the Metro Richmond area will be able to vote early in person through this weekend, with polling places in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover open on Saturday, Oct. 30.

After Saturday, voters will have to cast their ballots at the polls on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2. Polls across Virginia will be open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. next Tuesday.

As of Monday, Oct. 25, 724,965 of Virginia’s 5.9 million registered voters have Please turn to A4

Need a ride to the polls?

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Valena Dixon talks with a passer-by about the Get Out the Vote Car Parade and Information Fair last Saturday that began in the Hillside Court public housing community in South Side and wound through the city before ending at the Calhoun Center in Gilpin Court. The GOTV effort was sponsored by the Social Action Committee of the Richmond Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Need a ride to the polls to vote?

Local and national groups are providing options in the final days of early voting and on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2.

The last day for early, in-person voting is Saturday, Oct. 30.

Project Give Back to Community, (804) 201-7701, is joining churches and other groups to provide rides beginning 11 a.m.

Thursday, Oct. 28, for early voting through Saturday, Oct. 30, and on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Partners include Operation Stamp the Vote, New Life Deliverance Tabernacle, the Commonwealth Consortium and the Richmond Branch NAACP. Riders are required to wear face masks.

RideShare2Vote, a national organization that has mobilized in several states, including Virginia, is offering free rides to the polls Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 28 through 30, and on Tuesday, Nov. 2, to voters in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover. Rides also may be available in other localities.

Check the organization’s website at https://rideshare2vote.com/ or call (888) 977-2250. Requests should be made at least two hours Please turn to A4

Jury selection begins in federal lawsuit against white supremacist organizers of deadly Charlottesville ‘Unite the Right’ rally Free Press wire report

Julianne Tripp

Big sounds Three-year-old Zara takes a short drumming lesson with her father, Babs, an artist originally from West Africa who now lives in Richmond.

Babs, whose paintings include landscapes and African wildlife, was among the bevy of artists participating last Saturday in the 2nd Annual Art Under the Pines exhibition at Pine Camp Cultural Arts & Community Center’s Sculpture Garden. Zara and her older sister, Chali, 9, kept their father company during the event.

Please see more photos, B3.

The violence at the white nationalists “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville in 2017 shocked the nation, with people beaten to the ground, lighted torches thrown at counterdemonstrators and a selfproclaimed Hitler admirer ramming his car into a crowd, killing a woman and injuring dozens more.

The driver of that car is serving life in prison for murder and hate crimes. Now, more than four years later, a civil trial will determine whether the neo-Nazis and white

supremacists who organized the demonstrations should be held accountable as well.

Jury selection began Monday for the trial in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville, which is expected to last a month.

The lawsuit was funded by Integrity First for America, a nonprofit organization formed in response to the violence in Charlottesville with the goal of disarming the instigators of violence through litigation.

It accuses some of the country’s most well-known white nationalists of orchestrating a “meticulously

Free COVID-19 testing, vaccines Free community testing for COVID-19 continues.

The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations: • Tuesday, Nov. 2, 9 to 11 a.m., Second Baptist Church of South Richmond, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd., drive-thru testing.

• Wednesday, Nov. 3, 9 to 11 a.m., Eastern Henrico Recreation Center Pavilion, 1440 N. Laburnum Ave. Appointments are not necessary, but can be made by calling the Richmond and Henrico COVID-19 Hotline at (804) 205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by registering online at https://bit.ly/ RHHDCOVID.

Please turn to A4

Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress via AP

In this Aug. 12, 2017 photo, people fly into the air as a vehicle drives into a group of counterprotesters demonstrating against a rally by white nationalists angered by the City of Charlottesville’s plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

planned conspiracy” to commit violence against Blacks, Jewish people and others based on race, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. A firestorm erupted after then-President Donald Trump failed to strongly denounce the white nationalists, saying there were “very fine people on both sides.”

Hundreds of white nationalists descended on Charlottesville on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12, 2017, ostensibly to protest city plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The nearly two dozen defendants include Jason Kessler, the rally’s main Please turn to A4

Richmond Free Press

A2 October 28-30, 2021

Local News

Artist vows to restore vandalized Ashe mural in Battery Park

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

“We’re planning to make it bigger and better,” vowed Sir James Thornhill, the lead artist in creating a mural honoring to the late tennis great, humanitarian and Richmond native Arthur Ashe Jr. in Battery Park in North Side.

That was his response after vandals damaged the mural last week with white supremacist insignias. The city used black paint to cover over the symbols on two portraits of Mr. Ashe, which damaged the four-year-old mural even more.

“I was hurt,” said Mr. Thornhill, 66, as he viewed how the city had dealt with the vandalism discovered early on Oct. 21. “I Slices of life and scenes understand they didn’t want to in Richmond anyone to see it. But I wish they had consulted with me first before applying their remedy.”

In response to a query, Tamara Jenkins, a spokeswoman for the city Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, stated, “We reached out to Mr. Thornhill right after we were notified by residents. However, we did not hear back from him until the afternoon. We did not want to leave the graffiti up.”

Still, Mr. Thornhill is enthused at the response of fellow artists and others who are pledging time and money to restore and even improve the mural.

“I have heard from so many people who want to help,” said Mr. Thornhill, who still has his home and studio in his birthplace, Jackson Ward.

Mr. Thornhill, who adopted the name of a 17th-century English artist, said he is uncertain when the restoration work will begin.

He said the plan is still being developed and would be done in concert with the city parks department, which commissioned the tribute in 2017.

Along with the insignias, vandals also painted over images of Mr. Ashe located at the entries to the park’s tunnel. One of the defaced murals showed Mr. Ashe holding up the trophy he won at Wimbledon in 1975 to become the first Black male player to

Cityscape

City Council OKs plan for $155M in federal American Rescue Plan funds

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond is preparing to pour $64 million into the development of new and improved community recreation centers in the East End, South Side and Gilpin Court.

More than $7 million also will be invested in programs to help residents meet emergency needs, pay for child care services and repair and weatherize their homes.

City Council cleared the way Monday for these projects and a host of other spending, including $3,000 bonuses for police officers, firefighters, ambulance personnel and emergency dispatchers as a thank you for their work during the pandemic.

The nine council members did so in approving Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s plan for using the $155 million that the federal government has provided the city through the American Rescue Plan. The city already has the first half of the money and will receive the rest next May. The vote concerned the use of the first $77 million, but essentially set how all of the money would be used.

Council members gave enthusiastic support for spending on the recreation center construction despite knowing that the city has yet to address more than $300 million in maintenance needs on its 80 existing buildings. Roughly $192 million of those maintenance needs are listed as urgent.

The ARP plan earmarks $20 million for development of the first indoor recreation center at Lucks Field in the East End, $36 million to overhaul and expand the T.B. Smith Community Center on Ruffin Road and accelerate improvements to the Southside Community Center on Old Warwick Road and $8 million to repair and improve the Calhoun Center in Gilpin Court, including fixing the pool.

Neither the mayor nor the council has offered any plans to beef up staffing for the city Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, which council members acknowledge often struggles to staff existing recreation centers.

An additional $13.5 million is to be pumped into improvements at James River Park and a riverside trail, park acquisitions in South Side and a bridge over the Crooked Branch Ravine.

The plan also provides $1 million to create a fund to assist financially strapped residents with bills and provides $2 million for child care subsidies.

Another $5.2 million is earmarked for home repairs and to cover removal of lead lines carrying drinking water. Sherill Hampton, the city’s director of Housing and Community Development, said the city already funds three nonprofits in making home repairs and plans to expand that service to reduce a waiting list of 1,600 homes for which service has been requested.

Another $20 million is headed to the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which is used to provide loans and grants to developments of reduced-price homes and apartments.

The list of expenditures also includes $3 million to revive a revolving loan fund to assist small businesses, $1.5 million for workforce development and $5 million to improve health equity.

New program will award 25 Henrico students full-tuition scholarships to VUU

By Ronald E. Carrington

Virginia Union University and Henrico County Public Schools have partnered to establish “VUU Henrico Scholars,” a new program that will award full, four-year tuition scholarships to 25 eighthgraders to attend the university when they graduate in 2026.

The scholarships will cover tuition at VUU as students pursue a bachelor’s degree in an area of their choosing. Students and their families will be responsible only for non-tuition costs, such as room and board and fees.

Students chosen for the program will be supported between eighthgrade and high school graduation with college-readiness programs, and will participate in other VUU events, officials announced.

Tuition and fees for the current academic year total $14,030, according to the fee schedule posted on the VUU website.

Applications for the VUU Henrico Scholars program will be accepted beginning Monday, Nov. 1, until the deadline at 11:59 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17.

Scholarship recipients will be announced in March.

Henrico County Public Schools and VUU will hold a series of “Panther Parties,” which will be open to all families, at middle schools to provide more information about the program.

For more information, contact Deia Champ, HCPS’ director of middle school education, at vuuhenscholars@henrico.k12.va.us.

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Vandals painted white supremacist insignias on a mural honoring tennis champion and Richmond native Arthur Ashe Jr. in Battery Park.

When the vandalism was discovered Oct. 21, the city then covered up the graffiti with black paint to hide the racist tags.

be victorious at the London tournament.

“We aren’t going to let this stop our commitment to spreading peace,” Mr. Thornhill said. “We will be back to ensure that we continue to tell his story.”

Mr. Thornhill led the development of the Arthur Ashe tribute with a group of artists known as the U.N.I.T.Y. Street Project.

At the time, Hamilton Glass, David Marion, Michon Pittman and Keith M. Ramsey were part of the U.N.I.T.Y. team, which stands for Upholding, Networking and Inspiring Together in celebration of Yesterday, according to the group’s website.

The Ashe mural fills the front and interior of the tunnel under Overbrook Road that links Battery Park’s basketball court with the tennis courts. Mr. Ashe was barred from playing on the courts as a youth because he was Black; he learned the game at segregated Brook Field, where the main Post Office is now located.

Mr. Thornhill recalls that he and fellow artists battled summer heat and mosquitos four years ago to complete the work. He said the project benefitted from volunteers from the community and a major corporation pitched in to help with the painting.

City employees will pay more for health insurance in 2022

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

City Hall employees will face an average increase of 17 percent in the cost of health insurance effective Jan. 1, with significant new limits on coverage for retiring workers, according to a report to City Council.

Lincoln Saunders, the city’s chief administrative officer, provided the report on changes to coverage that do not require City Council approval. City employees also have no say on the changes.

Mr. Saunders described the proposals as enabling the city to deal with an unexpected increase in 2022 of nearly 10 percent in health insurance costs and to bring the city “more in line” with the previously less robust health benefits that Chesterfield and Henrico counties offer employees.

The increased costs for employees would be the first in seven years, Mr. Saunders noted.

To make up for an inability to provide annual raises, the city since 2015 has absorbed increases in the cost of health insurance, according to the report, which have run about 4 percent a year.

The city reported providing health insurance in 2021 to 3,827 active and retired workers at a cost totaling $52.1 million.

Those enrolled paid about 20.5 percent of that cost, or nearly $10.7 million, with the city picking the rest of the tab, about $41.4 million. (The employee share is only for the cost of the insurance and does not include outlays for co-payments, deductibles and other expenses that grow out of using the policy.)

In 2022, the cost of the health in-

surance will rise to $57.2 million, a $5 million increase, the report stated, noting that is largely due to higher claims experienced, particularly catastrophic events involving a few of Mr. Saunders those insured.

Despite reporting a $9 million surplus for the 2021 fiscal year that ended June 30, Mr. Saunders said that Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration has made the decision that the city will not fully absorb the insurance cost increase. According to the report, the city would pick up about 5 percent, around $2.1 million.

Employees who will face the biggest increase are those enrolled in the city’s best plan, one of three options offered through Cigna, according to the report from USI One Advantage, an insurance consulting and brokerage firm the city employed to review the health benefit packages.

The cost for an employee’s coverage in the top plan will jump from $84.36 monthly to $125.70 a month, or 49 percent, effective Jan. 1, according to the report. Far smaller increases are expected for those selecting the Classic or High-Deductible alternatives, the report stated.

Family coverage under the city health plans also will cost more. For example, the cost for family coverage will rise from the current $701 a month to $800 a month for the top plan, a 14 percent increase.

According to the report, the hike in the cost for the top plan is to be phased

in over two years.

For retirees, the new limits are based on a city effort to dramatically shrink its growing $118 million obligation for providing health insurance to those who are below the Medicare qualifying age of 65.

As of Jan. 1, the city no will longer provide health insurance for those who retire before age 55, the report noted. That change would primarily impact police and firefighters who can qualify for a pension after 20 to 25 years of service, instead of the 30 years that other employees must work.

The city also will reduce the amount it provides as its share of the cost of insurance and limit inclusion of family members on a policy only to those who do have insurance of their own.

In addition, retirees no longer will be able to choose the city’s best coverage plan, but instead will be limited to the Classic or High-Deductible plans.

The report noted that retirees would be encouraged to consider their options through Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace, adding that many likely would qualify for better and less expensive insurance.

As a result of those changes, the city’s future health insurance obligation to retirees should shrink in 2022 to $60 million, a $58 million decline, the report stated.

The changes to the retiree program grow out of a 2020 internal audit that sounded the alarm over the city’s failure to make adequate contributions to a state fund to support its retiree health insurance obligations, known as Other Post-Employment Benefits.

Vacancies continue to rise in Richmond Police Department

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The Richmond Police Department is continuing to shrink in size.

In speaking before City Council this week, Police Chief Gerald M. Smith reported the force has 102 vacant positions.

That’s an increase of 22 vacancies from early September, when the chief reported 80 vacancies in a letter to the Free Press.

That’s a big hit to a force that is authorized to have 756 sworn officers, including 40 recruits. Chief Smith indicated that some detectives occasionally have had to be redeployed to fill some of the vacancies in patrol that mandatory overtime has not been able to fix.

Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, 8th District, said Richmond residents are becoming more aware of the situation. She said she hears about it from people who wonder “where the police are” and say it is taking far longer to get police responses to calls.

Chief Smith acknowledged to City Council on Tuesday that a heavier burden is falling on the men and women who remain on the force. He said the force is “worn out” and that morale has declined. He said the challenges of the past 20 months, ranging from the pandemic to the racial justice demonstrations, coupled with the falling numbers have left everyone “exhausted.”

However, the vacancy level may be worse than Chief Smith portrayed in his public testimony, according City Council members.

On July 1, when the current 2021-22 fiscal year began, the city’s adopted budget listed 39 sworn police positions that were frozen.

Those positions were vacant and frozen by Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration in an attempt to save money, a move that City Council endorsed in approving the budget.

The Free Press was told that the vacancy numbers Chief Smith reported did not include the frozen positions. Adding the 39 frozen positions to the current 102 vacancies raises the total to 141 vacant positions.

The police force has always had attrition, Chief Smith said, with 45 to 50 officers leaving annually beChief Smith fore the pandemic. But those numbers have skyrocketed since the pandemic began, he said.

In 2020, 73 sworn officers left the force, and so far in 2021, 83 have left, Chief Smith reported.

Of the 156 officers who have left during the two-year period, 99 resigned and left for other opportunities; 46 retired; nine were terminated or quit to avoid being fired; and two died.

The Free Press also has been told that as many as 20 more officers have submitted resignations or retirement papers and would be out the door by the new year.

Chief Smith told the council that some items are being overlooked in order to help keep people on the police force. For example, he said uniformed officers no longer are being dinged for having beards or leaving tattoos uncovered.

Chief Smith said the biggest challenge

is filling the vacancies.

He reported that five of the officers who resigned are returning and that a new recruit class of 20 will complete the academy in three weeks. But that totals only 25 new people, far too few to fill the vacancies.

And for 2022, only 19 people have qualified for new police academy classes — 16 for a class that will graduate in March and three for a class that will start next fall.

Chief Smith reported that the department, like many across the country, is struggling to recruit, noting that applications are down more than 50 percent. He attributed the decline in part to officers’ concerns that their role in the community is no longer appreciated.

But Richmond also is paying less than other nearby departments. A six-year veteran in Richmond now makes about the same annual salary as a first-year officer in neighboring police forces, the Free Press has been told.

Richmond officers are not only being recruited by other departments, but also are being lured to leave by higher paying opportunities in other fields.

Richmond has started a salary study of police and firefighter pay, and a council resolution that is expected to pass at the Nov. 8 meeting calls for the city administration to implement the recommendations as a top priority in the 2022-23 budget.

Lincoln Saunders, the city’s chief administrative officer, told a council committee last week that his preliminary estimates suggest the city is likely to spend $60 million over the next five years to improve salaries for public safety officers.

Richmond Free Press

October 28-30, 2021 A3

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A4 October 28-30, 2021

Richmond Free Press

News

Former President Obama brings last-minute boost to Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s gubernatorial campaign Continued from A1

political neophyte.

Polls released in the past seven days show that voter support for Mr. Youngkin is now even with Mr. McAuliffe, who had been the front-runner at the start.

A Monmouth University poll, for example, found each candidate was supported by 46 percent of the electorate, a change from the university’s September poll that indicated Mr. McAuliffe had a 5 percentage point lead.

President Obama is among a series of Democratic heavyhitters who have come to Virginia to stump for Mr. McAuliffe in an attempt to boost Democratic turnout during early voting and on Election Day. In addition to President Obama, President Biden appeared at an event with Mr. McAuliffe earlier this week in Arlington.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who appeared Oct. 21 at a rally with Mr. McAuliffe in Prince William County, is to return this Friday, Oct. 29, with Virginia Beach native and music mogul Pharrell Williams at a rally with Mr. McAuliffe in Norfolk.

First Lady Jill Biden was in Richmond with Mr. McAuliffe on Oct. 15, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appeared

Need a ride to the polls?

on Mr. McAuliffe’s behalf in Richmond on Oct. 17.

Additionally, voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams of Georgia joined Mr. McAuliffe at events in Norfolk, Northern Virginia and Charlottesville.

Other speakers joined President Obama to highlight the importance of the election, with key officeholders taking to the podium in a show of unity. Among the speakers were U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, Gov. Ralph S. Northam, Speaker of the House Eileen Filler-Corn and Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney.

Mr. McAuliffe, who is seeking to become only the second former governor since 1865 to win a second term, also took to the stage to push his message that his election will keep the ball of progress rolling.

While he pledged to work with Republicans, he also described Mr. Youngkin and other Trump supporters in the Republican Party as the embodiment of what is wrong with Virginia politics.

“It doesn’t matter to me what your party persuasion is. If you’re a reasonable Republican, you’ll work with me on these things, I’ll work with you,” Mr. McAuliffe said. “Glenn Youngkin is not a reasonable Republican.”

Each speaker, including President Obama, expressed concern over the direction the GOP would take Virginia and warned that the GOP threatens to roll back voting rights, abortion rights and LGBTQ rights, including same-sex marriage.

They also talked about a recent pro-Youngkin “Take Back Virginia” rally in Henrico County in which his supporters pledged allegiance to an American flag that Trump supporters carried during the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.

“You can’t run ads telling me you are a regular old hoopsplaying, dish-washing, fleece-wearing guy, but quietly cultivate

support from those who seek to tear down our democracy,” President Obama said of Mr. Youngkin.

Mr. Youngkin did not appear at the Oct. 13 event where the Jan. 6 flag was used and at which Mr. Trump telephoned in to endorse Mr. Youngkin. Asked later, Mr. Youngkin said, “It is weird and wrong to pledge allegiance to a flag connected to Jan. 6. As I have said many times before, the violence that occurred on January 6 was sickening and wrong.”

President Obama, though, said the message Mr. Youngkin is sending to voters is that he either “believes in the same conspiracy theories that resulted” in the Jan. 6 mob riot in which five people died, including a U.S. Capitol police officer, or he “doesn’t believe it but he’s willing to go along with it, to say or do anything to get elected.”

The latter, President Obama said, could be worse because “it says something about character. And character will end up showing when you actually are in office.”

As part of their remarks, the Democratic leaders hailed the progress that has taken place across the state since gaining control of the Executive Mansion and the General Assembly.

And they urged a big turnout to keep Democrats in charge in the 100-seat House of Delegates.

Democrats now hold 55 House seats to 45 for the GOP. The chamber would flip from Democratic blue to Republican red with the flip of only six seats.

“The entire nation is looking at Virginia, and we have to tell them and show them where we need to go next,” said Delegate Ayala, who would be the first woman to gain the state’s No. 2 post if she wins. “It is incumbent upon us to lead our country in the direction of progress.”

Continued from A1

before pickup time. Riders are required to wear face masks.

The Radio One Poll Patrol also is providing free rides to Richmond voter sites 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28. Contact: (804) 501-0415.

The Central Virginia Chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute also is providing free transportation to the polls 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 2. Call (804) 228-1744.

The Henrico Branch NAACP generally is referring people to other resources, but will step in if there is no else. Contact the branch: (804) 404-9713 or email, Henrico.NAACP@gmail.com

Free COVID-19 testing Continued from A1

Testing will be offered while test supplies last.

COVID-19 testing also is available at various drug stores, clinics and urgent care centers throughout the area for people with and without health insurance. Several offer tests with no out-of-pocket costs.

A list of area COVID-19 testing sites is online at https://www. vdh.virginia.gov/richmond-city/richmond-and-henrico-areacovid-19-testing-sites/ The Virginia Department of Health also has a list of COVID19 testing locations around the state at www.vdh.virginia.gov/ coronavirus/covid-19-testing/covid-19-testing-sites/.

Want a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot?

The Richmond and Henrico health districts are offering free walk-up COVID-19 vaccines at the following locations: • Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Community Vaccination Center, Richmond Raceway, 600 E. Laburnum Ave., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

• Thursday, Oct. 28, 1 to 4:30 p.m. – Richmond Health District Cary Street Clinic, 400 E. Cary St., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

• Friday, Oct. 29, 9 a.m. to noon – Henrico West Health Department Clinic, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

• Saturday, Oct. 30, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1400 Perry St., Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

• Tuesday, Nov. 2, 3 to 6 p.m. – Second Baptist Church of South Richmond, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

• Wednesday, Nov. 3, 1 to 4:30 p.m. – Eastern Henrico Recreation Center, 1440 N. Laburnum Ave., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

• Thursday, Nov. 4, 1 to 4:30 p.m. – Richmond Health District Cary Street Clinic, 400 E. Cary St., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

• Friday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to noon – Henrico West Health Department Clinic, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

Children ages 12 to 17 may only receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Appointments are required for booster shots by scheduling one online at vaccinate.virginia.gov or by calling (877) VAXIN-VA (1-877-829-4682).

VaccineFinder.org and vaccines.gov also allow people to find nearby pharmacies and clinics that offer the COVID-19 vaccine and booster.

The Chesterfield County Health District is offering vaccines and booster shots at the following location: • Community Vaccination Center, Rockwood Shopping Center (in the former Big Lots store), 10161 Hull Street Road, Midlothian. The center is open 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged by going to www.vaccines.gov or call (877) VAX-IN-VA. Those who are getting a booster shot should bring their vaccine card to confirm date and type of vaccine received.

A panel of the federal Food and Drug Administration recommended Pfizer’s vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 under emergency use authorization. Full approval by the FDA and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which may come next week, would enable hundreds of thousands of children to be protected against the COVID-19 virus as early as mid-November.

The Virginia Department of Health reported on Wednesday 1,631 new positive cases of COVID-19 around the state during a 24-hour period, bringing the cumulative total to 921,630 cases statewide. There have been a total of 38,535 hospitalizations and 13,827 deaths. The state’s seven-day positivity rate was 5.9 percent. Last week, it was 6.8 percent.

Among the state’s population of children under age 12 who are not yet able to be vaccinated, roughly 167,000 cases, 1,160 hospitalizations and 15 deaths have been reported since the pandemic began.

On Wednesday, state health officials reported that 62.6 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, while 69.6 percent of the people have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Roughly 438,619 people have received booster shots or third doses of the vaccine.

State data also show that African-Americans comprised 22.5 percent of cases statewide and 24.9 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 13.9 percent of cases and 5.9 percent of deaths.

As of Wednesday, Richmond reported a total of 23,855 positive cases, 938 hospitalizations and 348 deaths; Henrico County, 34,337 cases, 1,254 hospitalizations and 714 deaths; Chesterfield County, 39,478 cases, 1,167 hospitalizations and 547 deaths; and Hanover County, 11,737 cases, 366 hospitalizations and 195 deaths.

Saturday, Oct. 30 is deadline to vote early in person Continued from A1

already cast ballots in this general election to choose the state’s top leadership for the next four years and representatives to Virginia’s 100-seat House of Delegates.

Voters in Richmond also will be deciding whether they want a casino to be located in the city.

The last day for early, in-person voting in Virginia is Saturday, Oct. 30.

Here are early, in-person voting locations and hours: Richmond • Thursday, Oct. 28, and Friday, Oct. 29, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Saturday, Oct. 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Locations: • Richmond Voter Registrar’s Office, 2134 W. Laburnum Ave. • City Hall, 900 E. Broad St., on the Marshall Street side of the first floor lobby

• Hickory Hill Community Center, 3000 E. Belt Blvd.

Details: www.rva.gov/elections/votingpolls or (804) 646-5950 Henrico County • Thursday, Oct. 28, and Friday, Oct. 29, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Saturday, Oct. 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Locations: • Henrico Western Government Center, 4305 E. Parham Road • Henrico Eastern Government Center, 3820 Nine Mile Road • Varina Public Library, 1875 New Market Road Details: https://henrico.us/registrar/ voter-registration-locations-times/hoursof-operation/ or (804) 501-4347 Chesterfield County • Thursday, Oct. 28, and Friday, Oct. 29, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Saturday, Oct. 30, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Locations:

• Chesterfield Voter Registrar’s Office, 9848 Lori Road • North Courthouse Road Library, 325 Courthouse Road, North Chesterfield • LaPrade Library, 9000 Hull Street Road, North Chesterfield • Meadowdale Library, 4301 Meadowdale Blvd, North Chesterfield • Ettrick-Matoaca Library, 4501 River Road, South Chesterfield • Clover Hill Library, 6701 Deer Run Drive, Midlothian Details: www.chesterfield.gov/699/ Absentee-Voting or (804) 748-1471 Hanover County • Thursday, Oct. 28, and Friday, Oct. 29, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Saturday, Oct. 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: • Hanover Early Voting Center, 7497 County Complex Road, Hanover Details: www.hanovercounty.gov/365/ Voting or (804) 365-6080

Jury selection begins in federal lawsuit against white supremacist organizers of deadly Charlottesville ‘Unite the Right’ rally Continued from A1

organizer, who terms himself a “white civil rights” leader; Richard Spencer, who coined the term “alt-right” to describe a loosely connected band of white nationalists, neoNazis and others; and Christopher Cantwell, a white supremacist who became known as the “crying Nazi” for posting a tearful video when a warrant was issued for his arrest on assault charges for using pepper spray against counterdemonstrators.

The plaintiffs include four people who were hurt when James A. Fields Jr. rammed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters.

The case is built on a vast collection of chat room exchanges, social media postings and other communications in which the defendants use racial epithets and discuss plans for the demonstrations, including what weapons to bring.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs are relying on a 150-year-old law passed after the Civil War to shield freed slaves from violence and protect their civil rights. Commonly known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, the law contains a rarely used provision that allows private citizens to sue other citizens for civil rights violations.

To win a judgment, the plaintiffs must prove the defendants conspired to commit racially motivated violence and planned it in advance — and that the plaintiffs were injured as a result.

“It’s the only case that really takes on the leadership and organization of the white supremacist movement,” said Karen Dunn, one of the lead attorneys in the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys say they’ve amassed 5.3 terabytes of digital communications by the defendants, including many

Richard Spencer

on the online platform Discord initially leaked by Unicorn Riot, a left-leaning media collective.

The lawsuit alleges there were “countless exhortations to violence” on Discord, including one by a defendant who allegedly wrote: “I’m ready to crack skulls,” and another who wrote: “It’s going to get wild. Bring your boots.”

A third allegedly wrote: “There is rapidly approaching a time when in every white western city, corpses will be stacked in the streets as high as men can stack them.”

But the white nationalists named as defendants claim talk of weapons and combat was meant only in the event they had to defend themselves from counterprotesters. They argue their communications are protected by the First Amendment.

“You can say any nasty thing you want about any person or group you want and that is protected by the First Amendment.

That is not me saying that, that’s the Supreme Court,” said W. Edward ReBrook IV, an attorney for Jeff Schoep, the former longtime leader of the neo-Nazi group the Nationalist Socialist Movement and one of the defendants in the lawsuit.

Mr. Spencer, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center calls “a suit-and-tie version

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of the white supremacists of old,” joined fellow white nationalists at the University of Virginia on Aug. 11, 2017. Participants carried tiki torches and marched to a statue of Thomas Jefferson, chanting “Jews will not replace us.”

The plaintiffs allege the defendants and their co-conspirators surrounded counterprotesters, kicked and punched people and climbed atop the statue, yelling “Hail Spencer!” “Hail Victory!”

Mr. Spencer told the crowd: “We own these streets!”

Mr. Spencer, who is representing himself at trial, told The Associated Press he did not help plan the event and took no part in any conspiracy to commit racially motivated violence. He said he is looking forward to telling his story to the jury, noting emotions still run high over the events in Charlottesville.

“I feel also that people don’t have a sense of closure about Charlottesville.

So in some way, they want to achieve a certain kind of purging a bad feeling.

They want to engage in what is effectively scapegoating,” Mr. Spencer said.

Elizabeth Sines, the lead plaintiff, said she’s still haunted by the violence she saw that weekend, including Mr. Fields plowing his car into the crowd. Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old paralegal and counterprotester, was fatally injured in the attack.

“It has changed who I am forever,” Ms. Sines said in a statement released by her attorneys. “The organizers of the Unite the Right rally robbed me of my ability to feel safe, feel secure, feel at ease — even in my own home.”

The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and a judgment that the defendants violated the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights.

@FreePressRVA @RichmondFreePressUSA

Richmond Free Press

October 28-30, 2021 A5

Vaccines Protect You From COVID-19 and Influenza.

COVID-19 is still a concern and flu season is right around the corner. Prevent the spread of COVID-19 and flu this winter. Get vaccinated, and if you feel sick, stay home except to get medical care.

Get Vaccinated to Protect Yourself from COVID-19 and the Delta Variant • COVID-19 vaccines are effective against severe disease and death from variants currently circulating, including the Delta variant • If breakthrough infections occur, even with the Delta variant, they tend to be mild • Even among vaccinated people, the CDC still advises mask wearing in public indoor settings, social distancing, and frequent hand washing • To sign up for a vaccine, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov

Protect Yourself from Influenza An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu.

• With few exceptions, everyone six months and older should get an annual flu vaccine • Some people are at higher risk of severe illness – making vaccines especially important for all adults over age 65, children younger than age five and pregnant people • Everyday preventive actions – covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands frequently, and avoiding close contact with sick people – can stop the spread of influenza germs

We care about the health and safety of our communities.

To learn more, visit vcuhealth.org.

© 2021 VCU Health. All rights reserved.

Sources: VCU Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Richmond Free Press

A6 October 28-30, 2021

Election News

Terry R. McAuliffe

Glenn A. Youngkin

Princess L. Blanding

Turnout expected to be key in race for governor

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Virginia is for lovers of close elections, as one wag put it, and one more is just about to happen.

Next week on Tuesday, Nov. 2, voters will decide who will be Virginia’s 74th governor to succeed Gov. Ralph S. Northam. According to the latest polls, the race is neck and neck.

The contest is mainly a head-to-head matchup between Democrat Terry R. McAuliffe, 64, and Republican Glenn A. Youngkin, 54, both residents of Northern Virginia.

Both men have raised nearly $60 million each to fuel their campaigns, a record in Virginia.

Princess L. Blanding of the Liberation Party, who is running to protest Democratic control of the General Assembly, also is on the ballot. Her campaign has raised just under $35,000, according to the latest campaign finance reports.

Ms. Blanding’s voter support, which is expected to be under 50,000 votes, could become highly significant if the contest ends up being as close as polls indicate.

Viewed as the first major test of party strength ahead of next year’s midterm elections, Virginia’s gubernatorial election has garnered national attention.

Getting voters to turn out remains a problem, particularly for Mr. McAuliffe, who is seeking to build on efforts begun under his first tenure as governor from 2014 to 2018. His campaign has struggled to counter voter apathy and sought to stoke enthusiasm with campaign visits from top Democrats, including President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Obama and voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams of Georgia.

“This is not a persuasion election,” Mr. McAuliffe has said repeatedly. “This is a turn-

out election.”

Historically, only about 45 percent of the state’s registered voters participate in the gubernatorial election. That would result in a turnout this year of about 2.7 million of Virginia’s nearly 6 million registered voters. As of Oct. 25, 724,965 people have cast ballots early in this election, largely through in-person voting and absentee by mail.

Democrats have held the governor’s mansion for the past eight years. Mr. McAuliffe is seeking to extend the party’s grip on the chief executive post, which has become even more influential with Democrats now holding narrow majorities in the House of Delegates and the state Senate.

Mr. McAuliffe is promising to continue the progress the state has made during his previous term and under Gov. Ralph S. Northam.

If elected, Mr. McAuliffe has promised to pour money into bolstering public education and increasing teacher pay, providing a robust paid leave program for workers, attracting new companies to the state, pushing to create goodpaying jobs with expanded workforce training, fighting climate change and promoting development of affordable housing to enable the state to rebound from the pandemic.

But for a man known for enthusiasm and energy to become only the second former governor since 1865 to win election to a second term, Mr. McAuliffe must get by Mr. Youngkin, a Wall Street tycoon who has a far different view of what needs to be done in Virginia.

Given Virginia’s track record of electing a governor from the opposite party of the sitting president, Mr. McAuliffe knows that he needs a huge turnout of Democratic supporters — particularly Black and Latino voters — to win a new term.

He has campaigned at more than 60 Black churches; stumped at historically Black col-

leges and universities, including at Virginia State University’s homecoming last weekend; and garnered the aid of labor unions and from a Latino group that has knocked on more than 50,000 doors on his behalf.

Mr. Youngkin is aware that Mr. McAuliffe eked out a narrow victory over archconservative Republican Ken Cuccinelli to win his first term in 2013. And Mr. Youngkin, a former co-chief executive officer of the Carlyle Group investment firm, has poured $20 million of his own money into the campaign—including another loan of $3.5 million to his campaign in October—to avoid the problem Mr. Cuccinelli faced, a lack of campaign cash in the closing weeks.

With Republican enthusiasm for him at a fever pitch, Mr. Youngkin’s major challenge has been to navigate between supporters of former President Trump and the moderates and independents he needs to win. Mr. Youngkin has enthusiastically accepted the repeated endorsements of Mr. Trump, but not brought him to Virginia to campaign.

A newcomer to politics, Mr. Youngkin has primarily turned to the Republican playbook in making his key campaign pitches. He has campaigned on a pledge to cut taxes and has relied on a race-based attack to rally white suburban voters who are essential.

While Virginia has been rated the No. 1 state to do business, Mr. Youngkin has described the Commonwealth as an economic basket case that has had no job growth under Democratic rule, most notably since the pandemic.

His proposed cure: Slash state revenue by cutting income taxes, eliminating the tax on groceries and delaying an increase in the gas tax, enabling residents to have more money to spend and invest.

To Mr. McAuliffe, that is a formula for

sharply limiting the state’s ability to invest in people-helping services, public safety, education and the workforce and to aggressively recruit new companies and support the growth of existing firms.

Still, Mr. Youngkin is all in on the tax-cutting strategy, despite its failure to deliver economic growth nationally and in several states that have tested the idea.

Mr. Youngkin also has taken a page from the Trump playbook in promising to repeal a major chunk of state government regulations that he claims are strangling business growth. Under Mr. Trump, the repeal allowed companies to pollute, reduced American involvement in tackling climate change and stifled federal activities to protect civil and human rights.

Along with his economic plan, Mr. Youngkin has promised to protect schoolchildren from receiving instruction about critical race theory, even though no public school system offers that instruction in the curriculum.

In a bow to Mr. Trump and his false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, Mr. Youngkin also has made the integrity of Virginia elections an issue. Mr. Youngkin has called for a new audit of election machines in the state, despite a previous state Department of Elections audit showing the counts in Virginia were accurate.

Mr. McAuliffe believes that his positions are more in tune with a majority of Virginians.

Still, Mr. McAuliffe acknowledges that President Biden’s slumping approval ratings and Congress’ failure to pass a $1.9 billion infrastructure plan have created headwinds for him.

For the next few days, Mr. McAuliffe, Mr. Youngkin and Ms. Blanding will be rallying their supporters. Then it will be decision time.

Let’s set the record straight about

VOTING

in Virginia.

EYHU\ 9LUJLQLD 'HSDUWPHQW RI (OHFWLRQV Rɝ FLDO DQG YROXQWHHU is personally dedicated to making sure your vote counts.

Whether it’s a race for School Board or the President of the United States, we have processes and safeguards to ensure safe, secure and accessible elections. These include:

• Validation for registered voters prior to voting • Safeguards for early and absentee votes • Voting machines that are never connected to the Internet

• 3DSHU EDOORWV WKDW DUH YRWHU YHULȴ HG • Ballot boxes that are locked and sealed

Learn more about how Virginia safeguards every election.

Vote.Virginia.gov.

Richmond Free Press

October 28-30, 2021 A7

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Richmond Free Press

A8 October 28-30, 2021

Election News

Delegate Hala S. Ayala

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Winsome E. Sears

2 women of color battling it out to become next lieutenant governor

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

History will be made on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, when the race for lieutenant governor is decided.

Two women of color are on the ballot, Democrat Hala S. Ayala, 48, and Republican Winsome E. Sears, 57. Whoever wins will be the first woman to secure the No. 2 post in Virginia history.

Polls suggest that Delegate Ayala currently holds a small lead over Ms. Sears in what commentators suggest will be a tight race that could turn on which party’s candidate takes the top post of governor.

While largely considered part time, the lieutenant governor’s primary job is to preside over the state Senate. That has become a big deal on a host of issues ranging from abortion to the minimum wage on which a narrowly divided state Senate can deadlock.

In the 40-member Senate, Democrats hold a slight majority of 21 seats.

Delegate Ayala points to the major role current Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax has played in advancing the Democratic reform agenda and hopes she will have the same opportunity. Since taking office in 2018, Mr. Fairfax has broken 52 ties that, among other things, have enabled Virginia to raise the minimum wage for the first time in 12 years, legalized marijuana and authorized the state to expand Medicaid to provide health insurance to nearly 600,000 low-income residents.

Those are issues that Delegate Ayala supports and which most Republicans have not.

The two women would bring different experiences to the office.

Delegate Ayala, who claims African, Latino, Lebanese and Irish heritage through her parentage, once worked in a gas station to make ends meet and almost died in childbirth for lack of health care.

A former cybersecurity specialist for 18 years with the U.S. Coast Guard, she is from Prince William County in Northern Virginia.

Ms. Sears, who briefly served in the House of Delegates from 2002 to 2004, is a Jamaican-born émigré who served in the U.S. Marines and most recently operated a plumbing and electric business in Winchester that has since closed.

In May, Ms. Sears emerged from a crowded field to become the Republican nominee,

according to political commentators, largely on the enthusiasm she generated among the relatively small group of Republicans allowed to participate in the convention from a photo showing her posing with a military rifle.

Known as a gun rights advocate who opposes abortion, Ms. Sears also generated support after her service as national chair for Black Americans to Re-Elect Donald Trump.

Delegate Ayala, meanwhile, organized women’s resistance to President Trump, which led to her election to the General Assembly in 2017. She rose quickly in the House of Delegates to become chief deputy whip to help pass Democratic bills supporting the Equal Rights Amendment, abolishing the death penalty, overhauling the criminal justice system, reinstating controls on gun sales and authorizing early voting and other election reforms.

As lieutenant governor, Delegate Ayala said she would be a bulwark to protect women’s reproductive rights and also help prevent Republicans from rolling back reforms.

The two candidates have differing views on addressing COVID-19. Delegate Ayala supports the vaccine mandates that Gov. Ralph S. Northam has imposed for state workers and mask mandates in schools.

Ms. Sears opposes mandates and has refused to respond to questions about whether she has been vaccinated against the virus. She also has ridiculed Gov. Northam’s mask mandates.

As a Black candidate, she also argues that Democrats want to use the “problems of the past to define us, and we shouldn’t let them.

Yes, we know that there are problems, but it is time to fix them.”

Her main campaign themes include slashing regulations that she said interfere with small businesses, cutting state taxes and expanding vouchers and charter schools to assist families to move their children out of failing public schools.

Delegate Ayala is touting her campaign positions to improve public education, increase transportation options, promote jobs, fight climate change, continue criminal justice reform and protect women’s rights.

As of Sept. 30, Delegate Ayala’s campaign has raised $3.9 million. By comparison, Ms. Sears’ campaign has raised $1.9 million.

Public Notice

Updated weight limits on Virginia bridges and culverts In accord with state and federal law, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has imposed new or changed existing weight restrictions and installed new signage indicating the updated weight restrictions on the following bridges and culverts (structures) in Virginia within the last 30 days.

Re-elect Betsy Carr

Richmond's Leading Voice for Progress DEMOCRAT Virginia House of Delegates 69th District Expanded Medicaid to cover another 400,000+ Virginians Increased transparency to expose violent cops and banned chokeholds Protected the right to an abortion

The list above is not a comprehensive list of all structures with weight restrictions in the Commonwealth, but shows only structures that have new or changed weight restrictions within the last 30 days. The list contains only basic structure identification and location information and the date the new or changed weight restriction and signage became effective.

For a full listing of all bridge and culvert weight restrictions with detailed information about specific structures, including location data and actual weight limits, visit https://www.virginiadot.org and navigate to Info Center/Trucking Resources. This page references a posted structures report and a GIS map tool that contain detailed information about restricted structures in Virginia. To receive email notifications regarding new or updated weight restrictions for structures statewide, complete the sign-up form on the web page.

Notices regarding bridges and culverts with new or updated weight restrictions are published monthly by VDOT. For additional information or questions, please contact, haulingpermits@vdot.virginia.gov.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, or national origin, as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need further information on VDOT’s Title VI Program or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, please contact the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Title VI Program Specialist at 804-786-2730.

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Richmond Free Press

October 28-30, 2021 A9

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Richmond Free Press

A10 October 28-30, 2021

Election News

Attorney General Mark R. Herring

Delegate Jason S. Miyares

Herring seeks third term, battles challenger Miyares in attorney general race

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Do Virginia voters want an activist attorney general who is ready to use the office’s legal firepower to battle housing discrimination, protect workers’ rights, defend abortion rights for women and pursue criminal justice reform?

Democrat Mark R. Herring, 60, hopes so as he seeks a third four-year term as “the people’s lawyer.”

During the first eight years, he has put Virginia’s attorney general’s office on the front lines in defending same-sex marriage, opposing white supremacist symbols and supporting limits on gun sales.

A narrow winner in his two previous races, Mr. Herring of Loudoun County is facing off this time against Republican Delegate Jason S. Miyares, 45, of Virginia Beach.

Mr. Miyares is pushing a law-and-order agenda that would make crime and protecting police officers from brutality charges priorities.

With less than a week to go, polls appear to show Mr. Herring holding a lead over his rival, who is of Cuban heritage and is vying to be the first Hispanic to hold a statewide office.

Mr. Herring has built a substantial record. He set the tone in 2014 when he helped clear the way for same-sex marriage by refusing to defend a state constitutional amendment that barred such nuptials.

During his tenure, he has supported restoration of rights for felons, sued school districts that closed gifted-and-talented programs to Black children and pushed for reforms in police oversight.

In recent months, he won a case enabling the governor to take down the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond, the largest symbol of white supremacy in the state. He has filed lawsuits against corporations that misclassified workers to avoid paying taxes and gone to court to challenge 29 companies that have been turning away tenants seeking to pay rent with federal housing vouchers.

Mr. Miyares also has built a record since being elected to the General Assembly in 2015, including supporting unfettered gun sales, battling legislation to address climate change and opposing criminal justice reforms.

In his campaign, Mr. Miyares has described Mr. Herring as part of a “far left” monopoly that he claims has created a “criminalfirst, victim-last mindset.”

Based on his ads, Mr. Miyares, a former prosecutor in Virginia Beach, plans to push for the attorney general office to take over prosecution of crimes from local commonwealth’s attorneys.

He also has attacked Mr. Herring for not doing enough to rein in the Virginia Parole Board that has been under fire for the early release of some offenders, even though fact checking has shown the attorney general’s office played no role in the decisions and has no control over the board.

Mr. Herring counters that Mr. Miyares has failed to recognize and credit the work his office has done on crime. That includes shining a spotlight on and prosecuting human trafficking cases, enforcing laws on gun crimes and taking the initiative to clear a backlog of untested rape kits that blocked prosecutions of those engaged in serious sexual assaults, Mr. Herring noted.

Mr. Herring also has held meetings and conferences around the state in cooperation with local law enforcement to seek ideas for reducing gun violence.

“I’ll stack my public safety record up against anyone,” Mr. Herring said. “But we also know that it’s important to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to make policing safer and our criminal justice system fair. We can do both of those things.”

Mr. Herring also supports eliminating cash bail, which Mr. Miyares backs to keep people who have not been convicted locked up while awaiting trial.

Mr. Herring also supports a legal change that would make it easier to sue police officers for abuse, while Mr. Miyares argues courts ought to almost automatically dismiss civil suits

that victims bring against police officers because such cases only benefit “trial lawyers.”

Mr. Miyares also is calling for an increase in mandatory minimum sentences in a bid to fill up state prisons at a time when the General Assembly has sought to limit such sentences.

On the abortion front, Mr. Miyares opposes a woman’s right to choose except in the cases of pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or that threaten a woman’s health.

Mr. Herring, however, wants to leave abortion in the hands of women and their doctors.

When the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a strict Texas abortion law to take effect on Sept. 1, Mr. Herring quickly joined 24 other attorneys general in filing a brief supporting a U.S. Justice Department challenge to the law.

Mr. Herring also cited his work to reverse decisions of his Republican predecessor, Ken Cuccinelli, that sought to shut down abortion clinics in Virginia.

When it comes to COVID-19, Mr. Herring noted his office has successfully defended in court every control measure that Gov. Ralph S. Northam imposed as a public health necessity.

Mr. Miyares said he would have refused to represent the governor when he disagreed with him.

For Mr. Herring, Mr. Miyares has sought to focus on being the son of an immigrant to avoid frankly addressing his archconservative record of opposing everything from climate change to restrictions on gun sales.

Mr. Herring said if voters re-elect him to another four-year term, he will continue to fight in court some of the key issues of the day, such as gun violence prevention, voting rights, women’s reproductive rights and health care.

He said Mr. Miyares would not because he is “wildly out of step with the majority of Virginians. There could not be a clearer contrast between the two of us.”

As of Sept. 30, Mr. Herring’s campaign has raised $6.2 million, while Mr. Miyares’ campaign has raised $3.3 million.

Paid Political Advertisement

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Democrat Joshua Cole has always put our families first.

As a Delegate, he has delivered for us.

• Expanded healthcare and capped the price of insulin • Increased the minimum wage • Voted to ban chokeholds and no knock warrants

Re-elect Delegate Joshua Cole because representation matters.

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Richmond Free Press

October 28-30, 2021 A11

News Remembering the fallen Richmond Police Lt. Robert C. Marland somberly walks to place a wreath on the stone memorial outside the Richmond Police Training Academy listing the names of city officers who have died in the line of duty. The ceremony honoring the fallen officers was held Oct. 14 outside the academy on West Graham Road in North Side as part of commemorations for National Police Week, Oct. 11-17. Family members, officers and city residents attended the event.

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Murder trial of three white men in the death of jogger Ahmaud Arbery refocuses national spotlight Free Press wire report

BRUNSWICK, Ga. The glare of the national spotlight is focused on this small city of 16,000 on the Georgia coast that is the now epicenter of the sensational racial profiling trial of three white men accused of murder in the slaying of an unarmed Black jogger, Ahmaud M. Arbery, who was running in their neighborhood.

Jury selection continued for the seventh day Wednesday as lawyers and trial Judge Timothy Walmsley culled through a pool of 600 people in a bid to secure 16 jurors — 12 decision-makers and four alternates.

“I’m praying for an impartial panel and a fair trial,” Mr. Arbery’s father, Marcus Arbery Sr., told reporters. “This is 2021, and it’s time for a change,” he said. “We need to be treated equally and get fair justice as human beings because we’ve been denied for so long.”

A two-week trial is anticipated once the jury is seated in this closely watched case that is on a par with the trial in the police murder of George Floyd in distant Minneapolis.

A cellphone video showing the killing of Mr. Arbery was secured by a local newspaper and later went viral after being posted on social media, creating an outcry that pushed authorities to bring charges, just as happened in the case of Mr. Floyd.

The three men also are facing separate federal hate crime charges.

The case finally resulted in charges after Georgia’s governor, seeking to quell the uproar, intervened to get the Georgia state

police to investigate the circumstances.

Father and son Greg McMichael, 65, and Travis McMichael, 35, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, are facing felony murder and other charges related to the death of the 25-year-old Mr. Arbery, an electrician, on Feb. 23, 2020, in a suburban section Glynn County of which Brunswick is the seat.

Mr. Arbery According to the prosecution, the McMichaels, who were armed, pursued Mr. Arbery in their pickup truck while Mr. Bryan followed in another vehicle while videotaping the chase with his cellphone. According to the charges, they stopped and confronted Mr. Arbery. The prosecution has named Travis McMichael as the person who fired the fatal shot.

As part of the evidence the Georgia Bureau of Investigation gathered, Mr. Bryan told investigators that Travis McMichael called Mr. Arbery a “f…ing nigger” as he lay dying.

The defense, meanwhile, will seek to prove to the jury that the men were trying to make a lawful citizen’s arrest under a Civil War-era law that later was repealed amid the uproar over the shooting.

“Citizen’s arrest is a big part of our case, a big part,” Kevin Gough, a lawyer for Mr. Bryan, said before the trial held in Glynn County Superior Court. “They changed the law but changing the law doesn’t affect us. It doesn’t change what was the law of the land at the time.”

Mr. Gough said the defense will seek to show the three men thought Mr. Arbery was a burglar and sought to apprehend him as he ran down a street in mostly white Satilla Shores neighborhood.

Just before he was cornered and shot to death, security cameras had recorded Mr. Arbery entering a house that was under construction. The owner of the property has said nothing was taken and that Mr. Arbery, who was on a Sunday afternoon jog, probably just stopped there for a drink of water.

According to Greg McMichaels, his son fired in self-defense after Mr. Arbery punched him and tried to grab his weapon during the confrontation. Mr. Bryan’s video shows Travis McMichaels shooting Mr. Arbery three times with a shotgun.

His family and the prosecution believe the three men were suspicious of Mr. Arbery because he was Black.

Legal observers said that the prosecutors will have to convince the jury that Mr. Arbery had done nothing to justify the men’s actions.

Chris Slobogin, a law professor at Vanderbilt University, said citizen’s arrest laws put dangerous powers in untrained hands.

“Things can get out of control quickly,” he said.

Ira Robbins, a law professor at American University in Washington, has written a treatise on such laws and argued they often are overbroad in vesting citizens with arrest powers.

“While recruiting citizens to aid in eradicating crime is a noble idea,” Mr. Robbins wrote, strict safeguards are needed to prevent the law from being abused.

City Hall moves forward with year-round shelter

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

City Hall is taking significant steps toward creating a yearround shelter to serve the homeless during extremely cold, hot or stormy weather.

With approval from City Council, Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration is steering $1.8 million in federal housing dollars to Commonwealth Catholic Charities to create a 75-bed shelter during inclement weather at its Housing Resource Center at 809 Oliver Hill Way in Shockoe Bottom.

The work is expected to be completed next year to provide emergency shelter year round, according to Sherrill Hampton, city director of Housing and Community Development.

Congressional redistricting also heads to Va. Supreme Court The Virginia Supreme Court just got a new assignment: Draw new boundaries for Virginia’s 11 congressional districts based on results of the 2020 Census.

The 16-member Virginia Redistricting Commission, created by a voter-approved constitutional amendment, found itself split 8-8 along partisan lines last week in trying to find a starting point to draw new boundary lines. The commission, whose membership is evenly split among Democrats and Republicans, then simply ended its sessions before Monday’s deadline to create a redistricting plan to send to the General Assembly for approval.

The court already has the task of creating new district lines for the House of Delegates and the state Senate after the commission failed to come up with new maps by the Oct. 10 deadline because of partisan disagreement.

Panel on the Civil War and the African-American perspective Nov. 4 How can the history of the Civil War be taught without treating the Black experience as an “add on”?

That’s the question an expert panel will seek to address in “There All Along,” a discussion hosted 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, at the American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar, 480 Tredegar St. Public historian Ana Edwards, chair of the Virginia Defenders of Freedom, Justice and Equality’s Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project and supervisor of visitor engagement and interpretation at the American Civil War Museum; public historian, archival researcher and author Elvatrice Belsches; Mary Lauderdale, operations and visitor services manager of the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia; and author Lois Leveen, a Virginia Humanities Fellow at the Library of Virginia, will examine the issue as panelists.

Admission is $5; free for members of the two sponsoring museums, the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia and the American Civil War Museum.

Tickets and details: https://acwm.org/event/there-all-along/

The appropriation of the money follows CCC’s turn anyone away even if they arrive at the shelter late selection as the operator of city shelter programs. into the evening and have not contacted the homeless Separately, the Stoney administration is moving to crisis hotline, (804) 972-0813, before it stops daily develop a one-stop housing resource center in a former service around 9 p.m. She expressed confidence that restaurant space on the first floor of City Hall. AccordCCC would meet the request. ing to a report to City Council’s Education and Human The homeless shelter is separate from the pandemic Services Committee, design work is in process. emergency shelter that CCC now manages for the The new CCC space would add to several hundred Greater Richmond Continuum of Care, or GRCOC, a beds that 12 other nonprofit entities operate year-round collective policy board for public and private entities Mayor Stoney for addicts, domestic abuse victims, women with involved in homeless services. children, veterans, single adults and others needing temporary Ms. Hampton said the pandemic emergency shelter is based shelter, such as people recovering from surgery or illness or at a Days Inn in South Side and is supported by a separate pot the mentally ill. of federal funds. She said 115 rooms at that motel have been While the renovation is taking place, the CCC will operate assigned to that use through March using federal money desigthe city’s cold-weather emergency shelter at the Quality Inn nated for shelter assistance.

Central, 3207 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. near The Diamond baseball As of Sept. 23, she said that the motel housed 75 families stadium, Ms. Hampton confirmed. with children under 12 and 34 individuals who were either 62 or The space will be available, per council policy, when the older or who are more at risk for COVID-19 because of serious temperature and/or the wind chill factor are forecast to drop to health conditions. The numbers change regularly, she said, as 40 degrees or below. families and individuals either find other housing themselves Ms. Hampton told City Council’s Education and Human or are assisted in relocating through other city and regional Services Committee that the city has requested that CCC not rehousing programs.

Activist demand greater public accountability from Richmond Federal Reserve Bank

By George Copeland Jr.

The streets of Richmond’s financial district echoed with calls for accountability last week as activists gathered outside the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond to call for better transparency and representation following a series of scandals among the nation’s banking leadership.

Among the speeches and chants from those present at the Oct. 19 rally, which included members of SPACEs in Action and Action NC, was a demand that the Richmond Federal Reserve establish a better process to select its board of directors and presidents that ensures greater public involvement and a more diverse leadership.

“It is of urgent importance that the public members of the board actually represent the public,” said Apryl Lewis of Action NC. “We are here to demand representation for our community.”

SPACEs in Action and Action NC are part of the Center for Popular Democracy’s national Fed Up Campaign, which has been working to ensure the Federal Reserve’s actions are in the economic interests of all in the country, from full employment for working families to increasing wages.

Its recent response was driven by the resignations of the presidents of the Dallas and Boston Federal Reserve Banks after

revelations that they were trading corporate stocks for their own benefit. The public gathering was just one part of the Fed Up Campaign’s Full Employment Defenders National Week of Action. Similar events took place in other regional federal reserve cities in Kansas City, Chicago and Boston.

The need for this process is clear for advocates, as Federal Reserve board members work every six weeks to determine what policies and adjustments are needed for the economy. A lack of representation could leave critical community needs and issues unaddressed, and amplify already present racial, gender and class disparities.

According to reports from the Fed Up campaign, 56 percent of the 105 regional federal reserve directors are men, 66 percent are white and 75 percent are from the business or financial sectors.

The disparity among presidents is even greater, with 83 percent being white and 75 percent male.

“The job of the public members of the Fed’s board is to represent the economic interests of the community. But every year, board vacancies are filled by a process that’s kept far from the public eye,” said Dr. Blanche Penn of Action NC. “Across the entire regional Fed bank system, we see boards of directors that are dominated by CEOs of the financial

industry and big corporations, and that don’t look anything like the community they are supposed to represent.”

A similar lack of diversity is present in the Richmond Federal Reserve, where 63 percent of the board members are white and 38 percent are Black, with no Latino or Asian representation. In addition, 63 percent of the Richmond bank’s board members come from banking or business, 25 percent are from nonprofits and 13 percent are from academia, with no labor representation present.

The campaign’s demands for a more equitable leadership and membership include a nomination process that solicits and accepts more public input; publishing the criteria and timeline for selections, as well as the names of candidates being considered; and holding public forums and opportunities for the public to submit questions to candidates.

“Put the folks directly impacted by these so-called apolitical, economic decisions at the table and ask them how they really live,” said Aaron DeVaul of SPACEs in Action.

“They might learn something.”

Beyond these rallies, campaign members also delivered a letter with their demands to the Richmond Federal Reserve leadership last week, with the campaign expecting a meeting with leadership to begin conversations on potential improvements.

Richmond Free Press Editorial Page October 28-30, 2021

A12

Vote Democratic Progress or regression?

The Nov. 2 general election all boils down to this simple choice — whether the Commonwealth continues to move forward on a path to help boost the lives of all of its people or returns to the narrow, restrictive, exclusionary, racist, misogynistic and homophobic policies and practices that we have fought for decades to overcome.

In this critical election for Virginia’s future, we firmly believe the Democratic team of Terry R. McAuliffe for governor, Hala S. Ayala for lieutenant governor and Mark R. Herring for attorney general is by far the strongest to lead Virginia for the next four years.

After careful consideration, we believe Mr. McAuliffe, Delegate Ayala and Attorney General Herring have the track records, the vision and the backbone to keep Virginia moving forward, unlike their Republican opponents.

We have listened throughout this campaign to the racially tinged rhetoric of the Republican candidates, who would do little or nothing to help African-American families and people of color if they were to be elected. Their interest lies more in banning from public classrooms books and lessons about the truth of America’s racist history throughout centuries of slavery as well as any meaningful understanding of how those racist laws, policies and practices have undergirded systems of inequality and discrimination in employment, housing, education and justice to the present.

They also have expressed little concern about the health and safety of people of color in the pandemic by rejecting vaccination and mask mandates. As the state health department data continues to show, African-Americans and Latinos across the state have been disproportionately impacted in terms of deaths and hospitalizations by COVID-19.

GOP candidates Glenn A. Youngkin, a Trump acolyte, and Jason S. Miyares have shown us where they stand. They care so little about African-American voters that they declined to even engage in an editorial board meeting with the Free Press to articulate their platforms for endorsement consideration.

Only Winsome E. Sears, the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor who is Black, participated in an editorial board meeting with the Free Press.

During his first term as governor from 2014 to 2018, Mr. McAuliffe showed Virginians and our community that he stands up for what’s right. He restored the voting rights of more than 173,000 Virginians who had been disenfranchised because of felony convictions.

Voting rights deliberately had been taken away from felons in a rewriting of the Virginia Constitution in 1902 in a targeted move specifically to boot African-Americans from the voting rolls. And it worked. Black people had been disproportionately disenfranchised under that law for decades until Mr. McAuliffe’s actions.

Mr. McAuliffe

Ms. Ayala

Mr. Herring

Even when Republicans took him to court challenging his use of an executive order to restore the rights of felons who had completed their sentences and finished parole or probation, Mr. McAuliffe persisted and restored voting rights for those many people on an individual basis.

In his first term as governor, Mr. McAuliffe also began the push to expand Medicaid in Virginia to provide health coverage to hundreds of thousands of uninsured low-income families. While his efforts were blocked by a GOP-controlled legislature, his continued efforts ultimately led to an expansion of the Medicaid program under his successor, Democratic Gov. Ralph S. Northam. Delegate Ayala, as a member of the General Assembly during that time, voted to support Medicaid expansion.

As governor, Mr. McAuliffe pushed to protect the health rights of women, vetoing Republican-backed legislation that would have restricted abortion rights in Virginia and cut funding for Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides comprehensive health care to women.

He also boosted state dollars to public education, expanded pre-school for thousands of children, created jobs and reduced unemployment in Virginia to under 4 percent. He also signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against state employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

If returned to the governor’s office, Mr. McAuliffe has pledged to boost teacher pay above the national average, provide funding for universal pre-kindergarten programs for 3- and 4-year-olds, expand broadband access to all Virginians and tackle other inequities in the public education system in order to build a stronger workforce.

He also has pledged to expand funding for child care for working parents, accelerate the plan for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and to protect the health care rights of women while expanding the affordability of health insurance in the Commonwealth.

Ms. Ayala and Mr. Herring would help Mr. McAuliffe’s progressive agenda come to fruition as lieutenant governor and attorney general.

In addition to backing Medicaid expansion, Ms. Ayala

voted as a member of the House of Delegates to increase the state’s minimum wage, for tougher gun laws to reduce violence, to legalize marijuana use for adults and to extend eviction protections for renters facing financial hardship during the pandemic.

She also voted to repeal the death penalty in Virginia, a measure that was signed into law earlier this year by Gov. Northam, making Virginia the first Southern state to do so.

Mr. Herring, who is seeking an unprecedented third term as attorney general, has been a fixture in the legal realm of moving Virginia forward. As attorney general, he has gone to court to ensure the removal of the racist Confederate statues from Monument Avenue; to back the case for the Affordable Care Act; and to challenge former President Trump’s order banning Muslim immigrants from coming into the United States.

He also stood up for the rights of gay couples to marry by refusing to legally defend Virginia’s constitutional ban against same-sex marriage.

This election is too important for Virginians — and Black Virginians, in particular — to sit out. We understand the fatigue voters are facing after the whiplash of four crazy years of President Trump and the emotional, financial and social toll of the continuing pandemic.

But we are concerned by recent public spats on radio and social media over the perceived shortcomings of the Democratic Party; about who deserved the party’s nomination to run for Virginia’s governor in 2021 and president in 2020; and how some people believe it will make no difference in the lives of Black people if Mr. Youngkin is elected governor.

Based on Mr. Youngkin’s campaign promises, voting rights immediately would be under attack if Mr. Youngkin is elected.

He likely would bring in the fake Trump-backed company to audit Virginia’s voting machines, which underwent a stringent post-election “risk-limiting audit” after the 2020 presidential election that proved the accuracy of Virginia’s results.

Women’s health care and reproductive rights would be abridged under GOP control, along with possible attempts to roll back Virginia’s Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Any efforts to end qualified immunity for police officers who abuse, brutalize and kill people would die on the vine. Public money for education would be siphoned off to fund private and charter schools. And we wouldn’t be surprised if the GOP would try to put the Lee statue back up on Monument Avenue.

We can argue from now until the cows come home about who did what to whom and why, but the situation is this: If we don’t get ourselves together by Tuesday, Nov. 2, and vote, we will be in serious trouble if we wake up on Nov. 3 to find Baby Trump, aka Mr. Youngkin, will be the next occupant of the governor’s mansion.

We urge our readers to vote and to support Democrats Terry R. McAuliffe, Hala S. Ayala and Mark R. Herring.

Richmond Free Press

Free Press endorsements Governor — Terry H. McAuliffe

House District 73 — Rodney T. Willett

Lieutenant Governor — Hala S. Ayala

House District 74 — Lamont Bagby

422 East Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23219 Telephone (804) 644-0496 FAX (804) 643-7519 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 27709 Richmond, VA 23261 ______________

Attorney General — Mark R. Herring

House District 27 — Debra D. Gardner

House District 68 — Dawn M. Adams

Commonwealth’s Attorney — Colette W. McEachin

House District 69 — Betsy B. Carr

Sheriff — Antionette V. Irving

House District 70 — Delores L. McQuinn

Treasurer – Nichole Richardson Armstead

House District 71 — Jeffrey M. Bourne

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Black turnout is key in high-stakes Va. election As Virginia’s statewide general election approaches on Tuesday, Nov. 2, let’s remember what happens when Black people get to the polls and vote.

Thanks to Black voters electing champions who work for them in the statehouse, Virginia has passed some of the most significant progressive policies of the last decade, delivering important and long-overdue wins.

This year, Virginia abolished the death penalty, declared racism as a public health crisis and became the first state in the South to pass a Voting Rights Act, expanding voter protections for Virginians and making it easier to access the ballot.

We also passed the South’s

first-ever Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, historic legislation that will ensure that caregivers and home care workers are protected from discrimination and harassment and included in workplace health and safety laws.

Through the years, Virginia

Keauna Gregory also expanded Medicaid access, capped the price that patients pay for insulin at $50 and restored the voting rights of more than 200,000 disenfranchised Virginians who were formerly

Alexsis Rodgers incarcerated. Virginia now has a minimum wage that is the highest in the South and on a path to $15 per hour.

Black voters delivered these wins — and this year we need to deliver the vote.

The results of the November election will have a direct impact on the lives of Black communities for years to come.

If we show up and deliver the

vote, we’re bound to see more progressive wins for our community. But if we don’t show up, we could see the dismantling of all the progress we have long fought for and deserve.

Our votes in this election are a vote for our futures and to protect the progress we have made economically, socially and politically.

As the pandemic rages on, we must continue to fight for jobs, access to health care, paid leave, a living wage and housing security.

In many ways, the economic insecurity simply comes down to poverty wages, barriers to accessible employment and making a tough choice between working or staying home to care for a child or loved one.

Many of the jobs that keep our economy moving — care workers, home health aides, child care providers — are done by Black women. Our economic recovery policies must center on them so they, too, can earn a living wage, care for their families and not put their health at risk.

But, for this to happen, we need Black voters to go to the polls to ensure these changes happen

in their communities.

The GOP is spending millions of dollars on disinformation and baseless lies about voter fraud and critical race theory. The real story is that Republicans are scared of the progress we’ve made and are looking to do whatever they can to turn the clock back on the rights we have gained.

If Black voters show up and the Democrats win both the governorship and the House of Delegates, we can keep working for a vision of Virginia where everyone can be healthy and prosperous. That means we can get to a $15-per-hour minimum wage faster and create more economic opportunity through a robust care economy with the right champions in office. Our voting rights will remain intact and we can continue to expand access to health care and labor protections for all workers.

The victories Virginia has secured so far did not happen by chance. It was the power of Black voters and organizers who increased the number of women of color in the House of Delegates, and they worked directly with the governor to

pass policies that provide our communities with the equal opportunities and fair outcomes that we deserve.

When we vote, we win.

That’s why, across the country, Republican lawmakers are working around the clock to deprive Black voters and other communities harmed by white supremacy of our right to vote. They know our power and want to keep us away from the ballot box.

We can’t let them stop us.

Again and again, Black voters have shown that we are the backbone of democracy in Virginia and across the nation.

Let’s show up and show out again in this election.

You can vote early in person through Saturday, Oct. 30, by mail or at your local polling place on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Visit https://black2thefuture. org/va2021/ for more information on how and where to vote in the Virginia election.

Keauna Gregory is political director of the Black to the Future Action Fund.

Alexsis Rodgers, a former Richmond mayoral candidate, is Virginia state director of Care in Action.

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Richmond Free Press

October 28-30, 2021 A13

Letters to the Editor

Richmond casino ‘Preserve a woman’s right to choose’ ‘will exploit Black families’ In our lives, it is rare to live, much less participate in, a watershed moment. But the Richmond casino referendum may be such a moment.

Every objective person knows every study shows slot machine casinos are predatory toward the poor and the elderly. The proposed Richmond casino is slated to have upward of 2,000 slot machines. Upward of 90 percent of the casino “revenue” — meaning losses from patrons — will come from slot machines. The biggest casino is Las Vegas has far less slot machines.

Let’s be honest with ourselves: Richmond and the surrounding counties have a tragically high percentage of poor families.

These families disproportionately have suffered through a history of exploitation.

The people behind the proposed casino know the great bulk of the $300 million casino patrons are expected to lose will come from slot machine players living within a 30-minute drive of the casino.

Such are the economics of this proposed casino and are well known to the mayor, the Richmond City Council and key backers of the casino.

The casino, as proposed, will exploit Black families.

I got into politics to stop such exploitation. Those backing the casino claim my opposition is racially motivated.

People are free to have their own opinions, but the facts conclusively prove otherwise.

PAUL GOLDMAN Richmond The writer is executive director of Vote NO on RVA Casino.

Life is full of choices. From the decision to follow a particular faith to the adoption of a distinct world view, our civil liberties have been exercised since the conception of this nation. And with the new Texas abortion law that went into effect Sept. 1, our freedom to choose has been stripped away from us.

Our Founding Fathers believed in certain unalienable rights — rights that make this nation exceptional and allow for freedom of speech, religion and the press among many other things. Yet how can we achieve freedom in public life when the government intervenes in our most intimate affairs?

The Texas law violates the people’s right to choose, and more specifically, a woman’s right to choose.

As an American and also as a Black woman, I struggle to understand how we’ve arrived at this decision — how we have allowed a government comprised mostly of men to make choices for women that will negatively alter the course of their lives. It’s a decision that prevents a woman from deciding whether she is physically, emotionally or financially capable of bringing another life into this world after finding out that she is six weeks pregnant.

We may never know the reasons why a young mother doesn’t want to keep her child or why she is incapable of doing so,

but this should not be the government’s decision to make. When there is an assault on women’s bodies and on their rights, it is up to us, as a society, to band together and pursue a greater cause — a cause that empowers freedom of choice.

Roe v. Wade permits women to make the decisions that guide their lives, giving them clarity and control over their bodies. To them, pro-choice does not mean anti-life. It means making those hard decisions that they know would be for the better.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 22,000 women die annually as a result of unsafe abortions.

Every year, between 2 million and 7 million women survive unsafe abortions but suffer long-term effects. Without policymakers and government officials providing the freedom of choice and access to safe medical practices, we are only exacerbating these effects by enforcing legislation as severe as the Texas ban on abortion.

Because of the Texas legislation, women will resort to harmful procedures

in order to stop an unwanted pregnancy.

They will seek medical advice from individuals who are inexperienced in the profession, contributing to the growing number of annual deaths. It is my duty, as well as yours, to not let this happen.

The Texas legislation is both immoral and unconstitutional. Rather than government agencies enforcing the statute, Texas politicians have framed it to be enforced by private citizens. A provision of the law states that anyone, including those outside the borders of Texas, is allowed to sue for $10,000 if they believe someone administered an abortion after “cardiac activity” is detected in the fetus, roughly six weeks along.

I urge that you do your part to preserve a woman’s right to privacy and choice. We all have choices to make, but it should not be up to the government to determine the decisions that will alter the course of our lives.

CAMRYN GREEN Henrico County

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NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A PETITION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR APPROVAL OF ITS MULTI-FAMILY SHARED SOLAR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES, CASE NO. PUR-2020-00124

Under Schedule MFSS, the administrative charge would be offset by a monthly bill credit that the Commission already has determined to be 11.765¢/kWh.

As required by Code § 56-585.1:12, the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) has established the Multi-Family Shared Solar Program (“Program”). This Program applies to eligible customers of Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) that live in multi-family dwellings (such as an apartment complex).

The Program provides an opportunity for such customers to participate in shared solar projects. Generally speaking, D PXOWL IDPLO\ FXVWRPHU ZRXOG SXUFKDVH RQH RU PRUH VXEVFULSWLRQV LQ D VRODU IDFLOLW\ WKDW TXDOL¿HV DV D ³VKDUHG VRODU facility.” In return, the customer would receive credit on their utility bill equal to the dollar value of the electricity, in kilowatt-hours (“kWh”), for the portion of that facility’s electricity generation represented by the subscription(s) the customer owns.

The administrative charge for this tariff includes three components: a one-time set-up charge as well as monthly charges related to meter reading and processing and Program administration.

The Commission’s Rules Governing Multi-Family Shared Solar Program (“Shared Solar Rules”) require 'RPLQLRQ WR ¿OH ZLWK WKH &RPPLVVLRQ DQ\ WDULIIV DJUHHPHQWV RU IRUPV QHFHVVDU\ WR LPSOHPHQW WKH 3URJUDP $ XWLOLW\ participating in the Program is allowed to recover reasonable costs to administer the Program; under the Shared Solar Rules the Commission must deem any administrative charge necessary. This notice is to alert the public that Dominion has requested Program administrative charges to be included in its Program tariffs and to provide the opportunity for public input on these proposed charges.

'RPLQLRQ¶V SURSRVHG DGPLQLVWUDWLYH FKDUJHV DUH GHVFULEHG LQ D 3HWLWLRQ ¿OHG RQ 6HSWHPEHU ZLWK WKH &RPPLVVLRQ LQ &DVH 1R 385 7KHUH LV RQH DGPLQLVWUDWLYH FKDUJH DSSOLFDEOH WR VKDUHG solar facility subscribers, as set forth in Schedule Multi-Family Shared Solar (“Schedule MFSS”), and one administrative charge applicable to subscriber organizations that own or operate the shared solar facilities, as set forth in Schedule Subscriber Organization – Multi-Family Shared Solar (“Schedule SO-MSS”). These schedules are part of Dominion’s Petition. A description of these administrative charges follows: Schedule MFSS The proposed administrative charge for Schedule MFSS (the schedule applicable to subscribers) is the sum of four components: the Distribution Service Charge, Transmission Service Charge, Generation Balancing 6HUYLFH &KDUJH DQG 3URJUDP %LOOLQJ &KDUJH 7KH SURSRVHG 3URJUDP %LOOLQJ &KDUJH ZRXOG EH D ÀDW PRQWKO\ UDWH The other three components would vary by month and would be calculated by multiplying the subscriber’s portion of the electricity production for a particular month from the shared solar facility (in kWh).

Transmission and Distribution Service Charges. Using data from Dominion’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) Form 1, the Company proposes that the transmission and distribution components of the administrative charge be based on a cost per kWh that is determined by taking each component’s (transmission or distribution) total revenue for the residential class divided by the sales of the class. The proposed Transmission Service Charge is 1.993¢/kWh, and the proposed Distribution Service Charge is 2.722¢/kWh. Generation Balancing Service Charge. Dominion proposes to calculate the Generation Balancing Service Charge as the higher of (i) the sum of the Generation Service Charge and the Avoided Cost Credit (called the Net Generation Service Charge) and (ii) the sum of all the Company’s Non-bypassable Charges.

As to (i) above, using FERC Form 1 data the Company would base the Generation Service Charge on a cost per kWh that is derived by taking the generation service total revenue for the residential class divided by the sales of the class. Dominion represents that the Avoided Cost Credit would be the average value of the energy in the regional transmission market (PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.) for a typical shared solar facility for the same time period as the Generation Service Charge component. The Generation Service Charge and the Avoided Cost Credit would be added together to determine the Net Generation Service Charge.

'RPLQLRQ¶V 1RQ E\SDVVDEOH &KDUJHV DUH QRW VSHFL¿F WR 6FKHGXOH 0)66 5DWKHU WKH\ DUH FKDUJHV WKDW DOO FXVWRPHUV RI 'RPLQLRQ SD\ UHJDUGOHVV RI ZKR VXSSOLHV WKH FXVWRPHU¶V JHQHUDWLRQ VHUYLFH XQOHVV VSHFL¿FDOO\ exempted by statute. Currently, the Non-bypassable Charges for Dominion consist of Rider CE, Rider RPS and Rider PIPP, which were approved by the Commission in prior cases. These rider rates are subject to change on an annual basis, and Dominion may in the future receive Commission approval of other riders that are also Nonbypassable charges.

For the Generation Balancing Service Charge, Dominion would add all the Non-bypassable Charges together and then compare this sum to the Net Generation Service Charge. The higher number would be used to calculate the Administrative Charge. &XUUHQWO\ 'RPLQLRQ¶V SURSRVHG *HQHUDWLRQ 6HUYLFH &KDUJH LV N:K DQG WKH SURSRVHG $YRLGHG &RVW &UHGLW LV N:K ZKLFK HTXDWHV WR D 1HW *HQHUDWLRQ 6HUYLFH &KDUJH RI N:K 7KH VXP RI WKH DSSOLFDEOH &RPPLVVLRQ DSSURYHG 1RQ E\SDVVDEOH &KDUJHV LV N:K 7KXV DW SUHVHQW WKH *HQHUDWLRQ %DODQFLQJ 6HUYLFH &KDUJH ZRXOG EH N:K ZKLFK LV WKH KLJKHU RI N:K DQG N:K Program Billing Charge. The fourth component of the Administrative Charge is the Program Billing Charge.

This charge includes a variety of costs Dominion claims it expects to incur to administer the Program, including technology development, workforce expansion, and billing services, among others. Dominion states that other costs unknown at this time will be included in the future once they are known and determined to be incremental Program costs. Dominion states that it intends to use its forthcoming customer information platform to automate Program billing, but in the meantime, the Company has estimated the costs of doing the manual billing for customers who are 3URJUDP VXEVFULEHUV 7KH &RPSDQ\ SURSRVHV D ÀDW UDWH IRU WKH 3URJUDP %LOOLQJ &KDUJH RI SHU ELOOLQJ PRQWK Schedule MFSS Administrative Charge Summary. To summarize, Dominion requests that the Commission approve the following proposed components of the administrative charge for Schedule MFSS. Component

Cost

Distribution Service Charge

2.722¢/kWh

Transmission Service Charge

1.993¢/kWh

Generation Balancing Charge

Higher of 2.713¢/kWh and N:K

Program Billing Charge TOTAL Monthly Rate

N:K

Schedule SO-MSS Dominion requests Commission approval of a proposed administrative charge in Schedule SO-MSS (applicable to subscriber organizations). Dominion states that Schedule SO-MSS is designed to be a companion schedule established under any non-residential, non-lighting rate schedule (e.g., Schedule GS-1, Schedule GS-2, 6FKHGXOH *6 6FKHGXOH *6

To summarize, Dominion requests that the Commission approve the following proposed components of the administrative charge for Schedule SO-MSS: Component One-time set-up fee

Cost IDFLOLW\

Meter reading and processing:

WR PRQWK depending on type of meter

Program Administration Charge

ÀDW UDWH PRQWK IDFLOLW\

TOTAL

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Further details about the Schedule MFSS and Schedule SO-MSS administrative charges are included in WKH &RPSDQ\¶V 6HSWHPEHU 3HWLWLRQ ,QWHUHVWHG SHUVRQV DUH VWURQJO\ HQFRXUDJHG WR UHYLHZ WKH 3HWLWLRQ IRU further details on the administrative charges. TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may design the administrative charges in a manner differing from that shown in the Petition and thus may adopt administrative charges that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Petition.

The Commission has taken judicial notice of the ongoing public health issues related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19. In accordance therewith, all pleadings, briefs, or other documents required to be served LQ WKLV PDWWHU VKDOO EH VXEPLWWHG HOHFWURQLFDOO\ WR WKH H[WHQW DXWKRUL]HG E\ 9$& Copies and format, of WKH &RPPLVVLRQ¶V 5XOHV RI 3UDFWLFH DQG 3URFHGXUH ³5XOHV RI 3UDFWLFH´ &RQ¿GHQWLDO DQG ([WUDRUGLQDULO\ 6HQVLWLYH ,QIRUPDWLRQ VKDOO QRW EH VXEPLWWHG HOHFWURQLFDOO\ DQG VKRXOG FRPSO\ ZLWK 9$& &RQ¿GHQWLDO LQIRUPDWLRQ, RI WKH 5XOHV RI 3UDFWLFH $Q\ SHUVRQ VHHNLQJ WR KDQG GHOLYHU DQG SK\VLFDOO\ ¿OH RU VXEPLW DQ\ SOHDGLQJ RU RWKHU GRFXPHQW VKDOO FRQWDFW WKH &OHUN¶V 2I¿FH 'RFXPHQW &RQWURO &HQWHU DW WR DUUDQJH WKH GHOLYHU\ 3XUVXDQW WR 9$& Filing and service, of the Rules of Practice, the Commission has directed that service on parties and the Commission’s Staff in this matter shall be accomplished by electronic means. Please refer WR WKH &RPPLVVLRQ¶V 2UGHU IRU 1RWLFH DQG &RPPHQW IRU IXUWKHU LQVWUXFWLRQV FRQFHUQLQJ &RQ¿GHQWLDO RU ([WUDRUGLQDULO\ Sensitive Information.

Electronic copies of the Petition may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the &RPSDQ\ 7LPRWK\ ' 3DWWHUVRQ (VTXLUH 0F*XLUH:RRGV //3 *DWHZD\ 3OD]D (DVW &DQDO 6WUHHW 5LFKPRQG Virginia 23219, or tpatterson@mcguirewoods.com.

2Q RU EHIRUH 'HFHPEHU DQ\ LQWHUHVWHG SHUVRQ PD\ VXEPLW FRPPHQWV RQ WKH SURSRVHG administrative charges electronically by following the instructions on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit FRPPHQWV HOHFWURQLFDOO\ PD\ ¿OH VXFK FRPPHQWV E\ 8 6 PDLO WR WKH &OHUN RI WKH 6WDWH &RUSRUDWLRQ &RPPLVVLRQ c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All comments shall refer to Case No. 385 2Q RU EHIRUH 'HFHPEHU DQ\ SHUVRQ RU HQWLW\ ZLVKLQJ WR SDUWLFLSDWH DV D UHVSRQGHQW LQ WKLV SURFHHGLQJ PD\ GR VR E\ ¿OLQJ D QRWLFH RI SDUWLFLSDWLRQ ZLWK WKH &OHUN RI WKH &RPPLVVLRQ DW VFF YLUJLQLD JRY FON HÀOLQJ 7KRVH XQDEOH DV D SUDFWLFDO PDWWHU WR ¿OH D QRWLFH RI SDUWLFLSDWLRQ HOHFWURQLFDOO\ PD\ ¿OH VXFK QRWLFH E\ 8 6 PDLO WR WKH &OHUN RI WKH &RPPLVVLRQ DW WKH DGGUHVV OLVWHG DERYH 6XFK QRWLFH RI SDUWLFLSDWLRQ shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel, if available. A copy of the notice of participation DV D UHVSRQGHQW DOVR PXVW EH VHQW WR FRXQVHO IRU WKH &RPSDQ\ 3XUVXDQW WR 9$& % Participation as a respondent, of the Rules of Practice, any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest RI WKH UHVSRQGHQW LL D VWDWHPHQW RI WKH VSHFL¿F DFWLRQ VRXJKW WR WKH H[WHQW WKHQ NQRZQ DQG LLL WKH IDFWXDO DQG legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be UHSUHVHQWHG E\ FRXQVHO DV UHTXLUHG E\ 9$& Counsel RI WKH 5XOHV RI 3UDFWLFH $OO ¿OLQJV VKDOO UHIHU WR &DVH 1R 385 2Q RU EHIRUH 'HFHPEHU DQ\ LQWHUHVWHG SHUVRQ PD\ ¿OH D ZULWWHQ UHTXHVW IRU D KHDULQJ RQ WKH proposed administrative charges with the Clerk of the Commission at VFF YLUJLQLD JRY FON HÀOLQJ. Those unable, DV D SUDFWLFDO PDWWHU WR ¿OH D UHTXHVW IRU KHDULQJ HOHFWURQLFDOO\ PD\ ¿OH VXFK QRWLFH E\ 8 6 PDLO WR WKH &OHUN RI WKH Commission at the address listed above. Such request for hearing shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel, if available. A copy of the notice of participation as a respondent also must be sent to counsel for the &RPSDQ\ 5HTXHVWV IRU D KHDULQJ VKDOO LQFOXGH L D SUHFLVH VWDWHPHQW RI WKH ¿OLQJ SDUW\¶V LQWHUHVW LQ WKH SURFHHGLQJ LL D VWDWHPHQW RI WKH VSHFL¿F DFWLRQ VRXJKW WR WKH H[WHQW WKHQ NQRZQ LLL D VWDWHPHQW RI WKH OHJDO EDVLV IRU VXFK action; and (iv) a precise statement why a hearing should be conducted in this matter. All requests for a hearing shall UHIHU WR &DVH 1R 385 $Q\ GRFXPHQWV ¿OHG LQ SDSHU IRUP ZLWK WKH 2I¿FH RI WKH &OHUN RI WKH &RPPLVVLRQ LQ WKLV GRFNHW PD\ XVH ERWK VLGHV RI WKH SDSHU ,Q DOO RWKHU UHVSHFWV H[FHSW DV PRGL¿HG E\ WKH &RPPLVVLRQ¶V 2UGHU IRU 1RWLFH DQG &RPPHQW DOO ¿OLQJV VKDOO FRPSO\ IXOO\ ZLWK WKH UHTXLUHPHQWV RI 9$& Copies and format, of the Rules of Practice.

The Company’s Petition containing information on the proposed administrative charges, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, and the Commission’s Order for Notice and Comment may be viewed at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information.

Richmond Free Press

A14 October 28-30, 2021

Local News

Chesapeake elementary schoolteacher named Virginia Teacher of the Year

By Ronald E. Carrington

Daphne Tamara Fulson, a second-grade teacher from Portlock Primary School in Chesapeake, has been named the 2022 Virginia Teacher of the Year.

Gov. Ralph S. Northam announced the winner Oct. 14 during a ceremony outside the Executive Mansion with the state’s eight regional teachers of the year present, including Ashley S. Bland, an instructional technology resources teacher with Richmond Public Schools, who was named the Region 1 Teacher of the Year in early October.

The ceremony was streamed live on the state Department of Education’s YouTube channel.

Upon receiving Virginia’s top teacher award, Ms. Fulson told the audience she had promised her students that she would do a shout out to each and every one of them. She named names as she held back tears of joy.

“It is unreal, it is unreal. You go to work every day, and you just love on the kids and you don’t expect this kind of recognition,” Ms. Fulson said after recognizing her students.

“It feels so good to be recognized for something you love to do. I will now have a larger platform to share all of the ideas I have to incorporate and infuse educational equity into the schools, and a larger platform to share my joy about education.”

Ms. Fulson

Gov. Northam called Ms. Fulson “an extraordinary teacher who goes above and beyond to support and challenge her students.

She is an outstanding representative for Virginia’s exemplary teachers and public schools.”

Ms. Fulson received her bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University and is currently working on her master’s degree there.

She also studied Spanish linguistics at Universidad Veritas in San José, Costa Rica.

Ms. Fulson, who is bilingual, has been a teacher for 12 years.

She has been at Portlock Primary School for the last four years, where she is co-chair of the school’s Math and STEAM Committee and is the math lead and city liaison for her school, assisting with the grade-level mathematics curriculum writing.

Before teaching in Chesapeake, she was an English as a Foreign Language instructor for children and adults in Peru.

She also previously served as the science fair coordinator and University Interscholastic League creative writing coach for a school of 830 students in Texas.

She won several teaching awards in Texas.

Ms. Fulson will go on for consideration as the 2022 National Teacher of the Year, which will be announced next spring at a White House ceremony.

Richmond Public Schools’ Rodney A. Robinson, the 2018 Virginia Teacher of the Year, went on to be named National Teacher of the Year in 2019.

Mayor strikes conciliatory tone on design RVA Black Farmers Market Oct. 31 at VUU funds for new George Wythe High

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A speedy resolution?

That may be on the way for a funding roadblock that could disrupt the Richmond School Board’s plan to hire an architectural firm in midNovember to begin the design for a replacement George Wythe High School.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney issued a conciliatory letter to the School Board last week that opened the door.

He pledged to introduce an ordinance Nov. 8 to authorize the transfer of $10.8 million now earmarked for school design from a city fund to Richmond Public Schools.

The funds include $7.3 million from a previous allocation for new schools and $3.5 million left over from construction of three new school buildings that opened this year.

The issue came to light near the end of September when the mayor’s senior adviser, Eva Colen, told RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras the money remained under city control.

Lincoln Saunders, the city’s chief administrative officer, clarified that until the money is transferred to the school system’s control, Sheila White, the city’s director of finance, would not be able to pay any bills the school system presented for design work.

He said she would have been following the City Charter, but he added that he said Ms. White had not faced any such requests and had not issued any opinion about such payments, nor been

requested to do so.

If the mayor follows through, C i t y Council could Mayor Stoney vote on the transfer at its meeting on Monday, Dec. 13. It appears a majority of the council would be supportive in order to move the project along.

The mayor included only one condition. He asked the School Board to provide a justification for seeking to develop a new school with a capacity for 1,600 students on the current Wythe campus on Midlothian Turnpike in South Side — rather than a larger 2,000-seat school which he and Mr. Kamras support.

George Wythe’s current enrollment is listed at roughly 1,400 students, though board members have indicated that not all seats are filled daily.

The mayor expressed concern that enrollment growth would mean the new school would open with 1,600 students or at capacity.

A response letter to the mayor issued this week with the approval of a five-member majority of the School Board stated, “The RPS School Board is moving forward with the construction of George Wythe High School as planned.

“We have hired construction staff and intend to award a contract to design a (replacement high school) that is sized to meet projected needs.”

A c cording to the letter, the School Board majority that took charge Mr. Kamras of school construction in April settled on a smaller replacement building “considering the construction of a new technical center high school that your office budgeted for in the 2021-2022 Capital Improvement Budget.” City Council approved that budget in May. The planned technical high school would be built with a capacity for 1,000 students, which the School Board majority believes would prevent overcrowding at the new Wythe building. The board’s letter did not mention the 2,500-vacant seats in existing high schools in North Side that also could ensure crowding is not an issue.

The letter is bears the signature of School Board Vice Chair Jonathan Young, 4th District, on behalf of Mariah White, 2nd District; Kenya Gibson, 3rd District; Stephanie Rizzi, 5th District; and Shonda HarrisMuhammed, 6th District.

School Board Chairwoman Cheryl Burke, 7th District, issued her own letter in response to the mayor, stating that she did not have any data to justify the smaller school.

Mr. Young described her letter as the unofficial view of one member of the board, rather than an official statement.

The board majority’s letter noted as well that “we are also moving forward with Woodville Elementary School,” located in Church Hill. A new building could serve students assigned to Woodville as well as students now attending Fairfield Court Elementary School.

Mr. Kamras on Oct. 14 told City Council’s Education and Human Services Committee that he has halted efforts to get a second request for proposals for a new Woodville Elementary issued “because frankly we do not have the band width” in procurement to do so.

He also said he plans to hold the $3.5 million left from the construction of River City Middle School and Cardinal and Marsh elementary schools to cover the costs of dealing with construction problems that remain in the three buildings because all warranties have expired.

Mr. Kamras said his team projects spending $4 million to $6 million on an architectural team to design and manage the construction of a replacement George Wythe, which would absorb the lion’s share of the remaining $7 million or so dollars, leaving too little, he said, to do Woodville at the same time.

Concerned, the board majority in its letter also included a request to the mayor for an “overview of all outstanding issues (at the three new school buildings) along with associated costs to address them so the district can plan accordingly.”

Virginia Union University will host its first farmers’ market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31, at Hovey Stadium.

The university is joining with the RVA Black Farmers Market, led by Navi Johnson, to stage the event that will feature 30 to 40 vendors offering fresh fruits, vegetables and other products.

Ms. Johnson created the market initiative to link the growing number of Black farmers, growers and merchants with consumers.

Details: rvablackfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

Historic Mount Olivet Cemetery in South Side to receive state funds for maintenance

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A historic city-owned Black cemetery in South Side has received a state grant to assist with maintenance of 4,617 graves.

City Hall announced that the state Department of Historic Resources has recognized Mount Olivet Cemetery off Hopkins Road in South Side as a qualifying cemetery for state support and agreed to provide $23,085 annually — or $5 a grave.

The publicly owned burial ground is the beneficiary of the General Assembly’s decision earlier this year to shift support for grave maintenance from Confederate cemeteries to Black cemeteries that date to the 19th century or earlier.

The city credited Kathryn Whittington of The Valentine museum with assisting in documenting the cemetery’s history and the gravesites that qualify for support.

Mount Olivet dates to 1874. The Town of Manchester, later annexed into Richmond, created the cemetery as the “colored section” adjacent to the then whites-only Maury Cemetery, which faces Maury Street.

In 1910, following Manchester’s annexation, Richmond’s governing body approved a request from a beneficial society called the Love and Union Club to rename the “colored section” Mount Olivet Cemetery.

The cemetery includes the graves of numerous influential Black people, such as the area’s first Black Delegate Ballard T. Edwards; educator James Blackwell Sr. and his physician son, Dr. James Blackwell Jr.; Councilwoman Claudette Black McDaniel; and two long-serving pastors of First Baptist Church of South Richmond, the Rev. Anthony Binga Jr. and the Rev. W.L. Ransome.

Traffic concerns lead to removal of several curb planters on Brookland Park Boulevard

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A battle over traffic safety measures in North Side has ended in at least a partial win for supporters of on-street vehicle parking in business districts.

Alfred B. “Al” Muhammad is among those celebrating City Hall’s decision to remove six of the 14 large concrete planters that the city’s Department of Public Works installed a year ago on a threeblock stretch of Brookland Park Boulevard in the heart of Barton Heights’ reviving retail district.

The planters were part of an effort to beautify the street between Fendall and North avenues while slowing traffic to enhance pedestrian safety. The project also had the backing of former City Councilman Chris A. Hilbert, who then represented that district.

Mr. Muhammad, a staff member in his family’s Your Sandwich Shop and Sweet Spot in that area, helped lead the fight to eliminate the planters that he said reduced the number of street parking spaces for the businesses. At least 10 parking spaces were recovered with the planters’ removal.

City Hall reported spending a $300,000 state grant more than a year ago to install the concrete “bump-outs” or sidewalk extensions that were filled with flowers.

But Mr. Muhammad said that many people in the community who did not participate in public meetings when the planters were proposed have found them

to be a threat to commerce, particularly the planters located in the middle of blocks.

He said people complained the planters made it harder for potential patrons to find a place to stop, park and shop and made it harder for shop owners to receive supplies, given that remaining parking spaces often were full.

Mr. Muhammad said after the planters went in, he heard so many complaints that he responded by launching the North Side Senate to rally opposition.

He said the group collected more than 1,000 signatures on a petition calling for the planters’ removal and presented the results in the spring to the area’s new elected representative, Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert, 3rd District, who succeeded Mr. Hilbert.

Ms. Lambert later held a Zoom meeting to listen to concerns and then joined North Side Senate representatives on a walking tour of the area during the summer.

Convinced the planters were a problem, she then went to Bobby Vincent Jr., the city director of Public Works, whose department had installed the planters, to advocate for removal.

At a Sept. 30 community meeting Ms. Lambert set up, Mr. Vincent said he made the decision to spend $18,000 to remove the six planters located mid-block after determining they were creating a traffic hazard. Eight still remain on the four corners of Garland and Hanes avenues.

The removal work began Sept. 27,

three days before the meeting, leading to complaints from the planter supporters that there had been no announcement or consultation.

Among other things, Mr. Vincent said people were double-parking and blocking traffic to conduct business.

Mr. Vincent also has heard objections from residents who believe the planters made the area more pedestrian-friendly.

“The reason why I made that decision,” Mr. Vincent told the audience, is that “we were having an influx of issues occurring within multiple blocks of Brookland Park Boulevard, particularly the three blocks between North Avenue and Fendall Avenue.

“We’re leaving the bump-outs in place that are on the corners to help with trafficcalming and beautification and narrow the vision of people driving,” he said.

In addition, he said he also has put a hold on creating a parklet, or outdoor patio, in street parking spaces in front of Ms. Bee’s Juice Bar, which the store had requested and Mr. Muhammad’s group, the North Side Senate, also opposed.

“I’m not saying the ultimate answer for the parklet is ‘no,’ ” Mr. Vincent said.

“What I’m saying is there was a need for me to put a pause on the parklet until we get the parklet situation straight.”

He said Ms. Bee’s might want the parklet to be exclusive for its shop, but he said the parklets are open to everyone.

The parklet has yet to be installed.

Jeremy M. Lazarus/Richmond Free Press

The city installed 14 concrete planters a year ago along Brookland Park Boulevard, such as this one at its intersection with Garland Avenue, to slow down traffic and beautify the block. Six were removed after complaints and a petition by residents and business owners.

Richmond Free Press

October 28-30, 2021 A15

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Stories by Fred Jeter

VUU gets crushed by Bowie State, but still has chance for 2nd place in CIAA

Virginia Union University so needed its “A” game to upset Bowie State University.

Instead, it settled for a “D”—short for disappointment.

Visiting Bowie State had more offense, more defense and many more points in a 27-7 victory over the Panthers that eliminated VUU from the CIAA Northern Division race.

VUU seemed primed for an upset following an impressive win at Chowan University on Oct. 16, but the Panthers’ gas tank appeared to be running on empty against the Bowie State Bulldogs.

Bowie State, with its seventh straight win, is ranked 24th in the NCAA Division II. The Bulldogs are now likely to represent the Northern Division in the CIAA Championship game in Salem on Nov. 13.

Coach Alvin Parker’s Panthers can still take second place in the Northern Division with wins at Elizabeth City State University this Saturday, Oct. 30, and against Virginia State University Saturday, Nov. 6, at home at Hovey Stadium.

VUU got in the first lick against Bowie State as wide receiver Jaiden Reavis returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown.

The senior from Highland Springs High School added seven pass receptions for 109 yards.

Freshman Jada Byers, the CIAA rushing leader, settled for 45 yards on 16 tries.

Quarterback E’Mond Caldwell, filling in for normal starter Khalil Morris, had an up-and-down afternoon against a relentless rush.

A graduate student, Caldwell was 13 for 27 through the air for 180 yards, but he was

Games Saturday, Oct. 30 Virginia Union at Elizabeth City State, 2 p.m. kickoff Chowan at Virginia State, 2 p.m. kickoff Bowie State at Lincoln, 1 p.m. kickoff

The Bulldogs piled up 20 first downs to the Panthers’ 10 and outgained the home team 394 yards to 244. Bowie State controlled the ball for 36 minutes compared to VUU’s 24.

Quarterback Ja’rome Johnson was, as usual, the big show for Bowie State. The Washington, D.C., native hit 12 of 17 passes for 112 yards and ran for another 100 yards with a 20-yard touchdown.

Johnson is polishing his résumé for CIAA Offensive Player of the Year. The Bulldogs will close the regular season at Lincoln University this Saturday, Oct. 30, and at home against Elizabeth City State on Saturday, Nov. 6.

The Elizabeth City State Vikings are coming off a 32-28 win over Chowan University, but the week before, the Vikings lost 17-14 to Lincoln.

VUU will need to defeat Elizabeth City State to have a chance of finishing with a record above .500.

Northern Division standings

Clement Britt

Virginia Union University #2 Bryan Epps, left, and #15 Marquis Hamilton, right, close in on Bowie State University #19 Kwincy Hall.

intercepted twice and sacked three times.

Defensively for VUU, Marquis Hamilton had nine tackles and Teyon Davis made an

interception.

Aside from Reavis’ scintillating opening kickoff return, Bowie State dominated the game.

VSU basks in homecoming victory before readying for Chowan this weekend Virginia State University backs earlier this autumn. now has its foot firmly on the Caldwell hit 16 of 29 passes gas, speeding toward what against Lincoln for 195 yards. might be a winning season.

His primary target was Marquez Coach Reggie Barlow’s Phillips, who had six receptions Trojans, who improved to 3-4 for 76 yards. following last Saturday’s 27-7 Darius Hagans rushed for 51 homecoming win over Lincoln yards and caught two Caldwell University, can finish above passes for 43 more, including .500 with two closing a touchdown. victories.

Nick “The Kick” VSU will play host Woolfolk from Richto Chowan University mond’s Thomas Jefthis Saturday, Oct. 30, ferson High School at Rogers Stadium. booted three field Kickoff is at 2 p.m. goals and two extra The Trojans will points. finish the regular seaOn defense for Kymon Pope son Saturday, Nov. 6, the Trojans, Kolby at Virginia Union University in Hunter had three sacks worth 28 the I-95 Bowl. yards and Kymon Pope added Following a jittery 0-3 start 11 tackles, including two sacks, to the season, VSU has won and an interception he returned three of its last four games, for 15 yards. with the lone loss during that Pope, a 190-pound freshman stretch being a 51-44 cliffhanger defensive back from nearby to CIAA leader Bowie State Dinwiddie High School, will University. be asked to help defend against The VSU offense is now in another Dinwiddie General this the hands of junior quarterback Saturday. Chowan, now 5-3 Chauncey Caldwell, who trans- after three straight defeats, is ferred to the Ettrick campus led by senior quarterback Bryce from North Carolina Central Witt from Dinwiddie High.

University.

The all-time passing leader Coach Barlow appears to in most categories for Chowan, have settled on Caldwell after Witt is 176 for 258 on the seajockeying three other quarter- son, with 25 touchdowns and

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Virginia State University’s Darius Hagans takes the ball in for a touchdown late in the second quarter of the homecoming game against Lincoln University.

2,392 yards.

Witt will close his brilliant Hawks career Saturday, Nov. 6, against Lincoln University.

If VSU is successful against Chowan, it will set up a clas-

sic, season-ending VSU versus VUU matchup. The Nov. 6 grand finale on Lombardy Street will likely determine which of the two rivals finishes with a winning season.

Big 10 football rivalry creates George Jewett Trophy George Jewett broke the Big 10 color barrier away back in the ’90s—the 1890s, that is.

A native of Ann Arbor, Mich., Mr. Jewett played halfback and fullback at the University of George Jewett Michigan from 1890 to 1892 and at Northwestern University in 1893, where he completed his medical degree.

He was the first Black player at any of what are now the Big 10 Conference schools.

To honor the long-ago student-athlete, all future matchups between Michigan and Northwestern will be

for the George Jewett Trophy.

This is now the first NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision game to be named in honor of an African-American.

During his time at Ann Arbor High School, Mr. Jewett was class valedictorian and the Midwest AAU champion in the 100-yard dash.

Following his college graduation, Dr. Jewett embarked on a long and successful medical career in the Chicago area. On top of all that, he was fluent in Italian, German and French. He died in 1908 at age 38.

CIAA Overall

Bowie State University

5-0

7-1

Virginia Union University

3-2

4-4

Virginia State University

3-2

3-4

Elizabeth City State University 3-2

3-5

Chowan University

2-3

5-3

Lincoln University

1-4

1-7

Things looking ‘bullish’ for NSU’s Justin Smith

Justin Smith seems destined to make his name on Wall Street.

But for now, the native Richmonder is quite content watching his own football stock soar like a rocket at Norfolk State University since arriving a few years ago as a lightly recruited freshman out of Benedictine College Preparatory.

There is a reason for the stock market reference.

Smith, now a graduate student, is the son of Pat and Aaron Smith, CEOs of A.W. Smith Financial Group.

Justin has been interning in the family business since he was 14.

“All through my life I’ve been working with money,” he said.

“My first goal after school is to play in the NFL. My second goal is to be a stock Justin Smith market adviser, maybe a sports agent ... something in financial management.”

In addition to inheriting a gift for analyzing numbers from his father, he also inherited athletic talent. Aaron Smith was a secondteam All-Metro running back at Jefferson-Huguenot-Wythe High School and later carried the ball for the University of Richmond.

Justin Smith received his first undergraduate degree from NSU last summer in business finance. He is on track to add a second degree in entrepreneurship.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound graduate student known as “Justo” has been piling up impressive credentials on the field since 2019.

As a junior in 2019, he made 36 receptions for 639 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. NSU opted out of the 2020 season due to the pandemic.

This season in helping NSU to a 5-2 record, Smith has 34 grabs for 615 yards and six touchdowns. He had seven receptions for 147 yards in the Spartans’ win Oct. 23 at Howard University, spoiling the Bison homecoming.

Working with former Highland Springs High School star Juwan Carter, Smith is always a dangerous deep threat. For his career, he averages 18.6 yards per reception.

“Every time I get the ball, my goal is to score,” said Smith, who wears jersey No. 3 in green and gold.

While at Benedictine, Smith excelled in track as well as football. His personal records in spikes were 10.9 seconds in the 100-meter dash and a 45-7 triple jump.

For Smith, a late bloomer on the gridiron, NSU was the only FCS school to offer a scholarship. His other offers came from three NCAA Division II schools—Virginia State, the University of Virginia at Wise and Fairmont State University in West Virginia.

Smith’s work is far from done in Hampton Roads. The Spartans are very much in contention for the MEAC crown under first-year Coach Dawson Odums.

“I’m hoping for two rings—one for winning the MEAC and the other for the Celebration Bowl,” Smith said.

The MEAC champion will meet the SWAC champion Dec. 18 in the Celebration Bowl at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“I’m really looking forward to the team going to Atlanta,” Smith said.

In financial lingo, a bull market is when everything is looking up. The Smith & Teammates firm would like nothing more than to ride the bulls all the way to Atlanta.

Richmond Free Press

A16 October 28-30, 2021

¬21 in 2021 We’ve increased our U.S. minimum hourly wage to $21 as a next step toward $25 by 2025.

Bank of America has raised our minimum rate of pay for all U.S. employees to $21/hour — the next step toward $25 by 2025. Over the past four years, we have led the way by increasing our minimum hourly wage 40%.

Being a great place to work starts with investing in the people who serve our clients.

Providing strong pay and competitive benefits to support our employees and their families helps us attract and retain strong talent.

Our actions demonstrate our continuing commitment to sustain job growth and economic stability for the thousands of individuals working in support of each other, our clients and the communities where we work and live.

We will continue our efforts to make a difference and serve as a catalyst for others to do the same.

What would you like the power to do?®

Victor Branch President, Bank of America Richmond

Learn more at bankofamerica.com/richmond

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. © 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

October 28-30, 2021 B1

Section

B

Richmond Free Press

Happenings

Personality: Tonie Stevens

Spotlight on co-founder and board president of FETCH a Cure Pets are just as vulnerable to illness and cancer as any living creature, and Tonie Stevens is working to further public awareness about pet cancer and treatment.

The Loudoun County native is the co-founder and board president of FETCH a Cure. FETCH stands for Furthering Education and Treatment for Companion Health. The organization wants to help improve the quality of life for pets.

“Let’s face it: Pets went from the barnyard, to the porch, to the couch, to our beds,” Ms. Stevens says. “They are our children, our siblings, our best friends. As the living conditions of pets improved, so did their life expectancy. And similar to humans, the longer the life, the more ailments will be experienced.

“What wouldn’t you do to extend the life of a family member?”

Ms. Stevens joined with Mike Holland and Ryan Traylor to start FETCH a Cure in 2006 after Mr. Holland’s pet was diagnosed with nasal osteosarcoma. Little info was available about the condition, and what Mr. Holland could find, he found difficult to understand. His pet was given only two months to live, but lived another two years as he helped fight the disease with various treatments.

FETCH began then, and continues today, as a resource for pet owners when it comes to awareness and treatment of pet cancer. The goal, according to Ms. Stevens, is “ensuring all have access to adequate information and finances to make the right decision for their pet and family situation.”

“Our vision is a community where no one is denied a choice for their pet’s health due to lack of options, education or funding,” Ms. Stevens says.

To achieve this goal, FETCH a Cure works to increase pet cancer awareness and prevention through advocating for annual pet wellness visits and screening of lumps and bumps to rule out cancer and other illnesses.

The organization also hosts two monthly support groups for pet owners who are caring for animals with cancer and for those who have lost pets.

Through its Companions in Crisis program, FETCH also provides financial assistance to families unable to handle the cost of pet cancer treatments, as well as access to treatment through their pet oncology center in Henrico County.

FETCH also has Pixie’s Pen Pals, a program that offers second chances to rescue dogs and inmates in Virginia correctional centers. The inmates learn responsibility and other skills by helping to socialize and train the dogs to prepare them for adoption in new homes. It becomes a fresh start for the

inmates and the pets.

Her work carries a deep, personal meaning for Ms. Stevens, who currently has two “fur-children,” as she calls them, Pumpkin, a Staffordshire bull terrier, and River, an American pit bull. She cites raising them, as well as two pets she has lost, as a major part of her life and development as a person.

“My dog Bailey influenced me the most,” Ms. Stevens says.

“I had her for 17 years, and she was my first dog. I never knew how to take care of another living soul before that. She taught me responsibility and unconditional love.”

FETCH a Cure is just days away from its signature fundraising event, Pets On Parade Benefit & Auction, the proceeds of which support the Companions in Crisis program.

The 13th annual event will be held 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at Main Street Station, 1500 E. Main St. in Shockoe Bottom.

Dogs are welcome at the event and can be dressed “any way they want to express themselves – a fancy leash or bow tie, hula skirt or their favorite Western bandana,” Ms. Stevens says. “Pet cancer survivors are encouraged to wear something that lets us celebrate their courage and accomplishment.”

In addition to furry guests, the event will feature food, cocktails and silent and live auctions.

Tickets and details are available on the organization’s website: fetchacure.org “If we can provide hope to a pet family, we are successful,” Ms. Stevens says. “If it’s two weeks, two months, two years, any of those numbers equal success. The gift of time is precious.”

Meet a spirited advocate for education and treatment for pet health and this week’s Personality, Tonie Stevens: No. 1 volunteer position: Cofounder and board president of FETCH a Cure.

Occupation: Account executive, sales.

Date and place of birth: June 1968 in Loudoun County.

Where I live now: Richmond.

Education: Bachelor’s in fine arts, Virginia Commonwealth University.

Family: I live with my fur-children, Pumpkin, 12, and River, 5. I’m the youngest daughter to a single mother. My older sister lives in Texas, and I’m the auntie to two nephews and one niece.

Two of my fur-children have passed, Bailey, at 17-years-old, and Bernard, at 4.

FETCH a Cure is: A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. FETCH stands for Furthering Education and Treatment for Companion Health.

FETCH a Cure’s mission: To improve the quality of life for our

pets by working with pet owners and the veterinary community to further pet cancer awareness, education and treatment. Our vision is a community where no one is denied a choice for their pet’s health due to lack of options, education or funding.

No. 1 goal as co-founder and board president: Be the resource for pet cancer awareness and support pet families through pet cancer treatment options; ensuring all have access to adequate information and finances to make the right decision for their pet and family situation.

How FETCH a Cure will accomplish this goal: By increasing pet cancer awareness and prevention through lumps and bumps screening and education materials; providing free continuing education to the veterinary community around oncology and other developing pet cancer treatments; providing financial assistance to families to secure pet cancer treatments; and providing access to treatments by supporting a pet oncology center here in Central Virginia.

Pet cancer awareness is: Knowing the early warning signs of pet cancer and participating in your pets’ health by scheduling annual wellness visits and lumps and bumps screening with a veterinarian. Early detection can make all the difference in treatment options. A list of pet cancer prevention tips and early warning signs can be found on our website at fetchacure.org.

Average cost of cancer treatment for pets: Varies widely based on so many factors, but upward of $2,000 depending on type, stage and age and condition of pet. Some treatment protocols require more visits than others.

Success rate of pets beating cancer: We measure success in hope. If we can provide hope to a pet family, we are successful.

If it’s two weeks, two months or two years, any of those numbers equal success. The gift of time is precious.

Pet insurance and cancer: Some pet insurance provid-

ers cover pet cancer. It is well worth looking into. Insurance can really help out, especially when treatment is extensive and long term.

Cancer support for pets is necessary because: Let’s face it: Pets went from the barnyard, to the porch, to the couch, to our beds. They are our children, our siblings, our best friends. As the living conditions of pets improved, so did their life expectancy. And similar to humans, the longer the life, the more ailments will be experienced. What wouldn’t you to do extend the life of a family member?

How people can become involved with FETCH a Cure: There are many ways. We have a strong volunteer core that helps with awareness events, fundraisers, pet transportation, fostering, marketing, arts projects and more. Additionally, we have two monthly support groups that meet both in person and virtually. They are: • Pet Cancer Support Group – allows pet owners to share their journey and experiences through diagnosis, treatment and remission/recovery.

• Pet Loss Support Group – provides resources to help deal with pet loss. This group is led by an experienced psychologist, Dr. Leslie Greenberg. Participants learn to cope and work through the pain on losing a beloved companion.

FETCH a Cure partners: We partner with the local veterinary community. We also are extremely fortunate to have the support of many community sponsors.

Ways readers can participate with FETCH a Cure outside

of the event: Volunteering is one of the best ways to get involved with FETCH, as well as participating in one of our many events, from Yappy Hours, Golf Tournament, Mutt Strut, Holiday Bone Treat Trees, and more. We publish a calendar of events on our website.

Aperfect day for me is: Walking River and Pumpkin on a fall day with a cool breeze and leaves falling from the trees.

What I am learning about myself during the pandemic: That cuddling on the sofa with River and Pumpkin beats any night out on the town, hands down. Or I mean, paws down.

Pets and the pandemic: Adoptions increased tremendously.

Veterinary practices are beyond full with new patients. Veterinarians need to be applauded and praised for continuing to treat our fur balls during all the chaos. They had to reinvent how they would do intake and service, but they did it and we are grateful.

My pets’ names and breeds: Pumpkin is Staffordshire terrier/bully, which means she’s incredibly adorable and a low rider, and River is an American pit bull, which is more like the body of a lab-ish and a big head. But he’s super lovable and handsome.

Favorite activity with my pets: My pups love to ride in the car to go get a mani-pedi at Dogma and then go through the Starbucks drive-thru for some barista adoration and pup-accinos. That’s a Starbucks cup full of sweet cream with a dog treat at the bottom, or sometimes on top.

Something I love to do that most people would never imagine: I love to swim in the pool in September through November. I’m a polar bear swimmer. I love the cold, cold

water and then warming up by a fire pit, wine in hand.

Quote that I am inspired by: “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” — Winnie the Pooh My friends describe me as: Vivacious.

At the top of my “to-do” list: Walk the pups. That’s top of the list every morning and evening.

But beyond that is travel. I can’t wait to travel abroad again.

I love a good adventure with friends.

Best late-night snack: Cookie dough and popcorn.

Best thing my parents ever taught me: Be true to yourself.

Person who influenced me the most: Mine was not a person.

My dog Bailey influenced me the most. I had her for 17 years and she was my first dog. I never knew how to take care of another living soul before that. She was completely dependent on me.

She taught me responsibility and unconditional love.

Book that influenced me the most: “The Mists of Avalon”

by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

It’s Arthurian legends from the female perspective. I’ve read it about three times at different stages in my life. It’s powerful and helpful.

What I’m reading now: “The Forever Dog: Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier and Longer” by Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Shaw Becker. In all honesty, I fell in love with the dog on the cover in his red super power cape.

Next goal: It’s always the same goal—help where I can, when I can, for as long as I can. And spend summer in the French Riviera.

JEREMY TOUSSAINT-BAPTISTE

SET IT OFF OPENING FRIDAY, OCTOBER �� Set It Off is a newly commissioned multi-site exhibition that intends to shake the room. Toussaint-Baptiste invites visitors to consider the implications of sound, visibility, and performance by deeply engaging with the two variations of a monumental, immersive, sonic sculpture installed at the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU and at 1708 Gallery.

Visit icavcu.org for your free ticket and more information.

601 W. Broad St | Richmond, VA | icavcu.org

Richmond Free Press

B2 October 28-30, 2021

Happenings

Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute offers sense of empowerment to program participants

By Ronald E. Carrington

Richmonder Karla Almendarez-Ramos says her professional and personal life have been enhanced by the empowerment of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute.

In 2018, the 52-year-old Honduran immigrant, wife and mother of two adult children decided to attend the institute’s annual conference. That experience drove her decision to become one of 25 women in the institute’s HIGHER Ground Women’s Leadership Development Program, a five-month leadership development experience for current and emerging women leaders who are committed to investing in themselves and their organizations.

“I am a proud feminist who likes to work with women and help to empower and lift up my gender,” Ms. Almendarez-Ramos told the Free Press in a recent interview. “Working with a cross section of women is one of the reasons to attend the leadership program.”

Ms. Almendarez-Ramos, who is director of immigrant and refugee engagement in the City of Richmond’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, said participating in the program was an opportunity to learn more about how to function as an effective manager and leader.

The most important thing she learned, she said, was the fact she belonged to a demographically diverse group of women in positions of responsibility and authority in area nonprofits and corporations.

“It was a validation of the work and struggles we go through as women in management positions, or in general, in the workforce as we balance personal life, goals and family, while being a good leader for others to follow,” Ms. Almendarez-Ramos said.

According to Ms. Almendarez-Ramos, personal barriers were shattered as the program took the women in the 2019 cohort through a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. The women bonded as a group, giving members of

ranking woman and African-American in the university’s history.

The institute’s focus on leadership training and public policy research is a large part of Dr. Harris’ legacy.

“We do a lot of capacity-building at the leadership institute,” Dr. Douglas-Glenn said of the program that is now in its 22nd year.

Early on, she said, there had not been many opportunities for women in leadership roles, mostly in higher education and with faith-based organizations, to come together in a safe space to discuss the things that were important to them both at home and at work.

“The HIGHER Ground program provided that space to talk about how woman can advance to high ranks in their respective industries, racial disparity as well as establishing a community to support each other,” Dr. Douglas-Glenn said.

During COVID-19, the program transitioned to a virtual platform, allowing it to expand from a Richmond focus to regional and national

Ronald E. Carrington/Richmond Free Press

Dr. Douglas-Glenn

the cohort a feeling of support.

“It is very helpful. Women are usually the toughest on ourselves,” she said. “As we tend to have and extend grace to others, it is just as important to extend grace to ourselves.”

Dr. Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn, director of the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, was recruited to the institute from the National Science Foundation seven years ago. She had the opportunity to meet Dr. Harris, a former provost, vice president for academic affairs and transformative figure at VCU, who died in February 2018. The institute was established and named in Dr. Harris’ honor in May 1999 at her retirement. She had served the university for nearly 50 years and was the highest

Grand opening of Sankofa Community Garden slated for Oct. 29 A 2-acre park that includes 80 fruit trees will officially open to the public at noon Friday, Oct. 29, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, it has been announced.

Called the Sankofa Community Orchard, the revamped green space is on city land at 309 Covington Road off Midlothian Turnpike. The site backs up to Reedy Creek.

The space will expand park offerings in South Side and also make fresh fruit available to anyone who wants it in a bid to boost healthy eating. The orchard also includes an outdoor kitchen, a space for special events and numerous mural walls, courtesy of local Richmond artists.

Participants can tour the orchard and learn more about products, services and planned programming at the event.

Duron Chavis, a Richmond gardening guru and founder and director of Happily Natural Day, led the volunteer effort that included members of the Jackson Ward Collective to plant the array of fruit trees that now dominate the site.

Details: thenaturalfestival. com.

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Thank You To My Family and Friends,

Thank you for remembering me on my 90th birthday.

Your love, kindness, and thoughtfulness are greatly appreciated.

You made my day very special.

Gods’ blessings to you.

Be careful and safe and don’t forget to get the vaccine.

Love you.

F LORENCE N EAL C OOPER S MITH

participants, she said.

Ms. Almendarez-Ramos said she was happy there were five Latina women in her cohort of 25 women from different parts of the state.

She said her relationships with cohort members continue.

“It was good to learn and share sisterhood,” Ms. Almendarez-Ramos said, reflecting on her experience.

The institute is hosting its 15th Annual HIGHER Ground Women’s Leadership Conference on Friday, Nov. 5. The virtual event will be held 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., costs $115 and will feature a number of speakers, including Kiko Davis Snoddy, president of the Don Davis Legacy Foundation; Charis Jones, chief executive officer and chief design officer of Sassy Jones; and Susanna Wu-Pong Calver, founder of the Foundation for Family and Community Healing.

Registration and details: https://gehli.vcu. edu/conference/

Richmond Free Press

October 28-30, 2021 B3

Happenings ‘Art Under the Pines’ Art and music flourished outdoors last Saturday at the 2nd Annual Art Under the Pines, a free exhibition of local artists, held in the Sculpture Garden of Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center in North Side.

Left, Vashti Woods finds the weather perfect for browsing, buying and enjoying art of all types. Below left and center, Kathy Reid, a retired Richmond Public Schools art teacher, uses her hands to create a new piece of pottery from clay.

Below right, quilt artist Unicia Buster, a former graphic designer with the Richmond Free Press, discusses the images and inspiration behind one of her quilts.

The Larri Branch Trio, bottom left, provides the jazz accompaniment setting the laid-back vibe at the event, where people enjoyed interactive workshops with artists and created pieces of their own. Bottom center and right,Joshua Perez, 11, learns the art of making felt from artist Lindsay Parnell.

Work from the event will be on exhibit through Dec. 31 in the Spotlight Gallery at Pine Camp, 4901 Old Brook Road.

Photos by Julianne Tripp

‘Back Home on the Hill’ Homecoming 2021 was a joyful reunion at Virginia State University, where hundreds of alumni returned for a weekend of events under the theme “Back Home on the Hill.” Last Saturday was a real highlight, with people setting up tents and enjoying food, music and conversation at campus tailgates.

The Trojans football team scored a big 27-7 victory against Lincoln University before a cheering crowd at Rogers Stadium.

The fans in the stands rocked to the sounds of the VSU Trojan Explosion Marching Band and the 2021 “Commander of Troy,” Drum Major Isaiah C. Brown, below left, a senior from Virginia Beach. The band’s flag bearers and the Woo Woos, the university’s noted cheerleading squad, showed off their moves and kept the homecoming spirit going.

Members of the VSU Royal Court strutted during halftime.

Mr. VSU, Isaiah Matthews-Braxton of North Carolina, and Miss VSU, Ashlee Gray of Maryland, enjoyed a glitzy and glamourous official coronation ceremony earlier during homecoming week, where the inaugural Little Miss VSU, 5-year-old Jae Coleman, was crowned.

Left, VSU President Makola Abdullah presents a plaque to the Rev. Sylvester Bullock, VSU’s assistant band director, who is retiring after 35 years of service to the Trojan Explosion March Band.

Politics also was a part of the mix, above right, with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, a former governor, and his running mate, Delegate Hala Ayala, who is running for lieutenant governor, greeting people as they moved through the crowd.

Photos by James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Richmond Free Press

B4 October 28-30, 2021

Obituaries/Faith News/Directory

Rev. Herbert R. Plummer Sr., retired pastor of Swansboro Baptist Church, dies at 86 The Rev. Herbert Ralph Plummer Sr., who led Swansboro Baptist Church in South Side for 47 years, has died.

A Richmond native, Rev. Plummer succumbed to illness on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, his family said. He was 86.

His life was celebrated Thursday, Oct. 21, at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Glen Allen, and he was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery.

A Henrico County resident most of his life, Rev. Plummer began his entry into ministry at Fair Oaks Baptist Church where he was ordained as a deacon at age 18.

He later attended Virginia Union University and the Washington Bible College before being called in 1964 at age 29 to

pastor Swansboro Baptist Church in the 3800 block of Midlothian Turnpike.

Rev. Plummer continued in the post until he retired in 2011.

He died on the same day as one his best friends, the Rev. E. Walter Anderson Jr., 89, former pastor of Parrish Hill Baptist Church in Charles City County and Mt. Oni Baptist Church in Caroline County.

Survivors include Rev. Plummer’s wife of 63 years, Mabel B. Plummer; three sons, Anthony D. Plummer, Herbert R. Plummer Jr. and Randall D. Plummer; a daughter, Monica P. Newby; a sister, Bishop Pauline Stokes; 12 grandchildren; and great- and great-great grandchildren.

Memorial service set for wife of former Councilman Hilbert A memorial service for Sheila Kavanagh Mandt, the late wife of former Richmond City Councilman Chris A. Hilbert, will take place 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 815 E. Grace St., Mr. Hilbert has announced.

The service is being held on what would have been her 56th birthday, he said.

Ms. Mandt died Jan. 25, 2021, of complications from COVID-19. The memorial service was delayed because of the pandemic.

Mr. Hilbert said masks will be mandatory for those attending the celebration of the life of Ms. Mandt, who was highly regarded as Ms. Mandt a fundraiser for nonprofits, particularly those focused on supporting and aiding victims of domestic violence.

She was best known for leading the creation of a huge quilt that pays tribute to violence survivors.

Mr. Hilbert said that following the service, a reception in Ms. Mandt’s honor will take place at Virginia Union University’s Living and Learning Center, 1500 Lombardy St. Proof of vaccination is required to attend the reception, he said.

fÑÜxtw à{x jÉÜw

E-n-t-h-u-s-i-a-s-m Say it three times

Enthusiasm…

Enthusiasm…

Enthusiasm!

Write: I’ll Listen Ministry Post Office Box 16113 Richmond, VA 23222

To advertise your church events in the Richmond Free Press call 644-0496

George Walker IV/The Tennessean via AP

U.S. Colored Troops re-enactor Norman Hill applauds the new statue honoring Black enslaved men who enlisted and served in the Civil War. The statue, by Ohio sculptor Joe Frank Howard, was unveiled Oct. 23 outside the courthouse in Franklin, Tenn.

Tennessee city adds statue honoring Black Civil War soldiers Free Press wire report

FRANKLIN, Tenn.

Four years ago, a deadly white supremacist riot in Charlottesville, Va., led pastors in the Tennessee city of Franklin to call for the removal of a Confederate monument in their town square.

A lawsuit and political maneuverings made that impractical, but a local leader of a Civil War history nonprofit had a different idea.

Instead of taking the statue down, a new statue and historical markers could be erected to tell a fuller story of the Civil War—one that included the horrors of slavery and the Black people who fought to end it.

That effort led to the unveiling last weekend of a statue titled “March to Freedom,” honoring the Black enslaved men who enlisted in the United States Colored Troops, a part of the Union Army during the Civil War, The Tennessean reported.

The new statue stands at the foot of Franklin’s historic courthouse, directly across the street from a monument to Confederate soldiers known as “Chip.”

Eric Jacobson, chief executive officer of the Battle of Franklin Trust, who is white, initially floated the idea of the Fuller Story project to add the history of Black Americans to the town square.

Pastor Hewitt Sawyers, who grew up in the Jim Crow era at a time when Franklin’s Public Square was not welcoming to Black people, eventually became one of the leaders of the project, but he had to be convinced.

Since his childhood, Rev. Sawyers had avoided downtown Franklin because it

meant seeing the Confederate statue, he said during a panel discussion last week.

He believed that the statue needed to come down, but talks with Mr. Jacobson “changed my heart about that,” Rev. Sawyers said.

“It’s not a statue of Robert E. Lee or someone like that. It’s just saying that Confederate soldiers died and it’s just giving them honor for fighting in a war,” Rev. Sawyers said.

The Rev. John Haynes of Burns Tabernacle Baptist Church remembers Ku Klux Klan rallies on the square in the 1980s in the shadow of the Confederate monument. It was part of what made his relationship to the public square “bitter,” he told The Tennessean recently.

Speaking at the new monument’s unveiling on Oct. 23, Rev. Sawyers said the square had always been a reminder of how he was conditioned to think.

“I was conditioned, in other words, to know where my place was,” he said.

The new statue was unveiled during an emotional ceremony attended by hundreds of people. It is one of the few stand-alone monuments honoring the hundreds of African-Americans from Franklin’s Williamson County and more than 170,000 across the nation who joined the Union Army.

The soldier stands with one foot stepping on a decaying tree stump that signifies the end of the “tree of sorrow,” which Black people were tied to for sale or even hanged from as punishment, said sculptor Joe Frank Howard of Columbus, Ohio. A pair of broken shackles lie partly buried in dirt, signifying that the Black soldiers were “never to be

Good Shepherd Baptist Church 1127 North 28th St., Richmond, VA 23223 s Office: (804) 644-1402 Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, Pastor “There’s A Place for You”

+PJO VT BU ". FBDI TU BOE SE 4VOEBZ GPS JO QFSTPO XPSTIJQ TFSWJDF <RX PD\ FRQWLQXH WR OLYH VWUHDP RQ <RX7XEH *RRG 6KHSKHUG %DSWLVW &KXUFK 59$

https://youtu.be/qqzhnIEQyQc for inspirational messages from Pastor Smith

chained again.”

Mr. Howard, a Black man with firsthand experience of Jim Crow racism, spoke recently about his vision for the statue.

“These are people that were not classified as human beings. They were cattle or some type of work animals,” he said. “And for these men—to sometimes escape from plantations to be able to fight this war so that their people can be free—that march for freedom was the first march that led to Montgomery or any other type of march that has been for our freedom.”

City leaders at the ceremony vowed that the unveiling wasn’t the end to the Fuller Story project, but a beginning as more stories are unearthed and shared.

Alma McLemore, president of the African American Heritage Society of Williamson County, was among those in attendance last Saturday. The Franklin native’s family has lived in the city for generations, and she has worked for years to preserve the stories of the city’s Black residents.

“We all know people who come through this community, the first thing they see is the statue in the middle,” she said, referring to the monument erected in 1899 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The group sued the city in 2019, claiming it owned both the square and the monument, after plans were announced to install historical markers there explaining the experience of AfricanAmericans during the Civil War. Now, when visitors gaze upon the historic courthouse, they’ll see a new statue, Ms. McLemore said.

Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church

1408 W. Leigh Street · Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 358—6403

Dr. Alonza L. Lawrence, Pastor

Riverview

Baptist Church Sunday School – 9:30 AM Sunday Services – 11:00 AM Via Conference Call (202) 926-1127 Pin 572890# In person Sunday Service also on FACEBOOK and YouTube 2604 Idlewood Avenue Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 353-6135 www.riverviewbaptistch.org

#

“Like” Moore Street on “Your Home In God’s Kingdom”

Rev. Dr. Stephen L. Hewlett, Pastor

Broad Rock Baptist Church 5106 Walmsley Blvd., Richmond, VA 23224 804-276-2740 • 804-276-6535 (fax) www.BRBCONLINE.org

“Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, Services Are Cancelled, until further notice; but, please join us, by visiting BRBCOnline.org or YouTube (Broad Rock Baptist Church).”

“MAKE IT HAPPEN” Pastor Kevin Cook

Worship With Us This Week!

“The Church With A Welcome”

Sharon Baptist Church

2901 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 648-2472 ~ www.mmbcrva.org Dr. Price London Davis, Senior Pastor

500 E. Laburnum Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222 www.sharonbaptistchurchrichmond.org (804) 643-3825 Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor

Sundays Morning Worship 10:00 A.M.

Back Inside

Thirty-first Street Baptist Church

C

7M\XL &ETXMWX 'LYVGL 8LIQI JSV 1SFMPM^MRK *SV 1MRMWXV] 6IJVIWLMRK 8LI 3PH ERH )QIVKMRK 8LI 2I[ A 21st Century Church With Ministry For Everyone

We Embrace Diversity — Love For All! Come worship with us!

Sunday Service will not be held in our sanctuary.

Join us for 11:00 AM Worship by going to our website www.sixthbaptistchurch.org

Twitter sixthbaptistrva

Rev. Dr. Yvonne Jones Bibbs, Pastor

400 South Addison Street Richmond, Va. 23220

(near Byrd Park)

(804) 359-1691 or 359-3498 Facebook Fax (804) 359-3798 sixthbaptistrva www.sixthbaptistchurch.org

e with Reverence elevanc R ing Rev. Dr. Joshua Mitchell, Senior Pastor bin m ❖ o

The doors of the church are open for worship!

No registration required.

Join us in person or online on Facebook or YouTube

10:30 a.m. Sundays

823 North 31st Street Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 226-0150 Office

C

Richmond Free Press

October 28-30, 2021 B5

Sports Plus

World Series gets underway with the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros

By Fred Jeter

Yordan Alvarez and Eddie Rosario celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month a little late by leading their teams to the World Series.

Cuban-born Alvarez was named MVP of the American League Championship Series after slugging the Houston Astros into the Fall Classic.

In Atlanta, Puerto Rican native Eddie Rosario put on a hitting clinic and was named National League MVP after ushering the Atlanta Braves to baseball’s brightest stage.

Alvarez, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound designated hitter, hit .521 with a homer, a triple, three doubles, six runs batted in and seven runs scored in eliminating the Boston Red Sox on Oct. 22 in Game 6.

Rosario, a left-handed outfielder who joined Atlanta at midseason, hit .560 with three homers, including the game-winning three-run blast in the clincher over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 on Oct. 23.

Hispanic Heritage Month was officially Sept.

15 through Oct. 15, but Alvarez and Rosario were never told the “party” was over.

The World Series got underway Tuesday, with Game 2 played on Wednesday. Here are details about the teams: u Houston Astros How they got here: The Houston Astros won the American League’s Western Division with a 95-67 record, while outscoring opponents 863-658. The Astros defeated the Chicago White Sox, 3-1, and the Boston Red Sox, 4-2, to reach the World Series.

Track record: The Astros were World Series champions in 2017, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers and benefitting perhaps from the infamous “stolen signals” scandal. For home games, Houston planted an illicit camera to steal Los Angeles’ signs. This is the fourth trek to the World Series for the team. They went previously in 2005 and lost to the Chicago White Sox; 2017; and 2019, losing to the Washington Nationals.

Stadium: Minute Maid Park (retractable roof).

Local connection: Astros Manager Dusty Baker played parts of three seasons (1969, 1970 and 1971) at Richmond’s Parker Field for the former Richmond Braves.

Name game: Houston joined the big leagues in 1962 as an expansion team originally called the Colt 45s. The team became the Astros in 1965 when they moved into the Astrodome.

Atlanta Braves How they got here: The Atlanta Braves won the National League East with an 88-73 record, outscoring opponents 790-656. In the playoffs, the Braves defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-1, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2, to reach the World Series.

Track record: The Braves won the World Series in 1914 when the franchise was in Boston, in 1957 when headquartered in Milwaukee, and in 1995 in Atlanta. The team last went to the World Series in 1999, but lost to the New York Yankees.

Stadium: Truist Park.

Local connection: The Braves still have a large following in Richmond. The former Rich-

Batter up

The World Series moves to Atlanta this weekend with this schedule: Game 3: Friday, Oct. 29, 8:09 p.m.

Game 4: Saturday, Oct. 30, 8:09 p.m.

Game 5: Sunday, Oct. 31, 8:15 p.m.

The games will be broadcast on FOX television.

mond Braves were Atlanta’s AAA affiliate from 1966 to 2008. Some of the greatest Braves in history came through Richmond – Dusty Baker, Ralph Garr, Dale Murphy, Chipper Jones, Dave Justice, John Smoltz, etc.

Missing person: Manager Brian Snitker is to be commended for guiding the team to the top without the services of superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna. Considered among the elite players in the sport, Acuna was lost for the season with a knee injury in July.

Battle cry: Atlanta’s catchphrase is “Party Like It’s 1999,” in honor of its last trek to the World Series in 1999.

Legal Notices/Employment Opportunities Divorce VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER LASHARNDA TRAPP, Plaintiff v.

NATHANIEL TRAPP, Defendant.

Case No.: CL21003012-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.

It is ORDERED that the defendant, who has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear here on or before the 21st day of December, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Counsel The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, MONTGOMERY COUNTY FILE NO. 21 CVD 275 TERRENCE LITTLE, Plaintiff -vsMARGARET E. BETHEA, Defendant TO: MARGARET E. BETHEA TAKE NOTICE THAT:

A pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above entitled-action and Notice of Service of Process

by Publication began on October 28, 2021.

The nature of the relief being sought is Absolute Divorce.

You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than forty (40) days after October 28, 2021 or December 7, 2021 and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.

This the 20th day of October 2021.

SONYA L. WILLIAMSON ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF 111 COURTHOUSE SQUARE TROY, NC 27371 (910)576-0475 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER TALIAH ABRAMS, Plaintiff v.

BRIAN RUSSELL, Defendant.

Case No.: CL21003485-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.

It is ORDERED that t h e d e fe n d a n t , w h o s e whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 14th day of December, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

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the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.

It is ORDERED that t h e d e fe n d a n t , w h o s e whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 13th day of January, 2022 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER GREGORY CARTER, Plaintiff v.

TRACY CANNON, Defendant.

Case No.: CL21003308-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.

It is ORDERED that t h e d e fe n d a n t , w h o s e whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 29th day of November, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER JESSICA AMADOR, Plaintiff v.

JUSTYN AMADOR, Defendant.

Case No.: CL21003334-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.

It is ORDERED that t h e d e fe n d a n t , w h o s e whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 1st day of December, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

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Plaintiff’s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ALICIA STYLES, Plaintiff v.

DJIGUIBA BAH, Defendant.

Case No.: CL21003216-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.

It is ORDERED that t h e d e fe n d a n t , w h o s e whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 19th day of November, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER BABATUNDE ODUFOYE, Plaintiff v.

CHALEI DAVIS-ODUFOYE, Defendant.

Case No.: CL21002556-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.

It is ORDERED that the defendant, who has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear here on or before the 19th day of November, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

CUSTODY VIRGINIA: IN THE Hanover Circuit Court 7530 County Complex Road, Hanover, VA 23069 Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Michael Maglangit mangonon Jr., vs.

Michael Maglangit Warley Case No. CL21003162-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to: Application for change of name (minor)

It is ORDERED that Michael Mangonon appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before November 22, 2021 at 9:0 a.m.

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remaining with Parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: Visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support and that:

It is ORDERED that the defendants, Marcus Shelton (Father), Unknown Father (Father),& Raven Carter (Mother), to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 12/10/2021, at 10:20 AM, Courtroom #1 (BEL)

not been personally located and has/have not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.”

IT IS ORDERED that LARRY INGE, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re ALIJAH DEVON CARTER RDSS v.

SHAQUILLE BAILEY, UNKNOWN FATHER & RAVEN CARTER Case No. J-98485-05,06,08 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to: terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of Shaquille Bailey (Father), Unknown (Father),& Raven Carter (Mother) of Alijah Devon Carter, child DOB: 8/16/2012, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with Parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: Visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support and that:

It is ORDERED that the defendants, Shaquille Bailey (Father), Unknown Father (Father),& Raven Carter (Mother), to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 12/10/2021, at 10:20 AM, Courtroom #1 (BEL) VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re DOMINIQUE RASHAD ALLEN & KA’SHAWN JOYNN PLEASANTS RDSS v.

UNKNOWN FATHER Case No. J-93391-11-00, J-94683-10-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to: terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of U n k n ow n ( Fa t h e r ) , o f Dominique Rashad Allen, child DOB: 1/21/2015 & Ka’shawn Joynn Pleasants, ch i l d D O B : 1 / 1 6 / 2 0 1 7 “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with Parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: Visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support and that:

It is ORDERED that the defendants Unknown Father (Father) to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 12/7/2021, at 2:00 PM, Courtroom #2 MCG

Property

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER OLUWAGBEMISOLA OSIYOYE, Plaintiff v.

MICHAEL SMITH, Defendant.

Case No.: CL21003418-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER JACQUELINE BROWN, Plaintiff v.

THOMAS BROWN, JR., Defendant.

Case No.: CL21002307-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.

It is ORDERED that the defendant, who has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear here on or before the 19th day of November, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure,

VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re AR’RYANNA LASHAE CARTER RDSS v.

MARCUS SHELTON, UNKNOWN FATHER & RAVEN CARTER Case No. J-97927-06,07 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to: terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of Marcus Shelton (Father), Unknown (Father),& Raven Carter (Mother) of Ar’ryanna Lashae Carter, child DOB: 6/15/2015, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v.

LARRY INGE, et al, Defendants.

Case No.: CL21-3398 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3305 Castlewood Road, Tax Map Number S008-0772/037, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Larry Inge.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, LARRY INGE, who has/ have been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to his/her/their last known address, has/have

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VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v.

THURSTON W. NORMAN, et al, Defendants.

Case No.: CL21-4323 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3503 Meadow Bridge Road, Tax Map Number N000-1561/024, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Thurston W. Norman and Dorothy Lee Norman.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, THURSTON W. NORMAN, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and DOROTHY LEE NORMAN, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that ASSOCIATES FINANCIAL SERVICES OF AMERICA, INC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission listed, BENEFICIARY of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Deed Book 322 page 248 on October 28, 1992, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.”

IT IS ORDERED that THURSTON W. NORMAN, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and DOROTHY LEE NORMAN, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, ASSOCIATES FINANCIAL SERVICES OF AMERICA, INC, an entity listed as inactive in the records o f t h e V i rg i n i a S t a t e Corporation Commission listed, BENEFICIARY of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Deed Book 322 page 248 on October 28, 1992, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF Continued on next column

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RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v.

UP 2307 MIMOSA, LLC, et al, Defendants.

Case No.: CL21-3348 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2307 Mimosa Street, Tax Map Number S007-1229/057, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, UP 2307 Mimosa, LLC.

An Affidavit having been filed that VACONN CAPITAL, Registered Agent for UP 2307 MIMOSA, LLC, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that CAPITAL ONE AU TO F I N A N C E , I N C , a corporation listed as inactive in the records o f t h e V i rg i n i a S t a t e Corporation Commission without records showing of a successor, which may be a creditor with an interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.”

IT IS ORDERED that VACONN CAPITAL, R e g i s t e r e d A g e n t fo r UP 2307 MIMOSA, L L C , C A P I TA L O N E AU TO F I N A N C E , I N C , a corporation listed as inactive in the records o f t h e V i rg i n i a S t a t e Corporation Commission without records showing of a successor, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v.

PEAS & QUEUES, LLC, et al, Defendants.

Case No.: CL21-4219 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 505 North Hamilton Street, Unit L, Tax Map Number W000-1704/161, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Peas & Queues, LLC.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, PEAS & QUEUES, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/ or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.”

IT IS ORDERED that PEAS & QUEUES, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

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City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v.

JMYI INVESTMENTS, LLC, et al, Defendants.

Case No.: CL21-3349 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2709 Rettig Road, Tax Map Number C004-0552/001, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, JMYI Investments, LLC.

An Affidavit having been filed that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.”

IT IS ORDERED that Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street

RichWine LLC Trading as: RichWine LLC 2601 Maury St Bldg 2 Rm F Richmond, VA 23224-3665 The above establishment is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage C ontrol (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Internet Beer Retailer/Delivery Permit – In State license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-5523200.

LICENSE

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GWBG RLLP Trading as: BRUN 203 N. Lombardy St. Richmond, VA 23220-3529 The above establishment is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage C ontrol (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine and Beer on Premises/ Mixed Beverage Restaurant license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-5523200.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Thank you for your interest in applying for opportunities with The City of Richmond.

To see what opportunities are available, please refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com.

EOE M/F/D/V

Senior Data Analyst – Capital One Services, LLC in Richmond, VA; Mult pos avail: Perform quant & qualt analysis of econ data, relating constants & variables, restrictions, alternatives, conflicting objectives, & their num parameters.

To apply, visit https://capitalone.wd1. myworkdayjobs.com/Capital_One and search “Senior Data Analyst” or “R124871” Tourism Counselor (Part-Time) Ruther Glen, VA

The Virginia Tourism Corporation is seeking a Tourism Counselor for its Virginia Welcome Center at Ruther Glen who is willing to work 8 to 12 days per month. The center is open 7 days per week from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

This individual will provide travel information and assistance to the traveling public, stock brochure racks, assist the welcome center manager with daily operations and perform }i iÀ> vwVi `ÕÌ ið All candidates must apply through our website https://www.vatc.org/administration/ employment/. Application deadline: November 8, 2021.

EOE

Missions Pastor: We are currently seeking a full-time Missions Pastor who can lead the congregation in developing, implementing, and directing a comprehensive outreach strategy that will intentionally reach our local and global communities for Christ and His church while collaborating with other staff ministers in the implementation of the mission, vision, and culture of Bon Air Baptist Church (BABC). https://www.bonairbaptist.org/jobs for full job description.

B6 October 28-30, 2021

Richmond Free Press

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARD (RPS) FILING BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY D/B/A DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2021-00146

�� �� ����� ��� �� �� �� ������� ������ ����� ��� ������� ���������� ��� ��� ����������� ������ ������� �������� �������� ������������� �� �� ������ ������� ���������� ��� ����� size, locality, interconnection and projected commercial operation date ( COD ) for each of the CE-2 Projects is provided below: ������� ����

Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia ( Dominion ) has submitted its 2021 Renewable Portfolio Standard ( RPS ) Filing. The Filing includes Dominion s RPS Development Plan and requests for approval to construct 13 new utility-scale projects and to enter into 24 new power purchase agreements.

Dominion requests approval of revised Rider CE with a revenue requirement of $71,025,000 over the rate year beginning May 1, 2022, and concluding April 30, 2023.

According to Dominion, this amount would increase a typical residential customer s bill using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by $1.13.

The State Corporation Commission will hold a telephonic hearing in this case on December 13, 2021, at 1 p.m., for the receipt of public witness testimony.

An evidentiary hearing will be held on December 14, 2021, at 9 a.m., either in the ������������ ������ ���� ��������� ������� �� ��� ����� ��������� ���� ���� ���� Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or by electronic means. Further details on this hearing will be provided by subsequent Commission Order.

Further information about this case is available on the SCC website at: scc.virginia.gov/ pages/Case-Information. ������ ��� ���� �������� ��� �������� ������� �������� ������� �������� ���� ��� ����� ��� ���� ��� ���� �� ��� ���� �������� ���� �� ��������� ����� ��������� ���� �� ��������� known as the Virginia Clean Economy Act ( VCEA ), became effective on July 1, 2020. The VCEA, inter alia, establishes a mandatory renewable energy portfolio standard ( RPS ) for �������� �������� ��� ����� ������� ����������� �� ���������� �� ��� � �������� �� ��� ���� �� �������� ��������� ����������� � � �� ���� � �������� �������� �������� �� ������ annually to the State Corporation Commission ( Commission ) plans and petitions for approval of new solar and onshore wind generation capacity ( RPS Filing ). The Commission must determine whether the RPS Filing is reasonable and prudent, giving due consideration to ��� ��������� �������� ��� ��� ��� ��� ������ ������� ��������� ������������ �� ���� � ��� ������ ���� ��� ��������� �� ��� ��������� ���������� ��� ������ ������� ��������� ������ the Commonwealth, and associated economic development, and (iii) fuel savings projected to �� �������� �� ��� ����� ��� ������������ ���� ����� ��������� ��� ��� ������ �� �������� �� ���� � �������� � � �� �� ������� �� ��� ���������� ��� ���� ���� ��� ������ ����� ��� ���� �� ���� ������ On September 15, 2021, Dominion submitted its annual RPS Filing to the Commission ( 2021 RPS Filing or Petition ). The 2021 RPS Filing requests the Commission: ((i) Approve the Company s annual plan for the development of new solar, onshore wind, and energy storage resources ( RPS Development Plan ) in connection with the new ��������� ��� ������� ����� ��������� �������� �� ���� � �������� � �� ���� ����� ����������� �� ������ ����������� ��� ��������� ��������� ��� �������� �� ��������� ��� ������� �� ������������ �������� �������� ������������� ��� ��������� ������ �� ����� ��� �� �� �� ������ ������� ������ ���������� �������� �� ���� � ������ � ��� ��� Commission s Filing Requirements in Support of Applications for Authority to Construct ��� ������� �� �������� ���������� ��������� (iii) Approve to recover through the Rider CE rate adjustment clause ( RAC ) the costs of (a) the CE-2 Projects and related distribution and transmission interconnection facilities and ��� ��� ����������� ����� �������� �������� ������������� � �� ��� ������� ��������������� ���������� ������ ����������� ����� ���������� �������� �� ���� � �������� � � ������������ � ��� ��� ��� ������������ ����� ��������� ������� ���� ������������ ��� ������ ������������� ������� �� �������� ����� �������� ���������� (iv) Approve an update to Rider CE for recovery of costs associated with the CE-1 Solar �������� ��� ������� ��������������� ���������� �� �������� �� ��� ���������� �� ���� ��� ��������������� ��� (v) Make a prudence determination for the Company to enter into 24 power purchase agreements ( PPAs ) for 32 separate solar and energy storage resources totaling ������������� ��� �� �� ����� ��� �� �� �� ������ ������� ������ ������ �������� �� ���� � ����������� RPS Development Plan Dominion states that its RPS Development Plan reports on the Company s progress toward meeting the solar, onshore wind, and energy storage development targets outlined in the VCEA and presents the Company s development plan for solar, onshore wind and energy storage ���������� ������� ����� ��� ���� ��� ������ ����� ���� �������� ��� � ����� �� ������� �� of solar and onshore wind as of August 31, 2021, from facilities that are in operation, under construction, purchased, or proposed for approval, including the proposed CE-2 Projects, the CE-2 Distributed Solar Projects, and the CE-2 PPAs. For energy storage, the 2021 RPS Filing ����� ��� ������� ��� ��� �� �� ������ ������� ��������� �� ���������� ����� ������������� purchased, or proposed for approval, including the relevant proposed CE-2 Projects and CE-2 PPAs. The Company s RPS Development Plan calls for additional investment in solar, onshore wind, and energy storage through 2035. For example, by 2035, Dominion projects it will have �������� �� �� ������������� ����� ��� ������� ���� ��������� �� ���������� �������� ���� �������� �� ���� ���� ����� �� �� ������ ������� ��������� �� ��������� �� �����

���� ����

Locality

Interconnection

COD

CE-2 Solar Projects Camellia

20

Gloucester

Distribution

2023

Fountain Creek

��

Greensville

Transmission

2023

Otter Creek

��

Mecklenburg

Transmission

2023

Piney Creek

��

Halifax

Transmission

2023

Quillwort

��

Powhatan

Distribution

2023

Sebera

��

Prince George

Distribution

2023

Solidago

20

���� �� �����

Distribution

2023

Sweet Sue

75

���� �������

Transmission

2023

������

150

King & Queen

Transmission

2023

�����������

20

Gloucester

Distribution

2023

����������

20

�����������

Distribution

2023

Transmission

2023

Distribution

2022

CE-2 Solar and Storage Project Dulles

100 (solar) + 50 (storage)

Loudoun

CE-2 Storage Project ��� ������

20

�����������

The Company asserts that the CE-2 Projects are needed to comply with the VCEA, to serve customers capacity and energy needs, and to comply with carbon regulations. According to the Company, the total estimated costs for the CE-2 Solar Projects are approximately $1.1045 �������� ��������� �������� ������ �� ������������� ������ ��� �������� ������ �� ��� ����� ��� �� �������� ��� ������� �������� ������� ������ ���� ��� ����� ��������� ����� ��� ��� ���� Solar and Storage Project and related transmission facilities is approximately $279.7 million, ��������� �������� ������ �� ������������� ������ ��� �� �� ��� ����� ��� �� �������� ��� rating. For the CE-2 Storage Project and related distribution facilities, the Company states that ��� ����� ��������� ����� ��� ����� �������� ��������� �������� ������ �� ������������� ������ ��� �� �� ��� ����� �� �� �������� ��� ������� ��� ������� ������ ���� ��� ���� �������� ������� �������� ��������� ���� ������� � 2020 RFP and Company-sourced projects. For the CE-2 Projects, the Company states that it completed full environmental justice assessments for each project and will complete community outreach as needed based on the project. Maps for the proposed CE-2 Projects accompany this notice.

Rider CE Dominion asks the Commission to approve revised Rider CE for the rate year beginning May 1, 2022, and ending April 30, 2023 ( Rate Year ). The Company states it is proposing to adjust ��� ���� ���� �� ����� ���� �� ������ ������� ��� ��� ��������� �������� �� ���� � �������� � 4, such that Rider CE rates approved by the Commission in this proceeding become effective for usage on and after May 1, 2022, in place of the Rider CE rates previously approved through May 31, 2022. �������� �� ���������� � �� ��� ������� ����� �������� ��� ��� ������� �� ��������� ��� ����� ���� ������ ������������ ��������� �� ��� ���� �������� ��� ���� ����������� ����� Projects and to recover the costs of the CE-2 Projects and CE-2 Distributed Solar Projects and the related distribution and transmission interconnection facilities through Rider CE. Additionally, the Company seeks approval for the recovery of costs associated with the CE-1 ����� �������� ��� ������� ��������������� ���������� �������� �� ��� ���������� �� ���� ��� �������������� ������� ����� ��� �� ��� ������� ��� ������� ����������� ������� ���� recovery of additional solar or onshore wind generating facilities and energy storage resources through Rider CE. �������� �� ���� � �������� �� ��� ������� �������� ����� �� �� �� ���������� �� ��� �� the Company s Virginia retail customers as a non-bypassable charge, irrespective of whether a customer purchases electric supply service from a competitive service provider ( CSP ), subject to two exceptions. The Company proposes to exempt: (1) any customer meeting the ����������� ��������� ������ ����� ������������ �������� �� ���� � �������� �� ��� ��� ��� �������� ���� � ���� ������ �� �������� ���� ���� ���� �������� ��� �� ��� ���� elected to purchase electric supply service from a CSP prior to April 1, 2019, pursuant to Code � ������ � �� The Company is requesting a total revenue requirement of $71,025,000 in Rider CE for service rendered during the Rate Year.

For purposes of calculating the revenue requirement in this case, Dominion utilized a rate of return on common equity ( ROE ) of 9.2%. This ROE was approved by the Commission in ���� ��� ���������������

��� ������� ������ ���� �� ����� �� ��� ��� ��������� ������ ����������� �������� �������� by the projects and PPAs shown in its RPS Development Plan towards its annual RPS Program ������������� �������� ������ ���� �� �� ��������� �� ���� ���� ������� ��������� ���� ���� �� available for the 2021 compliance year to meet this requirement and that the Company may be ������� �� ��� ��� ��� ������������� ��������� ������� ��������� �� ���� � �������� � ��

If the proposed Rider CE for the Rate Year is approved, the impact on customer bills would depend on the customer s rate schedule and usage. According to Dominion, implementation of its revised Rider CE on May 1, 2022, would increase the bill of a residential customer using ����� ��� ��� ����� �� ������������� ������

The Company also provided a consolidated bill analysis calculating the projected monthly bill through 2035 for residential, small general service, and large general service customers for ���� ����������� ���� ��������� �� ��� ��������� ���� ���������� �������� ���� ������� ��� ����������� ���� �� ����� ��� ������� ������ �� ���������� ���� ��� ���� ��� ����������� Plan, for example, the Company projects the monthly bill of a Virginia residential customer ����� ����� �������� ����� ������� ��� ����� �� �� ������� �� ����� �� �������� �� ������ ���� ��� ��� �� ���� ����� �� �������� ����� ��� ����������� �������� �� ��� ���������� �� ���� ��� ��������������� ��� ��������� ���� ����������� ��� ��� ���� ��� ��� �������� rates are subject to regulatory approval.

In its 2021 RPS Filing, Dominion also seeks only a prudence determination for the CE-2 ���� �������� �� ���� � ���������� �� ��� ���� ���� ������� �� ��� ��� ���� ��� ������������� ����� ���������� ���������� �������� ������������� ��� �� ������ ����� ������� ���� ��� ���� ��� ������������� ����� ���������� ���������� ������ ���� ������ ������� �������� ������������� �� �� �� ����� ��� �� �� �� ������� ������ ����� ��� ������� ������� ����� ��� ��� ��� � ������ ����� ������ ������� �������� �������� ������������� �� �� ������ ������� ������ ��� ���� �� ���� ��� �� ����������� ����� ���������� ���������� �������� ������������� �� �� ������ Distributed Solar PPAs ).

CE-2 Projects ��� ������� ����� ����� ��� �������� �� ��������� ��� ������� ��� ���� ��������� ����� ������� �� �� ������������� ����� ���������� ���������� �������� ������������� ��� �� ������ ����� Projects ), one solar generating facility paired with energy storage totaling approximately 100

CE-2 PPAs Prudence Determination

The Company states that it intends to recover the costs of the CE-2 PPAs through future Rider PPA, which is one of the rate recovery mechanisms in the overarching cost recovery framework that was approved by the Commission for non-bypassable RPS Program-related ����� ��� ������� �� ���� ��� ��������������� ���� ������� �� ������������� ������� ������� �� ��� ���� ����� ��� ������� ������ ��

Richmond Free Press

October 28-30, 2021 B7

evaluated such impacts at a high level based on the Company s lack of control over the projects. In particular, the Company states that it conducts high level demographic screening, reviews the spatial distribution of the portfolio of projects and encourages developers to address environmental justice concerns up front.

The foregoing is not an exhaustive list of all the proposals contained in the Company s Petition. Interested persons are encouraged to review the Company s Petition and supporting documents for the details of these and other proposals. ���� ������ ���� ��� ���������� ��� ��������� �������� ����� �������� ������� ���� or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Petition and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company s Petition and supporting documents.

The Commission has taken judicial notice of the ongoing public health issues related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19. In accordance therewith, all pleadings, briefs or other documents required to be served in this matter shall be submitted electronically to the extent authorized by 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission s Rules of Practice ��� ��������� ������� �� ����������� ����������� ��� ��������������� ��������� ����������� shall not be submitted electronically and should comply with 5 VAC 5-20-170, ����������� information� �� ��� ����� �� ��������� ��� ������ ������� �� ���� ������� ��� ���������� ��� �� ������ ��� �������� �� ����� �������� ����� ������� ��� ������� ����� �������� ������� ������ �� ����� �������� �� ������� ��� ��������� Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-140, ������ ��� �������, of the Commission s Rules of Practice, the Commission has directed that service on parties and the Commission s Staff in this matter shall be accomplished by electronic means. Please refer to the Commission s Order for ������ ��� ������� ��� ������� ������������ ���������� ����������� �� ��������������� ��������� Information. ��� ���������� ������� �� ����� ��� ������ ��� ������� ����� ����� ����� ������� ��������� public hearings on Dominion s Petition. On December 13, 2021, at 1 p.m., the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing, with no witness present in the Commission s courtroom, for ��� ������� �� ��������� ��� ��������� �� ������ ���������� �� �� ������ �������� �� ����� any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission �� ����� ����� ��� �� ������ ��� � ���� �� ��� ������������ ������� �� scc.virginia.gov/pages/ ����������� ���� �� ���������� ��� �������� ��� ��� ������� �� ���� ���� �� SCCInfo@scc. virginia.gov� �� ����� �� ������� ����� ��������� ���� ������ ������� ������� ���� �� ������� �� ���������������������������������.

�� ���� ���������� ��� �� �� �� ����� � ������ �� ������������� ���� ��� ����� �� ��� ���������� at: ���������������������������. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit a notice of ������������� �������������� ��� ������ ���� ������ �� ���� ���� �� ��� ����� �� ��� ���������� at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel, if available. A copy of the notice of participation as a respondent ���� ���� �� ���� �� ������� ��� ��� �������� �������� �� � ��� ������� �� ������������� as a respondent, of the Commission s Rules of Practice, any notice of participation shall set ������ ��� � ������� ��������� �� ��� �������� �� ��� ����������� ���� � ��������� �� ��� ������� ������ ������ �� ��� ������ ���� ������ ��� ����� ��� ������� ��� ����� ����� ��� ��� ������� Any organization, corporation or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, �������, of the Rules of Practice. All ������ ����� ����� �� ���� ��� ��������������� �� �� ������ �������� ��� ����� ���� ���������� ��� ��� �������������� ���� ��� ����� �� ��� Commission at ��������������������������� any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case, and each witness s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to submit testimony and �������� �������������� ��� ������ ���� �� ���� ���� �� ��� ����� �� ��� ���������� �� ��� address listed above. All testimony and exhibits shall be served on the Commission s Staff, ��� �������� ��� ��� ����� ����������� ������������ ���� ��� ������ �� ��� ������� ����������� ����� ������ ���� ��� ������������ ����� �� ��������� �� ������� �� ��� ������������ ����� ��� ������ ��� �������� ���������� ��� ��� ������� ��� � ��� ��������� ������ ��� �������, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits� ��� ������ ����� ����� �� ���� ��� ��������� ������ ��� ��������� ���� �� ����� ���� ���� ��� ����� �� ��� ����� �� ��� ���������� �� ���� ������ ��� ��� ���� ����� �� ��� ������ �� ��� ����� ��������� ������ �� ������� �� ��� ������������ ����� ��� ������ ��� �������� ��� ������ ����� ������ ����� ���� ��� ������������ of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission s Rules of Practice. ��� ������������ ����� �� ��������� ��� ������������ ����� ��� ������ ��� �������� ��� ��� ������ ������� �� ����� ��������� ���� �� ���� ���� ��� �� ������ �� ��� ������������ website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/CaseInformation.

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY

�� �������� ��� ����� �� � ����� ������ �� ��� ������������ ������ ���� ��������� ������� �� ��� ����� ��������� ���� ���� ���� ������� ��������� �������� ������ �� �� ���������� means, a hearing will be convened to receive testimony and evidence from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission s Staff. Further details on this hearing will be provided by subsequent Commission order.

Electronic copies of the public version of the Petition may be obtained by submitting a ������� ������� �� ������� ��� ��� �������� ������ �� ����� �������� ������������ ���� ������� ������ ��� ���� ����� ������� ��������� �������� ������ �� eryan@mcguirewoods. com� ���������� ������� ���� ��� �������� ��������� ������ ���� ��� ������������ website: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information. �� �� ������ �������� ��� ����� ��� ���������� ������ ��� ��� �������� �� ��� �������� electronically by following the instructions on the Commission s website: scc.virginia.gov/ casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit �������� �������������� ��� ��� ���� �������� �� ���� ���� �� ��� ����� �� ��� ����� ����������� ����������� ��� �������� ������� ������� ���� ��� ����� ��������� �������� ����������� ��� �������� ����� ����� �� ���� ��� ��������������� �� �� ������ �������� �� ����� ��� ������ �� ������ ������� �� ����������� �� � ����������

Camellia

Fountain Creek

Otter Creek

Piney Creek

Quillwort

B8 October 28-30, 2021

Richmond Free Press

Sebera

Solidago

Sweet Sue

Walnut

Winterberry

Winterpock

Dulles

Dry Bridge