Ex-shelter director pleads guilty Richmond
Rally calls for VRS divestment over Gaza
By George Copeland Jr.
tirement System headquarters on Nov. 13, demanding the fund divest from companies they say are involved in the Gaza war. The No Pensions for Genocide campaign says VRS holds nearly $300 million in weapons and logistics firms tied to the conflict.
Chants of “We will not stop, we will not rest! VRS, divest, divest!” echoed along Main Street as participants denounced the pension fund’s investments in Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Maersk and similar companies.
Almost $300 million has been invested in these companies, according to the results of a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the campaign, which also called for VRS to revise its policies to bar weapons production or transport investments. Campaign partner groups including the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Virginia Coalition for Human Rights and the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality helped orga
nize the rally, which included VRS members who objected to the organization’s decision and use of their pensions.
“I refuse to sit idly by in a country that is funding the apartheid and genocide of the
Palestinian people,” firefighter and VRS member Te’Shaun Cleckley said, “while my pension funds are being invested in the facilitators of slaughter, cruelty and colonial oppression.” Cleckley had previously
attempted to deliver campaign petitions objecting to the investment to VRS leadership during a Board of Trustees meeting in September, only to be pushed
Former RVA Sister’s Keeper leader admits to stealing nearly $200,000 in grant funds
By
RVA Sister’s Keeper former director Kia Player has pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to a homeless shelter for women and children that operated from 2022 to 2023. The organization obtained over $995,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the City of Richmond to implement and run the shelter.
Player entered the plea agreement in the Eastern District Court of Virginia on Tuesday, a month after the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged her with wire fraud. Prosecutors said that from August 2022 to April 2023, Player submitted 35 falsified invoices to the City of Richmond for reimbursement.
The invoices included 21 totaling over $170,000 for food services from the fictional “VCM Catering Services.” In reality, Player had hired an acquaintance and a Richmond Public Schools cafeteria manager to provide meals from a school cafeteria. She also submitted falsified invoices for laundry, bed bug treatment and cleaning services, as well as shelter renovations that were never performed. Prosecutors said Player spent at least $68,000 of the fraudulent funds on personal expenses, including a tattoo, furniture, a ferry ride in Miami Beach and veterinary services.
Player’s fraud led to $199,163 in losses for HUD and Richmond. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 25 and could face up to 20 years in prison.
City Council President Cynthia Newbille did not respond to a request for comment.
By George Copeland Jr.
A previously sealed court filing in a lawsuit over the city’s handling of public records was made public on Nov. 13 after tense exchanges between the judge and the city’s attorney.
The latest hearing in the lawsuit between the City of Richmond and former Freedom of Information Act officer Connie Clay ended with a filing on unpreserved evidence unsealed amid those exchanges.
Circuit Court Judge Claire Cardwell unsealed the filing, a report from Clay’s attorneys on their efforts to search for evidence relating to Clay’s firing. Cardwell initially sealed the document after emails from Jimmy Robinson Jr. of Ogletree Deakins, part of the team representing the city, requested it.
Clay is suing the city and former city spokesperson Petula Burks over what she calls a “chaotic and mismanaged” FOIA request process that violated state law. She also alleges she was fired last year in “retaliation for reporting and refusing to engage in illegal and unethical activities in violation of FOIA.”
Robinson’s sealing requests, read aloud in court by Cardwell, included asking her law clerk on Nov. 6 to have the Clerk’s Office seal the filing immediately “to prevent further dissemination.”
Clay’s attorneys filed the document amid broader struggles to address missing or unpreserved evidence, including cellphone records between Clay and Burks, her former boss who lost her city-issued phone during the summer last year.
Robinson said in his email — and again in court — that he made the sealing request assuming the documents were for in camera review, not for the public record.
“Whether that was wrong or not, Your Honor, that was our
City, VCU launch plan to improve intersection safety with left-turn hardening
crossings are part of a joint effort to slow turning vehicles and improve safety. The city’s Department of Public Works and VCU have begun a quick-build pilot that adds modular
“This collaboration is an example of our shared commitment to creating safer streets for everyone in our community,” said Clarence Hunter Jr., VCU chief of police. The pilot is underway at Franklin Street at Laurel Street, Franklin Street at Belvidere Street, Marshall Street at 11th Street and Marshall Street at 13th Street.
City officials say findings from the pilot will guide plans to expand the safety feature to other intersections, particularly along streets that make up Richmond’s “High Injury Network” — the small share of roadways where most of the city’s fatal and serious-injury crashes occur.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
courtesy of VCU
George Copeland Jr.
Hylton appointed interim Dale District supervisor
Free Press staff report
The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors has appointed LeQuan M. Hylton as interim Dale District supervisor, filling the seat left vacant after the death of James M. “Jim” Holland, who died Oct. 14.
Hylton was sworn in immediately after the board’s Nov. 12 vote during a specially called meeting at the county’s historic 1917 Courthouse. Holland had represented the Dale District for more than 17 years.
“I’m humbled and honored to be chosen to carry on Holland’s incredible legacy of public service,” Hylton said. “Those are big shoes that neither you nor I could ever completely fill, but I’m going to do my best, in my own way and with God’s and your help, to serve all people with excellence.
“As Holland instructed, I will continue to serve with my whole heart to make our world, our county and our Dale District better every day,” he said.
A special election next November will determine who will serve the remainder of Holland’s term, which runs through Dec. 31, 2027.
Hylton had worked closely with Holland since 2019, when he was appointed to represent the Dale District on the Chesterfield Planning Commission. Before his death, Holland asked his fellow board members to choose Hylton for the interim role.
“Holland recommended Hylton because of his demonstrated dedication to and connection with the community, his experience serving as a planning commissioner and his understanding and knowledge of the Dale District and Chesterfield County,” Board Chair Jim Ingle said. “This appointment honors Holland’s legacy and ensures the Dale District is represented until a special election can take place.”
Hylton will work with other board members in the coming days to select a new planning commissioner for the district.
A Chesterfield resident since 1998, Hylton is a Manchester High School graduate. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia State University, an MBA from Averett University and a doctorate in public policy and administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.
He is a combat veteran of Afghanistan and serves as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He is also a co-founder of Hylton & Company, a real estate, construction and property management firm in North Chesterfield.
Hylton and his wife, Nelda, have three daughters, two of whom attend Chesterfield County Public Schools.
Former U.S. ambassador
Timmy Davis to speak at VCU graduation
Free Press staff report
Timmy Davis, former U.S. ambassador to Qatar, will speak at Virginia Commonwealth University’s commencement next month. The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 at the Siegel Center.
Born at Quantico and raised on various Marine Corps bases, Davis served in the Marine Corps from 1993 to 2003, including tours in the Horn of Africa and Iraq. After leaving the military, he joined the Senior Foreign Service, where he achieved the rank of minister counselor and held numerous overseas and domestic posts.
Davis served as U.S. ambassador to Qatar from 2022 to 2025. He was also executive assistant to Secretaries of State Michael Pompeo and Antony Blinken and U.S. consul general in Basra, Iraq. He held other overseas posts in Guatemala, Colombia and Australia.
His domestic assignments included senior watch officer in the State Department Operations Center, special assistant to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, director for Iraq at the National Security Council, deputy chief of staff to the special presidential envoy to counter ISIL and acting chief of staff at the State Department.
Davis is currently president and partner at Irth Capital Management, a global asset management firm, and senior advisor at Mavik Capital.
Duron Chavis, executive director of Happily Natural Day, speaks during the announcement of a new Henrico community farm at the Runnymeade property off Willis Church Road on Monday, Nov. 17, as Stewart, the mascot of Henrico’s Environmental Action Resource Team, looks on. Seated are John Zannino, Henrico Division of Recreation and
Cityscape
Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
Local Starbucks employees join national walkout demanding better pay
By George Copeland Jr.
Richmond Starbucks workers joined baristas at more than 40 stores across the U.S. on Nov. 13 in an open-ended strike over contract disputes, closing 65 unionized locations on the company’s annual Red Cup Day.
At the West Broad Street Starbucks, about 50 workers and supporters rallied and picketed, demanding higher pay, better staffing and an end to what they called unfair labor practices.
“We gave them every opportunity and we stayed consistent in our demands for the contract,” said Forest Hill shop barista Beck Whittenton. “Unfortunately, they decided against coming to the table, making any offer toward the contract at all, and we did exactly what we said we were going to do.”
As customers came and went, picketers spent about an hour chanting, sharing stories and urging Starbucks leadership to bargain in good faith with workers and union representatives.
Five Richmond Starbucks stores became the first in Virginia to unionize in 2022, and city workers have remained active in national labor efforts. Local workers have also been affected by companywide changes, including the closure of non-union stores amid corporate restructuring.
The rally came days after 92% of union baristas voted to authorize an unfair labor practice strike, according to Starbucks Workers United, and weeks after a practice picket at a Cary Street cafe.
“Starbucks, you all have our number. You know where to find us,” shift supervisor Jonathan Mueller said. “Come back to the table. We’re here. We’re at work. Where are you?”
The Richmond chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and the regional Service Employees International Union as well as Virginia Education were among the groups supporting Starbucks workers, while Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Lamont Bagby made a brief appearance.
Workers believe securing a contract that meets union baristas’ demands after six months without offers from the company could benefit not only the workers involved but also set a precedent for labor efforts in other businesses.
“Starbucks makes good money,” SEIU 32BJ member Angela Arrington said. “Now
Driving home diabetes awareness
A brightly wrapped Estes Express Lines trailer, designed to raise awareness about diabetes, was parked outside Reynolds Community College’s Parham Road Campus as attendees arrived for the American Diabetes Association’s State of Diabetes: Central Virginia on World Diabetes Day, Nov. 14. Inside, employers, health care professionals and community members discussed the impact of diabetes and obesity and strategies for prevention and care.
it’s time for them to share the love because, without the people, it’s only a building.” Starbucks leadership and officials, meanwhile, have challenged the union’s framing of negotiations. They also highlighted the benefits already available to workers and disputed the impact of the strikes.
“We’re disappointed that Workers United, [which] represents less than 4% of our partners, called for a strike instead of returning to the bargaining table,” Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said in a statement. “We’ve been very clear — when the union is ready to come back, we’re ready to talk.”
VUU names honorees for 48th annual MLK Community Leaders Breakfast
Free Press staff report
Virginia Union University will host its 48th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders Breakfast on Jan. 16 at the Richmond Marriott, recognizing individuals and organizations whose work reflects the civil rights leader’s legacy. The event begins at 7:30 a.m. and will highlight “the legacy of civil rights leaders bridging change.” Honorees include community groups, faith leaders, advocacy organizations and families whose contributions have shaped civic life in Richmond and
across Virginia. This year’s honorees are the Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the family of William B. Thalhimer Jr., the Richmond Crusade for Voters, the NAACP Virginia State Conference, the Baptist Ministers Conference of Richmond & Vicinity, the family of Benjamin and Richard Lambert, the Baptist General Convention of Virginia, the Richmond Free Press, the Better Housing Coalition, former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, the National Urban League’s Richmond chapter, First African Baptist Church, Living the Dream Inc. and the Richmond 34.
“These leaders and organizations embody Dr. King’s vision by turning faith into action — advancing voting rights, educational equity and economic justice through courageous, sustained service,” said Hakim J. Lucas, president and CEO of Virginia Union University. “In celebrating Dr. King’s legacy, we recommit Virginia Union University to building the Beloved Community — expanding opportunity, advancing equity and preparing leaders who turn moral conviction into measurable change.” Proceeds from the event will support scholarships and educational programs for VUU students.
Parks director; Tyrone Nelson, Varina District supervisor; Stewart; Roscoe D. Cooper III, Fairfield District supervisor; and John Vithoulkas, Henrico County manager. The farm will begin with 10 acres in a pilot phase managed by the nonprofit, with potential to expand based on community interest. Farmers may apply for quarter- or half-acre plots in late fall.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Kat Glynn and Beck Whittenton, Starbucks baristas, Olivia Geho with the Virginia Education Association and Dustin Bixler, a Starbucks barista, cheer passing cars during a “Red Cup Day” rally Nov. 13 outside the 2309 W. Broad St. Starbucks to protest what they describe as the company’s union busting and its failure to reach a union contract.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Photo courtesy of Chesterfield County
LeQuan M. Hylton is sworn in as interim Dale District supervisor Nov.12 following the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors’ vote to appoint him to the seat previously held by the late Jim Holland.
Timmy Davis
Spanberger appoints former state education secretaries to transition team
By Nathaniel Cline
Two former state education secretaries and multiple education experts have been appointed to serve on Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s transition team, tasked with preparing the new gubernatorial administration for the next four years.
The team was announced on Friday after Spanberger rolled out her “Strengthening Virginia Schools Plan” in August.
Former secretaries of education Jim Dyke, who served under former Democratic Gov. L. Douglas Wilder’s administration, and Anne Holton, under former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s administration, highlighted the list of appointments.
“I am excited that we will have new leadership in education in Virginia from Governor-Elect Spanberger and her team,” Holton told the Mercury. “It is sorely needed, and I am honored to help with the transition in any way I can.” Holton recently completed her term on the Virginia Board of Education, during which she frequently challenged Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration on education policy issues including overhauling the state’s accountability system. Dyke, who has known Spanberger since she ran for Congress, said he looks forward to sharing his expertise.
“I know what it’s like to have to transition into office and actually to govern, and to the extent I can … I’m looking forward to helping in any way that she thinks is appropriate,” Dyke said.
The list of education experts also includes Douglas Garcia, a former assistant secretary of education; Monica Logothetis, a former senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Education; Baron Braswell, a former School Board member of Spotsylvania
County Public Schools; and Deborah Frazier, the chief academic officer of Spotsylvania County Public Schools.
Spanberger has pledged her commitment to maintaining public funding for Virginia’s schools, enhancing the affordability and accessibility of higher education, and expanding opportunities for high school students to take college coursework.
This summer, Spanberger’s campaign said she would “make it a priority to give public schools the resources to explore best and promising practices through innovative career and technical education programs and work-based learning.”
Spanberger also expressed her views on balancing parental rights and children’s privacy during her August interview with the Mercury and said she supports more proactive informationsharing between schools, students and families that enhances safety without compromising students’ rights. She said Virginia has the potential to lead in addressing communication barriers related to issues such as school overdose incidents and teacher arrests involving children.
The transition team, more broadly, is expected to prepare the way for the administration’s focus on “lowering costs, expanding economic opportunity, increasing business investment in Virginia’s economy, and creating a safer commonwealth for all Virginia families.”
The team also includes two professors connected to the University of Virginia: Yohannes Abraham, former executive director for the Biden-Harris transition team, former U.S. ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and a visiting professor at UVa.; and Chris Lu, former executive director for the Obama-Biden transition team, former U.S. deputy secretary of labor and James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor at UVa.’s Miller Center.
“These Virginians not only bring together deep ties from across every region of our commonwealth, but the experience, integrity and know-how required to deliver the pragmatic and principled leadership that Virginians overwhelmingly voted for this November,” Spanberger said in a statement on Friday.
Spanberger’s inauguration will take place in Richmond on Jan. 17, days after the start of the 2026 General Assembly Session. This story originally appeared on VirginiaMercury.com.
Richmond Public Schools outlines framework for 10-year facilities upgrade
By Keyris Manzanares VPM News
Families across Richmond could see big changes down the line to their neighborhood schools as the city’s public school district begins developing a decade-long plan to reshape and modernize its buildings.
At last week’s School Board meeting, Richmond Public Schools leaders said a 10-year facilities master plan is long overdue as the city grows, enrollment shifts and aging facilities struggle to keep up with modern learning needs.
At the same time, Richmond City is experiencing pockets of new housing developments that could shift where students live. One of the plan’s main goals is to align with the citywide Richmond 300 plan, which runs through 2037.
Recent reporting has underscored why a facilities plan is more than just about planning — it’s also a health and equity issue. A 2024 VPM News investigation found widespread mold and moisture problems across at least half of RPS buildings. In addition, accord-
ing to data obtained by VPM News, at least half of RPS schools do not have modern built-in fire suppression systems.
RPS said its immediate facilities repair needs for 2025 were $36 million, including $18 million for roofing and just over $1 million for electrical needs. The district’s capital improvement budget, which funds repairs for major maintenance issues, is about $2.5 million a year — a fraction of what is needed.
During their Nov. 10 work session, district officials laid out the framework that will guide which schools get renovated, expanded or rebuilt in the next decade.
At the center of this plan is engaging the community for feedback — and making it aware of the district’s constraints.
“What we have seen in other school systems across the country is these sorts of community-involved processes are most successful when you start by helping the community understand the sandbox that we have to play in,” Patrick Herrel, RPS’chief operating officer, said to board members.
The planning process will roll out
in four phases over the next two years. Herrel said the first phase will begin this winter by expanding community knowledge about the district’s capital improvement plan budget, which funds school improvements. The next phases will include a full analysis of enrollment trends and build-
ing condition assessments, culminating in the creation of three long-term project options.
“For each one of those phases, we would build in and structure opportunities to hear feedback from the facilities and vacant property committee, the board and the community at large,”
Herrel said.
He said that when RPS gets to phase three next summer — focused on the state of existing facilities — he would like to collect feedback from a group of experts. Those experts would help the district come up with a strategy to get outdated facilities to meet the new standard in the most efficient way.
Herrel said the ultimate goal of this phase is to help folks understand two things: “What should we, as a city, have [as] a bar for the kind of school that every one of our students deserve, and given the underinvestment that we have received for our facilities, where do we stand and what is the best way for us to catch up to that bar, to the degree that we are able to do that.”
Herrel said he expects to present the three long-term plan options to the School Board by next fall, so it can choose one for adoption.
Once the master plan is approved, RPS will begin prioritizing projects based on need, cost, safety and longterm impact.
Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury
Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger at a campaign event at J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico County on June 16.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
The new Richmond High School for the Arts is shown under construction in August. The $140 million campus off Midlothian Turnpike is designed to serve about 1,800 students and will include facilities for dance, music, video production and other programs. Completion is expected in winter 2026.
‘Songs of Truth’
“Songs of Truth: An American Musical Resurrection,” featuring Desirée Roots as Sojourner Truth, was performed Saturday, Nov. 15, and Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Révéler in Carytown. The two performances featured original songs from a musical theater project and inspired by the life of Sojourner Truth. Roots and fellow cast members Kimberly Fox Knight, Wendy Miller, Wanda Fox Miller, Dale Heiskill, Milani Hopkins, Cat Johnson and Sir Rome were accompanied by a band led by Weldon Hill, bringing the abolitionist’s story to life through a fusion of gospel, blues, jazz and Americana.
Sojourner Truth’s sixth-generation greatgranddaughter Barbara Allen, attended the performances.
Petersburg’s first casino is set to open early next year — in a tent
By Billy Shields VPM News
On Wagner Road, alongside Interstate 95, lies a white tent with 75,000 square feet of space inside. Tables for more than 30 games are being put inside now, and more than 900 slot machines will go under the tent next month.
Then, in January, Petersburg’s first (temporary) casino is slated to open under that tent.
“We’re super excited,” said Renee Mutchnik, communications vice president for Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia. “We have a free dealer school. It’s a four-week class. We’re teaching blackjack for four weeks and then afterwards we’ll review and audition the dealers and hopefully offer them jobs and a career in gaming.”
The company estimates the temporary casino will generate about 500 jobs. Casino officials estimate a total economic stimulus of $504 million in Central Virginia during the permanent casino’s first decade of operations; that includes about $240 million directly to the
city of Petersburg. Petersburg has had its share of economic problems over the decades, including the closure of several factories. The casino referendum passed in 2024 with more than 80% of the vote.
And while there have been critics who’ve pointed out that the revenue spikes created by casinos levels off over time — and that they can foster problem gambling and addiction — Jessica Skinner, the casino’s finance director, said the resort is going to jump-start Petersburg’s economy.
“I’ve always seen business ramp up,” she said Tuesday during a turkey giveaway at a Petersburg food bank. “Your restaurants are going to start staying open longer; hotels are going to start accommodating more or being built more.”
The permanent version of the casino, which will include a resort and restaurants, is expected to generate about 1,400 full-time jobs. It will be nearly 500,000 square feet and is slated to open at the end of 2027.
Court lifts seal on motion in FOIA dispute with former officer
Continued from A1
understanding,” Robinson said.
Cardwell rejected that reasoning, saying the assumption was “based on nothing.” She said Robinson’s request was also “directly contradictory” to his response days later to an email from The Richmonder reporter Graham Moomaw about whether the city’s defense had sought the document’s sealing.
Robinson emphasized during the hearing and afterward to Moomaw that he asked the Clerk’s Office to seal the filing, not the judge — a distinction Cardwell also challenged.
“The clerk has no authority to seal records,” she said.
Exchanges between Robinson and Cardwell grew increasingly heated as he also pushed back on her criticism that the city’s legal team was not available as needed. Robinson countered by questioning the availability of Clay’s attorneys, including their cancellation of a planned deposition Monday. He also noted he had placed work above his personal matters, including a recent family death.
Cardwell did not issue rulings on multiple pending motions, including one seeking sanctions related to the lost phone and the city’s failure to preserve evidence. She said she was concerned that information about the phone surfaced only after a review of Burks’ replacement device.
The next hearing is set for Feb. 18, with more meetings and a deposition expected before then.
Rally calls for VRS divestment over Gaza
out of the meeting room, pinned face down and arrested by Virginia Capitol Police.
Despite the experience and potential impact of divestment on their retirement funds, VRS members present were steadfast in their criticism and urged other members worried about their pensions to follow their example.
“I challenge you to reflect on why they stake our retirements, our ability to take care of our families once we’re done working, on the systematic and brutal erasure of people who are just like us,” Cleckley said.
Other statements directed at the VRS board from VRS members, including working and retired teachers, state employees and public utilities workers, were read during the event.
In a statement, VRS said its many investments are chosen and reviewed carefully and are necessary for the safety and growth of the Trust Fund and the long-term benefit of its “more than 850,000 members, retirees and beneficiaries.”
“VRS’ investment policy is based on our fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of members, retirees and beneficiaries and to maximize returns for a given level of risk,” VRS officials said. “Limiting investment
‘Giants’ excitement
choices interferes with those fiduciary requirements, which are set in the Virginia Constitution and the Code of Virginia.”
The No Pensions for Genocide campaigners are also working to spread knowledge of their efforts and goals throughout the
community, and members say more events and gatherings will be held in the future.
“We’re not going to rest until full liberation is achieved and full divestment is
achieved,” Palestinian Youth Movement member Sereen Haddad said.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Te’shaun Cleckley, a Virginia firefighter and pension plan holder, speaks at a news conference Thursday outside the Virginia Retirement System building on E. Main Street. The event, organized by the No Pensions for Genocide campaign, urged the fund to divest from companies the group says are connected to the war in Gaza.
Photos by Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Desirée Roots as abolitionist Sojourner Truth.
Photo Courtesy of Cordish Companies
A rendering of the planned Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia in Petersburg.
Keni B. Fine, creator of Songs of Truth, and Desirée Roots, portraying Sojourner Truth, dance on stage while Sir Rome, right, and Dale Heiskill, left, provide vocals.
Above, Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz were welcomed by cheering Richmond-area high school and college students during a pep rally for the “Giants” exhibition. The couple were greeted to the stage by the All-City RPS Drum Line and answered questions about their careers as musical artists.
Bottom right, Nevaeh Coles, left, and Ro’miah Short, 9th graders at Cristo Rey Richmond High School, pose together at the exhibition. The students attended the morning pep rally where Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz made a surprise appearance.
From right, Na’zjah Carter, 11th grade; Jazial Fitzgerald, 10th grade; and My’aria Griffith, 9th grade, cheer as Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz walk on stage at Cheek Theater at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Photos by Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Virginia same-day voter registration doubles in off-year election
By Bilan Osman Capital News Service
The number of voters who used same-day registration this election doubled compared with the last odd-year election.
The number of same-day registration votes on Election Day in 2023 was 15,981, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
Unofficial results from the state Department of Elections website show at least 31,881 people used same-day registration on Election Day this year.
Nearly 90,000 people used
day registration.
The registration method was first introduced in 2022. It gives voters the opportunity to register in person and vote the same day on a provisional ballot. Before this, the deadline to register was 21 days before the election.
Voters whose qualifications to vote are in question also use a provisional ballot.
The general registrar’s office processes the ballot, then sends it to the electoral board to either approve or reject it. The period to confirm a provisional ballot lasts several days after the
same-day registration in the November 2024 presidential election, according to the department.
Turnout this year, at 54% of registered voters, closely rivaled the 2021 election, according to the department’s website. However, this election saw the highest total voter numbers for a nonpresidential election, with more than 3.4 million Virginians voting.
Many Northern Virginia localities had more than 1,000 voters register on Election Day, with 3,800 registering in Fairfax County. The city of Richmond had the second-highest total and the highest for localities with a college or university. The city of Harrisonburg and Montgomery County, both home to colleges, also had high numbers of same-
general election.
Twenty states and Washington, D.C., offer Election Day registration, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
“Same-day registration reduces barriers faced by voters and increases participation,” said Richard Meagher, a political science professor at RandolphMacon College. Those demographics include first-time voters, young voters and low-income voters.
“It makes it easier for anybody who hasn’t voted before, or is less likely to vote, or has barriers to get to the polling place,” Meagher said.
A 2022 study from the University of Chicago Press Journal showed same-day registration significantly increases turnout
among youth ages 18 to 24. The traditional registration process is harder for young voters as they are more likely to change addresses.
When same-day registration is an option, the likelihood of voting in this age group increases by 6.9 percentage points, according to the study.
Early voting, absentee voting and same-day registration increase voter turnout, Meagher said. The most popular voting process is early voting, which gives voters a big window until Election Day. There are 45 days of early voting in Virginia, one of the longest periods in the country.
“When you make it easier for people to vote, you get more votes,” Meagher said.
There has been an uptick in same-day registration in Richmond since it was introduced in 2022, according to David Levine, director and registrar for the Richmond City Office of Elections. There were more than 3,300 same-day registrations in 2024.
A total of 4,209 provisional ballots were cast in Richmond this year, according to Nicole Hicks, communications and outreach coordinator in the registrar’s office.
Will Grayson used same-day registration at George Washington Carver Elementary School because he is registered in Harrisonburg.
“I’m grateful that there was a way to move it so I could still vote,” Grayson said. Xavier McDaniel was motivated to go to the polls by economic and safety issues. McDaniel noticed people using same-day registration at Virginia Commonwealth University.
“The turnout’s awesome,” McDaniel said. “I think there’s a lot more people registering dayof than I’ve ever seen before.”
The Virginia Department of Elections is still collecting data for provisional ballots, and the counts will be finalized in the coming weeks.
Megan Lee/Capital News Service
A voter casts a ballot at the Fairfax County Government Center in 2020.
Finishing strong
Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
About
Casey Mulroy crosses the finish line first among women at the 2025 Allianz Richmond Marathon with a victorious smile.
Sam Montclair of Cary, N.C., at the finish line before winning the 2025 Allianz Richmond Marathon.
Sadhari Cowan and Blair Jeffress celebrate after reaching the finish line of the 8K.
Yftahe Gebru smiles after crossing the finish line of the 8K at the marathon event.
Runners make their way along the course during the Richmond Marathon.
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARD (RPS) FILING BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY D/B/A DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2025-00148
During its 2020 Session, the Virginia General Assembly enacted Chapters 1193 (HB 1526) and 1194 (SB 851) of the 2020 Virginia Acts of Assembly. These duplicate Acts of Assembly, 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”) program (“RPS Program”) for Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) in § 56-
585.5 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”). Subdivision D 4 of Code § 56-585.5 requires Dominion to submit annually to the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) plans and petitions for approval of new solar and onshore wind generation capacity (“RPS Filing”). The RPS Filing must also include the Company’s plan to meet the energy storage project targets of Code § 56585.5 E. The Commission must determine whether the RPS Filing is reasonable and prudent, giving due consideration to the following factors: (i) the RPS and carbon dioxide reduction requirements in Code § 56-585.5; (ii) the promotion of new renewable generation and energy storage resources within the Commonwealth, and associated economic development; and (iii) fuel savings projected to be achieved by the plan.
On October 15, 2025, Dominion submitted its annual RPS Filing to the Commission (“2025 RPS Filing” or “Petition”). The 2025 RPS Filing requests that 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 mandatory RPS Program pursuant to Code § 56-585.5 D 4; (ii) Grant certificates of public convenience and necessity (“CPCNs”) for six utility-scale solar projects totaling approximately 845 megawatts (“MW”) alternating current (“AC”), and two energy storage projects totaling approximately 155 MW (collectively, “CE-6 Projects”) pursuant to Code § 56-580 D;
(iii) Make a prudence determination for the Company to enter into ten power purchase agreements (“PPAs”) for solar and energy storage resources totaling approximately 439 MW of solar and 13 MW of energy storage (“CE-6 PPAs”) pursuant to Code § 56-585.1:4;
(iv) Approve recovery through the Rider CE rate adjustment clause of the costs of: (a) the CE-6 Projects and related interconnection facilities; (b) three distributed solar projects totaling approximately 6.8 MW and related interconnection facilities (“CE-6 Distributed Solar Projects”); (c) the CE-6 PPAs; and (d) certain costs for expanding the Company’s Solar and Storage Depots pursuant to Code §§ 56-585.1 A 5 and A 6; and (v) Approve an update to Rider CE for recovery of costs associated with: (a) the CE 1, CE-2, CE-3, CE-4 and CE-5 projects and related interconnection facilities; (b) the CE-2, CE-3, and CE-5 distributed solar projects and related interconnection facilities; (c) the CE1, CE-2, CE-3, CE-4 and CE-5 PPAs previously approved by the Commission; and (d) the development costs for Peppertown Solar.
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 facilities through 2035. Through its RPS Development Plan, the Company calls for additional investment in solar, onshore wind, and energy storage through 2035.
The Company also provides a consolidated bill analysis calculating the projected monthly bill through 2045 for residential, small general service, and large general service customers for the two primary portfolios presented in the Company’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan Update (“2025 IRP Update”), designated the “Company’s Preferred Plan” and the “Forced Retirements by 2045 Portfolio.” According to Dominion, the Company’s Preferred Plan from the 2025 IRP Update is consistent with the 2025 RPS Development Plan. Using the methodology approved by the Commission in Case No. PUR-2020-00134 and the Company’s Preferred Plan, the Company projects that RPS Program related resources, including new nuclear small modular reactors, would increase the monthly bill for a Virginia residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours (“kWh”) per month in 2035 by $44.14 compared to the May 1, 2020 level of $116.18, for a total estimated monthly bill of $160.32. Using the same methodology and the Forced Retirements by 2045 Portfolio, the Company projects that RPS Program related resources, including new nuclear small modular reactors, would increase the monthly bill for a Virginia residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month in 2035 by $109.28 compared to the May 1, 2020 level of $116.18, for a total estimated monthly bill of $225.46. The Company’s bill projections are not final, and all customer rates are subject to regulatory approval. Further, the Company also presents its 2024 RPS Program Compliance Report in the Petition, asserting its compliance with the RPS Program for compliance year 2024.
CE-6 Projects Dominion seeks CPCNs and approval to construct or acquire and operate: (i) six utility scale solar generating facilities totaling approximately 845 MW of solar (“CE-6 Solar Projects”), and (ii) two energy storage facilities totaling approximately 155 MW (“CE-6 Storage Projects”).
The name, size, locality, interconnection, and projected commercial operation date (“COD”) for each of the CE-6 Projects is provided below:
Project Size (MWac) Locality Inter-connection COD Utility-scale Solar Bedford 70 City of Chesapeake Transmission 2021
102 Pittsylvania & Halifax Counties Transmission 2029
300 Brunswick County Transmission 2029
The Company asserts that two of the CE-6 Projects, Bedford Solar and Pumpkinseed Solar, were previously developed, constructed and began operations as ring-fenced arrangements. Following the termination of the off-take arrangements for these facilities, they became available for consideration as projects for the Company’s jurisdictional customers.
on the customer’s rate schedule and usage. According to Dominion, implementation of its revised Rider CE on May 1, 2026, would increase the monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month by approximately $3.20 when compared to the combined total residential rates in the current Rider CE.
Interested persons are encouraged to review Dominion’s Petition and supporting documents in full for details about the Company’s proposals in this case.
TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/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 entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on Dominion’s Petition. A hearing for the receipt of testimony from public witnesses on the Company’s Petition shall be convened telephonically at 10 a.m. on February 17, 2026. On or before February 10, 2026, 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: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/case-information/webcasting; or (ii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/case-information/webcasting Beginning at 10 a.m. on February 17, 2026, the Commission will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.
On February 18, 2026, at 10 a.m. in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Commission will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Petition from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission Staff (“Staff”).
To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.
An electronic copy of the public version of the Company’s Petition may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Elaine S. Ryan, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or eryan@mcguirewoods. com. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies of the public version of the Petition and other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia. gov/case-information
On or before February 10, 2026, any interested person may submit comments on the Petition by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/caseinformation/submit-public-comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All such comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00148.
On or before December 19, 2025, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation with the Clerk of the Commission at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel, if available. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation electronically on counsel to the Company, Staff, and any other respondents. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 5 VAC 5-20-10 et seq. (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00148. For additional information about participation as a respondent, any person or entity should obtain a copy of the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing.
On or before January 14, 2026, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served electronically on the Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with their filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Rules of Practice, as modified herein, including, but not limited to: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00148.
Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20150, Copies and format, of the Rules of Practice.
The public version of the Company’s Petition, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, and other documents filed in the case may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/case-information
VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY
The Company further asserts that these facilities have been issued a permit by rule by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality such that the requirement to give consideration to the effect of these facilities on the environment or establish conditions to minimize adverse environmental impacts has already been satisfied.
The Company asserts that two of the CE-6 Projects, Bedford Solar and Pumpkinseed Solar, were previously developed, constructed and began operations as ring-fenced arrangements. Following the termination of the off-take arrangements for these facilities, they became available for consideration as projects for the Company’s jurisdictional customers. The Company further asserts that these facilities have been issued a permit by rule by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality such that the requirement to give consideration to the effect of these facilities on the environment or establish conditions to minimize adverse environmental impacts has already been satisfied.
The Company states that among the CE-6 Projects is an additional Company-sourced transaction structure, the Build-Transfer-Acquire (“BTA”) arrangement between the Company and a third-party developer. Under the BTA arrangement, the third party would develop and build the facility prior to transferring the completed project to Dominion. According to Dominion, two CE6 Solar Projects are BTA arrangements – Hillandale Solar and Honeybee Solar – and the developers are co-applicants for the limited purpose of obtaining CPCNs for these projects. Per Dominion, upon completion, ownership of the projects would be transferred to Dominion, and the Company requests approval to transfer the projects once completed, including transferring or terminating and reissuing the CPCNs from these projects to reflect Dominion’s ownership.
The Company asserts that the CE-6 Projects are needed to comply with the VCEA and to serve customers’ capacity and energy needs. According to the Company, the total estimated construction costs for the CE-6 Solar Projects are approximately $2.48 billion, excluding financing costs, or approximately $2,932 per kilowatt (“kW”) at the total 845 MW rating. These CE-6 Solar Project construction costs, combined with the remaining book life values of Bedford Solar and Pumpkinseed Solar, equate to a total CE-6 Solar cost estimate of $2.63 billion. For the CE-6 Storage Projects, the Company estimates the total costs to be approximately $419.2 million, or approximately $2,705/kW, excluding financing costs, at the total 155 MW rating.
The Company states that among the CE-6 Projects is an additional Company-sourced transaction structure, the BuildTransfer-Acquire (“BTA”) arrangement between the Company and a third-party developer. Under the BTA arrangement, the third party would develop and build the facility prior to transferring the completed project to Dominion. According to Dominion, two CE6 Solar Projects are BTA arrangements – Hillandale Solar and Honeybee Solar – and the developers are co-applicants for the limited purpose of obtaining CPCNs for these projects. Per Dominion, upon completion, ownership of the projects would be transferred to Dominion, and the Company requests approval to transfer the projects once completed, including transferring or
CE-6 PPAs
In its 2025 RPS Filing, Dominion also seeks a prudence determination for the CE-6 PPAs. The ten CE-6 PPAs consist of: (i) four PPAs for utility-scale solar resources totaling approximately 401.4 MW; (ii) two PPAs for solar plus storage facilities totaling 25.9 MW of solar and 13 MW of energy storage; and (iii) four PPAs for distributed solar generating facilities totaling approximately 11.7 MW. Dominion asserts that the CE-6 PPAs are needed to comply with the VCEA and to serve customers’ capacity and energy needs.
Rider CE
In this proceeding, Dominion makes two requests related to Rider CE.
First, the Company seeks to update Rider CE for the recovery of costs associated with: (i) the CE-1, CE-2, CE-3, CE-4 and CE5 projects and related interconnection facilities previously approved by the Commission; (ii) the CE-2, CE-3 and CE-5 distributed solar projects and related interconnection facilities previously approved by the Commission; (iii) the CE-1, CE-2, CE-3, CE-4, and CE-5 PPAs previously approved by the Commission; and (iv) Peppertown Solar development costs.
Second, Dominion requests recovery through Rider CE of the costs of: (i) the CE-6 Projects and related interconnection facilities; (ii) the three CE-6 Distributed Solar Projects and related interconnection facilities; (iii) the CE-6 PPAs; and (iv) certain costs for expanding the Company’s Solar and Storage Depots. The CE-6 Projects and CE-6 PPAs are discussed in more detail above. The CE-6 Distributed Solar Projects consist of three distributed solar projects to be owned by the Company, totaling approximately 6.8 MW, and related interconnection facilities.
The Company asserts that the CE-6 Distributed Solar Projects are needed to comply with the VCEA and to serve customers’ capacity and energy needs. According to the Company, the total estimated costs for the CE-6 Distributed Solar Projects are approximately $35.8 million, excluding financing costs, or approximately $5,265 per kW at the total 6.8 MW rating. Dominion asks the Commission to approve revised Rider CE for the rate year beginning May 1, 2026, and ending April 30, 2027 (“Rate Year”). The Company is requesting a total revenue requirement of $325,114,061 for Rider CE for the Rate Year. If the proposed total revenue requirement for the Rate Year is approved, the impact on customer bills would depend
Guest Editorial
MacKenzie Scott’s billion-dollar defiance of war on diversity
There are moments in American life when truth steps forward and refuses to be convenient. MacKenzie Scott has chosen such a moment. As political forces move to strip diversity from classrooms, silence Black scholarship and erase equity from public life, she has gone in the opposite direction. She has invested her wealth in the communities this country has spent centuries trying to marginalize.
Her most recent gifts to historically Black colleges and universities surpass $400 million this year alone. These are not gestures. They are declarations. They say that the education of Black students is not optional, not expendable and not dependent on the approval of those who fear what an educated Black citizenry represents.
And she is not the only woman doing what America’s institutions have refused to do. Melinda French Gates has poured billions into women and girls across the globe, ensuring that the people whose rights are most fragile receive the most support. At a time when this nation tries to erase Black history and restrict the rights of women, two white women once married to two of the richest men in the world have made clear where they stand. They have said, through their giving, that marginalized people deserve not just acknowledgment but investment.
At Prairie View A&M University, Scott’s $63 million gift became the largest in the institution’s 149-year history. “This gift is more than generous. It is defining and affirming,” President Tomikia P. LeGrande said. “MacKenzie Scott’s investment amplifies the power and promise of Prairie View A&M University.” The university said it plans to strengthen scholarships, expand faculty research and support critical programs in artificial intelligence, public health, agricultural sustainability and cybersecurity.
Howard University received an $80 million donation that leaders described as transformative. “On behalf of the entire Howard University community, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Ms. MacKenzie Scott for her extraordinary generosity and steadfast belief in Howard University’s mission,” Wayne A. I. Frederick said. The gift will support student aid, infrastructure and key expansions in academic and medical research.
Elsewhere, the impact ripples outward. Voorhees University received the largest gift in its 128-year history. Norfolk State, Morgan State, Spelman, Winston-Salem State, Virginia State, Alcorn State and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore all confirmed contributions that will reshape their futures. Bowie State University received $50 million, also a historic mark. “We are profoundly grateful to MacKenzie Scott for her visionary commitment to education and equity,” President Aminta Breaux said. “The gift empowers us to expand access and uplift generations of students who will lead, serve and innovate.”
These gifts arrive at a moment when curriculum bans seek to remove Black history from classrooms. Political movements claim that diversity is dangerous. Women’s contributions are minimized. And institutions that have served Black communities for more than a century must withstand both political hostility and financial neglect.
Scott’s philanthropy does not simply counter these forces. It exposes them. It announces that Black students, Black institutions and Black futures deserve resources worthy of their brilliance. It declares that women’s leadership is not marginal but central to the fight for justice.
This is where the mission of the Black Press becomes intertwined with the story unfolding. For nearly two centuries, the Black Press of America has chronicled the truth of Black life. It has told the stories others refused to tell, preserved the history others attempted to bury and spoken truths others feared. The National Newspaper Publishers Association, representing more than 200 Black and women-owned newspapers and media companies, continues that mission today despite financial threats that jeopardize independent Black journalism.
Like the HBCUs Scott uplifts, the Black Press has always been more than a collection of institutions. It is a safeguard. It is a mirror. It is the memory of a people whose presence in this nation has been met with both hostility and unimaginable strength. It survives not because it is funded but because it is essential.
Scott’s giving suggests an understanding of this. She has aligned herself with institutions that protect truth, expand opportunity and preserve the stories this country tries to erase. She has chosen the side of history that refuses silence.
“When Bowie State thrives,” declared Brent Swinton, vice president of philanthropic engagement, “our tight-knit community of alumni, families and partners across the region and beyond thrives with us.”
The writer is a Black Press USA senior national correspondent.
Americans aren’t just anxious about next year’s elections — they’re uneasy in a deeper way.
In 2025, voters across the political spectrum worry that the country is one overheated news cycle away from political violence.
At the same time, election officials are sounding alarms about something quieter but just as dangerous: There aren’t enough poll workers available to run elections safely.
After years of threats, harassment and burnout, thousands have walked away.
The people who keep democracy functioning are exhausted, and the voters they serve are fearful.
On the eve of the nation’s 250th birthday, the country is heading toward an election cycle with a system that feels overstretched and overstressed. Moments like this should force us to remember what earlier generations did when democracy came under strain. In the fall of 1918, as the Spanish flu tore through Chicago, hospitals overflowed and neighborhoods fell under quarantine.
Yet the city refused to let democracy collapse.
Officials rushed paper ballots to residents’ homes. Nurses carried ballots to the sick; clerks
delivered them to families behind closed doors. It was improvised and imperfect, but it worked.
Chicago proved something we need to remember now: When the ballot comes to the voter, democracy survives.
As America approaches its 250th year, the nation faces a similar choice. Will we cling to systems that assume voters and poll workers will always
be able to show up in person on the same day? Or will we meet voters where they actually live, with a system designed for the pressures and possibilities of modern life?
For most of our history, we have expanded the right to vote only to surround that right with new hurdles. The country ended property requirements, ended slavery, enfranchised women and passed the Voting Rights Act — yet it never made voting simple.
Access grew, but the process remained fragile.
Today, with election workers burning out and public confidence eroding, the fragility is showing.
Yet this difficult moment offers something unexpected: clarity. Both political parties now see what they once resisted — that high turnout can help them.
Donald Trump proved that energizing unlikely voters can
reshape the map. Democrats have long understood that expanding access brings in voters who otherwise would sit out. Now, Republicans know it, too.
Participation is no longer a partisan advantage. It is a shared national opportunity.
That recognition makes this the hour for community leaders to rise together so that when the 2026 legislative season arrives, lawmakers are ready to shape elections that are simple, secure and worthy of the nation’s 250th year.
A vote-at-home system is the clearest path to get there. A mailed-out ballot gives every voter the same chance to participate, whether they work a double shift, care for elders or children, lack transportation or simply want the quiet time to study candidates without someone sighing behind them in line.
And these systems are secure.
Every ballot carries a unique barcode voters can track like a package. Signatures are verified against those on file. Bipartisan teams handle ballots at every step.
States like Colorado, Utah and Oregon have shown that mailed ballots increase participation, build trust and make elections easier to run and harder to disrupt.
Pennsylvania and Virginia now sit at the heart of whether the nation follows this path.
Pennsylvania’s no-excuse mail voting, adopted in 2019, remains uneven after years of
Harlem project blends housing, culture and opportunity
lawsuits and conflicting rulings. Standardizing procedures so every voter receives the same information and the same opportunity to correct mistakes would stabilize a system that often determines national outcomes. Virginia — already further along than any Southern state — needs only the confidence to finish the transition. Mailing ballots to all active voters, with a simple opt-out and a clear statewide education effort, would give the Commonwealth a model of civic strength heading into 2026. If we want a democracy strong enough for the next 250 years, we must bring the ballot home — back to the kitchen table, where Americans make their best decisions. The writer is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and a former national president and CEO of the NAACP.
“This project is befitting of the legacy of greatness that so many Black New Yorkers have built here in Harlem. It is Blackowned in a time when we are being taught as if the words DEI are that of a slur, when in fact what they are is a representation of the fulfillment of the ideals that make so many proud to be New Yorkers.” — New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani Harlem has always been more than a neighborhood — it’s a symbol of resilience, creativity and the enduring fight for justice. Last week, the National Urban League reaffirmed that legacy with the dedication of the Urban League Empowerment Center, a transformative development that does more than add bricks and mortar to the skyline. It sets a new standard for what inclusive development should look like in America.
This is not development for development’s sake — it is development with purpose and with passion. It is a bold declaration that equity and opportunity must be built into the foundation of our communities. The Empowerment Center is more than a building — it’s a vision realized. At its heart are 170 units of affordable housing for families earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income. In a city where housing
insecurity is rampant, this commitment ensures Harlem remains a place where working families can thrive. Among its residents will be young adults aging out of foster care, supported by The New York Foundling program — a population too often left behind. Here, they will find stability, dignity and a chance to build a future.
But housing is only the beginning. The Empowerment Center includes retail and office space for minority-owned businesses and nonprofits, creating an eco-
system where entrepreneurship and community service intersect. The project is expected to generate more than $300 million in economic activity, with a pledge to hire local residents, women and people of color. Jobs aren’t just being created — they’re being created with intention. Perhaps the most profound element of the Empowerment Center is its role as a cultural and historical beacon. In 2026, the Urban Civil Rights Museum will open its doors within the center, becoming New York City’s first museum dedicated to the American civil rights movement. Unlike traditional narratives that focus on the South, this museum will spotlight struggles and triumphs in Northern urban environments — stories that shaped Harlem and countless other communities. Through interactive exhibits and
immersive experiences, it will invite visitors not just to learn history but to become agents of change.
The center also houses the Whitney M. Young Center for Leadership and partners with cultural institutions like the Studio Museum in Harlem and the United Negro College Fund. Soon, organizations such as 100 Black Men of New York and Jazzmobile will join this hub. This is not just a development — it’s a movement, weaving together housing, culture, education and economic empowerment.
In today’s climate, where civil rights protections are under siege and diversity initiatives face attacks, the Empowerment Center stands as a defiant answer. It says: We will not be erased. Our history matters. Our communities deserve investment, not neglect.
Harlem’s story has always been one of transformation — of turning struggle into strength.
The Empowerment Center honors that legacy while charting a course for the future. It reminds us that progress is not inevitable; it must be built, brick by brick, with purpose and passion.
As we look toward America’s 250th anniversary, this project offers a blueprint for what inclusive development can — and should — be. It is not just Harlem’s triumph. It is a national call to action.
The writer is the president and CEO of the National Urban League.
Marc H. Morial
Ben Jealous
Stacy M. Brown
When corporations ignore justice, our wallets must respond
Every year, corporations expect us to line up, log on and lose our minds for Black Friday. They expect us to stretch our budgets, drain our accounts and pretend that “doorbuster deals” are some kind of patriotic ritual. But this year, a coalition led by Black Voters Matter, Indivisible and Until Freedom is calling on us to do something radically simple — and profoundly powerful: A spending freeze from Nov. 28 through Dec. 1. No Black Friday splurges. No retail rush. No “Buy Now” pressure. Why? Because we ain’t buying it — literally and figuratively.
Our dollars keep the retail economy humming. Our purchases shape markets, trends, strategies and profits. Retailers depend on the holiday season to make their year — and they depend heavily on us. So when we withhold our dollars, even for four days, the impact is real. Corporations measure every hour, every transaction, every data point. They know exactly when
Julianne Malveaux
consumers shift behavior — and why. A coordinated dip in spending during the biggest retail weekend of the year is not a whisper. It’s a shout.
pretend neutrality while siding with injustice, then we respond the only way they understand: with our wallets closed.
The coalition leading the charge Black Voters Matter, Indivisible and Until Freedom aren’t doing this for symbolism. They are doing it to apply economic pressure where moral pressure has failed. This is a coalition of organizers that understand history, power and the long game. They are reminding us that protest isn’t only marches and petitions — sometimes it’s stillness, discipline and withholding.
the scoreboard changes. A fourday drop in consumer volume is measurable. It forces executives to pay attention.
2. It exposes the myth that we must consume to be good citizens. We’re tired of being told patriotic duty looks like overstuffing shopping carts. Consumerism is not freedom. Conscious spending is.
3. It strengthens our internal discipline and our collective power. Let’s be honest — many of us overspend during this season. A freeze creates space to reassess:
Do I need this, or am I being manipulated?
cause we’re informed citizens. We aren’t punishing corporations. We’re educating them. If you undervalue Black consumers, if you undermine democracy, if you retreat from racial equity — then we have a moral obligation to respond.
Yes, we’re angry. And we should be.
Why this freeze matters Let’s start with the basics: Black consumers wield more than $1.7 trillion in annual spending power.
It’s us saying: You don’t get our money while you undermine our communities. You don’t profit off us while cutting DEI. You don’t get holiday loyalty while enabling anti-democratic forces. If corporations can fund political agendas that hurt us, roll back inclusion with a smile, and
This coalition is calling out corporations like Amazon, Target and Home Depot — not because they sell products we don’t want, but because they invest in politics we can’t accept.
And they’re right to do it. What this freeze accomplishes
1. It hits corporations in the only place they truly feel pain: revenue.
Black Friday is their Super Bowl. When we don’t show up,
LEGAL NOTICE
Can these dollars go to a Blackowned business instead — after the freeze?
Should I put this money toward savings, debt relief or mutual aid?
4. It reframes the conversation around economic justice.
We’re not freezing spending because we’re angry shoppers. We’re freezing spending be -
We’re angry that DEI has been reduced to a buzzword. We’re angry that corporate leaders fold under political pressure. We’re angry that Black communities still carry the highest costs — higher inflation, higher rents, higher interest rates — while being told to “celebrate savings” on cheap goods made overseas.
We’re angry that our political rights are under attack while corporations stay silent.
Anger is not the problem. Inaction is.
This freeze turns anger into strategy.
What happens after the freeze?
We redirect.We reinvest. We rebuild. We support Black-owned businesses. We put dollars into our communities. We choose purpose over impulse. We spend with clarity instead of conditioning.
The bottom line From Nov. 28 through Dec. 1, we close our wallets — and open our eyes. Not because we are powerless, but because we are powerful. Not because we are broke, but because we are strategic. Not because we are done fighting, but because we are just getting started.
This is what it looks like to flex our economic muscles. This is what it sounds like when we say: We ain’t buying it. Not this time. The writer is a D.C.-based economist and author.
SAY NO TO F.O.G .
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A PETITION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR REVISION OF A RATE ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE DESIGNATED RIDER SNA UNDER § 56-585.1 A 6 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2025-00164
On October 7, 2025, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) filed a petition (“Petition”) with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) for revision of its rate adjustment clause (“RAC”), Rider SNA, for costs associated with Dominion’s Surry Units 1 and 2 and North Anna Units 1 and 2. Specifically, Dominion seeks recovery of costs for: (1) the preparation of the applications for Subsequent License Renewal (“SLR”) with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend the operating licenses of the foregoing Surry and North Anna facilities (the “SLR Component”), and (2) the projects reasonably appropriate to upgrade or replace systems and equipment deemed to be necessary to operate these facilities safely and reliably in the extended period of operation (the “Capital Upgrade Component”) (collectively, the SLR Component and the Capital Upgrade Component comprise the “Program”). Dominion filed its Petition pursuant to § 56-585.1 A 6 of the Code of Virginia and the Commission’s Rules Governing Utility Rate Applications and Annual Informational Filings of Investor-Owned Electric Utilities, 20 VAC 5-204-5, et seq. Through the Petition, the Company seeks to revise its Rider SNA RAC for the rate year commencing September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027 (“Rate Year”).
The Company explains that in its Final Order in Case No. PUR-2024-00154, the Commission approved Phase II of the Program (calendar years 2025 through 2027), consisting of minor costs associated with closeout of the SLR Component and 34 previously approved Capital Upgrade Component projects. The Company states that this Petition provides an update on the Company’s progress in completing Phase II projects. According to the Petition, this account includes: (1) an update on the status of the Capital Upgrade Component projects in Phase II, including scope changes and cost variances for the Program, as well as updated actual and projected expenditures; (2) an update of successfully performed work; (3) an update on material differences to cost and schedule changes for the Program; and (4) a discussion of the applicability of federal tariff policy on the Program.
Dominion states that, consistent with the Commission’s November 18, 2021, Final Order in Dominion’s 2021 Triennial Review, Case No. PUR-2021-00058, the Company is utilizing the approved rate of return on common equity (“ROE”) of 9.35% for the period after the date of that Final Order through February 27, 2024. For the period beginning February 28, 2024, the Company used a 9.7% ROE, which is the Company’s authorized ROE as set by the Commission in Case No. PUR-2023-00101. The ROE determined by the Commission in the Company’s pending 2025 Biennial Review, Case No. PUR-2025-00058, will be applicable to Rider SNA as of the date of the Final Order in that case. The Company further asserts that any revenue requirement impacts resulting from a change in ROE will be addressed in a future true-up proceeding.
The two components of the revenue requirement for Rider SNA are the Projected Cost Recovery Factor and the Actual Cost True-Up Factor. According to the Petition, the Projected Cost Recovery Factor includes financing costs for rate base as well as projected operating costs for the Program projects during the Rate Year. The Company states that actual revenues during the test year are compared to actual costs incurred during the test year, and any difference in these amounts becomes the Actual Cost True-Up Factor recovered from, or credited to, customers. The Company asserts that the Actual Cost True-Up Factor will recover from, or credit to, customers any under-/over-recovery of costs from the most recently completed calendar year.
The total revenue requirement requested for recovery for the Rate Year through Rider SNA is $232,768,323. The Company asserts that it has allocated costs to the Virginia jurisdiction and customer classes using its 2023 Production Demand Allocation Factor, consistent with the way production plant costs for the Surry and North Anna facilities are allocated in the cost of service.
If the proposed Rider SNA is approved as requested, it would incrementally increase a residential customer’s monthly bill, based on 1,000 kilowatt hours of usage per month, by $0.55 compared to the current Rider SNA.
Interested persons are encouraged to review the Petition and supporting documents for the details of the Company’s proposal.
TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/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 entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled a public hearing on Dominion’s Petition. On April 21, 2026, at 10 a.m.,
the Hearing Examiner appointed to this case will hold the telephonic portion of the hearing for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before April 14, 2026, 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 in either of two ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/ webcasting; or (ii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/webcasting
Beginning at 10 a.m. on April 21, 2026, the Hearing Examiner will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.
Beginning at 10 a.m. on April 21, 2026, or at the conclusion of the public witness portion of the hearing, whichever is later, in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Hearing Examiner will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Petition from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff.
To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and has required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.
An electronic copy of the public version of the Company’s Petition may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Joseph K. Reid, III, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or jreid@mcguirewoods.com. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies of the public version of the Petition and other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/pages/case-information
On or before April 14, 2026, any interested person may file comments on the Petition by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/case-comments/ submit-public-comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00164.
On or before January 9, 2026, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve electronically a copy of the notice of participation on counsel to the Company, Commission Staff, and any other respondents. Pursuant to Rule 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 5 VAC 5-20-10, et seq. (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by Rule 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00164.
On or before February 20, 2026, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission, at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling, any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served electronically on the Commission’s Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with their filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00164.
Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.
The public version of the Company’s Petition and other documents filed in this case, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, and the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/case-information
VCU soccer standout Moussa Ndiaye credits large family for competitive edge
By Sian Wilkerson
Growing up, Moussa Ndiaye had a lot of catching up to do. With five older brothers and four older sisters, the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s soccer star spent his childhood in his hometown in Senegal just trying to keep up. Ndiaye, a fourth-year sociology major in the College of Humanities and Sciences who anchors the defense for the Rams, credits those years with shaping him into the player he is now, calling his family a “blessing.” He was particularly close with his youngest older brother, who was born three years before him and served as a constant source of motivation.
“That’s where I get my competitiveness,” he said. “I grew up playing against him a lot in the house. And when you go to the field, it’s the same thing.”
When he came to VCU in 2022, Ndiaye didn’t quite know what to expect. It was his first time leaving Senegal, and he spoke very little English at the time. “I was only able to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and shake my head or point fingers when I wanted to say something,” he recalled.
But with the Rams, he found “a new family,” he said. “It was really easy to join the team … because they were really open with me and helped me through everything.” His new teammates and coaches were patient and they listened. “Since then,” he said, “I didn’t regret anything” about his choice to come to Richmond.
Fourth-year sociology major and VCU men’s soccer star Moussa Ndiaye credits his formative years with nine older siblings for his competitive edge.
Both on and off the field, it’s been a seamless fit. In nearly four seasons with the Rams, Ndiaye has soared. As a sophomore, he helped lead the Rams to an A-10 regular season championship, earning a first-team all-conference nod in the process. After his junior season, he was named Virginia
Flying Squirrels unveil new uniforms, release 2026 home game times
Free Press staff report
The Richmond Flying Squir rels introduced refreshed brand ing and new uniforms Monday at The Byrd Theatre ahead of the team’s inaugural season at CarMax Park.
“We take a lot of pride rep resenting Richmond,” Flying Squirrels General Manager Anthony Oppermann said. “The Flying Squirrels brand has become part of the city’s identity. It is important to us to maintain that identity as we enter our next chapter at Car Max Park. This dynamic new series of logos and wordmarks modernizes our brand set and introduces more versatility to our on-field look while also remaining true to who we are and who we represent.”
The brand refresh was completed by Brandiose, the San Diego design studio that created the team’s original look. Four new uniform designs were presented by former Flying Squirrels players, major leaguers and community partners.
The home white uniform features the new “Squirrelly Script” font with “Flying Squirrels” across the chest in white, red and black. The left sleeve includes the team’s new primary roundel logo, with black numbers trimmed in red on the front and red numerals outlined in black on the back. Pants include red and black piping, and the uniform is paired with a black cap featuring the new “Blastoff Pose” logo.
The Flying Squirrels’ new white home uniforms rock the “Squirrelly Script” chest logo, bold black and red accents and the updated roundel on the sleeve.
The road gray uniform uses a modernized “Flight Font” with “Richmond” across the chest in white with red and black accents. The roundel logo appears on the left sleeve. Black numerals outlined in red sit on the front, with red numerals outlined in black on the back.
A red fitted cap features the “Power Pose” logo.
An alternate red jersey displays “Flying Squirrels” across the chest in white and black in the Flight Font. The jersey can be paired with white or gray pants and is topped with a black cap with a red bill and the updated “Soar Pose” logo.
An alternate black jersey features “Richmond” in white lettering accented in red and black, with the “Power Pose”
logo rising above the outline of Virginia on the left sleeve. The look is paired with a red cap with a black bill and a white “FS” logo.
The team on Thursday also announced home game times for 2026, its first season at CarMax Park. Most Tuesday through Saturday games will begin at 7:05 p.m., with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. The game on Tuesday, April 21 will start at 11:05 a.m. Sunday games in April, May and September will start at 2:05 p.m. In June, July and August, Sunday games will begin at 5:05 p.m. Individual game tickets will go on sale at Nutzy’s Block Party in early March. Information on tickets and memberships is available at SquirrelsBaseball.com.
the USCAA Division I national championship. Trojans battle
to claim the Division I women’s soccer national championship.
Freshman AJ Clarke scored the lone goal in the 38th minute, finishing a pass from Skye Dixon after a corner sequence. It was Clarke’s first goal for the Trojans, who generated five shots and four corners in the opening half.
Sports Information Directors Defensive Player of the Year as the top defender in the state.
In July, he was named Defender of the Year by USL League Two — a national semiprofessional league — for his play as part of Vermont Green FC, which went undefeated on the way to championship title. Before this season, TopDrawerSoccer ranked Ndiaye as the 18th-best player in the country, and he was featured on the preseason all-A-10 team. In addition, he was recently honored as the conference’s defensive player of the week for three consecutive weeks and scored the game-winner to lift the Rams over Davidson in the team’s regular season finale.
“Each place he goes, he takes [advantage] of his opportunities — he learns, he grows and continues to develop as a person and as a player, and is very successful,” said Dave Giffard, head coach of the VCU men’s soccer team. “He has a lot of accolades on the field and continues to perform and show why those accolades are there.”
After four years together, Ndiaye and Giffard’s bond is strong. In the spring, Giffard made a recruiting trip to Africa, where he stopped in Senegal to meet Ndiaye’s family and have dinner at his home, a gesture that greatly touched Ndiaye.
“It’s something that really hits me because I’ve been playing around coaches for a long, long time, and none of them did that for me,” he said, crediting Giffard for his guidance both on and off the field. “He didn’t just teach me about soccer; he taught me as a person, as a human being, and to grow as a man, too.”
While Ndiaye’s time at VCU is coming to an end, he said what he’ll take away is the knowledge that it was “all about love. Highs, lows, teammates, friends, family — just love. One day, Giffard can be angry with you for one second. And after another second, he will tell you, ‘Guys, I just love you guys,’ and it just hits you hard because you know what he’s doing is not for him, but for us.”
When he graduates, Ndiaye intends to play professionally. Where that will take him, he doesn’t know. But once that chapter in his story ends, he’d like to get into coaching — like Giffard. Already, he keeps the important coach-isms on his phone: Keep your highs low and your lows high, meaning “it’s a long journey — not just a sprint, but a marathon,” he explained. “So you’re going to have ups and downs, but you’re going to have to fight through.”
VUU eyes postseason success despite title game defeat
Free Press staff report
Virginia Union University will face California University of Pennsylvania in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22 at Hovey Field in Richmond.
The Panthers enter the postseason at 9-2 and hold the No. 3 seed in Super Region One, the program’s highest seeding under coach Alvin Parker. California (PA), seeded sixth, comes in with an 8-3 record.
This marks Virginia Union’s fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA playoffs. The Panthers previously made five straight postseason trips from 1979 to 1983, underscoring the program’s continued resurgence under Parker.
“Our body of work spoke for itself, so we felt good about our chances,” Parker said. “We
felt good because of the way we played this season, especially near the end. A No. 3 seed is the highest seeding we’ve had since I’ve been here and now we’ve been to the playoffs four consecutive times. That’s definitely something to feel good about.”
Virginia Union battled to the final whistle in Saturday’s CIAA championship game, but a strong offensive showing from Johnson C. Smith proved too much as the Panthers fell 45-21 at Durham County Memorial Stadium.
Senior running back Curtis Allen delivered another standout performance, rushing for 183 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 7.3 yards per carry.
VUU finished with 238 rushing yards and 388 total yards of offense, but four turnovers and several short-field opportunities for JCSU shifted the momentum
early and often. JSCU jumped ahead 14-7 after two first-quarter touchdown passes from Kelvin Durham. The Golden Bulls stretched the lead with a 25-yard scoring strike in the second quarter, but the Panthers answered behind Allen’s physical running, tying the game 14-14 with an 11-play, 65-yard drive early in the second. VUU trailed 21-14 at halftime and threatened multiple times in the third quarter, but two interceptions stalled promising drives. JCSU capitalized with back-to-back touchdowns to open a 35-14 lead. Allen’s second touchdown capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 38-21. Johnson C. Smith added a late score to close out the win. Ahmad Ross led the Panthers with eight tackles and a forced fumble. Lamumba Howard added seven tackles, and Jayden Earley posted a 42-yard interception return in the first quarter.
59-year-old Glen Allen athlete sets world records in powerlifting
Free Press staff report
Tammy Albanese of Glen Allen, 59, recently set world records in all three lifts at the U.S. Powerlifting Association’s Northeast Regional Championships. Competing in the 105-pound, Pro Figure division, the 5-foot-tall grandmother completed the milestones while following a plant-based diet.
Albanese squatted 143 pounds, benched 99 pounds and deadlifted 220 pounds. She previously competed in bodybuilding and switched to powerlifting last year, setting state and national records with the USPA and USAPL federations.
Albanese has followed a vegan diet for five years. “I have always looked for ways to be my healthiest and live my best and longest life,” she said.
Her favorite foods include whole wheat or chickpea pasta with cashew parmesan and, in her words, “beans, beans, beans.” Favorite exercises are pullups, shotgun pulls and leg presses.
Albanese’s competition record includes first-place finishes at the 2019 OCB Richmond Pro/Am Masters 50+ and Masters overall, where she also won her pro card, and first place with three world records at the 2025 USPA Northeast Regional Championships.
Youth combat sports series to bring national event to Williamsburg
other combat disciplines.
Free Press staff repot
The Trojans leaned on their defense the rest of the way. Goalkeeper Tianna Roberts recorded 10 saves to secure the shutout as Shaw pressed throughout the second half. The Bears out-shot VSU 10-1 after halftime and earned four corners, but Roberts turned away chances in the 52nd, 60th, 62nd and 80th minutes to preserve the lead.
Virginia State finished with six shots and five corners, matching Shaw’s total on set pieces. The victory marked the Trojans’ second straight clean sheet.
The Gladiator Gladiatrix Combat Series will bring one of its national tour stops to Williamsburg starting in 2027 through a three-year partnership with Visit Williamsburg. The event is expected to draw thousands of athletes, families and fans for a multiday competition.
The Series, launched by Critical Sports and Entertainment, gives female wrestlers equal top billing with male competitors. It features youth and amateur athletes in wrestling, jiu-jitsu, taekwondo and
The Williamsburg stop will take place at the Greater Williamsburg Sports & Events Center, a 200,000-square-foot venue that can accommodate 20 to 28 wrestling mats, vendors and fan experiences. The Series anticipates more than 5,000 registrants per event.
“Williamsburg represents everything we want in a host city — strong community spirit, first-class facilities and a passion for growing youth sports,” said Robert Hickman, Series director. Morgan Cordle, sports sales manager at Visit Williamsburg,
added, “This partnership highlights our city’s growing reputation as a premier destination for large-scale sports events and reinforces our dedication to youth development and community-centered experiences.”
The Series partners with organizations including AAU Wrestling, USA Wrestling and Spartan Combat. Executives said the Williamsburg stop is part of a broader expansion to 8 to 12 host cities nationwide and will create a platform where young athletes, especially female wrestlers, can compete on a national stage.
Free Press staff report
Virginia State capped its inaugural season in the USCAA with a 1-0 win over Shaw on Sunday
Photo courtesy VSU Athletics.
Virginia State women’s soccer players celebrate on the field after their 1–0 win over Shaw University to claim
Photo courtesy VCU Athletics
Photo courtesy Flying Squirrels.
Photo courtesy of Tammy Albanese.
Tammy Albanese of Glen Allen, 59, set world records in squat, bench and deadlift at the USPA Northeast Regional Championships while competing in the 105-pound division.
Coach Parker
Personality: Jo White
Spotlight on Saving Our Youth’s founder, CEO and executive director
Jo White’s life experiences shaped her resolve to overcome adversity, leading her to found Saving Our Youth to equip at-risk youth with the tools to do the same. Growing up during the Jim Crow era, she witnessed others who stood against injustice — acts of courage that instilled the drive and determination that have guided her throughout her life.
Early in her career, White faced a turning point when she said she learned she was about to be denied a promotion due to her race. Refusing to accept this injustice, she contacted the home office. Her advocacy secured her the promotion she had earned. When she excelled in the role, the supervisor who had initially overlooked her offered an apology.
“I was timid back then,” she said. “But that experience threw me into a different phase of my life.”
White grew up in New Jersey but spent three years in Richmond as a child. During that time, she met her future husband and, although she returned to New Jersey, they stayed in touch. When they married, White moved back to Richmond. Determined to provide their daughter with an education that would prepare her for college, White succeeded — her daughter is now a physician specializing in infectious diseases.
With a successful sales career underway, White began making moves to start her own company.
“When I moved to Richmond, I took a sales position with a home improvement company,” she said. “I was selling so much and making them rich, so I decided to start my own construction business.”
Years later, she met Tommy Cox, the man who inspired her
to found Saving Our Youth. He was in a program for formerly incarcerated people and needed a place to live. White offered a room in one of her houses in Highland Park. Her office was in the building, so she would often see him.
“I would see him doing positive things,” White said. “He was so passionate about making sure others didn’t follow in his path.”
White knew she wanted to give back but wasn’t sure how. After talking with Cox, the two decided to start a company together. They first considered focusing on homelessness before turning their attention to youth in Highland Park and nearby neighborhoods. Saving Our Youth became a shared passion: Cox worked to keep young people out of the school-to-prison pipeline, while White concentrated on education and job training.
“Tommy wanted the youth who were getting into trouble to stay out of trouble. My goal was to get students to go to college, but when college isn’t the best thing for them, it’s better to help them get into trade schools or straight into work after high school,” White said. Where do you live? Henrico.
What’s your educational background?
Seton Hall for one year, but I received a certificate in accounting from Essex County College.
What is Saving Our Youth?
We are an organization dedicated to supporting at-risk youth in the Richmond area through educational and community service opportunities so they can grow and become
productive citizens.
What is Saving Our Youth’s mission?
Saving Our Youth is committed to helping the youth of Richmond and the surrounding areas make informed decisions about what to do after high school.
What areas does Saving Our Youth serve?
Primarily, Highland Park, but we have youth from surrounding areas.
How is Saving Our Youth funded?
Primarily through individual donors, with a few grants and two fundraisers. We have two major fundraisers every year. One in May for summer. This year, it funded our trip to New York City.
Another year, we went to the beach. It’s so incredible to see the kids have these experiences. One 17-year-old kid had never seen the beach.
What organizations are partnering with Saving Our Youth?
We partnered with Groundforce USA. What programs does Saving Our Youth run?
We provide higher education to support those who want to go to college and juvenile rearing for troubled youth who may be headed down the wrong path.
We also work with Community 50/50 to provide services.
What’s the biggest problem facing the youth you serve?
The parents. The kids go home to a bad home environment. There’s no reinforcement of what we’re trying to teach them. It’s often at odds with what they’re teaching in the program.
How can we address generational poverty and trauma?
We prepare [youth] and let them know they are worth more than people think. We let them know that they have to be twice as good at whatever they do. We stress education and trade school. We also try to instill in them that they are worthy — that they can be the ones to bring the family out of their current situation.
Tell me about your upcoming gala.
On Friday, Dec. 13, [the gala] will begin with a silent auction and live auction and cocktails at 3:30 p.m. We’ll have a dinner buffet at 5 p.m., and the program kicks off at 6 p.m. It will be held in the
Guzman Community Center at the Faison Center. Individual tickets are $25, and tables are $225. Please visit our website for more information.
How do you start the day? I wake up at about 5 a.m. I look over my checklist that includes my plan for the day. What do you do in your downtime?
What’s that? I’m very involved in my church. Sometimes, I’ll watch “The Chosen” on TV.
What is a quote that inspires you?
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” by Maya Angelou. Who has influenced you the most in your life? My older sister. She filled in for my abusive mother. She was the stable person in my life. What is a book that has influenced you?
“The Shack,” by William P. Young. What’s next?
I’m looking forward to retirement in two years and moving to Tampa to be with my daughter. I’m [also] preparing the next Saving Our Youth executive director.
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GardenFest of Lights opens at Lewis Ginter with new theme, attractions
Free Press staff report
Visitors to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden are already walking under glowing archways and past trees wrapped in millions of lights as Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights fills the gardens for the holiday season.
The annual event opened to the public Monday and runs through Jan. 4. This year’s theme, “The Elements,” features displays representing fire, earth, air, water and a symbolic “fifth” element, love — a concept organizers describe as the invisible force that inspires creativity and connection.
New offerings include two adults-only nights Nov. 20 and 21, presented by Keiter, and the opportunity to reserve portrait sessions with photographer Jessica Capozzola on Nov. 17, 21, 30 and Dec. 5. The garden, which earned USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Award for Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights in 2023 and 2024, is nominated again this year.
Returning attractions include the largescale light displays throughout the gardens, nightly model trains in the Kelly Education Center, the warming fire and s’mores in the Cochrane Rose Garden, and the natural wood
trees decorated by Henrico County Public Schools students in the Lora M. Robins Library. The Fairy Village also returns, along with a live tree standing more than 25 feet tall near the Conservatory.
Performances are scheduled on select evenings, including “The Nutcracker” by the Concert Ballet of Virginia on Nov. 18, a jazz duo in the Tea House on Nov. 25, Voices in Peace on Dec. 3, the Greater Richmond Chorus on Dec. 9 and the Henrico High School Choir on Dec. 16.
Food and drink options for the season include the GardenFest Cafe, the Jingle Bar and Grill in the Tea House and Rose Garden, and Espresso-A-Go-Go at the Carriage House. Seasonal dining events include Santa Brunches on Dec. 6 and 7, 13 and 14, and 20 and 21; Santa Dinners on Dec. 21 and 22; and the 12 Days of Dining from Dec. 1 through 12. Tickets must be purchased online. The garden will be closed on Thanksgiving, Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.
Ken Burns to receive inaugural Commonwealth Prize from VMHC
Renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns will be honored with the inaugural Commonwealth Prize by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, the museum announced. The award, the VMHC’s highest honor, recognizes exemplary patriotic service or lasting contributions to the history and culture of Virginia.
Model Railroad Show returns to Science Museum
The Science Museum of Virginia will bring back its longtime Model Railroad Show from Nov. 28-30, offering three days of train-themed displays and activities that have become a holiday tradition for many families.
and
The prize, created as part of the museum’s multiyear commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, is literally and figuratively made for Burns. A custom silver medal, handcrafted by artisans at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, draws on Virginia iconography and the museum’s historic seal. The front features a silhouette of the Commonwealth adorned with dogwood blossoms and the motto “Conservatio. Disciplina. Pietas.” (“Preservation. Education. Service.”). Its reverse bears the museum’s historic facade and motto, “Condere Et Tradere” (“To Build and Pass On”).
“Ken Burns is one of the great storytellers and educators of our time. He has transformed the way Americans engage with our past,” said Jamie Bosket, president and CEO of the VMHC. Burns, whose career spans nearly 50 years, is known for documentaries including “The
War,” “Baseball,” “The Civil War” and “Jazz.” His work has earned 17 Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards and two Oscar nominations. In 2008, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and, in 2022, he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
His most recent project, “The American Revolution,” highlights Virginia’s role in the nation’s founding, as did a previous series. The documentary explores how the 13 British colonies won independence and established a new government that inspired democratic movements worldwide.
The Commonwealth Prize will be presented during a ceremony at the VMHC on Feb. 5. Event and ticket information is available at VirginiaHistory. org.
The show, now in its 48th year, fills an entire room of the museum with detailed model railroad layouts built by Virginia hobbyists. This year’s program includes eight installations in HO, N and O scales, along with a Lego display featuring playful scenes ranging from Star Wars characters to UFOs.
Visitors may also see a blacksmith demonstration using tools similar to those once used to craft locomotive engine parts. Some will be able to participate in forging. Museum educators will present a train physics demonstration throughout the weekend, and The Forge makerspace will offer a collaborative hands-on train scene build.
The model train room opens at 8:30 a.m. for Science Museum members and 9:30 a.m.
Bogese Family Season
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Preston Jones, senior journeyman silversmith, works on crafting the Commonwealth Prize medal.
Photo courtesy Science Museum of Virginia
Visitors watch model trains run through miniature towns during the Science Museum of Virginia’s annual Model Railroad Show.
Free Press staff report
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Lights illuminate the grounds at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden during the Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights.
Church partnerships to bring Thanksgiving meals to local families
Free Press staff report
StarCity Behavioral Health will distribute 100 Thanksgiving turkeys and meal boxes to Richmond families on Saturday, Nov. 22 through partnerships with Church Hill Christian Wellness Center and Operation REACH. The distributions will take place at two locations on a first-come,
first-served basis. Participants must present a Feed More card or valid ID to receive one turkey and meal box per household.
Church Hill Christian Wellness Center will host a distribution from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Mount Tabor Baptist Church, 2011 Fairmount Ave. Operation REACH will distribute meals from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Restoration Fellowship Christian Center at 4908 Creedmore St.
“Food is care. Community is care,” said Frank Bellanger, CEO of StarCity Behavioral Health. “Having once experienced the challenges of being cold, hungry and without a home during the holidays, I understand how difficult this season can feel.” Bellanger said the organization aims to support families facing hardship and expressed gratitude for community partners who work year-round to serve Richmond residents.
Community works to reclaim historic Old St. John’s Cemetery
Free Press staff report
Volunteers from across Lancaster County gathered Nov. 15 in Kilmarnock to help reclaim Old St. John’s Cemetery, a longneglected African American burial ground on Calvary Drive.
The cleanup drew 87 volunteers from 11 churches and community groups. Chainsaws, wood chippers and trash haulers cleared dense underbrush that had obscured the 3.57-acre site for decades. Many participants said it was their first time seeing the burial ground, which had remained largely hidden despite its significance within the county’s Black community.
Old St. John’s Baptist Church was founded in 1868, when Black members of Morattico Baptist Church formed an independent congregation. The church, once one of the largest in the region with nearly 1,000 members, later closed, and its building disappeared from records. Six daughter churches grew from the congregation, four of which became stewards of the cemetery.
Although burials continued into the mid-20th century, vegetation eventually overtook the hillside. Genealogist Margaret Hill and the late Clyde Ratcliffe documented 70 graves in a 2016 book, including those of Black veterans of both World Wars. Around 2000, Dr. James E.C. Norris visited the site and reported extensive overgrowth.
New research in 2025 by Kerry Petersen, president of the Kilmarnock Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, expanded the number of confirmed burials from 70 to 377. Petersen said the total may approach 1,000 because early death records are incomplete. If confirmed, it would make Old St. John’s one of the region’s largest African American cemeteries.
The restoration effort follows a 2024 project to reclaim another forgotten cemetery on LDS Church property, which was found to contain 45 burials. Momentum from that work helped launch the Old St. John’s initiative.
The Nov. 15 cleanup was coordinated by Petersen, the Rev. Dr. Tyron Williams of Mount Olive Baptist Church and Francine Hunter, a Nickens descendant. An advisory committee includes Hill, Norris, Bill Lee of the Lancaster County Board of Supervisors and the Rev. Dr. Judith Thomson of Interracial Conversations of the Northern Neck. Pastors from four churches partnered in the effort, with archaeological guidance from Joanna Green of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
Local businesses donated equipment, and volunteers shared a potluck meal during the event. Thomas and Kelly Hathaway of T-Boyeés Couillon Bon LLC provided jambalaya, and Front
Porch Coffee House supplied hot drinks. Organizers plan to install signage, create a memorial entrance and hold an ecumenical service to bless and rededicate the site once restoration is complete.
Volunteers from area churches and organizations help reclaim Old St. John’s Cemetery in Kilmarnock during a Nov. 15 cleanup.
Riverview Baptist Church
Photos courtesy of Kerry Petersen
Ordinance No. 2025-209 (As Amended) To amend City Code § 2-772, concerning the filing of statements of economic interests, for the purpose of requiring more detailed disclosure forms of members of certain boards and commissions [with the power to issue bonds or expend funds in excess of $10,000 in any fiscal year].
Ordinance No. 2025-211 (As Amended) To amend City Code § 2-1352, concerning general requirements of the open data portal, to prohibit charging fees for requesting information required to be posted in the open data portal pursuant to section 2-1360 and to amend ch. 2, art. VII, div. 4 of the City Code by adding therein a new section 2-1360, concerning required datasets, for the purpose of requiring publication of certain datasets in the open data portal.
Ordinance No. 2025-228 (As Amended) To authorize the special use of the properties known as 1103 Carlisle Avenue and 1105 Carlisle Avenue for the purpose of up to four single-family detached dwellings, upon certain terms and conditions.
Ordinance No. 2025-240 (As Amended) To amend City Code § 2-1351, concerning definitions related to open data and a transparency program, and to amend ch. 2, art. VII, div. 4 of the City Code by adding therein a new section 2-1361, concerning a Freedom of Information Act request library, for the purpose of establishing an online Freedom of Information Act library.
Ordinance No. 2025-242
To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a First Amendment to Maymont Foundation Operating Agreement between the City of Richmond and the Maymont Foundation for the purpose of allowing the Maymont Foundation to continue managing, maintaining, operating, and improving Maymont Park in the city of Richmond. (COMMITTEE: Land Use, Housing and Transportation, Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 3:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-243
To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Non-Exclusive License Agreement between the City of Richmond and FlixBus, Inc. for the purpose of granting FlixBus, Inc. permission to use a portion of Main Street at 1500 East Main Street as a bus stop, passenger boarding, and waiting area.
(COMMITTEE: Land Use, Housing and Transportation, Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 3:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-244
To declare a public necessity for and to authorize the acquisition by gift of the parcels of real property known as 313 South Harrison Street and 1112 Idlewood Avenue from the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority for the purpose of creating a permanent public park.
Ordinance No. 2025-245 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the total amount of $728,695.00 from the Virginia Department of Transportation and to amend Ord. No. 2025058, adopted May 12,
2025, which accepted a program of proposed Capital Improvement Projects for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and the four fiscal years thereafter, adopted a Capital Budget for Fiscal Year 20252026, and determined a means of financing the same, to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Capital Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Public Works Bike Lanes/Boulevard (Street Conversions) project in the Transportation –Federal/State/Regional category by $728,695.00 for the purpose of funding the Bike Lanes/Boulevard (Street Conversions) project.
Ordinance No. 2025-246
To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $3,817.00 from the National Recreation and Park Association and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities’ Grant – Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative Special Fund by $3,817.00 for the purpose of providing services to youth impacted by and at risk for substance misuse. (COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-247
To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $15,000,000.00 from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Special Fund Budget by creating a new special fund for the Department of Economic Development called “CoStar Special Fund,” and appropriating the increase to the Department of Economic Development’s CoStar Special Fund by $15,000,000.00, for the purpose of funding the development of infrastructure at CoStar Realty Information, Inc.’s existing and planned facilities located at 501 South 5th Street and 600 Tredegar Street in the city of Richmond.
(COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-248 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $25,000.00 from AARP, to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Special Fund Budget by creating a new special fund for the Department of Public Works called the “AARP Community Challenge Special Fund,” and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Public Works’ “AARP Community Challenge Special Fund” by $25,000.00, for the purpose of funding the planning, design, construction, and implementation of a bus boarding platform. (COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-249 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to enter into the TwentyEighth Commercial Area Revitalization Effort
Program Cooperation Agreement between the City of Richmond, Virginia, and the Economic Development Authority of the City of Richmond for the purpose of providing for the operation of the Commercial Area Revitalization Effort (“CARE”) Program. (COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-250 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $18,319.00 from the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 20252026 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ State Fire Programs Special Fund by $18,319.00 for the purpose of providing funding for training, training centers, equipment, and protective
clothing for firefighters. (COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-251 To amend Ord. No. 2025057, adopted May 12, 2025, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget and made appropriations thereto, by transferring $284,175.00 from the Council Chief of Staff, and appropriating such transferred funds to the Chief Administrative Offices for the purpose of supporting the participatory budgeting process. (COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Interested citizens who wish to speak will be given an opportunity to do so by following the instructions referenced in the December 8, 2025 Richmond City Council Formal meeting agenda. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at https:// www.rva.gov/office-cityclerk, and in the Office of
DIVORCE
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HENRICO 4301 EAST PARHAM ROAD HENRICO, VA 23228 A’NIJA MARIE ANDERSON v. MILDRED JANELL HUGHES Case No.: CL25007630-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to: DIVORCE (NO-FAULT, ONE YEAR SEPARATION) It is ORDERED that MILDRED JANELL HUGHES appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before December 28, 2025
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HENRICO WILLIAM LANCE THOMPSON, Plaintiff, v. CHRISTINE JOY SERRANO SEDON, Defendant. Case No:CL25-7607 ORDER OF PUBLICATION THE OBJECT of this suit is to obtain a divorce a vincu/o matrimonii from the bond of matrimony from the Defendant on the ground of having lived separate and apart for one year, pursuant to § 20-91(A)(9) of the Code of Virginia; and IT APPEARING TO THE COURT that the Defendant, Christine Joy Serrano Sedon, is a non-resident individual, other than a non-resident individual fiduciary who has appointed a statutory agent; it is, therefore ADJUDGED, ORDERED AND DECREED as follows: 1. That this Order of Publication shall be posted at the front door of the Courthouse; 2. That a copy of such Order of Publication shall be mailed to the Defendant at the post office address given in the affidavit required by Virginia Code § 8.01-316; 3. That the clerk shall cause copies of the order to be so posted, mailed, and transmitted to the designated newspaper within twenty (20) days after the entry of the Order of Publication; 4. That the Defendant, Christine Joy Serrano Sedon, appear at the above-named court and protect her interests on or before December 21, 2025; and it is FURTHER ORDERED this Order of Publication shall be published for four (4) consecutive weeks in the Richmond Free Press, a newspaper of general circulation in this County prescribed by this Court. A Copy Teste: HEIDI S. BARSHINGER, Clerk I ASK FOR THIS: Christopher H. Macturk (VSB #40071) Faith A. Ennis (VSB #100670) Evolution Divorce & Family Law, PLLC 1500 Forest Avenue, Suite 117 Richmond, Virginia 23229 (804) 793-8200 (main) (804) 793-8299 (fax) cmacturk@evolutiondivorce. com Counsel for Plaintiff VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER MELCHIZEDECK ODIYO, Plaintiff v. JADON GRAVES, Defendant. Case No.: CL25003606-00 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, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 11th day of December, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. 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
PROPERTY
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND John Marshall Courts Building FRANCES L. TEASLEY Plaintiff, v. DAVID TEASLEY, JR., et als. Defendants. Case No. CL 21-5354-DED ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to seek to quiet title to real property in the City of Richmond, Virginia, known and described as 1709 Stockton Street, Richmond, Virginia, partition of same, and in the alternative sale/ allotment of same in lieu of partition. IT APPEARING that there are parties designated in the Complaint as “Unknown”; specifically, Unknown Heirs of Lavelle Teasley and Unknown Heirs of John Teasley, as well as one Defendant whose whereabouts remain unknown after due diligence, namely Lavon Teasley, and that an affidavit has been duly filed requesting entry of an Order of Publication to effectuate service and notice upon said individuals and parties designated in the Complaint as “Unknown” and whose whereabouts are presently unknown.
UPON CONSIDERATION
WHEREOF, this Order of Publication is granted, and it is ORDERED that this Notice shall be published once per week for 4 successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation serving the City of Richmond, Virginia, and the aforesaid individual(s) are hereby ORDERED to appear before this Court on or before December 19, 2025, at 10:00 A.M., to do what is necessary to protect their interest.
EDWARD F. JEWETT, Clerk I ASK FOR THIS:
Bryan K. Streeter (VSB #44578) THE LAW OFFICE OF BRYAN K. STREETER, PLLC 6958 Forest Hill Avenue Richmond, Virginia 23225
Telephone: (804) 729-4106 Facsimile: (804) 729-4164 bryan@bstreeterlaw.com
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND John Marshall Courts Building HANNA HOMES LLC Plaintiff, v. MICHELLE R. DANIELS, et als. Defendants. Case No. CL25002522-00RDC ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to seek to quiet title to real property in the City of Richmond, Virginia, known and described as 104 E. 15th Street, Richmond, Virginia 23224, declaratory relief, adverse possession of same, and in the alternative, allotment of same in lieu of partition. IT APPEARING that there are parties designated in the Complaint as “Unknown”; specifically, Unknown Heirs of the Estate of Queen Esther Black and Elijah William Libron, as well John & Jane Does 1-100 and all persons unknown or parties claiming an interest, inherited or otherwise, in the real property known as 104 E. 15th Street, Richmond, Virginia 23224, and that an affidavit has been duly filed requesting entry of an Order of Publication to effectuate service and notice upon said individuals and parties designated in the Complaint as “Unknown”. UPON
