‘RPS Five’ reinstated in wake of pay dispute
By George Copeland Jr.
runs to speak against proposed pay changes during a Richmond School Board Meeting.
Dubbed “the RPS Five,” by their supporters, the drivers partnered with Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 804, the Richmond NAACP and Teamsters and other advocates to push for their reinstatement. Over the weeks that followed, the group organized letter-writing campaigns, spoke at public meetings, and rallied community support. Those efforts culminated in a breakthrough: RPS and LIUNA Local 804 reached terms on a preliminary collective bargaining agreement, leading to the
Pride and protest in Jefferson Park
Marchers gather in Jefferson Park on Saturday, June 28, for a Pride March organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation-Virginia to protest what they call escalating attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, particularly those targeting the transgender community.
By George Copeland Jr.
Richmond and Henrico County officials agreed Monday on their commitment to ensure reliable water service for the region, but they have not yet settled on the best way to make that happen.
Members of the Richmond City Council, the Henrico Board of Supervisors and utility leaders from both localities met at the city’s Department of Public Utilities headquarters to discuss solutions after a series of water treatment plant failures disrupted service earlier this year.
“My hope is that today we, as elected officials of the two neighboring localities that support each other in so many ways, can reach agreement on the need to have further detailed conversations that are aimed at strengthening the resilience and redundancy of our regional water system,” Mayor Danny Avula said.
Months earlier, Henrico County leaders had discussed separating from Richmond’s water supply and building their own infrastructure, in the wake of a January outage at the city’s plant that left the region without running water for days.
After several weeks of discussion, including a meeting with Hanover County leaders, Henrico officials have shifted their focus toward greater regional collaboration on the water system with Richmond and surrounding localities.
“We can do this by working together,” Henrico Board Vice Chair Roscoe D. Cooper III said, “by listening to experts and engaging with our residents and communities.” Although the meeting remained mostly cordial, occasional tensions surfaced. City Council members
Senate budget plan threatens hospital funding, Virginia officials warn
By Charlotte Rene Woods
With roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid funding at stake, Congress is racing to finalize a sweeping budget package, dubbed the “big, beautiful bill,” ahead of President Donald Trump’s July 4 deadline — but key decisions about cuts to the health care program remain up in the air. A preliminary review by the Congressional Budget Office has heightened concern, and a bipartisan chorus of lawmakers and hospital associations across several states is warning against adopting the Senate version of the bill, which they say could devastate Medicaiddependent health systems.
The overall package, which calls for cuts to several federal social aid programs, is meant to extend overall tax cuts from Trump’s first presidential term, while boosting U.S. border and military spending.
Although the House already passed its version in June, the Senate version only advanced this week after Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote, following opposition from three Republican senators who sided with Democrats.
City of Richmond/Video screen capture
Henrico County Board Vice Chair Roscoe D. Cooper III speaks as he and Richmond City Council President Cynthia Newbille, right, co-chair a meeting Monday on the region’s drinking water system.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
July fourth holiday schedule
In observance of the Independence Day holiday on Friday, July 4, please note the following:
Government offices City of Richmond offices: closed. Henrico County offices: closed. Chesterfield County offices: closed. State offices: closed. Courts Richmond, Henrico County and Chesterfield County courts: closed. Public libraries Richmond Public Library: closed. Henrico County and Chesterfield Public Library: closed. Library of Virginia: closed.
Trash pickup and recycling: No pickup Friday, July 4. Pickups from July 5 to July 9 are delayed by one day. U.S. Postal Service: No mail delivery. Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles: Customer service centers are closed. GRTC: Buses will run on a Sunday schedule with no express service. The administrative office is closed. ABC stores: All stores will close at 6 p.m. Free Press offices : Closed Friday, July 4.
Baskin named deputy director of research at VCU Massey
Free Press staff report
Monica L. Baskin has joined the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center as deputy director of research.
She will also serve as associate dean for cancer innovation at the VCU School of Medicine. Baskin holds appointments as professor in the Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Palliative Care in the Department of Internal Medicine, and as professor in the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the School of Public Health.
Baskin previously worked at the University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, where she was deputy director, associate director for community outreach and engagement, and associate director for health equity. She also served as assistant vice chancellor for community health equity, health sciences, at the University of Pittsburgh.
“I am deeply honored to join the distinguished faculty and staff at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center as deputy director,” Baskin said. “Massey is leading the nation in putting the community at the center of research, treatment and survivorship in order to eliminate disparities and save more lives.”
Robert A. Winn, director of VCU Massey, said Baskin is “a fierce advocate for cancer prevention and early detection in order to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for all.”
Baskin’s research has been shaped by personal experience. Her father died from colorectal cancer during her senior year of high school.
“My father died from an entirely preventable cancer, and that had major implications for me,” she said. “I chose a career in psychology, primarily because I saw what my family was experiencing in that loss, and then really didn’t see a lot of people who looked like me who were in professions of mental health, or even talked about that.”
Before joining VCU Massey, Baskin served as vice chair for culture and diversity in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a former president of the Society of Behavioral Medicine and recently chaired the cancer incidence panel for the World Cancer Research Fund International’s Global Cancer Update Program.
Baskin earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Emory University and holds a master’s and doctoral degree in community counseling and counseling psychology from Georgia State University. She completed a pediatric psychology fellowship at Emory and two National Institutes of Health fellowships at the National Cancer Institute and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research.
State Democrats celebrate new maternal health care laws
By Shaban Athuman VPM News
“Moms, babies and families across the commonwealth will begin to feel the benefit of maternal health policies that fundamentally transform how Virginia supports mothers, babies, and families,” said LeVere Bolling. The crowd fanned their faces with handouts on the package legislation, which Democrats called “the momnibus.”
LeVere Bolling called the bills’ authors to the stage, giving each delegate a folder with a copy of their bill in a graduationlike flourish.
“It’s a hot day, but a great day,” said House Speaker Don Scott (D–Portsmouth). “Too many mothers, too many babies have been suffering and dying because of a broken health care system.”
The bills are Democrats’ answer to disparities in maternal mortality, a long waitlist for subsidized child care, and access to health care.
Recent legislative efforts on the issue of infant and maternal mortality trace back to 2019, said Brandy Faulkner, a political science professor at Virginia Tech. At the time, former Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, went on a statewide “listening tour” in the wake of allegations he appeared in blackface in a photo in a medical school yearbook.
Northam, a pediatric neurologist by trade, “learned a lot about health care disparities across our state, and began not only to push for policies that would change that landscape, but actually fund them,” she said. “We’re seeing right now the culmination of almost a decade of work.”
Racial disparities in maternal health outcomes are still stark: Black women die at a rate more than twice that of white women within 42 days of giving birth, according to a 2024 report from the Virginia Department of Health.
Other issues affecting women are also in high relief: Over 10,000 children are on a waitlist for subsidized child care in Virginia, with many families opting out of the workforce to take care of their children. And the commonwealth has also seen a sharp increase in abortions since the US Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade; Over 1,600 Floridians came to Virginia last year to receive health care in the only state in the South that still has legal abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
One of the new laws allows pregnant people to get insurance on the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange as part of a special enrollment period. Another begins the process of developing a mobile app with resources for pregnant Medicaid recipients.
Changes to the health care workforce are also now law: State doula coverage
now extends into the postpartum period, private insurers must pay licensed midwives as certified nurse midwives, and more midwives will be allowed to establish private practices.
Legislators at the event said if Democrats keep the majority, more maternal health bills would be passed. They mentioned a bill that required implicit bias training in particular, which Youngkin vetoed.
“We will be back in just a few months with our 2.0 version,” said Scott.
Scott is set to bring the issues to voters as he seeks to expand the House of Delegates’ slim Democratic majority.
“Maternal health disparities, which the governor has acknowledged exist, are part of that landscape,” said Faulkner. “It’s really interesting to see, on the one hand, him condemn DEI as a set of principles and practices, but also recognize the disparities and the racism that still exists.”
Winning women’s votes has been at the forefront of electoral politics since the U.S. Supreme Court removed federal abortion protections. In Virginia, women made up 53% of registered voters, according to a November publication from the Virginia Public Access Project.
Nationwide, parents of minor children tended to skew Republican regardless of gender, according to The Pew Research Center.
Faulkner said that those statistics are more complicated in practice.
“Ideology really becomes salient in these discussions. It’s not so much whether the women have children or don’t have children, it’s how strongly they feel about the issue,” said Faulkner, citing contraception and abortion, for example.
Consequently, Virginia’s Democrats and Republicans have been engaging in a backand-forth over who can take more credit
for the new policies and their funding.
Another new law requires training for medical professionals in recognizing pregnancy-related emergencies. When Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin ceremonially signed the bill, its chief House sponsor, Del. Cliff Hayes (D–Chesapeake), was not there.
“We’re not looking for one opportunity to take a snapshot, a picture, a video and talk about a [single] bill,” said Hayes. “We’re talking about this comprehensive drive to save lives.”
Instead, Del. Kim Taylor (R–Petersburg) — whose legislation was incorporated into Hayes’ bill — was present at the signing, and in a press release, the governor’s office said Taylor had “originally introduced” the bill.
Taylor represents one of the most competitive districts in this fall’s election, and has written about her approach to offering fertility treatments.
In an emailed statement, Taylor said she would push for more maternal care and fertility treatments if re-elected: “I’m committed to expanding affordable childcare and enhancing mental health support for all mothers. While my Democratic colleagues push for radical, no-limit abortion policies that disregard parental consent, I stand firmly with the majority of Virginians who want common-sense safeguards.”
When asked how these new laws would affect Democrats’ chances in November, Scott instead pointed to before he became speaker and said voters brought the issue to him. Later, a Portsmouth Health Department employee recalled speaking to Scott about the issue years ago.
“It’s not about just elections. It’s about the policy that you implement,” said Scott. “This is a by-product of the people’s trust in us that we got to pass.”
Audit finds oversight gaps in Richmond’s fuel program, officials pledge reform
report from the Office of the City Auditor has found significant weaknesses in the City of Richmond’s fuel program, including poor tracking of fuel usage, inadequate controls over fuel card access and PIN management and a lack of standardized
Correction
An article in this week’s edition misstated the date of the Jalsa Salana USA convention. The event will take place July 4-6 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 N. 3rd St. For more information, visit jalsasalana.us.
procedures and training.
The internal audit, released Tuesday, examined how the Fleet Management Division in the Department of General Services oversees fueling for the city’s vehicle fleet — a key component of city operations.
“We have taken several steps already to address the concerns raised in today’s report,” said Director of General Services Gail Johnson. “My team is focused on tightening our oversight protocols, updating our policies and rolling out improved training programs to ensure we are the best stewards we can be of the new fuel program.”
The audit includes nine recommendations, all of which have been accepted by city leadership. Among the proposed reforms
are implementing a new fuel policy, reviewing the suitability of current oversight tools, redesigning PIN management to improve accountability and developing a formal training program.
“Our residents deserve transparency, efficiency and accountability, and my job now is to own it and do the work with my team to put strong policies and practices in place to fix it,” said Mayor Danny Avula. “I’m committed to addressing the recommendations and strengthening our fuel management program so that this doesn’t happen in the future.”
City officials said they plan to issue regular progress updates as the reforms are rolled out. The full audit report is available on the Office of the City Auditor’s website at rva.gov/officecity-auditor/reports-issued.
Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Shaban Athuman/VPM News
Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling (D–Henrico) gives remarks during a pre-primary day rally on Monday, June 16, 2025, at J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico.
View of Franklin Street in Shockoe Bottom from Main Street Station on July 1.
Monica L. Baskin
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is denied bail after mixed verdict clears in sex crimes case
By Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister
The Associated Press
Sean “Diddy” Combs dropped to his knees and prayed in the courtroom after he was acquitted Wednesday of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put one of hiphop’s celebrated figures behind bars for life. The rapper was convicted of lesser prostitution-related offenses and denied bail as he awaits sentencing. His lawyer Marc Agnifilo called the verdict a “great victory” and said the jury “got the situation right — or certainly right enough” as he stood outside Manhattan federal court at a stand of microphones. “Today is a victory of all victories.”
The mixed verdict capped a sordid legal odyssey that shattered Combs’ affable “Puff Daddy” image and derailed his career as a Grammy-winning artist and music executive, fashion entrepreneur, brand ambassador and reality TV star.
“I’ll see you when I get out,” Combs told family members including his mother and children just before leaving the courtroom to return to jail. “We’re going to get through this.” Combs stands convicted of two counts of a crime — transportation to engage in prostitution — that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. But jurors cleared him of three charges, two of which carried a mandatory 15 years and a maximum of life.
He was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act.
Combs’ lawyers said that under federal sentencing guidelines, he would likely face about two years in prison. Prosecutors, citing Combs’ violence and other factors, said the guidelines would call for at least four to five years. Locked up since his September arrest, Combs has already served nine months.
“We fight on and we’re going to win,” Agnifilo said. “And we’re not going to stop until he walks out of prison a free man to his family.”
Acquittal on the most serious charges
In a triumph for Combs, the jury of eight men and four women acquitted him of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges related to allegations that he used his money, power and frightening physical force to manipulate girlfriends into hundreds of drug-fueled sex marathons with men.
Combs’ defense team argued that the women were willing participants and that none of his violence justified the severity of the charges.
Agnifilo asked that Combs be released on bond immediately to await sentencing, saying the acquittals changed the calculus about whether he needed to be held.
“He’s not going to flee. He’s been given his life back,” Agnifilo said.
Judge Arun Subramanian denied it, saying Combs — for now — had not met the burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence a “lack of danger to any person or the community.”
Combs, 55, sat stoic as he heard the bond decision, then snapped his head toward Agnifilo and wrote several notes as the lawyer spoke. Finally Combs raised his hand and waved to get the judge’s attention. But he ultimately did not speak after consulting with Agnifilo.
Leaving the courtroom for a final time, he paused to address relatives packed into rows of wooden benches who supported him throughout the eight-week trial.
“Be strong. I love you,” he added, putting his hands to his lips and pushing a dramatic kiss toward loved ones.
Earlier in the day, when he heard the jury foreperson announce “not guilty” three times, Combs pumped his fist, looked toward the jurors and held his hands up in a prayer motion. Supporters in the audience could barely contain their relief despite the judge’s
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
The “RPS Five” — bus drivers fired April 25 following coordinated absences — leave City Hall to cheers after a press conference announcing their reinstatement under a new three-year collective bargaining agreement between Richmond Public Schools and LIUNA Local 804. The drivers return with six-hour shifts at full pay.
admonition to avoid outbursts: When the first “not guilty” was read aloud, someone shouted, “Yeah!”
The judge will decide Combs’ punishment and suggested Oct. 3 as a sentencing date, but a defense request to have it sooner prompted him to schedule a virtual hearing Tuesday on the matter.
Federal officials involved in the case responded to the outcome by noting that sex crimes “are all too present in many aspects of our society.”
“New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice,” Manhattanbased U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and Ricky J. Patel, who heads federal Homeland Security Investigations’ New York office, said in a statement.
Jurors deliberated for about 13 hours over three days before announcing their verdict. It came after they said late Tuesday that they had decided on four counts but were stuck on the racketeering one. At that point, the judge told them to keep deliberating and keep the partial verdict under wraps.
Combs did not testify at his trial, which featured 34 witnesses as well as video of the rapper attacking his former girlfriend Cassie, the R&B singer born Casandra Ventura.
‘RPS
Her lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, said in a statement after the verdict that “by coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice.”
Later he asked the judge in a letter to deny Combs bail, saying, “Ms. Ventura believes that Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community.”
Cassie testified for four days about her turbulent, 11-year relationship with Combs, which began after she signed with his Bad Boy record label. Cassie said Combs became obsessed with voyeuristic encounters, arranged with the help of his staff, that involved sex workers and copious amounts of baby oil. During the sex events, called “freak-offs” or “hotel nights,” Combs would order Cassie to do things with other men that she found humiliating, she testified.
When things did not go Combs’ way, he would beat her, she said.
Another ex-girlfriend, testifying under the pseudonym “Jane,” told the jury she repeatedly told Combs she didn’t want to have sex with the men hired for their trysts.
The AP does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie has. Defense calls case an invasion of privacy
The trial’s most famous witness, rapper Kid Cudi, said Combs broke into his home in late 2011 after learning that he and Cassie were dating. After his car was firebombed a few weeks later, Cudi — whose real name is Scott Mescudi — said he knew Combs “had something to do” with it. Combs denied it. Combs’ defense team acknowledged that he could be violent but argued that prosecutors were intruding in his personal life. In closing remarks to the jury, Agnifilo said it was not illegal for Combs to make “homemade porn” with girlfriends.
Rapper, entrepreneur and criminal defendant Combs was at the center of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop battles of the 1990s and became one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades, diversifying his interests with the Sean John fashion label, Ciroc vodka, a cable TV channel and a film and TV studio.
In 2001, he was at the center of one of the biggest hip-hop trials of its era, stemming from a Manhattan nightclub shooting that injured three people in 1999. Combs was acquitted of charges that he took an illegal gun into the club and tried to bribe his driver to take the fall.
His career recovered quickly that time.
Combs’ reputation may have suffered irreparable damage, though, after Cassie sued him in November 2023, alleging years of sexual and physical abuse. He settled the next day for $20 million, but more lawsuits by other women and men followed.
“I’m not an animal. I need a break,” she told him. Nevertheless, she said, she felt “obligated” to comply with his demands, in part because he paid her rent.
Most are still pending.
Five’ reinstated in wake of pay dispute
Continued from A1
drivers’ official reinstatement Tuesday.
“Thank you to the public, thank you for all your undying support during this incredibly difficult time,” bus driver Kemia Williams said during a press conference held by the Party for Socialism and Liberation Virginia after the rehiring was announced. “Today, we resume our positions, get all of our hard-earned benefits back and have the opportunity to regain a sense of normalcy.”
As part of the new three-year agreement, LIUNA Local 804 agreed to a revised pay structure for after-school activity runs, dropping its request for a guaranteed two-hour minimum. Instead, drivers will be paid based on the actual time worked.
Though base pay remains unchanged, drivers’ daily work hours will be reduced from eight to six to limit overtime costs. According to RPS, all transportation employees will receive a 7% raise during the 2026-27 school year, bringing the average
driver’s salary to $51,540 annually.
“LIUNA gave a little bit, we gave a little bit and we met in the middle,” RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras said during a press conference announcing the rehiring and the agreement, alongside RPS Board members, LIUNA Local 804 leaders, the reinstated drivers and their supporters. “And that’s what we, the adults, need to do on behalf of our kids.”
The finalized contract is still in the works, and RPS leaders are working to have it ratified and approved before the start of the fall school year. The rehired drivers, their supporters and union leaders, for their part, were pleased with the agreement reached so far.
“It was the core of the two-hour activities that got us over here and got us into this in the first place,” said Sonny Randolph, a driver who transports special education students for Henry Marsh III Elementary, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle and Armstrong High School. “So once that is resolved, to our satisfaction, then everybody’s cool.”
After outages, city and county officials seek common ground on water
Continued from A1
questioned Henrico’s increased water usage in May following a plant incident that triggered the year’s second boil advisory. They also highlighted efforts to improve the facility and raised concerns about how planned county data centers could affect water supplies.
Henrico officials reaffirmed their commitment to delivering quality water, asked for updates on an ongoing project to upgrade the Richmond plant and stressed the importance of collaboration in its operations and staffing.
“I don’t want you guys to think that we’re trying to force anything on you; we’re not,”
Henrico Supervisor Tyrone Nelson said. “What
we are saying is, we buy water from you, and our people, respectfully, y’all don’t represent them. We do, and we are on the outside.”
The meeting ended with city and county officials pledging to ensure reliable water service for the region and prevent future disruptions, despite disagreements and a lack of consensus on a long-term regional solution.
“We are committed to this, and committed to working collaboratively,” City Council President Cynthia Newbille said. “We are also committed to making sure we do due diligence in terms of ascertaining what that will look like.”
Council members have indicated further talks on this topic will be held Monday, July 7.
Senate budget plan threatens hospital funding, Virginia officials warn
Continued from A1
A central dispute between the two chambers involves how the Senate version would restructure Medicaid funding, particularly in ways that could undercut Virginia’s hospitals and the state’s expanded Medicaid program.
funding mechanisms, it still has Medicaid changes that Democrats, health care advocates and many Virginians have criticized.
“Given the available options, the U.S. House reconciliation legislation is the better approach to accomplish the president’s tax-cutting objectives while still preserving our health care delivery system and health safety net,” wrote Julian Walker, vice president of communications for the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. “For the sake of public health, well-being and the economy, we urge members of the House to reject the Senate plan and insist on their version of the package.”
He added that the association is “deeply disturbed” by the Senate version.
Last week, Virginia joined hospital associations in 13 states in signing a joint letter opposing the Senate’s proposal. Walker has previously warned that rural hospitals would be hit hardest, likely forced into closures or deep cuts into service and staffing. While the House version avoids the same blow to hospital
Both versions of the bill include new work and authorization requirements for Medicaid recipients.Though most Medicaid beneficiaries already work, some rely on it when temporarily unable to do so — such as Richmond-area construction worker Andrew Daughtry, who is recovering from an injury, and the daughter of Aida Pachecho, who is unemployed while battling breast cancer.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said during a recent press call that the additional authorization requirements could overwhelm already burdened government employees. Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced amendments to protect Medicaid before the Senate bill passed, but those efforts fell short.
Despite concerns, Virginia’s House Republicans continue to back their chamber’s version of the bill, claiming it meets Trump’s goals without gutting Medicaid. Reps. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, and Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, signed onto a joint letter with other lawmakers last week.
“The House’s approach reflects a more pragmatic and compassionate standard, and we urge that it be retained in the final bill,” they wrote. “Protecting Medicaid is essential for the vulnerable
constituents we were elected to represent. Therefore, we cannot support a final bill that threatens access to coverage or jeopardizes the stability of our hospitals and providers.”
Medicaid’s size as a share of the federal budget has made it a prime target for Republicans looking to trim or redirect spending. Wittman and Kiggans argue the reforms will ultimately strengthen coverage for pregnant people, children and disabled Americans.
In a recent newsletter, Kiggans called the bill “historic,” describing it as a tool to “rein in Washington’s waste” and deliver on promises made by Trump and congressional Republicans.
Wittman, who has spoken about being adopted thanks to Medicaid coverage at birth, emphasized his personal connection to the program.
“I know firsthand what access to care means for families like mine,” he said in a recent statement.
But Virginia Democrats argue that Wittman and Kiggans have already done damage by supporting even partial cuts.
Democratic Party of Virginia chair Lamont Bagby said in a recent statement that the two representatives “already broke their promise to Virginians by voting to advance this disastrous budget that makes the largest cuts to Medicaid in history.”
He questioned whether the two Republicans would “once again bend the knee to Trump” or stand with their constituents.
This story originally appeared on VirgniaMercury.com.
Sen. Warner Sen. Kaine
Rep. Wittman
Rep. Kiggans
Del. Bagby
I Elizabeth Williams via AP
In this courtroom sketch, flanked by defense attorneys Teny Geragos, left, and Brian Steel, right, Sean “Diddy” Combs, center, reacts after he was denied bail on prostitution-related offenses, Wednesday, July 2, in Manhattan federal court in New York.
Richmond utility rates increase as new billing cycle begins
Free Press staff report
City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities customers will see higher bills this month, as new utility rates approved by City Council have taken effect.
The average residential customer will pay about $11.25 more per month under the revised rates, which apply to natural gas, water, wastewater and stormwater services. The increases took effect July 1 and will appear on utility bills issued this month.
Natural gas customers will see a $3.31 increase in fixed distribution and customer charges. This does not include the purchased gas cost, which fluctuates and is passed through to customers without markup.
Water bills for customers using 6 Ccfs (hundred cubic feet) of water per month will rise by $2.36. Wastewater charges for the same usage will increase by $4.54. Both categories include a monthly service charge and a volumetric rate based on consumption.
Stormwater fees have also gone up, with the average residential customer paying $1.04 more per month. Charges are based on the amount
such
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with 1,000
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$3.80 for
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of
to $23.38 for
with more than 4,000 square feet. Alongside the rate changes, DPU has eliminated convenience fees for credit card and ACH payments. The update, which took effect June 30, means customers using online platforms such as MyHQ, EZPay or PromisePay will no longer pay additional process-
Public voting opens for BLK RVA Community Awards
Free Press staff report
Finalists have been named for the 2025 BLK RVA Community Awards, an annual event that spotlights the people, businesses and organizations making a cultural impact across the Richmond region.
Now in its second year, the awards recognize contributions in two categories: the Rising Community Impact Award, which highlights emerging Black-led initiatives bringing new experiences to the region, and the Rooted Community Impact Award, which honors longtime community fixtures with more than a decade of service.
Nominees for the Rising Community Impact Award include Around the Table, Black Creatives RVA, Elephant House Foundation, Henrico County’s Recreation and Parks Juneteenth Celebration, Hour Cycle Studio, Ladies Golf Too, Transformative Changes, RVA Black Farmers Market and Victoria’s Kitchen Kids Cooking School.
Finalists for the Rooted Community Impact Award are Atlantic Outreach Group, DJ Ease of Alleviative Productions, Faith Walker of RVA Rapid Transit, Fit-2-Go / Fit 2 Give / Fitness Warriors, the Henrico County Branch NAACP, JP Jumpers Foundation, Richmond Night Market, St. Luke Legacy Center Foundation Inc. and The Network Incubator.
Public voting is open through July 25 at 11:59 p.m. on the BLK RVA website. Winners will be announced during a ceremony on Aug. 22 at the Hippodrome Theater, which will feature entertainment and special presentations. Tickets for the event are available. More information is online at visitblkrva.com/ awards
ing fees. Payment limits were also increased, from $500 to $1,000 for credit cards and from $500 to $100,000 for ACH transactions. DPU officials said the adjustments are part of efforts to improve customer service,
support infrastructure needs, and maintain affordability. Several assistance programs remain available for customers facing financial hardship. The department’s partnership with PromisePay offers flexible payment plans for overdue balances at richmond.promisepay.com. The MetroCare Water and Heat Programs provide up to $500 in assistance to qualifying applicants for water or heating bills. Additional help is available through the MetroCare Water Conserva -
and
Between freedom and the fireworks
Juneteenth and the Fourth of July sit days apart on the calendar, yet for many of us, they couldn’t feel further apart. Both are marked by celebrations, but one party doesn’t feel like the other.
Juneteenth marks a moment of justice, when the words of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached the last of the enslaved, two years later. The Fourth is also about freedom as well, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the day that American colonies declared independence from British rule. That document has a lot of words about liberty and freedom, but for black people those statements have always come with exceptions.
So what happens in that space between these two holidays? Reflection. Frustration. And reckoning with what America says it is and what it continues to show us.
In 1852, Frederick Douglass delivered his blistering speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Speaking just one day after the nation’s independence festivities, he laid bare the hypocrisy of a country that celebrated freedom while millions were still shackled.
Douglass ends his speech with hope. And maybe that’s the most radical part — the belief that America could still become what it claims to be.
What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy — a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.
There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour. Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the old world, travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the every day practices of this nation, and you will say with me, that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival …
Behold the practical operation of this internal slave-trade, the American slave-trade, sustained by American politics and American religion … Fellow-citizens, this murderous traffic is, today, in active operation in this boasted republic … I see the bleeding footsteps … on the way to the slave-markets, where the victims are to be sold like horses, sheep, and swine … My soul sickens at the sight … But a still more inhuman, disgraceful, and scandalous state of things remains to be presented. By an act of the American Congress … slavery has been nationalized in its most horrible and revolting form … The Fugitive Slave Law makes Mercy to them, a crime; and bribes the judge who tries them. An American Judge gets ten dollars for every victim he consigns to slavery, and five, when he fails to do so
… Let this damning fact be perpetually told … that, in tyrant-killing, king-hating, people-loving, democratic, Christian America, the seats of justice are filled with judges, who hold their offices under an open and palpable bribe …I take this law to be one of the grossest infringements of Christian Liberty, and, if the churches and ministers of our country were not stupidly blind, or most wickedly indifferent, they, too, would so regard it . . . they are utterly silent in respect to a law which robs religion of its chief significance, and makes it utterly worthless to a world lying in wickedness … Allow me to say, in conclusion … I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation, which must inevitably, work the downfall of slavery. “The arm of the Lord is not shortened,” and the doom of slavery is certain. I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope.
Ouster
of UVA’s president attacks academic freedom
Ryan wrote:
The forced resignation of James E. Ryan as president of the University of Virginia at the hands of the Trump administration marks a dangerous precedent for American higher education. The federal government’s ultimatum that Ryan step down as a condition for resolving a civil rights investigation into UVA’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs is not just governmental overreach — it is a direct threat to the independence of public universities and the principles of academic freedom.
The Trump administration, aided by a governing Board of Visitors appointed entirely by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, forced Ryan’s ouster. The move undermines the principle of state control over public universities. While it sparked outrage on campus and across Virginia, it contradicts the political philosophy held by conservatives, who advocate for “limited govern -
ment” while fighting against the encroaching power of the federal government.
In June 2025, the Justice Department informed the University of Virginia that Ryan’s resignation was a prerequisite for resolving its civil rights investigation. The department had threatened to block all federal funds to the secondoldest public university in the country if Ryan remained in office.
The New York Times first reported Ryan’s resignation, citing Justice Department claims that the institution had rebranded its DEI efforts instead of eliminating them. If Ryan chose to challenge the firing, he could have easily tapped into a UVA-trained legal community that would have backed him. He would also have the support of the network of alumni and students from the state’s flagship institution, who share a commitment to academic freedom.
Ultimately, Ryan chose the selfless route. In a letter to the university community,
“To make a long story short, I am inclined to fight for what I believe in, and I believe deeply in the University. But I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job. To do so would not only be quixotic but appear selfish and self-centered to the hundreds of employees who would lose their jobs, the researchers who would lose their funding, and the hundreds of students who could lose financial aid or have their visas withheld.”
Armand Alacbay, senior vice president of strategy at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a nonprofit group focused on higher education governance, said an institution’s leadership is the domain of its governing board. The resignation is a product, he said, of unprecedented “governmental intrusion.”
This becomes a major problem because the federal government’s actions in this case are unprecedented. Legal experts struggle to recall a time when the federal government demanded a university board fire its president over policy disagreements.
New York’s mayoral race a testing ground for a Democratic comeback?
A seasoned veteran of Chicago politics once told me that it often takes Democrats a couple of four-year cycles out of office before they can pull their fractious factions together into a winning coalition.
There’s a lot of truth in that, and that’s why I am not surprised to see the offyear energy and enthusi asm well up around the neophyte cam paign of relatively unknown New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
Politics will often amaze you. Who would have expected in a time of wars in the Middle East, and reverberations of those conflicts across the United States, that a young Muslim American would have a fighting chance of becoming mayor of the country’s largest city?
Yet in New York, along came Mamdani to pull ahead of the pack in the Big Apple’s Democratic mayoral primary.
As Mamdani moved up through the stages of the city’s ranked-choice voting from “Zohran who?” to new prominence as a rising star among next-generation Democratic leaders, I was reminded of young, relatively unknown Barack Obama campaigning through Illinois corn country on his way to winning a hotly contested Democratic U.S. Senate primary in 2004. Obama won the Senate race, and four years later he followed the same meteoric path to win the U.S. presidency.
As Obama was, Mamdani is a conventional wisdom long-
shot who has risen up against a racial-ethnic glass ceiling. A gregarious and jovial 33-yearold state assembly member and self-declared democratic socialist, Mamdani also may be the first major candidate to include “rapper” on his resume.
Early handicapping favored Andrew Cuomo, 67, to prevail
in the primary. Cuomo, you may recall, dominated New York‘s politics for a decade as governor before resigning four years ago amid corruption and sexual misconduct allegations.
But despite Cuomo’s boatload of campaign money and endorsements by a pantheon of establishment Dems, Mamdani emerged the clear winner, confounding many regular Democrats, including some Jewish party faithful who see in the young candidate an implacable foe of the state of Israel.
Many centrist observers bemoan the fact no better consensus candidate than Cuomo entered the race. Even Cuomo’s allies complained that he didn’t seem to have his old energy or enthusiasm about the race, and the feeling seemed to be contagious.
Whatever else you may say about the ex-governor, he hardly represented a departure from the hidebound, conventional election strategies that sank the party in 2024. You know, the performance that brought out the circular firing squads as Donald Trump began his Revenge Tour of 2025.
Making a big difference in the New York Democratic primary were voters who are younger and
more interested in bold change on pressing bread-and-butter issues, such as New York’s notoriously high rent and other high costs of Big Apple living.
Mamdani appears to have a lot of ground to make up to reach older traditional Democratic voters who can’t hear the label “socialist” without having heart palpitations.
The congenial Mamdani hardly comes across as threatening, but he’s going to have to deal with that perception with assurances he still sees something good about free market capitalism, about which he has been uncomfortably snide on occasion.
He will also be called upon to state explicitly what his views are on Israel’s right to exist, and on how far he’s planning to commit the city of New York to oppose what he has termed the genocide in Gaza and apartheid in the territories Israel controls. These are important positions to New York voters on both sides of the question. As polarizing as Mamdani may appear to some — and make no mistake, the mighty right-wing noise machine is firing on all cylinders to demonize him — the points of contention that surround him are all too real and endemic in the Democratic “coalition” writ large. Whether Mamdani wins or loses the mayoral race, the issues that challenge his election campaign also challenge the Democrats fortunes nationally in 2026 and 2028.
The sooner Democrats mend their coalition, the better their chances will be to redeem American democracy.
The writer is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
Academic freedom is the cornerstone of American higher education. It allows faculty, students and administrators to pursue knowledge, debate ideas, and challenge prevailing norms without fear of political retribution.
The message from the Trump administration is loud and clear: conform to a political agenda that has redefined the true meaning and spirit of diversity, equity and inclusion, or face the severe consequences. The administration is willing to use federal funding and direct interventions in university leadership as weapons to enforce ideological conformity. If this type of overreach continues, the price will be paid not just by university presidents but by students, faculty and society as a whole. David W. Marshall is an author and the founder of the faith-based organization TRB (The Reconciled Body).
Clarence Page
David W. Marshall
Withers’ message still resonates in song, service and support for others
How refreshing it was to read your article, “Celebrating Bill Withers’ music, message through song and service,” about the legendary singer-songwriter’s daughter, Kori Withers, performing her father’s music at the Cultural Arts Center in Glen Allen.
It is fitting that this performance will benefit FreeHorse Arts, a local equine-based program for people with diverse disabilities, because the message in Withers’ music was always about lending a hand to others. His signature song, “Lean On Me,” was a No. 1 hit 53 years ago and the message still resonates. Bill Withers was known for actively supporting diverse social and philanthropic causes during his lifetime. He didn’t just sing about it; he walked the walk.
The article mentioned that Withers struggled
LEGAL NOTICE
with stuttering in his early life. He received speech therapy while serving in the U.S. Air Force. He never forgot his stuttering and was active in many charities that helped children who stutter. The Stuttering Foundation (stutteringhelp. org) has a biographical article about Withers on its website. To say that Bill Withers is a hero to the stuttering community is an understatement. Recently, a statue of the legendary singer was unveiled in his hometown. No one is more deserving of a statue in his honor than the singer-composer who dominated the airwaves in the 1970s and touched many lives with his songs and charitable endeavors.
ED DEPHILLIPS New
Jersey
During its 2020 Session, the Virginia General Assembly enacted Chapters 1238 (HB 1634) and 1264 (SB 629) of the 2020 Virginia Acts of Assembly, which added a new § 56594.3 to the Code of Virginia (“Code”), effective July 1, 2020. These Acts of Assembly directed the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) to establish, through regulation, a shared solar program (“Shared Solar Program” or “Program”) that provides customers of Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) the opportunity to participate in shared solar projects. These Acts of Assembly also directed the Commission to establish a minimum bill that a subscriber in the Shared Solar Program is required to pay on the subscriber’s utility bill each month after accounting for any bill credits. In Case No. PUR-2020-00125, the Commission adopted rules to implement the Shared Solar Program (“Rules Governing Shared Solar Program,” 20 VAC 5-340-10 et seq.), including rules addressing requirements concerning the composition of the minimum bill, and directed Dominion to file a proposal for a minimum bill. In its Final Order issued in that proceeding, the Commission determined that Dominion’s minimum bill should reflect fixed and volumetric costs, with the fixed costs including a customer charge and an administrative charge and the volumetric costs including: (i) statutory non-bypassable generation charges; (ii) base distribution charges; (iii) distribution rate adjustment clause (“RAC”) charges; (iv) base transmission charges; and (v) transmission RAC charges.
During its 2024 Session, the Virginia General Assembly amended certain statutory provisions applicable to Dominion’s Shared Solar Program, directed the Commission to recalculate the minimum bill that prescribes the amount a participating customer must pay to the utility each month after accounting for any bill credits, and established a shared solar program for customers of Appalachian Power Company (“2024 Shared Solar Legislation,” Chapters 715, 716, 763 and 765 of the 2024 Virginia Acts of Assembly). Pursuant to the 2024 Shared Solar Legislation, the Shared Solar Program’s aggregate maximum capacity now consists of two phases. For the first phase (“Phase One”), the aggregate capacity of the Shared Solar Program is limited to 200 megawatts (“MW”) alternating current. For the second phase (“Phase Two”), the Shared Solar Program’s capacity shall be expanded by up to 150 MW alternating current upon Commission determination that: (i) at least 90% of the aggregate capacity from Phase One of the Program has been subscribed; and (ii) project construction is substantially complete. For Phase Two, no more than 51% of up to 75 MW alternating current of aggregated capacity shall serve low-income customers.
On November 25, 2024, in Case No. PUR-2024-00122, the Commission entered an Order Adopting Regulations, which modified the Rules Governing Shared Solar Program in response to the 2024 Shared Solar Legislation. Following receipt of a request for reconsideration and clarification, the Commission issued an Order on Reconsideration on February 10, 2025, which responded to the request for reconsideration and finalized the revised Rules Governing Shared Solar Program, effective February 14, 2025.
The Commission also issued an Order Initiating Proceedings in the present proceeding on February 10, 2025, directing Dominion to file its minimum bill proposal with the Commission by May 1, 2025. In the Order Initiating Proceedings, the Commission directed the Company to address, analyze, and provide testimony and data to support the following:
• The costs of all utility infrastructure and services used to provide electric service;
• The administrative costs necessary for operation of the [S] hared [S]olar [P]rogram;
• Any other costs necessary to ensure subscribing customers pay a fair share of the costs of providing electric services;
• A quantification of the benefits of shared solar to the electric grid and to the Commonwealth; and
• An explanation of how the minimum bill proposed ensures that the costs shifted to customers not in a shared solar program are minimized.
On May 1, 2025, Dominion filed its 2025 minimum bill proposal (“Proposal” or “Application”) pursuant to Code § 56-594.3. Under the Company’s current Shared Solar Program, Dominion states that a customer may enroll with a third-party shared solar subscriber organization (“SO”) to purchase a portion of the output of the SO’s shared solar facility. Such customer then receives a bill credit on their electric bill to offset charges for their electric service. As stated in the Application, the Commission-approved bill credit rate, currently 13.489 cents per kilowatt-hour (“kWh”), is generally equivalent to the full cost of electric service and is multiplied by the number of kWh subscribed to by the customer from the SO. The customer then pays a subscription fee to the SO.
Dominion states that, to date, 53 SOs have registered with the Company for an aggregate capacity of approximately 199 MW in Phase One. The Company further asserts that approximately 16 of the 53 facilities have already reached commercial operation, and over 18,000 customers are enrolled with an SO and are receiving bill credits from the Company on their monthly electric bills.
According to Dominion, the Shared Solar Program acts as a companion to a subscriber’s principal tariff. In other words, subscribers purchase their electric service from the Company in accordance with their individual, Commission-approved principal tariff, just as a similarly situated non-program participant customer does. The only difference is that a subscriber receives a credit on their bill for this companion service under the Shared Solar Program. Dominion asserts that while the Shared Solar Program is intended to provide bill credits to offset the participating customers’ generation supply for the amount subscribed, the Program will not satisfy all of subscribers’ electric needs and participants must still rely on utility services comprising considerable costs that all utility customers are required to pay unless otherwise exempted by statute. As such, Dominion asserts that the minimum bill is an essential feature of the Shared Solar Program that ensures participating customers pay a fair share of the costs of the electric utility services they utilize, even as they receive bill credits through the Program. Dominion states that its minimum bill proposal in the instant proceeding is consistent with the methodology and bill components approved by the Commission in prior cases. The Company states there are
VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Request for Qualifications
Request for Qualifications
Contract ID #: C00116197DB138
Contract ID No. C00 124241DB139
State Project No. 0011 -102 -783; U000 -102 -743
I-81 CIP Ironto Widening Segment N Design-Build Project
Intersection Improvement of US -11/Old Airport Road, US -11 East and West Widening City of Bristol, Virginia Design -Build Project
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is seeking Statements of Qualifications from qualified and experienced respondents with design and construction experience of highway facilities for the I-81 CIP Ironto Widening Segment N Design-Build Project. VDOT has an urgent need to complete safety and operational improvements to this segment of Interstate 81 (I-81) in Roanoke County, Virginia and City of Salem, Virginia between approximate Mile Marker 132.8 and approximate Mile Marker 137.8. The project improvements include, but are not limited to, the following: an additional lane on both northbound and southbound I-81; two bridges replaced over Route 641 (Texas Hollow Road); two bridges replaced over Route 640 (Butt Hollow Road); two bridges replaced over Route 642 (Alleghany Drive), two bridges replaced over Route 777 (Fort Lewis Church Road), resurfacing/ reconstructing of existing asphalt pavement; and installing sign structures, storm drain pipes, stormwater management facilities, and noise barriers. The scope includes all work required for project management, design, and construction of the project.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is seeking Statements of Qualifications for the Intersection Improvement of US -11/Old Airport Road, US -11 East and West Widening Design-Build Project from qualified and experienced respondents with design and construction experience o f roadways and bridges The Project is located along Route 11 in Bristol, Virginia. The project includes widening of Route 11 to twolanes each direction, addition of turn lanes at four signalized intersections, and access management through addition of a raised median through the project limits. The four signalized intersections will also undergo improvements, including new signal poles and new signals to accommodate the new typical sections and number of lanes. The project also improves the geometry at the intersection of Old Airport Road and Route 11, by reducing the superelevation to meet current standards. Additionally, the project includes construction of new sidewalk, crosswalks, and pedestrian signals to improve pedestrian safety through project limits.
The work includes, among other things all work required to support the design and construction of: (a) roadway; (b) survey; (c) structure and/ or bridge; (d) environmental (e) geotechnical; (f) hydraulics; (g) traffic control devices; (h) transportation management plan; (i) right-of-way; (j) utilities; (k) public involvement/ relations; (l) quality assurance and quality control; (m) intelligent transportation systems; (n) construction engineering and inspection; and (o) overall project management.
This work includes, among other things all work required to support the design and construction of: roadway; survey; structure and/or bridge; environmental; geotechnical; hydraulics; traffic control devices; transportation management plan; rightof -way; utilities; public involvement/relations; quality assurance and quality control; construction engineering and inspection; overall Project management.
Questions/clarifications regarding the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) should be submitted to Suril R. Shah, P.E., DBIA (Suril.Shah@vdot.virginia.gov).
Q uestions/clarifications regarding the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) should be submitted to Joseph Clarke, P.E. (joseph.clarke@vdot.virginia.gov).
Copies of the RFQ and additional submittal requirements can be found at Bid Express (bidexpress.com).
Copies of the RFQ and additional submittal requirements can be found at (bidexpress.com).
The Department assures compliance with Title VI requirements of non-discrimination in all activities pursuant to this advertisement.
The Department assures compliance with Title VI requirements of non -discrimination in all activities pursuant to this advertisement.
non-bypassable charge. The Company claims that this treatment of non-bypassable costs prevents cost-shifting to the Company’s remaining customers.
Third, Dominion asserts that administrative costs that are incremental costs associated with the utility’s administration of the Shared Solar Program should be included in the minimum bill. The Company proposes maintaining the currently approved $1 per month administrative charge.
The Company also assessed and quantified the benefits of the Shared Solar Program to the electric grid and to the Commonwealth to determine whether, in its opinion, the proposed minimum bill should be reduced as a result of such benefits. Dominion states that the Shared Solar Program provides benefits to the grid for the generation and transmission components of service but does not provide quantifiable benefits for the distribution component of service. With respect to the generation benefits, the Company determined that, since customers enrolled in the Shared Solar Program receive the full value of generation in the bill credit and the minimum bill does not include a generation component, no additional benefit for generation should be included as a further reduction to the minimum bill. However, with respect to the transmission component, the Company concluded that the Program provides quantifiable benefits that have the potential to reduce the minimum bill. Finally, the Company concluded that renewable energy certificates (“RECs”) generated from the Shared Solar Program in Phase One of the Program produce no quantifiable benefits because those RECs are retained by SOs, but that RECs in Phase Two of the Program, if Phase Two is approved, would be transferred to the Company and would therefore result in a quantifiable benefit that should reduce the minimum bill.
For a Phase One residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month on Residential Schedule 1 with a shared solar subscription size of l,000 kWh, the Company estimates its Proposal would result in a monthly Shared Solar minimum bill of $70.26.
The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on Dominion’s Proposal. A hearing for the receipt of testimony from public witnesses on the Company’s Proposal shall be convened telephonically by the Commission at 10 a.m. on October 22, 2025. On or before October 15, 2025, 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 to register. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/caseinformation/webcasting
Beginning at 10 a.m. on October 22, 2025, the Commission will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.
On October 22, 2025, at 10 a.m., 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 Commission will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Proposal 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 Company’s Proposal may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Jontille D. Ray, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or jray@mcguirewoods.com Interested persons may also download unofficial copies of the Proposal and the public versions of other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/caseinformation
On or before October 15, 2025, any interested person may submit comments on the Proposal by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/ case-information/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-2025-00031.
On or before August 6, 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 on counsel to the Company, any other respondents and Staff electronically as described above. 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-2025-00031. 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 September 3, 2025, 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. PUR2025-00031.
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 Rules of Practice.
The Company’s Proposal, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, and the public versions of other documents filed in the case may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/case-information
AP Photo/Reed Saxon
Bill Withers and his daughter Kori Withers as seen in Beverly Hills, Calif., in 2006.
Powhatan dad gets another shot at American Ninja Warrior glory
By Mekhi Wilson
Barry Boyd grew up in a cramped three-bedroom home with 13 other family members.
When Child Protective Services deemed the living situation unsuitable, 6-year-old Barry and his two younger brothers were sent to live with their grandfather. But after that arrangement broke down, the siblings entered foster care, where they remained for five years. That challenging start helped shape the resilience and drive that now fuels his life as a competitor and father.
Today, 28-year-old Barry Boyd is a stay-at-home father and a three-time competitor on NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior,” the sports entertainment reality show where athletes race through challenging obstacle courses. After falling short last season on “The Gambler” — a casino-themed obstacle featuring a spinning roulette wheel platform — Boyd is back and aiming to reach the top. He and his wife, Mercedes, recently moved with their two young sons from Pittsburgh to Powhatan, where he continues his training.
Free Press: How did foster care shape you into the person that you are today?
Barry Boyd: It was a lot of moving from place to place. I was there with my two younger brothers, I had to step up and be a good role model for them pretty early, earlier than a kid should have to be. And so I was always looking out for them and like making sure they were safe and they were taken care of. It made me more of a people pleaser, but in a good way. And it just makes me look at my work and I’m like ‘Look, if I see people in need, if I can help, then I’m going to help that person.’
FP: You moved to Powhatan from Pittsburgh. Why?
BB: We moved out here because my wife actually had a job opportunity out here. So that’s when we moved down here and it was also close to her sister. That’s why we chose Virginia. It’s really hard because living out in Virginia, I believe the closest ninja gym is about two, three hours away, so it
makes training that much harder.
FP: Last year, you came up short in the National Finals when you took on “The Gambler.” Now, you find yourself back in the National semis. What have you done differently to prepare for this course?
BB: I’ve actually been going to the gym a little bit more so I can put more time in, because
will be inducted into the VUU Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 19. The Panthers won both the NCAA Division II national championship and the CIAA title that season, finishing 30-3 under Coach Dave Robbins.
Virginia Union to induct 8 and 1992 basketball team into Hall of Fame
Free Press staff report
Virginia Union University will induct eight individuals and the 1992 men’s basketball team into its Thomas “Tricky Tom” Harris Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 19.
The 2025 class includes Malcolm Barnwell, a former NFL wide receiver who played five seasons with the Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. Barnwell’s best season was 1984, when he caught 45 passes for 851 yards and two touchdowns.
Carl Bland, a 1984 VUU graduate, also played wide receiver in the NFL for the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. He won a Grey Cup with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in 1992 and now works as a pastor and school administrator in St. Louis.
Valerie Briggs coached the VUU cheerleaders, known as the Rah Rahs, for more than 20 years. A Richmond native and Virginia State University alumna, Briggs has been deeply involved in spirit leadership and athletic support.
Ashlé Freeman is Virginia Union’s all-time leading scorer in women’s basketball with 1,758 career points from 2011 to 2015. She was a two-
time All-CIAA selection and holds the school record for most steals in a single game with 12.
Brian Gurley competed in football and track and field from 2009 to 2012, earning All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships. He was a CIAA champion in the 60-meter dash and part of the All-CIAA 4x100 relay team. Gurley was named VUU Male Athlete of the Year in 2012.
Maj. Gen. Mitchell Kilgo played football at VUU from 1985 to 1988. He currently serves as deputy inspector general of the U.S. Army Inspector General Agency. Kilgo has multiple advanced degrees and has served in the military since 1988.
Alumni Marvin and Janice Willingham have long supported Panther Athletics. Marvin played football under coach “Tricky Tom” Harris and was mentored by Henry Hucles, a former coach and athletics administrator.
The 1992 men’s basketball team, coached by Dave Robbins, won both the NCAA Division II national championship and the CIAA championship. The team finished the season 30-3. It was the second of three national titles under Robbins and remains one of the most celebrated teams in Panther history.
it’s so hard whenever you’re training for Ninja; it takes such a toll in your body. I have a membership to a relaxing recovery place that we have out here in Richmond. So now, I can actually focus on relaxing and making sure my body has the recovery time that I need to make myself stronger each day.
FP: What was the moment that made you want to compete on American Ninja Warrior?
BB: I was watching it with my dad, and this is when I was still just a little kid, and we would always joke about doing the show. I was like ‘Man, I want to try that’. And then as I got older, I was unaware that there were actual ninja gyms opening around the country. And then, when I moved to Pittsburgh, I went rock climbing with a guy that did the walk-on lines a lot, and then, he ended up opening a
Ninja Gym in Pittsburgh. Once he opened the Ninja Gym, I got to work with him, and we became really good friends. I was like “This is awesome, I’m training for the show.”
FP: If you were to win American Ninja Warrior, what would you do with the prize money?
BB: I’ve always wanted to have my own ninja gym, but I’m also a big fan of normal fitness centers. The gyms that I’ve been to that I’m a part of, that’s just a great way to start to reach out to kids that don’t really have gyms, because I grew up kind of in the foster care system. And so for me, having a ninja gym or something like that, and then being able to partner with orphanages or other foster care places and get more kids involved, I feel like that’s just my calling.
VCU duo achieves NBA dreams as Shulga and Watkins get drafted
Two former VCU standouts achieved their NBA dreams Thursday night, with both Max Shulga and Jamir Watkins hearing their names called in the draft.
Shulga, the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year, was selected 57th overall by Orlando before being dealt to Boston. The 6-foot-5 guard becomes the 23rd player from VCU’s program to be drafted into the NBA and the fourth since 2021.
Watkins, who transferred to Florida State after helping VCU capture the 2023 A-10 championship, went 43rd overall to Utah and was subsequently traded to Washington.
During his final collegiate season, Shulga put up impressive numbers: 15 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4 assists per game while connecting on
39% of his three-point attempts. His leadership helped guide VCU to both A-10 regular season and tournament titles, earning the Rams an NCAA tournament appearance.
The Ukraine native from Kyiv transferred to VCU after three seasons at Utah State and made an immediate impact. Over two seasons in Richmond, he accumulated 1,045 points and established himself among the program’s elite shooters, ranking third all-time in three-point percentage (.402) and free throw accuracy (.826).
VCU’s NBA pipeline continues to flourish, with 12 former players having appeared in NBA games. Most recently, Vince Williams Jr. suited up for Memphis while Bones Hyland split time between the L.A. Clippers and Minnesota during the 2024-25 season.
Widows one win from national title game
of
the
to clinch a spot in the conference championship as they continue their run toward a national title. The team will host the SemiFinals on July 12.
Norfolk State names
Free Press Staff Report
Norfolk State University has named Merrill “M.L.” Morgan as its new head baseball coach, the school announced last week. Morgan becomes the sixth head coach in program history, bringing a wealth of experience at the collegiate and professional levels. He most recently served as the Mid-Atlantic area scouting supervisor for the Tampa Bay Rays.
“He has contributed to winning campaigns at every stop in his decorated career.
Flying Squirrels drop series finale to Fightin Phils, 5-3
Free Press staff report
The Richmond Flying Squirrels fell behind early and couldn’t recover in a 5-3 loss to the Reading Fightin Phils on Sunday afternoon at The Diamond.
Reading (24-49, 4-2 second half) used a five-run burst through the first four innings to take the series win over Richmond (23-50-1, 2-4), which dropped the final two games of the set to open the Eastern League’s second half. The Fightin Phils struck early against Squirrels starter Manuel Mercedes (3-9), who gave up a leadoff double to Aidan Miller in the first inning. Miller later scored on a single by Jose Rodriguez to give Reading
a 1-0 lead. Mercedes escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third but couldn’t hold back the Fightins in the fourth. Dylan Campbell drove in Felix Reyes with a double, then scored on an RBI single by Alex Binelas. Later in the inning, Carson DeMartini added a two-run single to push the lead to 5-0 and chase Mercedes from the game. Richmond’s bullpen held strong, with five relievers — Nick Sinacola, Helcris Olivarez, Michael Stryffeler, Marques Johnson and Braxton Roxby — combining for 5.1 scoreless innings. The Squirrels bullpen has now posted a 0.60 ERA (3 earned runs in 45.1 innings) over the last 11 games.
The Squirrels broke up the shutout in the fifth with a run-scoring groundout by Aeverson Arteaga. Onil Perez cut the deficit to 5-3 in the sixth with a two-run double. Reading relieverAndrew Bechtold entered for the final out of the eighth and pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his first save. Jean Cabrera (3-4) picked up the win for the Fightins.
The Squirrels had Monday off before a home series against the Chesapeake Baysox, the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The team will also host Star-Spangled Squirrels Fest on Friday night, featuring fireworks, music and holiday-themed food and drinks.
With his ability to identify and develop talent, I’m confident he will build a tremendous program here at NSU,” said NSU vice president and director of athletics Melody Webb. Morgan holds an overall coaching record of 254117 and has been part of four regular-season championship teams and one conference tournament title. A VCU alumnus, Morgan began his coaching career as an assistant with the Rams, helping the team win the 2015 Atlantic 10 Tournament and the 2017 regular-season title. He also coached at Randolph-Macon College, where he served as an assistant and associate head coach during a stretch that included the Yellow Jackets’ first NCAA Regional title and a trip to the Division III College World Series in 2018. Randolph-Macon began the 2020 season 15-1 before it was cut short by the pandemic and earned national No. 1 and No. 2 rankings in separate polls.
said. “This is truly a special opportunity to serve a program with such a rich tradition of success. I’m eager to foster an environment where student-athletes can excel on the field, in the classroom and in the community.” Ray Hedrick, head coach at Randolph-Macon, praised Morgan’s impact both on and off the field.
“M.L. is a well-respected baseball mind throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic,” Hedrick said.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to be named the next head baseball coach at Norfolk State University,” Morgan
“Above all else, M.L. values relationships and the overall development of young men far beyond the baseball field. He is a transformational leader.” Morgan played at VCU, where he helped lead the Rams to two conference championships and NCAA regional appearances. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2010 and a master’s in sports leadership in 2014, both from VCU. He will take over a Norfolk State program that has made two NCAA Tournament appearances and captured the MEAC championship in 2021.
Free Press staff report
Max Shulga
VUU Athletics
The 1992 Virginia Union University men’s basketball team, shown here,
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Shawnisa Estep (5)
Richmond’s Black Widows breaks through defenders during a playoff matchup against
Upstate New York Lady Predators on Saturday, June 28. The Black Widows dominated in a 27-0 shutout
Elizabeth Morris/NBC
Barry Boyd competes on a recent episode of NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior.” The semifinals begin July 14.
M.L. Morgan
Personality: Sherod Davis
Spotlight on the owner of Misfit Tattoo Society
When Richmond’s predominantly white tattoo industry didn’t provide an opportunity for Sherod Davis to learn the craft, he taught himself. Now, as the owner of one of Richmond’s Black-owned tattoo shops, Misfit Tattoo Society, he offers a safe space for apprentices to learn and his customers to feel at home. His shop opened in February 2024.
Richmond has a vibrant and strong tattoo culture, consistently ranking third among cities with the most tattoo shops per capita, according to beauty and wellness platform TotalBeauty.com. Tattooing can be a lucrative profession for creatives, with hourly rates ranging from $100 to $250 and day rates reaching up to $1,600. However, the industry has a history of being uninviting to people of color.
“Back in the day, shops weren’t welcoming to people of color and people outside of the biker lifestyle,” Davis said. Davis, who has been drawing since he was a child, earned a business degree and began his career as an accountant for a wine company. Realizing he didn’t want a long-term career in corporate America, he planned to pursue a path with more autonomy and creativity.
At 25, he began to learn the art of tattooing from watching YouTube videos and from a relative who was a “scratcher,” a tattoo artist who isn’t formally trained and works outside professional shops.
“I didn’t want to be a scratcher,” Davis said. “I wanted to be a licensed tattoo artist.”
Davis believes the tattoo culture in Richmond is more inclusive and diverse than it was when he began learning his craft. He credits the city’s vibrant arts scene for Richmond’s national reputation as a tattoo haven.
“The art culture trickles down to tattoos. It goes handin-hand with the culture here. I wanted to put my mark on it and be the first to open a tattoo shop in Richmond for people of color,” he said.
The name Misfit Tattoo Society reflects how tattoos have evolved from taboo to a widely accepted form of self-expression. It embraces the shift in culture, celebrating individuality and change.
“Historically, tattoos were frowned upon, especially in corporate America,” Davis said. “People were called misfits or outcasts for having tattoos. We’re all misfits.”
Davis and his wife have a five-year-old son, and they’re expecting another son in December. He enjoys playing with his son, spending time with his family and road cycling.
He talks about his journey, the industry and what drives him.
Where did you grow up?
Where do you live now? Northside in Highland Park, but I graduated from Henrico High School. I live in Chesterfield now.
Why did you become a tattoo artist?
Freedom was a motivator for my career choice. I worked in corporate America, but I was
slowly working my way out. I’m an artist. I’ve been drawing since I was a kid.
How do you become a tattoo artist?
In Virginia, tattoo artists have to have a license, which means they must either become an apprentice or attend a licensed school. The best way to become a tattoo artist is to get an apprenticeship because tattoo schools are sometimes frowned upon. It’s a process that includes a stateadministered exam. I have two apprentices in my shop. What challenges have you faced breaking into the tattoo industry?
I learned how to tattoo in 2013. Becoming an apprentice is the typical way to learn the art of tattooing, but I was selftaught. It was difficult to get an apprenticeship back then,
especially for people of color. It was kind of gate-kept. People have to give you their time, energy and trust. I was discouraged by the process, which is why I decided to teach myself.
Why did you open a tattoo parlor?
I don’t like authority, so being my own boss motivates me. The place — the music, the vibe, the customer experience, etc. — is curated exactly the way I want it.
I believe my customers should have a good experience when someone is painting.
Why do people get tattoos?
Tattoos give people confidence. They feel better about themselves. People see it and get compliments. There’s a higher level of acceptance of tattoos now.
What’s the most meaningful tattoo you’ve ever done?
I’ve done a lot of tattoos that are memorable and meaningful, but one that I did for a young lady whose toddler passed away stands out. She wanted a portrait done of her daughter. She was quiet and reserved while I worked on her tattoo, but she was in tears when I finished. That emotional connection is what makes tattooing more than just a job for me.
How do you choose the right tattoo artist?
The biggest mistake is choosing an artist who fits the style of tattoo you want. Social media is the best way to find
an artist because you can see their work.
Why did the tattoo industry in Richmond exclude Black people?
Some people have never worked on darker skin. For me, it’s easier when you’re working with a darker palette. I prefer a darker palette for black and grey because I don’t have to use as many tones. The skin is part of the image or highlight.
You describe your styles of tattooing as Realism and Illustrative.
There are ten different styles in tattooing. Realism is taking a picture of someone and tattooing it precisely as it is in the picture. Specifically, I do black and grey realism. Illustrative is two-dimensional, like cartoon characters.
What’s it like as an entrepreneur in Richmond?
It’s fun because your future is in your hands. You’re investing in your future, but it can be challenging because Richmond is so saturated with tattoo parlors.
Your shop is located in Shockoe Bottom, very close to where the three-alarm fire occurred recently. Was your business affected?
Thankfully, no. We saw the smoke and could smell it, but I didn’t understand the magnitude of it until I saw the news.
What role does Misfit Tattoo Society play in the community?
The shop offers a place of comfort, and we’re welcoming to people of color. We have a very chill vibe, so people can
be themselves there. Also, we do food drives at Thanksgiving and back-to-school drives. One summer, I helped a friend at Highland Springs High School with a summer program there. I talked to the kids about entrepreneurship and tattooing. We started with only five kids, but the number of kids attending grew each week.
How do you start your day?
I get up at 8 or 9 a.m. and spend time with my son. The shop opens at noon, so I don’t start work until 11. What are three words that best describe you?
Laidback, caring and driven. What would you do if you had 10 extra minutes in your day?
I’d paint more. What music are you listening to most right now? Right now, it’s Chicago blues, the “Sinners” movie soundtrack and anything by Teddy Pendergrass.
What quote inspires you?
“The first 25 years of your life will determine the next 25 years of your life.” My grandfather told me this when I was young, and it’s always guided me. What book inspired you most?
“Rich Dad Poor Dad,” by Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter.
Who is your dream dinner party guest?
Quincy Jones because he was a cultural revolutionary. What’s your next goal? I want to build generational wealth.
Visit The Branch on Thursday, July 10 at 6pm for a compelling community conversation featuring Richmond Free Press photojournalists Regina H. Boone and Sandra Sellars, along with exhibition writer Nichole Christian, as they discuss the photographs, protests, and creative resistance captured during the summer of 2020 and featured in the exhibition [re]Framing Protest (NOW): Design + Hope. The conversation will explore the intersection of art, activism, and public space, and how Richmond’s community reshaped its cityscape in response to a national call for justice.
Following the discussion, guests are invited to a book signing of the original exhibition catalog, available for purchase at The Branch Museum of Design. For tickets, please visit branchmuseum.org.
The Branch Museum of Design
(Photo by Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press)
In the loop
By Rich Griset
Richmond Triangle Players and Firehouse Theatre stage
“A Strange Loop,” a Pulitzer and Tony-winning show about Black queerhood, family and finding your “inner white girl.”
Katrinah Carol Lewis acknowledges that conversation can get a bit circular when discussing her new show.
“‘A Strange Loop’ is a musical about a Black gay man writing a musical about a Black gay man writing a musical about a Black gay man,” says Lewis, who directs the production opening this week at Richmond Triangle Players in partnership with Firehouse Theatre.
Penned by composer, playwright and lyricist Michael R. Jackson, “A Strange Loop” concerns Usher, a 25-year-old aspiring musical theater writer looking for love and acceptance.
Fittingly, Usher pays his bills by working as an usher for the Broadway production of “The Lion King.”
“More than anything, he wants to keep integrity in his art
Going fourth
Star-Spangled Squirrels Fest at The Diamond, 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., 6 to 9:30 p.m. Celebrate Independence Day with the Richmond Flying Squirrels featuring music, food and drink specials, and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Free. milb.com/richmond
Dogwood Dell “Big Show” at Byrd Park, 600 S. Arthur Ashe Blvd., music begins at 5:30 p.m.; fireworks around 9:15 p.m. Free concert featuring Full Spectrum, Virginia Opera, Richmond Concert Band and fireworks finale. Free. richmondgov.com/events
Henrico County Red, White & Lights at Meadow Farm Museum, Crump Park, 3400 Mountain Road, 4 to 8:30 p.m. Family-friendly Independence Day event featuring the Richmond Symphony with guest conductor Naima Burrs, children’s group Big Bang Boom, Deau Eyes and a laser-light show finale (no fireworks). Additional activities include bounce houses, face painting, balloon animals, food trucks, watermelon and historical reenactments. Free.
Chesterfield County Fourth of July Celebration at Chesterfield County Fairgrounds, 10300 Courthouse Rd., gates open at 5 p.m.; fireworks at dusk. Free event with food vendors, kids zone and music by BrassWind. chesterfield.gov
and wants people to understand him,” says Marcus Antonio of Usher, the character he plays in the Richmond production.
“[The show] delves into a whole bunch of different topics — religion, family, art, queerness and Blackness.”
In this irreverent meta-musical, Usher’s intrusive thoughts are portrayed by six different actors. Along the way, he attempts to find romance, contends with homophobic family members and — even though he despises Tyler Perry — ends up writing a gospel play for the entertainment mogul. Perry isn’t the only cultural sacred cow that gets tipped during the show. Usher gets blocked on dating apps for disliking Beyoncé; he longs to find his “inner white girl” who gets to be “cool, tall, vulnerable and luscious” and can do anything she wants (the show contains many Liz Phair references). The musical won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2020 and the Tony Award for best musical in 2022. Antonio saw the show during its Broadway run and was immediately smitten.
“It’s unlike anything that I’d ever seen, and it pulls from so many different inspirations. It hits very close to home for Black people and Black queer people in such a real way. It really throws you off balance when you’re watching it, which is intentional. It really makes you think.”
Among other topics, the musical explores how racial
‘Ayida’ at VCU’s
Free Press staff report
The Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University recently opened “Ayida,” a group art exhibition celebrating the Caribbean and its diaspora, that will be on display through early 2026.
The free exhibition, curated by guest curator Serubiri Moses with support from ICA Assistant Curator Egbert Vongmalaithong, features work by five early- to midcareer artists. It will remain on display through early 2026.
Inspired by the life and work of Haitian poet Assotto Saint (1957-1994), a prominent figure in New York’s Black and gay writers movement of the 1980s, the exhibition explores the merging of cultures, especially Saint’s complex relationship with Haitian Vodou. The religion, which has African and Catholic roots and is widely practiced in Haiti, often faces prejudice in Western societies.
Artists in the show examine spiritual, material and intellectual cultures of Haiti, the Dominican Republic and
still surprises me the references and the different numbers that Michael R. Jackson covers in this piece,” Lewis says. “It’s got songs that feel like Tori Amos or Liz Phair, then you’ve got a big Broadway number, then you’ve got something that feels like the Clark Sisters, big gospel numbers. We’ve got Broadway, we’ve got pop, we’ve got R&B, we’ve got gospel — and it all works together seamlessly.”
Noting the musical’s drastic shifts in tone, Lewis praises her cast’s acting chops.
dynamics manifest and what it’s like to not be accepted by family members because of your sexuality.
“It chokes me up every time,” says Lewis of watching Usher try to engage with his family in the show. “The play asks you to look at things that are difficult and find compassion for Usher, who’s trying to
figure it out. He says many times in the play that he is trying to write about what life feels like for him. He’s trying to write this piece of art in a way that will help people understand what he has going on in his mind.”
Lewis lauds Jackson’s eclectic score.
“I’ve been living with this piece for many years now and it
“It requires quite a range from the actors,” she says. “They need to be big and broad and off the chain at some portions of the play, and they really need to be able to pull it back. It needs to feel authentic and super real and poignant and tender. This group of people understands the assignment.” Antonio says the show isn’t like anything audiences have seen before.
“It’s not your standard musical,” he says. This story originally appeared on styleweekly.com.
“A Strange Loop” continues through Aug. 9 at the Robert B. Moss Theatre, 1300 Altamont Ave. For more information, visit rtriangle.org
ICA celebrates Caribbean culture and diaspora
other Caribbean sites through archives, photography, sculpture, installation and printmaking.
Moses, a New York-based writer and curator, became interested in Saint while researching Black LGBTQ+
writers active during the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 2017, Moses viewed the “In the Life Archive” at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, part of the New York Public Library, where he encountered
Saint’s archival work.
“In examining the Saint papers, I started to reflect on who Saint was prior to his migration to New York,” Moses said. He noted Saint’s frequent evocation of deities such as Ayida-Wedo, a Haitian
Vodou god associated with the earth and origins.
“The focus on place or diaspora in this exhibition is a way of showing how the Dominican Republic and Haiti have a profound impact on the work of Black artists working today,” Moses said.
The exhibition features artists Lizania Cruz, Oletha DeVane, Thomas Allen Harris, mujero and Didier William. Their multidisciplinary work addresses themes of migration, belonging, spirituality, Afrodiaspora religions and Black, queer and Caribbean identity. Harris, a documentary photographer and filmmaker who knew Saint, included a film clip of Saint at a Kwanzaa celebration in New York in the early 1990s.
The exhibit also draws on research by the late Dominican sociologist Fradique Lizardo into el Gagá, a movementbased Vodou tradition. Moses said he hopes visitors will gain a deeper understanding of how ritual occurs daily outside formal religion and learn about the intellectual traditions shaping the Caribbean and American art.
Museum to close select galleries for expansion project
Free Press staff report
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will temporarily close galleries displaying African art, Indigenous American art and Pre-Columbian art beginning July 7 as it prepares for its largest expansion and renovation project.
The museum announced Thursday that affected collections will be removed from view while construction areas are prepared. Most of the permanent collection will remain accessible to visitors.
“There’s always something to see at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and most of the permanent collection will stay open,” Director and CEO Alex Nyerges said in a statement. The museum will maintain its 365-day annual schedule and continue hosting programs, events and exhibitions during construction.
Site preparation begins this fall, with groundbreaking expected in spring 2026. Select works from the closed collections will return in September in a gallery dedicated to the Virginia
Standards of Learning program.
Galleries featuring American, Ancient, East Asian, European, Photography, South Asian and 21st-century art will remain open. The museum’s current exhibition, “Frida: Beyond the Myth” runs through Sept. 28. The expansion will add the 173,000-squarefoot McGlothlin Wing II, featuring new gallery spaces for American and Indigenous American art, contemporary art, African art and special exhibitions. The addition will include a 500seat events space, meeting rooms and a café.
The project will also renovate 45,000 square feet of existing gallery space across the museum’s 1936, 1970 and 2010 wings, including expanded areas for photography and European art. Upon completion in late 2028, the museum will house the nation’s second-largest space for African art, fourth-largest space for American art and fourth-largest photography gallery suite.
Updates on the project are available at VMFA.museum.
Thomas Allen Harris
Schomburg Center audience with Barbara Ann Teer and Woodie King, circa 1986.
Scott Elmquist
Marcus Antonio (center) plays Usher, the main character in the Richmond Triangle Players and Firehouse Theatre’s production of “A Strange Loop.”
Maxine Jenkins remembered for a life of service, education and compassion
By George Copeland Jr.
For years, Maxine Turner Jenkins was a major part in the beginnings and endings of Richmond residents’ lives. Through her career in education and decades working in the funeral business, Maxine Turner Jenkins occupied a unique place in Richmond, touching many lives before her death on June 26 at age of 85.
Born in Richmond on Dec. 7, 1939, Jenkins earned her teaching degree after graduating from Hampton University, then known as Hampton Institute. She began her career in South Hill before returning to Richmond, where she taught for several
years at schools including Armstrong High School, Huguenot High School and Maggie Walker High School.
Jonathan Bibbs, an education advocate and former Richmond Prep CEO, remembers Jenkins as a “consummate professional” whose style and classroom management taught excellence by example and as someone who expected the same from her students.
“She is a dear part of memories of high school,” Bibbs said. “I pray that her memory and her legacy will continuously be a blessing to her family, her friends and students
who were blessed to learn from her.”
In 1991, Jenkins embraced a new role when she and her husband, Joseph Jenkins Jr., purchased the business that became Jenkins Funeral Home. Though she eventually retired from teaching, she remained involved in the funeral home’s operations as its owner until her death.
Outside of her educational and funeral work, Jenkins was also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church. She is remembered by her family, friends and former students as a positive teaching influence,
Investigation finds Rev. Barber did not misdirect funds to pay ex-wife alimony
By Yonat Shimron Religion News Service
An independent investigation into allegations that the Rev. William Barber II paid his ex-wife alimony from the finances of his nonprofit concluded the civil rights leader did nothing wrong.
In a court filing last month, Rebecca Barber, the preacher’s ex-wife, alleged that since November 2023, the nonprofit Repairers of the Breach has issued monthly checks for $7,000 to a joint personal bank account shared by Barber and his ex-wife, “under the guise of alimony or financial support.”
The board of Repairers of the Breach, a 10-year-old social change organization founded by Barber, hired the North Carolina law firm Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein to investigate the claim. In a statement issued Saturday, the board said, “We can confirm that all payments made to Reverend Barber align with approved amounts, and any transfers made to a personal account were made from his own salary, independent of Repairers of the Breach.”
Barber and his ex-wife have been in court over the distribution of their assets. The couple divorced after 37 years in November 2024. They have four adult children and raised a daughter from William Barber’s prior relationship.
When mediation failed to settle parts of the divorce, Rebecca Barber filed a motion to add Repairers of the Breach as a third-party defendant.
“Defendant contends that Repairers of the Breach Inc. is functionally an alter ego of plaintiff and may possess or
control assets that are marital in nature or otherwise relevant to this court’s equitable distribution determination,” read the motion filed in Durham County on May 14.
The board’s investigation found Barber did not use or direct organizational funds for personal benefit. The report was not made public because it contained privileged information about employees, said Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, chairman of the 10-member board and a frequent collaborator with Barber.
“The story is that there is no story and we’re moving on with our work,” WilsonHartgrove said.
On June 12, a district court judge denied a motion by Barber’s lawyer, Tamela Wallace, for a protective order against Rebecca Barber.
Repairers of the Breach paid Barber more than $224,000 in salary in 2023, according to the most recent Form 990 filed by private foundations in the United States. That year, the organization had $8.2 million in net assets.
According to a 2024 nonprofit compensation report from Candid,a nonprofit information organization, the median salary for a nonprofit the size of Repairers of the Breach — with revenue between $5 million and $10 million — was $185,699, with an average
salary of $219,446. In North Carolina, the median salary for nonprofits in that revenue range was $166,693, with an average of $192,942.
Barber is also founder of the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School, where he teaches and earns a salary. Barber’s Yale salary is not public, but according to the Office of Institutional Research, the average salary of a professor at Yale was between $142,238 and $275,325 in 2023-24.
Repairers of the Breach is best known for reviving the Poor People’s Campaign, an anti-poverty effort bearing the
name and goals of the movement launched by Martin Luther King Jr. shortly before his 1968 assassination.
Recently, the organization has begun a “Moral Monday” campaign with weekly demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol aimed at challenging the Republican-led budget bill, including potential cuts to social safety-net programs such as Medicaid.
In May, Barber married the Rev. Della Owens, pastor of St. James Church in Wilson, North Carolina, a Disciples of Christ congregation and a former employee of Repairers of the Breach.
a devoted churchgoer and a loving grandmother. Jenkins was preceded in death by her parents, one sibling and her husband. She is survived by sons Joseph Jenkins III and Jason Jenkins, brother Alvin C. Turner Jr., granddaughters Sydney, Maya and Maisen Jenkins, sisters-in-law Barbara McPhail and Caroline Arrington, and other relatives and friends. Jenkins’ life was honored Wednesday evening by an “Ivy Beyond the Wall” ceremony hosted by Alpha Kappa Alpha at Jenkins Funeral Home, followed by a visitation. A funeral will be held Thursday, July 3, at noon in Fifth Baptist Church at 1415 W. Cary St.
Maxine Jenkins
Rev. Barber
known as 9221 Forest Hill Avenue.
Ordinance No. 2025-155
To authorize the conditional use of the property known as 505 West Leigh Street for the purpose of a lodginghouse, upon certain terms and conditions.
Ordinance No. 2025-156 To rezone the properties known as 1220 Ingram Avenue and 1260 Ingram Avenue from the M-1 Light Industrial District to the TOD-1 Transit Oriented Nodal District and the B-5 Central Business District.
OBOFONI
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE
OF HANOVER LAMA MALAEB, Plaintiff v. SAMER MALAEB, Defendant. Case No.: CL25001827-00 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 28th day of July, 2025 at 9:00 AM and protect his interests.
A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR.,
Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724
8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804 798-9667
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER DWAYNE BANKS, Plaintiff v. RILIA BANKS, Defendant. Case No.: CL24003610-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.
It is ORDERED that the defendant, who is a nonresident, appear here on or before the 28th day of July, 2025 at 9:00 AM and protect her interests.
A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR.,
Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Esquire Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ANGELA PALMER, Plaintiff v. STERLING PALMER, Defendant. Case No.: CL25001768-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.
It is ORDERED that the defendant, who is a nonresident, appear here on or before the 22nd day of July, 2025 at 9:00 AM and protect his interests.
A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804 798-9667
CUSTODY VIRGINIA: Henrico Circuit Court 4309 E Parham Road, Richmond, VA 23228 Commonwealth of Virginia, in re ADOPTION OF CHILD to be known as PEIGHTON ELIZABETH JOHNSON Case No. CA25000025-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to: Adoption of PEIGHTON ELIZABETH JOHNSON It is ORDERED that Sean Wilton appear at the abovenamed court and protect his/her interest on or before 8/15/2025
VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND
Continued from previous column Continued from previous column Commonwealth of Virginia, in re MILANI GOIN, a Juvenile RDSS, Plaintiff v. UNKNOWN FATHER, Defendant File No. JJ102482-09-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of the Unknown Father (Father) of Milani Goin, child DOB 03/03/2023 . “TPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support.
It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown Father (Father) to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 12/10/2025, at 9:00 A.M., COURTROOM #5.
VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re JAMEKA MONAE ROOKS, a Juvenile RDSS, Plaintiff v. ALPHAINE CHRISTOPHER ROOKS, Defendant File No. JJ094595-16-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of Alphaine Christopher Rooks (Father) of Jameka Monae Rooks, child DOB 11/22/2016 . “TPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support.
It is ORDERED that the defendant Alphaine Christopher Rooks (Father) to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 08/28/2025, at 9:00 A.M., COURTROOM #3.
PROPERTY
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND In re: Surplus Funds Derived from the Foreclosure Sale of Property Located at 1116 North 22nd Street, Richmond, Virginia 23223 PETER M. PEARL, BRYSON J. HUNTER, and JENNIFER A. BAKER, Trustees Petitioners, v. UNKNOWN HEIRS OF NATHANIEL JAMES -andUNKNOWN HEIRS OF DONNA J. JAMES Respondents. Case No. CL25-2515-00 CGC
AMENDED ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to interplead surplus funds remaining following the foreclosure sale of certain real property commonly known as 1116 North 22nd Street, Richmond, Virginia 23223. It appearing that Respondents’ identity and present whereabouts are unknown, and that diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Petitioners without effect to ascertain the identity and location of any unknown heirs, it is ORDERED that any potential heirs appear on or before July 22, 2025 at 9:00 a.m., in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, Virginia and do what may be necessary to protect their interest in this suit. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that that a copy of this Order be posted at the front door of the Courthouse, on the Court Website, AND a copy mailed to each party at their addresses below. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Order be published once per week for four successive weeks in the Richmond Free Press. The Clerk of this Court shall post this Order at the front door of the Courthouse and shall mail a copy of this Order to the parties at their last known and provided addresses, if any, herein. I ask for this: Peter M. Pearl, Esquire VSB No. 22344 Timothy J. Lovett, Esquire VSB No. 97438 Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC P. O. Box 90 Roanoke, VA 24002-0090 540-512-1800 540-342-4480 (facsimile) ppearl@spilmanlaw.com tlovett@spilmanlaw.com Last known addressES for Defendants Unknown Heirs of Nathaniel James 1116 North 22nd Street Richmond, Virginia 23223 Unknown Heirs of Donna J. James 1116 North 22nd Street Richmond, Virginia 23223
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND SHERMAN L. BURWELL, et al. Plaintiffs, v. JOSEPH WILSON, parties unknown and Unknown
Heirs, of any person with any interest in the parcel, and the heirs, devisees, assigns or successors in interest, if any of such person, as they may appear. Defendants. Case No.: CL21005152-00-7 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to quiet title by adverse possession as thereto belonging, lying and being in the City of Richmond, Virginia, land designated as Parcel ID: E0110223010, commonly known as 1710 Williamsburg Road, Richmond, Virginia 23231, belonging to the Plaintiff’s and Parcel ID: 011023009, commonly known as 1710 ½ Williamsburg Road, Richmond, Virginia 23231, belonging to Defendants. An affidavit has been made and sworn to that the whereabouts and post office address of Joseph Wilson, one of the heirs of Margaret W. Lotsey, deceased, is unknown that may have an interest in said property. On consideration whereof, it is ORDERED that all parties hereinabove named, including those designated as “parties unknown” appear or on before the August 1, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., and do what is necessary to protect their interests.
EDWARD F. JEWETT, Clerk I ask for this: Terry T. Hughes, Esquire
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ELMO G. CROSS, JR. A PROPONENT OF THE WILL OF DALE WAYNE STANLEY Plaintiff, v. HEIRS OF THE ESTATE OF DALE WAYNE STANLEY, ETAL Defendants. Case No. CL25001770-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of the above·styled suit is to probate the lost will of Dale Wayne Stanley. An Affidavit has been made and filed stating that due diligence has been used, without effect, to ascertain the identity and location of certain parties to be served, specifically the heirs, devisees and/or successors of the following individuals believed to be deceased: Roy Chester Stanley, Lorene Elizabeth Brooks, Willie Louis Brooks, Joseph Warner Brooks, Gladys Marie Hawks, Dorothy Constance Meeks, Willie Lewis Brooks, Carl Lee Brooks, and Deborah Brooks, and it appearing so by affidavit filed according to law, it is therefore ordered that any party having an interest in the above styled suit appear on or before the 22nd day of July 2025, in the Clerk’s Office of this Court and do what is necessary to protect his or her interest. And, it is further ordered that this order be published once a week for four successive weeks in the Richmond Free Press, 422 E. Franklin Street, Second Floor, Richmond, VA 23219 a newspaper of general circulation in the County of Hanover, Virginia, and that a copy of this Order be posted at the front door of the courthouse wherein this Court is held. I ASK FOR THIS: Jeffrey A. Duling, VSB # 48245 Duling Law Finn PLC Post Office Box 242 7309 Hanover Green Drive Mechanicsville, Virginia 23111 (804) 789-0192 (804) 789-0194 facsimile Counsel for Elmo G. Cross, Jr., a Proponent of the Will of Dale Wayne Stanley A COPY TESTE FRANK D. HARGROVE JR. CLERK NOTICE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF ORANGEBURG
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Deborah Bradley v. Clarence Saxon, Rosa Saxon, Dorothy Washington, Frank Saxon, Katherine Saxon, Lavel Lee Saxon, Vernon Washington, Vincent Washington, Vernessa Washington Broddie, Victor Washington, Verlonda Washington, Valon Washington, Willie L. Dash, if they be alive and if they are deceased, John Doe and Jane Doe, fictitious names designating the unknown heirs, devisees, distributees, issue, executors, administrators successors or assigns of the Defendants named above, and Richard Roe and Mary Roe, fictitious names designating infants and persons under any disability or incompetent, including those persons who might be in the Military Services within the meaning of The Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act, Title 50, United States Code, also, persons may be made parties defendant either on the filing of the complaint, counterclaim, or crossclaim, as the case may be, or at any time thereafter by amendment thereof, by the name and description of unknown owners, or unknown heirs or unknown devisees of any such designations, and also all other persons unknown claiming any right, title estate, interest in, or lien upon the real estate described in the complaint herein.
LIS PENDENS - NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an action has been commenced in this Court upon Complaint of the above-named Plaintiff against the above-named Defendants for the partition of certain real property formerly owned by Clarence Saxon, Dorothy Washington and Katherine Saxon, who is now deceased. The abovenamed Defendants constitute the present owners of the above-mentioned property or persons who claim or may claim an interest in the said property, which property is described as follows:
PARCEL 1 All that certain lot with the dwelling and any other improvements thereon, lying and being and fronting on West Glover Street in the City of Orangeburg, County of Orangeburg, State of South Carolina, and bounded on the South by West Glover Street, aforesaid, and measuring thereon fifty (50) feet; on the east by lot now or formerly of Ed Givance, and measuring thereon sixty-five (65) feet, more or less; on the North by property now or formerly of Jessie Seabrook and George Thomas and measuring thereon fifty (50) feet, and on the West by the remaining portion of lot belonging to J.G. Fair and measuring thereon sixtyfive (65) feet, more or less.
TMS# 00173-17-38-006.000.
PARCEL 2 All that certain parcel or lot of land, with any improvements thereon, situate, lying and being in school District No. 5, City and County of Orangeburg, State of South Carolina, being designated as Lot No. 3, on a Plat for J.L. Sanford, prepared by Associates of W.F. Stokes, approved by W.F. Stokes, RLS, dated September 9, 1981, and recorded in the Office of the RMC for Orangeburg County in Plat Book 51 at page 131, and bounded and measuring as follows: On the Northeast by a portion of Lot No. 2, on said plat, measuring thereon sixty and nine-tenths (60.9) feet; on the Southeast by a portion of Lot 4, on said plat, measuring thereon fiftyfour and six-tenths (54.6) feet; on the Southwest by Riggs Street, measuring thereon sixty-one (61) feet; and on the Northwest by Glover Street, measuring thereon fifty-three (53) feet; all measurements being more or less. TMS# 0173-17-38009.000. PARCEL 3 All that certain piece, parcel or lot of land, with any improvements thereon, situate, lying and being Continued on next column
in the City and County of Orangeburg, State of South Carolina, being designated as Lot No. 2, on a Plat for J.L. Sanford, prepared by W.F. Stokes, RLS, dated September 30, 1981, and recorded in the Office of the RMC for Orangeburg County in Plat Book 51, at page 131, and bounded and measuring as follows: On the Northeast by Lot No. w1, on said plat, measuring thereon one hundred eight and seventenths (108.7) feet; on the Southeast by a portion of Lot 5, on said plat, measuring thereon thirty and one-tenth (30.1) feet; on the Southwest by a portion of Lot 4, on said plat, measuring thereon forty-seven and eight-tenths (47.8) feet; on the Southeast again by a portion of Lot 4, measuring thereon twenty (20) feet; on the Southwest again by Lot 3, on said plat, measuring thereon sixty and nine-tenths (60.9) feet; and on the Northwest by Glover Street, measuring thereon forty-eight (48) feet; all measurements being more or less TMS# 0173-17-38010.000. SUMMONS - YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED AND REQUIRED to answer the Amended Complaint in this action, a copy of which is hereby served upon you, and to serve a copy of your Answer upon the subscriber at 1406 Richland Street, Columbia, South Carolina, within thirty (30) days, thirty-five (35) days if service is by certified mail, exclusive of the day of said service, and if you fail to answer, appear or defend this action within the time aforesaid, judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Amended Complaint. NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN AD LITEM As a Complaint has been filed in this Court that requires the appointment of a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) for the abovenamed unknown individuals, I hereby appoint Darryl C. Caldwell, Esq. as GAL in accordance with S.C. Code Ann. §§ 62-5-303B. I direct that the GAL shall have access to all reports, records in order to ascertain the facts. The GAL is also entitled to receive copies of any existing will. The GAL shall file with the Court and serve a written report with recommendations on all parties forty-eight (48) hours prior to the Court hearing unless otherwise ordered by the Court. I direct that the GAL costs and fees be assessed against the proceeds of any sale. In that the person serving as a GAL acts as the Court’s agent, she is entitled to quasi-judicial immunity for acts performed within the scope of her duties as the GAL. Once a guardian is appointed, or the Court issues another final order, the GAL’s role in this matter is terminated. THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Darryl C. Caldwell, Esq. is appointed Guardian ad Litem in this matter and the above directives of the Court are to be followed. IT IS SO ORDERED. ORDER OF PUBLICATION HAVING READ and filed the Petition of Kenneth A. Davis, attorney for the Plaintiff herein, and it appearing that this an action to Quiet Title to the properties situated in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, and further, that the Defendants, Richard Roe and Mary Roe, cannot, after due diligence be located in said County and State. IT IS ORDERED that service in this matter be made on the Defendants, John Doe and Richard Roe, by publishing copies of the Lis Pendens, Summons, Notice of Order Appointing Guardian ad Litem, and Order of Publication by publication in the “Times and Democrat,” a newspaper in Orangeburg, South Carolina; and in the “Richmond Free Press,” a newspaper in Richmond, Virginia.
The City of Richmond announces the following project(s) available for services relating to: IFB No. 250014324: SGR Paving Project (UPC No. 125367, UPC No. 125368, UPC No. 125369, & UPC No. 125370) For all information pertaining to this IFB, please logon to the Richmond website (www.rva.gov).
Bid Due Date: July 29, 2025Time: 2:00 PM
Information or copies of the above solicitations are available at the City of
The City of Richmond announces the following project(s) available for services relating to: RFP No. 250010519 - Main Pumping Station - CMAR ARPA For all information pertaining to this IFB, please logon to the Richmond website (www.rva.gov).
Pre-Proposal Conference Call Meeting: July 08,2025 at 11:30 A.M.
Proposal Due Date: July 24, 2025, Time: 5:00 P.M. Information or copies of the above solicitations are available at the City of Richmond website www.rva.gov or https://procurement.opengov.com/ portal/rva. The City of Richmond encourages all contractors to participate in the procurement process.
Pharmacist – Req: VA Pharmacist license +certified immunizer. Compound & dispense prescribed drugs. Walgreens Co., Chesterfield ,VA. F/T. CV to appshrops@ walgreens.com and ref #6306. No Calls/ no agents/no visa sponsorship.
Medical Technologists: VCU Health System Authority (Richmond, VA) seeks Medical Technologists (mult. openings) to provide testing/results to physicians/health care professionals for use in diagnosis/ treatment of disease. Req: Bachelor’s in Medical Technology or rel. Certified as MT or MLS by ASCP or equiv; -OR- CLS by NCA or equiv. ASCP Specialty or Categorical cert. Apply at careers.vcuhealth.org
Part-time Church Musician Fountain Baptist Church in the Church Hill area of Richmond, VA, is seeking an experienced musician to lead and direct an adult choir and play the piano or keyboard during morning worship services. The musician will need to be available for the occasional afternoon or evening service. Applicants must mail a resume to Fountain Baptist Church, 3125 P Street, Richmond, VA 23223 or email a resume to fountainbaptist@yahoo.com. A Criminal History Background and Sex Offender Check will be done. Position opened until successfully filled. Thank you for your interest in applying for opportunities with The City of Richmond. To see what opportunities are available, please refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com. EOE M/F/D/V
Moffatt & Nichol has an opening for a Structural Associate II in Richmond, VA. 40 hrs./wk. Job duties include: Assists the planning, design and preparation of construction documents (drawings, specifications, and cost estimates) for a wide variety of transportation and marine structures such as bridges, culverts, retaining walls and bulkheads. Assists in the development of plans for small projects, including cost estimates, budgets, scheduling and documentation preparation, support and evaluation. Works closely with other disciplines and offices in supporting multi-discipline projects. Requires a Bachelor’s degree, or foreign equivalent, in Civil Engineering or a closely related engineering field, and 1 year of experience as Staff Structural Engineering Associate or a role/capacity engaged in analysis and design of bridges or waterfront structures; 1 year of experience with AutoCAD and/or MicroStation software used for creating 2D and 3D designs; 1 year of experience with structural analysis software (AASHTOWare BrR, Conspan, Descus II, CSI Bridge, or SAP2000). Domestic travel 5%. Telecommuting permitted one day per week. Apply at https://www. moffattnichol.com/careers.
