began May 3. The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, June 11. Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 18. The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Alex Bastani
Attorney Alex Bastani is running as a progressive alternative, criticizing what he calls failures in Democratic leadership. With a background in labor law and union leadership, Bastani’s top priority is passing the Virginia Worker’s Freedom Act, which he says would impact health care, student debt and worker protections. More at: progressive virginiansforalex bastani.com
Aaron Rouse State Sen. Aaron Rouse is also pointing to a successful campaign flip in 2023, as well as efforts to counter Republican leadership at the state and national levels. His platform centers on reducing the cost of living, expanding health care and affordable housing and supporting federal workers and public safety. More at: rouseforvirginia. com
Ghazala Hashmi State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi is emphasizing her record of defeating a Republican incumbent and resisting the Trump administration’s influence in Virginia. Her campaign highlights reproductive rights, gun violence prevention, environmental protection and public education. More at: ghazala forvirginia.com
Victor Salgado Federal prosecutor and law professor Victor Salgado is highlighting his work in the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section and New Jersey’s anti-corruption bureau. His campaign priorities include campaign finance reform, immigration policy, labor law enforcement, education, reproductive rights and housing. More at: victorfor virginia.com
John Reid
A former Richmond radio host, John Reid remains in the race despite controversy surrounding explicit images allegedly found on his social media accounts. The son of former Virginia Delegate Jack Reid and a former communications director for Sen. George Allen, Reid has made business deregulation, gun rights and immigration central themes of his campaign. More at: johnreidfor virginia.com
Babur Lateef Dr. Babur Lateef, a physician and chair of both the Prince William County School Board and UVA’s Health System Board, is emphasizing his experience in education and health care. He supports using the state’s annual budget surplus for public benefit, with a focus on education, wellness, housing and economic protection. More at: lateefforva.com
Levar Stoney Former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is highlighting his two terms as mayor and his tenure as Virginia’s first African American Secretary of the Commonwealth. His campaign focuses on expanding access to education, affordable housing, digital infrastructure and civil rights protections. More at: levarstoney.com
Marlow Jones Petersburg City Council member Marlow Jones is running as an Independent, saying he believes the lieutenant governor role should be nonpartisan. A former firefighter and restaurant owner, Jones is campaigning on economic opportunity, education and workforce development, environmental sustainability and government transparency. More at: jonesforva. com
Fire at Nottoway Plantation ignites online celebration, painful reflection
By Fernanda Figueroa and Aaron Morrison The Associated Press
After a fire engulfed a mansion at Louisiana’s Nottoway Plantation, one of the largest remaining pre-Civil War houses in the Deep South where scores of enslaved Africans labored, video footage of the combusted landmark lit the internet ablaze with mass jubilation and consternation over the weekend. For some, it was a moment to celebrate what they saw
as centuries-deferred vengeance for enslaved ancestors. There was no shortage of memes and humorous social media posts to ignite the celebrations: from video of the plantation’s burning mansion set to the R&B hit song “Let It Burn” by Usher to other footage with the volume of burning wood cranked all the way up to trigger a cozy autonomous sensory meridian response.
Granite Schoolhouse tops Virginia’s endangered historic sites list
Free Press staff report
The Granite Schoolhouse, the last remaining historic building tied to a once-thriving community of Black granite workers in South Richmond, tops the list of Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places for 2025.
Preservation Virginia announced the list May 15 as part of National Historic Preservation Month. It features 10 individual locations and one thematic nomination — all sites facing significant threats ranging from neglect and development to the rapid expansion of data centers.
The Granite Schoolhouse stands as the final historic structure in the Granite neighborhood, home to descendants of enslaved and emancipated
miners who helped build granite infrastructure in Richmond, Washington, D.C., and New York. The schoolhouse annex, formerly a venue for weddings and community events, is now the focus of a preservation push
by the Granite Community Foundation. The nonprofit seeks to acquire the building from the city and repurpose it for public programs, but additional
Eddie Radden Jr., Richmond activist and longtime Capitol doorkeeper, dies at 96
By George Copeland Jr.
From city streets to church sanctuaries to the corridors of the Virginia State Capitol, Eddie L. Radden Jr. spent his life serving and uplifting the Richmond community. A lifelong advocate for civil rights and community progress, he died peacefully last Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 96, leaving behind a lasting impact on Richmond.
“Through every trial, he remained a pillar of strength, faith, and unwavering love,” Radden’s family said in a statement. “His legacy of faith, kindness, and devotion will forever guide us.”
Democrat
Republican Independent
Courtesy Preservation Virginia
The Granite Schoolhouse
Eddie Radden Jr.
AP Photo
A fire destroyed a sprawling mansion on a former Louisiana sugar plantation last week.
Memorial Day 2025 closings
In observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 26, the following schedules will be in effect:
Public schools – Closed
Federal and state government offices – Closed
City and county offices and public libraries – Closed Courts (Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico) – Closed
CVWMA trash and recycling collection – No pickup; collection will resume Tuesday, May 27, and be delayed by one day through Saturday, May 31
U.S. Postal Service – No regular mail delivery.
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) customer service centers – Closed Banks and financial institutions – Closed ABC stores – Open until 6 p.m.
GRTC – Buses will operate on a Sunday schedule
Richmond Free Press office – Closed
Interim CAO Joy-Hogg resigns
By George Copeland Jr.
Richmond’s interim chief administrative officer is stepping down five months after being approved, as Sabrina Joy-Hogg announced her resignation Wednesday afternoon, effective Friday, June 6.
“As I prepare to close this chapter, I do so with immense pride in what we’ve achieved together,” Joy-Hogg said in a news release announcing her decision. “From raising the city’s minimum wage and successfully transitioning to the Virginia Retirement System, to creating a $10 million capital improvement fund, and developing a bond strategy to expand affordable housing, we’ve made lasting improvements.”
Joy-Hogg has been a City official since 2022, following government work in Hampton, Norfolk and Charlotte, N.C.. On Jan. 5, she was approved by City Council unanimously to succeed CAO Lincoln Saunders, whom she worked with as deputy CAO before his resignation in December.
The announcement followed months of challenges for City Hall, as Joy-Hogg and Mayor Danny Avula’s administration dealt with the impact and aftermath of a water crisis that left the city and surrounding counties without water for days.
Joy-Hogg also was a key voice for the administration during prolonged discussions and the development of the 2026 fiscal budget, where questions were raised about the City’s priorities and the process itself.
More recently, about 33,000 real estate tax bills meant for mortgage lenders were sent to Richmond residents instead. JoyHogg told City Council members this was an intentional choice, according to reports, only to be contradicted by Avula a day later in a statement calling the mailings an error.
Joy-Hogg acknowledged the bills had been sent to the wrong recipients when reporters followed up afterward.
“Sabrina’s dedication to achieving a balanced budget and her institutional knowledge was a tremendous help in the early months of my administration,” Avula said in the release. “I’m thankful for her dedication over these past five months and wish her continued success in her new role.”
According to the news release, an interim CAO and interim Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of Finance and Administration will be selected in the weeks ahead, while a permanent CAO will be announced soon following a nearly complete national search.
Early voting
Early in-person voting for the June 17 primary election continues in the state of Virginia through Saturday, June 14.
Richmond voters can cast their ballots at the Office of Elections at 2134 W. Laburnum Ave., City Hall, at 900 E. Broad St., and Hickory Hill Community Center at 3000 E. Belt Blvd. Voting hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with additional Saturday hours on June 7 and June 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Henrico County residents can vote at the Henrico Western Government Center at 4305 E. Parham Road and the Eastern Government Center at 3820 Nine Mile Road from Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Varina Library at 1875 New Market Road will open a voting location starting Monday, June 2, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All locations also will be open on Saturday, June 7, and June 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Five mail drop boxes are accessible at the Administration Annex building at the Henrico Western Government Center, the Eastern Government Center, Deep Run Park Recreation Center at 9900 Ridgefield Pkwy., the Varina Library and the Tuckahoe Area Library at 1901 Starling Drive. Chesterfield County is hosting early voting at the Central Library at 7051 Lucy Corr Blvd. until Saturday, June 14, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, June 7, and June 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A drop box for mail-in ballots and curbside voting for those with disabilities or those age 65 and older also is also available. Another drop box is available at the Office of the General Registrar at 9848 Lori Road from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m on weekdays until Friday, June 13, on Saturdays, June 7 and 14, and Monday, June 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
These options won’t be available Monday, May 26, as the Office of the General Registrar will be closed for Memorial Day. Early voting in Hanover County is currently held in the Wickham Building at the Hanover Courthouse Government Complex at 7497 County Complex Road from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday, June 7, and 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Curbside voting options available for handicapped and voters over the age of 65 is available. A ballot drop-off station is on site at the Wickham Building until Tuesday, June 17, at 7 p.m.
No excuse is needed to vote early in Virginia. Bring an acceptable form of ID or be prepared to sign an ID confirmation statement. For more information, visit elections.virginia.gov.
Mayor calls for action after City worker wounded in shooting
A City of Richmond Department of Public Works employee was wounded early Tuesday morning while performing work duties, city officials confirmed.
At about 1:36 a.m., Richmond Police responded to the 00 block of N. 18th St. after reports of a shooting. Officers found an adult male Public Works employee who had suffered a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.
Detectives from the Major Crimes Division determined a confrontation involving several people took place in front of a nearby business. During the incident, a suspect or suspects fired shots at a departing vehicle. The injured worker was standing near a Department of Public Works refuse collection truck as the vehicle was leaving when he was struck by gunfire.
“I was so saddened to hear about a City of Richmond Department of Public Works employee who was wounded while doing his job. Guns are taking a serious toll on
people, and it’s not okay,” said Mayor Danny Avula.
“This is heartbreaking and is exactly why I am elevating this issue through my newly established Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Every Richmonder deserves to feel safe, whether you’re out with friends or out collecting trash at 1:30 in the morning,” Avula added. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Major Crimes Detective W. Hartley at (804) 646-4314 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.
AFA offers travel tips for families of people with dementia ahead of holiday
Free Press staff report
With a record-breaking 45.1 million
Americans expected to travel at least 50 miles from home during Memorial Day weekend, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is urging caregivers to plan ahead when traveling with a loved one living with dementia.
The nonprofit has issued a set of T.R.I.P. tips — short for Time, Reduce, Include and Plan — to help make travel more manageable and less stressful for individuals with dementia and their families.
“Traveling during Memorial Day weekend can still be enjoyable for families affected by dementia, but adaptations may need to be made as the disease progresses,”
said Jennifer Reeder, AFA’s senior director of educational and social services. “Regardless of how far you’re traveling, taking a few simple steps in advance can go a long way to making the trip less stressful and more enjoyable for everyone.”
Time the travel properly
Families are advised to choose transportation methods and schedules that best match their loved one’s abilities and comfort level. Maintaining routines and minimizing unfamiliar experiences can reduce stress and confusion.
Reduce stress and anxiety
Caregivers should prepare loved ones for what to expect when using mass transit or flying. Programs like TSA Cares, which assists travelers with medical conditions,
can be especially helpful. The helpline should be contacted at least 72 hours before a scheduled flight.
Include breaks and downtime
Overstimulation from a packed schedule can lead to agitation or confusion, so travel plans should remain simple and allow for rest. Caregivers should focus on quality time rather than quantity of activities. Plan for contingencies. AFA recommends bringing snacks, water, comfort items, extra clothing, and all necessary medical documentation, including a list of medications and contact information for the person’s physician.
For more information, contact Sandy Silverstein at (866) 232-8484, ext. 126, or ssilverstein@alzfdn.org.
Petersburg honors Capt. Jerren Lucas Sr. as Firefighter of the Year
Capt. Jerren Lucas Sr. was recently named the 2024 Firefighter of the Year by the Petersburg Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services. Fire Chief Wayne Hoover made the announcement May 13, praising Lucas for his dedication to the department and the Petersburg community.
“In every generation, there are individuals who leave a mark that becomes part of the city’s foundation,” Hoover said. “For Petersburg, that is Capt. Lucas, a man whose roots run as deep as his love for the people he serves.”
Born and raised in Petersburg, Lucas serves as captain of Engine 2, B Shift, stationed
at 50 S. Market St. Hoover said Lucas’ leadership and compassion have brought the department together.
“Every recruit has trained with Capt. Lucas,” he said. “He
helps them see their strengths and brings out their potential, not just as firefighters but as individuals.”
In addition to training and mentoring new firefighters,
Lucas is known for “Views from the Jumpseat,” a storytelling series offering the public a behind-the-scenes look at the lives and sacrifices of firefighters. Lucas also mentors youths through school visits and community events, distributing coats and shoes and making sure children in Petersburg feel seen and supported.
“We want the community to know that we are not just here when your house is on fire,” Lucas said. “We’re here for people year-round.” Lucas said he is focused on building a legacy that encourages Petersburg’s next generation to dream boldly and walk with purpose, according to a press release.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Capt. Jerren Lucas Sr.
Demolition is underway at a crumbling parking garage at 509 E. Franklin St., forcing the closure of a nearby sidewalk and parking lane. File photo
Sabrina Joy-Hogg
Free Press staff report
Fire at Plantation ignites online celebration, painful reflection
“Went and watched (Nottoway Plantation) burn to the ground!”
historian Mia Crawford-Johnson wrote in the Instagram caption of a grinning selfie taken Thursday across from the burned mansion near the banks the Mississippi River.
For others, it was a moment of sadness. Nottoway Plantation has for years been a venue for weddings and other events celebrating cherished milestones. Not to mention, proof of the ingenuity and skill of the enslaved people held on the plantation has been reduced to ashes.
Preservationists say the jubilant reactions to the charred mansion reflect the trauma and anger many people, especially Black Americans, still carry over the history and legacy of chattel slavery in the United States. Antebellum era plantations were built under grueling conditions on the backs of enslaved people, and many are now sites of honor on the National Register of Historic Places.
Some plantations try to ignore their past
But some plantations also de-emphasize or overlook their full histories, foregoing mentions of slavery altogether. That is why the “good riddance” sentiment seemed to outweigh expressions of grief over Nottoway Plantation, which makes no mention of enslaved former inhabitants on its website.
Many sites of enslavement in the U.S. have been repurposed as places that actively participate in the erasure of their history, said Ashley Rogers, executive director of the Whitney Plantation Museum, located 40 miles west of New Orleans. She said the burning of Nottoway is not actually part of the movement for preservation, since nothing was truly being done on the property to tell its full history.
“It was a resort,” Rogers said. “I don’t know that it being there or not being there has anything to do with how we preserve the history of slavery. They already weren’t.”
Joseph McGill, executive director of the Slave Dwelling Project, a nonprofit focused on helping the U.S. acknowledge its history with slavery, said the reaction from the Black community about Nottoway burning represents years of complicated emotions related to plantations. But as a preservationist, McGill said it is unfortunate Nottoway burned down, even if it was failing at telling history.
“I would like to see buildings preserved so that those buildings could tell the stories of all the people who inhabited those spaces,” McGill said. “We have been failing at that, but at least when the buildings are there the opportunity always exists to do the right thing.”
Nottoway Plantation became a resort and event venue
Before the fire, Nottoway was a resort and event venue, and its website described it as “the South’s largest remaining antebellum mansion.” Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle called the plantation “a cornerstone of our tourism economy and a site of national significance.”
The sprawling property exists on a former sugar plantation owned by sugar baron John Hampden Randolph. Located about 65 miles northwest of New Orleans, the 53,000-square-foot mansion had a three-story rotunda adorned with giant white columns and hand-carved Italian marble fireplaces, according to a description on its website. A brochure advertises 40 overnight rooms, a honeymoon suite, a lounge, fitness center, outdoor pool and cabana, among other resort features.
In 1860, 155 enslaved people were held at the property, National Park Service records show.
After the blaze, which drew an emergency response from nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding towns, the property’s owner said the fire had led to a “total loss” and that he hoped to rebuild the mansion.
Rogers said it is unfortunate Nottoway’s mansion burned down, as it did serve as a testament to the “skill of enslaved craftspeople and free people of color who built it and who did a lot of the incredible design work that was inside of that building.”
There are plenty of plantations, unlike Nottoway, that do not allow weddings or other celebratory events. For example, the Whitney, which documents slavery at a pre-Civil War plantation, draws tens of thousands of visitors annually and is known for centering the stories of enslaved people.
The Nottoway fire also has restarted a public discourse over plantations. Rogers, the Whitney museum director, said this is not new discourse, but can feel like such because there are not many places where productive conversations can be had about slavery and how to tell its history.
Racism and slavery dominate cultural debates
How, where and when to talk about the history of U.S. racism and slavery has dominated political and cultural debates in recent years. An executive order issued in March by the Trump White House seeks to root out “divisive, race-centered ideology” in the Smithsonian Institution, which operates a broad range of
Granite Schoolhouse tops Virginia’s endangered historic sites list
funding is needed to realize that goal.
“I’m excited about it,” said Edwin Minter, founder and director of the Granite Community foundation, when asked about the Granite Schoolhouse making the list. “It’s a blessing that the elders that’s still living today to get to actually witness this.”
Since its launch, the endangered list has spotlighted more than 200 sites, with a preservation success rate of 90%, according to the organization.
Other sites on this year’s list include Westham Train Station (Richmond) – Originally built
in 1911 and relocated in 1963, the former C&O Railway station served Richmond’s West End and later became a visitors center. Now abandoned, the station is at risk from nearby redevelopment.
“This year’s list highlights sites across the state that represent not just architecture, but deep stories of labor, culture and community,” said Will Glasco, CEO of Preservation Virginia. “Raising awareness is a first step, but it is critical that we work together to preserve these locations before they’re gone.”
Other sites on the list include the Goochland Recreational Center in Goochland County.
Founded by Black residents in 1961 during segregation, the center served as a cultural and recreational hub. Aging infrastructure and limited funding now threaten its future.
The Harding Street Agricultural Center in Petersburg was once operated by Virginia State University and is also on the list.
The mid-century facility helped address local food insecurity. A nonprofit group is working to acquire the site and revitalize it as a hub for youth outreach and agriculture education.
Also included is Ascension Church in Mecklenburg County which was built in 1879 and marks the first major contribu-
Eddie Radden Jr., Richmond activist and longtime Capitol doorkeeper, dies at 96
Radden was born May 19, 1928 in Richmond, the eldest son of Eddie L. Radden Sr. and Mary Curry Radden, and grew up in the Blackwell neighborhood. In a 2021 interview, Radden traced his interest in activism to his experiences with segregated bussing when he began attending Maggie Walker High School at the age of 12.
The disparity led Radden and his friends to become what he described as “Good Bad Boys,” pushing against the inequities of society in the ways available to them as youths.
After high school, Radden became actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement, witnessing history firsthand at the 1963 March on Washington and meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a visit to Richmond.
Radden was a lifelong member of the NAACP Richmond Branch, serving on its Membership Committee and attending national conventions and was honored multiple times for his dedication. He also was part of the Richmond Crusade for Voters. In 2001, Radden began to serve as a doorkeeper for the Virginia General Assembly. He became a familiar and welcome presence for legislators over the decades, and retired after the 2024 General Assembly session.
“I was fortunate like many others that
served, particularly in the House, to develop a relationship with him,” State Sen. and Virginia Democratic Party Chair Lamont Bagby said. “I can speak for everyone in the building — he will be missed, his spirit will be missed, his energy will be missed.”
Beyond his work and activism, Radden was a committed member of Broomfield Christian Methodist Episcopal Church for over 85 years and through many roles, joining in his youth when it was Williams Temple C.M.E. Church.
Radden also was a dedicated Freemason with Hobson Lodge No. 23. His community work led to the renaming of Dunbar School to J.H. Blackwell Elementary School in 1952 and the creation of its Parent Teacher Association, serving as its president for two years.
Radden was preceded in death by his parents, wife Helen Simmons Radden, younger brother William Nelson Radden Sr. and mother-in-law Lucy Simmons Brown. He is survived by his six children Deborah, Eddie III, Cheryl, Mary, Dwayne Sr., and Martin, four sisters-in-law, 27 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, devoted friend Eloise Taylor and many other family and friends.
A wake will be held Friday, May 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mimms Funeral Home,1827 Hull St., followed by a funeral 11 a.m. Saturday, May 31, at Second Baptist Church, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd.
For the full list of endangered sites, visit preservationvirginia.org.
cultural centers in Washington. Among the order’s targets is the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a popular Smithsonian attraction that chronicles chattel slavery, Jim Crow segregation and its lingering effects.
Relatedly, plantations and other national historic sites with ties to civil rights have long been places where visitors and descendants of enslaved people go to learn about the past. But they are also places where visitors may encounter naysayers and deniers challenging the tour guide’s presentation about slavery.
Rogers said there are plenty of other sites besides Nottoway accurately telling Black history that need to be preserved.
“I don’t think one plantation burning down is going to change how we talk about slavery in this country,” she said. “All it does is exposes wounds that are already there.”
Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP
Crews remain on scene after a fire engulfed the historic Nottoway Plantation, Friday, May 16, 2025, in White Castle, La.
tion of James Solomon Russell, founder of Saint Paul’s College and a saint of the Episcopal Church. The structure requires roof and foundation repairs, along with flood prevention work.
Gerry Connolly, a fixture in Virginia politics, dies at 75
By Olivia Diaz Associated Press
U.S. Rep. Gerald “Gerry”
Connolly, an outspoken Democrat who sought key reforms in the federal government while bringing transformational development to his populous Virginia district, died Wednesday. He was 75. Connolly, who most recently held a prominent position as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, served in Congress for more than 16 years.
He died at home in the company of family members, his family said in a statement. Connolly announced in 2024 that he had esophageal cancer and said a few months later that he planned to retire from Congress.
A fixture in Virginia politics for three decades, Connolly was first elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 1995. On the county board, he steered the transition of Northern Virginia’s Tysons Corner from a traffic-heavy mall area to a downtown business hub.
In 2003, Connolly was elected board chairman, and he continued pushing for transportation investment that had been debated among officials for decades. Connolly sought billions in state and federal dollars to develop the regional rail system’s Silver Line connecting the national capital region to Tysons Corner.
Connolly’s dream was realized with the Silver Line’s opening in 2014, and eight years later, the rail line was extended an extra 11 miles to reach Dulles International Airport.
As the extension opened in 2022, Connolly said: “Doing big things is difficult — the world is filled with naysayers.”
Connolly’s local government experience launched his
congressional career. He was elected in 2008 after flipping an open Republican-held seat by nearly 42,000 votes. In his victory speech, Connolly said he would use his position to ensure the federal bureaucracy is “a responsive, accountable instrument for the people we serve.”
“If we insist the government must work for all of our citizens again, we cannot fail,” Connolly said.
The spirited and at times bullheaded Fairfax Democrat became known for his voluble nature and willingness to engage in spirited debates. In one hearing, he accused Republicans of engaging in a witch hunt against the IRS, asking a witness if they ever read Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.”
Connolly got his first taste of Congress while working as a staffer for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the 1980s. Decades later, Connolly became a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He also served as a member of the House Oversight Committee and led Democrats on subcommittees on government innovation and information technology.
Connolly co-sponsored the 2010 Telework Enhancement
April 10, 2014.
Act, which requires federal agencies to allow a portion of their employees to telework at least one day a week. In 2014, he cosponsored another bill that reformed federal IT management and has since saved the government billions of dollars, according to the Government Accountability Office.
He also closely followed the financial burden of the slowing U.S. Postal Service, becoming a prominent voice accusing President Donald Trump and former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy of seeking to winnow the postal service to suppress mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election.
Connolly reached a new milestone late last year as he was chosen ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. He defeated Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the position. The victory came shortly after Connolly announced late last year that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and would undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
He said in late April that after “grueling treatments,” he learned the cancer had returned and he decided to step down from his post on the committee and would not seek re-election.
Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney
As Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney, COLETTE MCEACHIN: AN EXPERIENCED LEADER DELIVERING SAFETY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
Reduced crime rate, especially for violent crime Keeps Richmonders safe
Keeps illegal guns off our streets
Engages our community for public safety
Initiated progressive criminal justice reform
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File
Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., listens during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington,
Richmond Free Press
Ladybug hanging tight at Maymont park
Grad you made it
To the high school students who poured hours into study, mastered time management, and stayed dedicated to their goals — congratulations. You worked hard. You persevered and sacrificed in pursuit of excellence. You did it. We’re proud of you, and so are your loved ones.
Chances are, you’ll carry that same focus into your next chapter — be it college, work or service. Wherever you go, they’re lucky to have you. Since there’s more work ahead, I’ll release you from this editorial early. Enjoy your summer!
Now, for the rest of you graduates — the ones who didn’t always do the homework, missed a few too many days, or weren’t trying to hear what your teachers were saying — congratulations to you, too. Not for coasting or barely making it, but because life just handed you something rare: a second chance.
Many students see graduation as the finish line. In truth, it’s just the starting point. From here on, you’re not defined by your grades, your social circle, or any test score — but by the choices you make and the path you carve out for yourself.
If you want to be a stronger student, community colleges offer a fresh start without requiring a lifetime of savings. If you’re heading into the workforce, this is your chance to leave behind the habits that held you back and show up ready to grow.
It may not be easy, but you can catch up to those folks I mentioned in the second paragraph. The ones who seemed to have it all together? They didn’t get there without struggle, and neither will you — but it’s possible.
I understand that some of you faced challenges outside of school — responsibilities at home, financial stress, or circumstances that made it hard to devote the time you wanted to. But the fact that you made it across this stage, despite all that, means you’ve got resilience on your side. Keep going.
We’re watching to see what you do next. However you got here, this is your new opportunity. Take it from someone who graduated 492nd out of 496 — you’ve still got a shot.
Joe Biden
Recently, we all learned former President Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones. Doctors say the 82-year-old politician’s condition can be treated with a combination of hormone therapy, chemotherapy and targeted radiation. His prognosis depends on how well the cancer responds in the coming months, according to reports.
After a lifetime of public service, this isn’t the final chapter Joe Biden deserves. What could have been a peaceful season of life with family and the quiet dignity of private citizenship will now be marked by a difficult health battle in the public eye.
Throughout his career, Biden has faced numerous challenges, both personal and political. His long tenure has been marked by efforts to unite the country and address complex issues. As he confronts this diagnosis, we’re reminded of the humanity behind the office and the toll that years of service can take. Yet some don’t see it that way. In recent days, we’ve watched as some of his former political opponents have used his illness as an opportunity to spread conspiracy theories, while claiming to show sympathy for him. Many of these same critics continue to back the current occupant of the White House, the oldest ever to serve, despite his own less-than-transparent medical disclosures. Illness is a deeply personal struggle. Many of us understand the pain and stress that come with living through it or caring for someone who is. As President Biden navigates this battle, we offer our support and prayers for his strength and healing.
George
Floyd
None of us can forget the moment we saw the murder of George Floyd unfolding before our eyes.
The sight of a white officer’s knee squeezing the life from a helpless Black man in handcuffs as he begged for mercy shocked the nation – a nation that had already seen police kill at least 17 other unarmed Black people just five months into the year.
I know what I felt at the time, and I’m sure you know how you felt. But let me share the immediate reaction of someone else:
“It should never happen, should never be allowed to happen, a thing like that. I understand the hurt. I understand the pain. The family of George is entitled to justice, and the people of Minnesota are entitled to live in safety … Americans will honor the memory of George and the Floyd family … It’s a horrible, horrible situation.” Those were the words of thenPresident Trump.
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, President Trump issued an executive order to reform policing. It included a directive to create a publicly searchable database of substantiated misconduct and excessive force claims against federal police officers. It tight-
5 years later: A moment or a movement?
ened use-of-force rules, banned chokeholds and encouraged law enforcement to better address the needs of vulnerable populations. Five years later, with Trump once again in the Oval Office, that commitment to accountability not only has dried up, but reversed itself with a vengeance. Last month he issued an executive order to “unleash” violent police, and his supporters are urging him to pardon George Floyd’s murderer. At this critical moment, the nation must ask itself the essential question: Did we seize the moment to build a lasting movement, or did we squander the chance for
transformative change?
The National League’s new report, “George Floyd Five Years Later: Was It A Moment, Or A Movement?” examines the ways in which the government, institutions, advocates, and the business community mobilized in the five years since George Floyd’s death to advance policing reform and racial justice.
It also traces the rise of political and cultural backlash that has challenged, and in some cases reversed, that progress.
Under Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clark, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice convicted more than 180 police officers for civil rights viola-
tions and investigated 12 police departments and launched prison abuse investigations. President Biden issued an executive order to track police misconduct, ban chokeholds, and strengthen deescalation training.
The second Trump Administration eliminated all DEI initiatives across the federal government on Day One. It rescinded Biden-era executive orders, including those advancing voter registration and equitable Census outreach. It froze all open DOJ civil rights investigations.
It is of the utmost urgency that we rise to defend not only the progress made in the years immediately after George Floyd’s murder, but of the last 60 years.
The National Urban League met the moment in 2020 by establishing a new division, Equitable Justice and Strategic Initiatives, to advocate for a fair justice system and equal access to participation in democracy and civic processes.
We developed “21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Community Trust” as a national framework for police reform.
We developed a new phase of civil rights and social justice advocacy and activism, “D3,” based on three guiding principles – Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity and Defeat Poverty.
Immediately after Inauguration Day this year, the National Urban League convened the Demand Diversity Roundtable,
Trump embraces South Africans — the white ones
President Trump’s refugee policy reminds me of what automaker Henry Ford supposedly said about his company’s Model T: “A customer can have a car painted any color he wants as long as it’s black.”
So it is with the Trump administration’s policy toward refugees who are fleeing war or political persecution, albeit with a color prefer ence somewhat at odds with Ford’s.
The Trump administration is welcoming white Afrikaners, a centuries-old ethnic group descended mainly from Dutch colonists, after suspending the program for everyone else. The first group of almost 60 arrived from South Africa at Dulles International Airport last Monday night — on a charter flight paid for by the U.S. government.
That means all other Africans who have waited in refugee camps for years after being vetted and cleared must step back and wait even longer for their uncertain futures to play out as white South Africans get ushered through the express lane.
This also throws into limbo the Afghans who risked their lives to assist American combat troops who were unable to leave the country after the Taliban took over. “Betrayal” is a tough word, but it taxes the mind to think of a more appropriate description.
Such was the outrage expressed by the Episcopal Church, which announced after the Afrikaners arrived that it was terminating its partnership with
the federal government to resettle refugees.
In a letter sent to members of the church, the Most Rev. Sean Rowe, the presiding bishop, said that two weeks ago, the government “informed Episcopal Migration Ministries that under the terms of our federal grant, we are expected to resettle white
Afrikaners from South Africa whom the U.S. government has classified as refugees.”
That request, Rowe said, crossed a moral line for the denomination, which is part of the global Anglican Communion, once led by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a hero of South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement.
But Trump embraced his own version of apartheid, special treatment for white South Africans, based on evidence that is, at best, shaky.
Trump ordered a halt to all foreign assistance to South Africa and a higher priority to the resettling of white “Afrikaner refugees” into the United States because of what he called actions by South Africa’s government that “racially disfavored landowners.”
In South Africa, he told reporters, “Farmers are being killed. They happen to be white. Whether they are white or Black makes no difference to me. White farmers are being brutally killed and the land is being confiscated in South Africa.”
How did Trump become so captivated by South Africa’s racial challenges? You can credit — or blame — right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson.
Back in Trump’s first administration, when Carlson was the most watched Fox News anchorcommentator, Carlson picked up and repeated on air the dire warnings of “white genocide” in South Africa that circulated in white nationalist social media circles.
On Twitter, the Guardian reported, “Donald Trump indicated that he had been watching,” referencing “the ‘large scale killing of farmers’ as a settled fact.”
In the coming week, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House. They have much to discuss, including the data that contradict Trump’s claims about runaway interracial violence and land grabs in South Africa.
Thirty years after the end of apartheid, NPR reported, “most commercial farmland in South Africa, where land reform persists as a major issue, is still owned by the country’s white minority.” Yet, no land has been seized, nor are seizures expected.
For now, there also is the matter of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s ousting of South Africa’s new ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, as a “race-baiting politician.”
Rasool’s offense was that he opined in an online seminar that the MAGA movement was partially a response to demographic worries about a future in which white people would no longer be the majority.
Mr. Ambassador, a word of advice: Don’t pay too much attention to what Tucker Carlson says. Most of us Americans know better.
Or at least, I hope we do.
The writer is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
an emergency strategy session to confront immediate threats posed by the new administration’s anticipated attacks on civil and human rights.
Represented by the Legal Defense Fund and Lambda Legal, we and our co-plaintiffs National Fair Housing Alliance and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago filed a lawsuit challenging the administration’s unconstitutional anti-equity executive orders. We launched the Fair Budget Coalition to advocate for an inclusive federal budget. History will judge us – not by how we responded in the days after George Floyd’s death, but by what we are building five, 10 and 20 years later. The fight for justice, safety, and dignity is far from over—and the stakes for our democracy could not be higher. The writer is the President and CEO of the National Urban League.
Clarence Page
Marc H. Morial
Youngkin’s veto threatens public health progress
When we discuss health care, we often think of physicians, hospitals and medications. However, my day-to-day work as a nurse and professor of nursing teaching health policy and advocacy to nurse practitioner students makes it clear that our community and environment have so much more to do with health outcomes than what happens in a health care provider’s office. It’s time to fully acknowledge this reality and address the health disparities and inequities in our communities.
readily available SDOH data in their planning process, they can improve health outcomes for their residents and address the serious quality-of-life issues plaguing Virginians.
Social determinants of health (SDOH) refers to how a community’s living conditions impact their overall health and quality of life. Factors such as economic stability, access to education, food security, built environment, pollution levels and access to health care all influence our immediate and long-term health outcomes. If we want to get serious about tackling high rates of chronic illness, especially in vulnerable, underserved communities, we need to start considering SDOH in our long-term community planning.
Virginia leaders are beginning to recognize the importance of community and environmental health. In the 2025 session, the General Assembly passed HB 1827, a permissive bill with bipartisan support that would have allowed local governments to consider SDOH in their comprehensive planning process. The bill simply gave local leaders the option to use this data; it was not a mandate. To my colleagues and me, this was a no-brainer. Localities already participate in a comprehensive planning process every five years and, by incorporating
I was hopeful Gov. Glenn Youngkin would sign this legislation into law, considering his mother, Dr. Ellis Youngkin, was a fellow health care professional
Vivienne Pierce McDaniel
and educator who was well respected by those of us who knew her work. In part, this bill could have helped address the high rates of maternal and infant mortality by encouraging localities to consider access to health care in their planning.
Dr. Youngkin dedicated her life to women’s health care and was a longtime obstetrics and gynecology nurse practitioner.
However, the governor vetoed this legislation and prevented local leaders from having a new tool in their toolbox that could aid them as they respond to the growing disparities in health care and environmental threats to our quality of life. The governor even acknowledged the disparities nurse practitioners work to mitigate in a 2024 proclamation honoring nurse practitioners, making his veto even more troublesome.
People should be put first in our long-term community planning, not polluting industries and big developers who pose an existential threat to our health and well-being. This bill was a nonpartisan way to encourage local leaders to use the SDOH data that we already have to improve the health of all Virginia residents. Living in a community with clean air and water, access to health care and food security is a right, not an amenity for those who can afford it. Physicians and
medical providers believe this, as well as a bipartisan majority of the General Assembly, and it is disheartening to see that the governor disagrees.
This legislation would have saved lives and improved the quality of life for residents in rural, suburban and urban areas. Until we make a conscious effort to incorporate SDOH factors in our community planning, we will continue to see higher rates of chronic illness in communities burdened by pollution, scarce access to health care and food insecurity. Community leaders have to be able to identify the needs of the community before they can even begin to address them.
The writer is the vice chair for Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action.
Care, How You Need It
the Company believes that recovery of these costs through the fuel factor will promote greater cost recovery certainty and stability for customers and less volatility in their rates.
The Company proposes the changes to the Definitional Framework to be effective for capacity expenses incurred beginning on January 1, 2026, “to align with the expected timing of new base rates determined in the biennial review.” Dominion represents that capacity expenses from January 2026 and beyond would be removed from base rates and included in fuel recovery, avoiding any double-recovery of costs. Dominion also represents that capacity expenses incurred through December 2025 will continue to be recovered in base rates.
While energy-related fuel costs are allocated on a uniform cents per kilowatt-hour (“¢/ kWh”) basis, the Company states that the nature and causation of capacity expenses are related to usage during high-demand days such that capacity expenses should be allocated on a Factor 1 – Average and Excess basis regardless of whether they are recovered through base rates or the fuel factor. As a result, the Company proposes to include a capacity component that will vary by rate schedule. The Company proposes to include approximately $120 million of purchased capacity expense to be incurred from January 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026, in the fuel factor to be recovered over the Rate Year. This results in an estimated increase for the typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month of $1.98.
Dominion’s total proposed fuel factor consists of a current period factor (“Current Period Factor”) and a prior period factor (“Prior Period Factor”). For the Rate Year, the Company projects jurisdictional fuel expenses, including energyrelated fuel and capacity-related purchased power expenses, of approximately $1.958 billion, which results in an energy component of the Current Period Factor rate of 2.6709 ¢/kWh and a capacity component that will vary by rate schedule. The Prior Period Factor is designed to recover the projected June 30, 2025 fuel under-recovery deferral balance of approximately $204.5 million. The Company proposes a Prior Period Factor of 0.2971 ¢/kWh. The Company asserts that a large driver of this unrecovered fuel balance was the sustained cold winter weather experienced in January 2025, which resulted in all-time peak demand records for three consecutive days, along with increased gas and power prices. Together, the Company proposes a total fuel factor with an energy component of 2.9680 ¢/kWh and a capacity component that will vary by rate schedule. For a typical residential customer, the resulting fuel factor would be approximately 3.1664 ¢/kWh. For a typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month, the total rate increase would be $10.92 per month, inclusive of the $1.98 increase related to purchased capacity expense discussed above.
Interested persons are encouraged to review the Application and supporting documents in full for additional details.
The Commission entered an Order Establishing 2025-2026 Fuel Factor Proceeding in this matter that, among other things, scheduled a public hearing on the Application. The Commission determined that in the interest of judicial economy, the procedural schedules in this docket and Case No. PUR-2025-00058 (Dominion’s 2025 biennial review proceeding) shall be combined – while keeping the dockets separate – to the extent practicable.
Pursuant to Code § 56-249.6, the Commission permitted Dominion to implement a fuel factor rate of 2.9680 ¢/kWh, with no capacity component, on an interim basis for usage on and after July 1, 2025. For a typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month, this represents an interim increase to the monthly bill of $8.95.
On September 2, 2025, at 12 p.m., the Commission will hold a telephonic portion of the hearing for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before August 26, 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/caseinformation/webcasting; or (ii) by calling (804) 371-9141 to register. This public witness portion of the hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/case-information/webcasting
On September 2, 2025, at 12 p.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 Application from Dominion, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff.
To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and has required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.
An electronic copy of the public version of the Company’s Application may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Elaine S. Ryan, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Cary Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or eryan@mcguirewoods.com. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies of the public version of the Application and other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/case-information
On or before August 26, 2025, any interested person may submit comments on the Application electronically by following the instructions 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 comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00059.
On or before June 24, 2025, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel, if available. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation electronically on counsel to the Company, any other respondents, and Commission Staff. 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-2025-00059.
On or before July 16, 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 Commission Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with their filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, except as modified by the Commission’s Order Establishing 2025-2026 Fuel Factor Proceeding, including, but not limited to: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00059.
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 Establishing 2025-2026 Fuel Factor Proceeding, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice. The Commission’s Rules of Practice, the public version of the Company’s Application, the Commission’s Order Establishing 2025-2026
April Burwell jumps for joy in front of the finish line after completing the Bust the Banks Half Marathon trail run at Dominion Energy Riverrock on Sunday, May 18. Her 19-monthold son, Julian, stands grounded beside her, taking it all in. Right, Aubrey Rankin III, runs to the finish of the Bust the Banks Half Marathon trail run. Banks, along with other participants navigated approximately 13.1 miles of Richmond’s urban single-track trails along the James River.
Springing forward with achievement
The Richmond region came alive this week with moments of achievement and celebration. Valedictorians from Richmond Public Schools gathered to honor academic excellence, athletes pushed their limits at the Dominion Riverrock race and graduates took the stage at Virginia State University to mark new beginnings. These images highlight the determination, talent and promise that define our city.
Photos by Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
LEGAL NOTICE
On May 1, 2025, Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia (“Dominion” or “Company”), pursuant to § 56-585.1 A 4 (“Subsection A 4”) of the Code of Virginia (“Code”), filed an application (“Application”) with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) for approval of a revised increment/ decrement rate adjustment clause designated as Rider T1. Pursuant to § 56-585.1 A 7 of the Code, “the Commission’s final order regarding any petition filed pursuant to [Subsection A 4] . . . shall be entered not more than three months . . . after the date of filing of such petition.”
Subsection A 4 deems to be prudent, among other things, the “costs for transmission services provided to the utility by the regional transmission entity of which the utility is a member” and “costs charged to the utility that are associated with demand response programs approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [(“FERC”)] and administered by the regional transmission entity of which the utility is a member.”
The Company has been a member of PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (“PJM”), a regional transmission entity that has been approved by FERC as a regional transmission organization, since 2005. Dominion, as an integrated electric utility member of PJM, obtains transmission service from PJM and pays PJM charges for such service at the rates contained in PJM’s Open Access Transmission Tariff approved by FERC. The Company states that it also pays PJM charges for costs associated with demand response programs approved by FERC and administered by PJM.
In this proceeding, Dominion seeks approval of a revenue requirement for the rate year September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026 (“Rate Year”). This revenue requirement, if approved, would be recovered through a combination of base rates and a revised increment/decrement Rider T1. Rider T1 is designed to recover the increment/decrement between the revenues produced from the Subsection A 4 component of base rates and the new revenue requirement developed from the Company’s Subsection A 4 costs for the Rate Year.
The total proposed revenue requirement to be recovered over the Rate Year is $1,343,335,735, comprising an increment Rider T1 of $782,419,277, and forecast collections of $560,916,458 through the transmission component of base rates. This total revenue requirement represents an increase of $79,675,299, compared to the revenues projected to be produced during the Rate Year by the combination of the base rate component of Subsection A 4 (the Company’s former Rider T) and the Rider T1 rates currently in effect. Implementation of the proposed Rider T1 on September 1, 2025, would increase the total monthly bill of a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month by $2.10.
TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Application and supporting documents and may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Application and supporting documents.
The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on the Company’s Application. On June 17, 2025, at 10 a.m., a Hearing Examiner appointed by the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before June 10, 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. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia. gov/case-information/webcasting
Beginning at 10 a.m. on June 17, 2025, the Hearing Examiner will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.
On June 17, 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, a Hearing Examiner appointed by the Commission will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence offered by the Company, any respondents, and the Commission Staff.
To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and has required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.
An electronic copy of the Company’s Application may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Jontille D. Ray, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or jray@ mcguirewoods.com. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/case-information
On or before June 13, 2025, any interested person may submit comments on the Application electronically by following the instructions 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 comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00076.
On or before June 4, 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. A copy of the notice of participation as a respondent also must be sent electronically to counsel for the Company, Commission Staff, and any other respondents. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 5 VAC 5-20-10 et seq. (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00076.
On or before June 4, 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 Commission Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with their filing. In all filings, the respondent shall comply with the Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR2025-00076.
Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.
The Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Company’s Application, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, and other documents filed in this case may be viewed on the Commission’s website at: scc.virginia.gov/case-information
Kayakers take to the water near Browns Island during the Dominion Energy Riverrock festival, showcasing skills and teamwork in a variety of races and challenges.
Graduates cheer in celebration during Virginia State University’s 2025 Spring Commencement Ceremony at the
Multi-Purpose Center on Saturday, May 17. In total, approximately 650 degrees were conferred across two ceremonies.
Virginia Speaker of the House Don Scott gave the keynote address during the morning commencement ceremony, which honored graduates from the College of Education and the College of Humanities & Social Sciences. Right, graduates answered the question, “Where dem’ fans at?,” by waving in celebration in a moment that went viral at the commencement ceremony.
Richmond Public Schools 2025 class valedictorians pose together during an RPS award ceremony for the city’s
top students at Virginia Union University Living & Learning Center on Saturday, May 17. They are: Kobe Deguzman, Franklin Military Academy; Taylor Ellis, Richmond Community High School; Shyla Scott, Richmond High School for the Arts; Bryanna LaBelle, John Marshall High School; Fatma Sidi-Elemine, Huguenot High School; Marylord Dansou, Open High School; Billy Perry, Armstrong High School; Dijon Mckiever, Richmond Virtual Academy.
WNBA investigating racial slurs by fans made at Angel Reese
By Doug Feinberg Associated Press
The WNBA is investigating racial comments directed toward Angel Reese by fans during the Chicago Sky’s loss to Caitlin Clark and the Fever at Indiana on Saturday, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the league had not publicly identified the subject of the taunts or who made the allegations.
“The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society,” the league said in a statement. “We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter.”
Reese, who is Black, and Clark, who is white, met for the seventh time in their ongoing — and much-talked-about — rivalry. Clark was named Rookie of the Year last season and Reese finished second in the voting.
The WNBA Players Union released a statement soon after the league’s comment on the matter.
“The WNBPA is aware of reports of hateful comments at yesterday’s game in Indianapolis and supports the WNBA’s current investigation into this matter. Such behavior is unacceptable in our sport,” the statement said. “Under the WNBA’s ‘No Space for Hate’ policy, we trust the league to thoroughly investigate and take swift, appropriate action to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”
Sky President and CEO Adam Fox said later
Sunday in a statement that the organization welcomes the league’s investigation.
“We will do everything in our power to protect Chicago Sky players, and we encourage the league to continue taking meaningful steps to create a safe environment for all WNBA players,” he said.
The Sky and Fever will play four more times during the regular season.
“We are aware of the allegations of inappropriate fan conduct during yesterday’s game and we are working closely with the WNBA to complete their investigation,” the Fever said in a statement. “We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players.”
Reese had 12 points and 17 rebounds in the 93-58 loss to the Fever. The Sky forward and Clark had an incident on the court with 4:38 left in the third quarter. It started with Reese grabbing an offensive rebound and Clark slapping Reese’s arm hard enough to jar the ball loose and knock Reese to the floor.
When Reese got up, she tried to confront Clark before Indiana center Aliyah Boston stepped in between the players. Clark’s third personal foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1, while Boston and Reese each drew technical fouls following a replay review by the referees.
Both players downplayed the play after the game.
The league launched “No Space for Hate” this season, a multi-dimensional platform designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces both online and in arenas.
is the first linebacker to pledge to SMU’s 2026 recruiting class.
Huguenot linebacker Markel Dabney commits to SMU
Free Press staff report
Huguenot High School standout Markel Dabney recently committed to Southern Methodist University, becoming the first linebacker pledge in SMU’s 2026 recruiting class under co-defensive coordinator Maurice Crum.
Dabney, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound prospect, is rated the No. 49 linebacker in the nation and the No. 15 overall recruit in Virginia by On3. He chose SMU over offers from Michigan, Pitt, Virginia Tech and others.
The Richmond native said his official visit to Dallas played a key role in his decision.
“The visit was amazing. It was 10 out of 10,” Dabney told On3. “Dallas is a great place to play at, to be honest. They checked all the boxes for me.”
Dabney said SMU’s coaching staff laid out a clear plan for his development, with the potential to compete early and contribute significantly by his second season.
“They didn’t bring me in to just sit or to watch,” he said. “They’re bringing me in as a playmaker and to make plays for their defense.”
Free Press staff report
Virginia State University and Fayetteville State University led the way in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s (CIAA) 2024-2025 awards, announced during the conference’s Spring General Assembly and end-of-year reception held Tuesday in Richmond.
Virginia State captured the C.H. Williams Men’s All-Sports Award after winning conference championships in men’s basketball and men’s cross country. Fayetteville State earned the Loretta Taylor Women’s All-Sports Award, highlighted by titles in women’s cross country, women’s indoor track and field, and bowling.
At the awards reception, Nia Gibson of Fayetteville State was named the CIAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, thanks in part to her strong performances at the CIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, including second place in the 3,000 meters and fourth in the 1,500 meters.
Jared Achuff of Bowie State earned the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor,
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese shoots during a WNBA basketball game May 17 against the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis.
The league is focused on four areas: enhanced technological features to detect hateful comments online; increased emphasis on team, arena and league security measures; reinforcing mental health resources; and alignment against hate.
This will be the league’s first test of it.
“It’s nice in words, but we got to see ac-
tions,” Aces star A’ja Wilson said Friday after practice. “Hopefully people can take actions and understand this is bigger than basketball. We’re true people behind it. Any shoe that we wear, any jersey we have on, we’re human. People have to respect that. I hope they pay attention and listen to the words.”
VCU’s Jazmin Jackson named to Dominican Republic soccer team
Free Press staff report
VCU junior forward Jazmin Jackson has been called up to the Dominican Republic women’s national soccer team, the Selección Dominicana de Fútbol Femenina, Coach Betzaida Ubri announced this week. Jackson is one of 22 players selected for the squad and joins five other women’s soccer student-athletes from U.S. universities. She also is among seven players age 20 or younger to earn a roster spot, according to the Dominican Football Federation.
This isn’t Jackson’s first appearance for the national team. She previously competed in the 2023 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, as well as the 2024 Women’s Gold Cup qualifiers and the Gold Cup tournament itself. In total, Jackson has played more than 500 minutes in 11 matches for the Dominican Republic across youth and senior levels, scoring four goals during the 2024 Gold Cup qualifying round.
The team is set to return to action with a pair of international friendlies against Honduras on Thursday, May 29, and Sunday, June 1.
Virginia Union competes in PGA Works Collegiate Championship
Free Press staff report
The Virginia Union University Golf Team wrapped up its season with a strong showing at the 2025 PGA Works Collegiate Championship, held May 5-7 at Whistling Straits and Irish courses in Kohler, Wis.
The 54-hole tournament featured nine NCAA Division II teams and tested players with its challenging links-style terrain, dramatic elevation changes and unpredictable winds. Conditions reached a peak on the final day with gusts up to 35 miles per hour.
Whistling Straits, designed by the late Pete Dye, is celebrated for its rugged bunkers and sweeping views of Lake Michigan, drawing comparisons to classic Scottish courses.
VUU’s scoring was led by first-year graduate student Joseph Graham, who finished with a total score of 234 (74-80-
maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA while serving as a senior captain on an offensive line that helped produce 1,863 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns this season.
Fayetteville State’s Anthony Bennett was recognized as CIAA Athletic Director of the Year, leading FSU to multiple conference championships in women’s cross country, indoor track and field, women’s basketball, and bowling. FSU’s bowling and softball teams also won the Team GPA awards, with averages above 3.6. Other honorees included Winston-Salem State’s Etienne Thomas, who received the Jeanette Lee Athletic Administrator of
80). Sophomore Brady Wood followed with 237 (83-76-78), while second-year graduate student Zaccheus Spann and sophomore Benjamin Nicholson both posted scores of 245. Sophomore Joseph Boone rounded out the group with a 253.
“This was a competitive PGA Works Collegiate Championship field, and the VUU golf
the Year award for outstanding servant leadership. Fayetteville State’s Adrian Ferguson was named CIAA John Holley Sports Information Director of the Year for elevating the department’s media presence and fan experience.
New this year were awards for Faculty Athletics Representative and Compliance Director of the Year, going to Dr. Cynthia Williams-Brown of Winston-Salem State and Felicia Johnson of Virginia State, respectively.
Elizabeth City State’s LaTaya HilliardGray was voted Senior Woman Administrator of the Year by her peers, recognized for her leadership and growth in athletics.
Fayetteville State also earned the Most Positive Game Environment award, voted by the CIAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for exemplary sportsmanship by players and coaches.
For more information, visit [www. theciaa.com](http://www.theciaa.com) or follow the CIAA on Facebook, Twitter (@CIAAForLife), and Instagram (@ CIAASports).
Free Press staff report
The Richmond Flying Squirrels surrendered three runs in the ninth inning and fell to the Erie SeaWolves, 7-4, on Sunday afternoon at The Diamond.
Richmond (12-27) dropped four of six games in the series against Erie (25-14). A two-out rally in the top of the ninth sealed the loss. With the score tied, reliever Nick Garcia (2-1) allowed a twoout, go-ahead double to Eliezer Alfonzo. Following back-to-back walks to load the bases, Max Anderson’s infield pop-up brought in two more runs, stretching Erie’s lead to 7-4.
Eduardo Valencia opened the scoring in the first with a two-run homer, giving the SeaWolves an early lead. Richmond answered in the second when Drew Ellis singled and later scored on Zach Morgan’s sacrifice fly.
Erie extended its advantage to 4-1 in the fourth on a two-run shot by Roberto Campos, but the Flying Squirrels responded with three runs in the bottom half. Cal Mitchell led off with a solo home run, his second with Richmond, followed by a two-run homer from Aeverson Arteaga to tie the game at 4-4.
Cameron Cotter threw two scoreless innings of relief for Richmond, escaping a jam in the sixth with help from Jairo Pomares and Diego Velasquez, who combined to throw out a runner at the plate.
Drew Sommers (2-0) earned the win for Erie with two scoreless innings of relief. Yosber Sanchez picked up his third save of the season.
The game lasted two hours, 34 minutes and drew 9,143 fans. The Flying Squirrels began a five-game road series Tuesday night against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. The team returns home for a six-game set against the Harrisburg Senators, the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, May 27 through June 1.
Britt
Huguenot High School linebacker Markel Dabney dons an SMU cap after committing to Southern Methodist University. Dabney
Jazmin Jackson
Cal Mitchell
Nia Gibson Jared Achuff
Panthers golfers and coaches gather at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis., after competing in the 2025 PGA Works Collegiate Championship.
team responded well,” said Head Coach E. Lee Coble. Coble added that the program is entering a rebuilding phase ahead of the 2025 fall season.
Courtesy VUU athletics
This year’s Richmond Public Schools top 2025 valedictorian, Marylord Dansou, is a first-generation American who achieved a 5.3 GPA, reflecting her academic excellence.
“My parents are so excited and proud,” Dansou said. “My mother has always believed in me and knew I’d go far. It’s what she expected of me.”
Dansou will attend Virginia Tech in the fall and major in food science. She’s already earned an associate degree in social science from Reynolds Community College’s Early College Academy (ECA), which offers Richmond Public Schools students to graduate with college credits.Dansou was among only five students in her class accepted into the program.
While English has always been her favorite subject, a biology class sparked her interest in food inequalities within developing countries.
Dansou’s parents are West African—her mother is from Benin, and her father is from Nigeria. Although she has never visited Africa, she hopes to work there someday on micronutrient deficiencies, which occur when the body lacks essential vitamins and minerals such as iron, iodine and vitamin A. These deficiencies can lead to serious health problems such as anemia, impaired immune function and stunted growth. She hopesto reduce disease and death caused by a sustained lack of these vital nutrients needed for optimal health.
Growing up, Dansou spent a lot of time with her grandmother, who prepared West African dishes for her, such as attieke, fufu and kenkey. Her grandmother’s presence and her mother’s unwavering support have been instrumental in her success.
“My grandmother’s cooking helped me connect with my West African culture,” she said.
Dansou doesn’t credit her academic achievement to her study habits.
“I feel like I’ve always felt that school came naturally to me,” she said. “I didn’t study much until junior and senior year.”
Personality: Marylord Dansou
Spotlight on RPS 2025 top valedictorian
Spending time with friends is especially important to Dansou because her first two years of high school were during the early post-pandemic period, just after social isolation. Now, she enjoys meeting with friends for ramen and bubble tea. For prom night, Dansou and her friends went bowling and then hung out at the park.
“The goal for prom was to just hang out with my friends,” she said. “I got home at 2 a.m.
It’s the latest I’ve ever been allowed to stay out.”
Aside from her academic and social pursuits, Dansou enjoys baking and is a selfdescribed chocolate lover, preferring richer flavors over fruity ones. For fun, she crochets and plays bass.
During the summer, Dansou plans to work at Publix during the week to free her weekends for trips with her friends. They plan to visit Buckroe Beach and the Centreville Aquarium in Northern Virginia.
How do you get a GPA higher than 4.0?
Taking college classes in the Advanced Placement Program or Early College Academy at Reynolds Community College. Even if you earn a C in a college class, it is worth the same as an A in a non-honors class, so an A in a college class counts as more than a 4.0. Also, I would say taking advanced classes as far back as middle school, as I was privileged to be allowed to take eighth-grade math in sixth grade, putting me two years ahead. What high school do you attend?
I attend Open High School and there are 47 people in my class. What high school extracurricular activities have you participated in?
Last year, I did an internship with Groundwork RVA, which led to my senior project with Fit4Kids, where I helped middle schoolers at Lucille Brown Middle School in the garden and greenhouse. I’m in the Black Student Union, and I serve as the vice president of programming for Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society at Reynolds Community College. I also volunteered with Scrap RVA and Bon Secours, and I have a part-time job at Publix Super Markets. Do you have siblings?
I have two brothers here in America, Marcus, my older brother, who just graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University for engineering and my younger brother, Samuel,
who is finishing middle school. Senami and Ayomide, my youngest siblings are in Nigeria. I live with my mother, the majority of the time with my younger brother, but I often go to my dad’s house, where my older brother lives. Where were you born? I was born on Jan. 30 in Richmond. Where do you live?
I live in North Side. How did you react when you found out you were named the valedictorian of your class?
I was getting ready to send in my mid-year transcripts when I saw it. I went to my principal’s office to ask if it was a mistake, and it wasn’t. I didn’t jump up and down screaming, as I’m not that kind of person, but I was really happy. How did you react when you found out you were named the RPS 2025 top Valedictorian?
I found out when I was taking the valedictorian pictures. She told me offhandedly as she was looking at the list of valedictorians and salutatorians, but she told me to act surprised when I found out officially. I don’t think my reaction changed. I just kind of smiled. I never expected it. How did your family react?
My family was excited, and I think my mom screamed. What will you tell your fellow graduates in your valedictory address?
I will most likely talk about the power of our voices and words. I believe change begins to happen when we speak about it. What scholarship offers have you received?
I didn’t apply to many schools because my major is specific, so I don’t have any crazy scholarships from any schools.
What school will you attend in the fall?
I’m going to Virginia Tech because it was hard to find schools with my major close to home. Virginia Tech is the only school in Virginia offering food science as a major. Also, I be able to do research there sooner than other schools. What’s your major? Food science. What are your career goals?
I want to go to West Africa to work on micronutrient deficiencies and address neo-colonialism in food and nutrition.
How does a positive outlook impact getting good grades?
If you don’t believe in yourself, you can go nowhere. If you believe you can get an A and put the work in, good results will follow. What motivates you to study and excel?
I want to look back and be proud and assured that I tried my hardest. How much time do you devote to studying?
I don’t know how to quantify the time I spent. For me, the best way to study was to do the work and try to apply what I learned in class, which included doing practice questions or making study guides. What helps you excel academically?
I have a pretty good memory, and I am good at understanding what works best for me. I can easily break concepts down into a language that makes the most sense to me, or come up with mnemonics that I know will stick in my head. What makes a good teacher?
One who tries to come up with activities that students can easily relate to. If you have to learn or teach something, why not make it fun?
What’s the secret to earning all A’s?
Staying on top of all your work. I try to use apps to keep myself on track. What advice would you give to your high school freshman self?
Don’t stress out so much, it will all work out in the end.
What’s your most unforgettable high school experience?
We took a trip to Washington, D.C. my sophomore year. It was nice to go to new places with my friends. It was super cold and I only had a thin puffer on. The food was nice and the ride back at night was genuinely one of the funniest times. Which teacher influenced you the most?
It was Ms. Daniel, my third-grade teacher. I got a C on a grammar test, and she sat down with me and explained the mistakes I made. English is my first language, but growing up in a household where English is not the primary
language spoken played a big part in my understanding of the language. When I was in elementary school, my grandma came to America, which meant we only spoke French at home, and even before, if we spoke English, it wasn’t my mother’s first language, which meant that she sometimes made mistakes that we learned from. I think a teacher giving me grace during this period led me to where I am today. What are three words that best describe you?
Strong-willed, relaxed and compassionate. What would you do with an extra 10 minutes in the day?
I’d spend that time reading or listening to music. Who are the top three artists on your music playlist?
B. Smyth, Kendrick Lamar and Kate Bush. What is something you love to do that most people would never imagine?
I love crocheting and photography. These are not that out of the ordinary, but I don’t think it’s something you’d assume by looking at me. What’s a quote that inspires you?
“What’s your life about, enlighten me, is you gon’ live on your knees or die on your feet?” — Lyric from rapper Ab-Soul. What’s your next goal? To get my bachelor’s in two years.
Festival celebrates farming lifestyle, homesteading culture
By Jennifer Robinson
A new kind of homesteading festival is taking root in the region. Farmstead Fest 2025, a three-day outdoor gathering at Moonrise Farmstead in Aylett, debuts this weekend with a blend of live music, practical workshops, artisan vendors, and farm-fresh food—designed for those passionate about growing their own food, raising animals, and reclaiming traditional skills.
“No one has ever done this before,” said Natalie Green, one of the organizers. “There are a lot of homesteading and agriculture conferences, but not like this.”
Homesteading is a lifestyle focused on self-sufficiency through growing food, raising animals and practicing traditional skills. The festival highlights the growing interest in self-sufficiency and rural skills while offering a space for education and connection. Workshop topics range from hog raising and goat hoof-trimming to urban gardening, homeschooling, health and wellness.
Power
By George Copeland Jr.
For organizers, it’s more than a weekend of learning — it’s a platform for community-building and celebration.
Green co-founded the event with Meg Oberhand and Eryn Alloway after the three met at various homesteading events and realized they shared a vision: an outdoor, hands-on conference set in an actual farming environment. That vision is now coming to life at Oberhand’s own farm.
“A lot of the conferences are in the winter,” Green said. “Also, you don’t see yourself represented in these environments, but Farmstead Fest will have a lot of diversity.”
Although the broader homesteading movement has been gaining momentum, Black homesteaders often face additional barriers. Limited access to land due to the persistent Black homeownership gap has hindered wider participation, even as the desire for food sovereignty and self-reliance remains strong. There’s also a deeper historical and cultural connection for many.
Green and her husband embarked on
Last Saturday, the sound of music, poetry, and passionate conversation filled Abner Clay Park as over a hundred Richmond residents gathered for the State of the People Power Tour’s visit — a day dedicated to community building, empowerment and social change.
The Jackson Ward neighborhood buzzed with activity around the park’s athletic field, where attendees moved between food trucks, art vendors and booths representing political and advocacy groups. The event combined entertainment with meaningful dialogue, reflecting a nationwide push to amplify Black voices amid ongoing local protests and the state’s primary elections.
For Deborah James, a residential facility coach who came with her grandson to enjoy the playground, the event offered both fun and engagement.
“So far they’ve offered a health screening, and a lot of food and different activities for kids, so that’s fun in itself right there,” James said. “And they have a lot for adults to participate in.”
As the latest event in a nationwide effort to grow engagement around issues critical to the Black community, the Power Tour arrived as protests in Richmond have shown the public’s interest in systemic change, and as voting continues in the state’s primary elections.
Alongside the food and entertainment, workshops on topics such as Black businesses, community investment and empowering marginalized groups were held throughout the day.
Free Press staff report
The Chatsworth School Museum in Varina will host an open house June 7 and 8 to highlight the legacy of a rare early 20th-century schoolhouse that once served Black children in Henrico County.
Located at 1451 Chatsworth Road in the Antioch community, the historic one-room schoolhouse will be open from noon to 5 p.m. both days. A plaque unveiling ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 7 to commemorate the school’s history.
their homesteading journey six years ago when they purchased their first farm. Their success and confidence in managing their one-acre farm led them to acquire 60 acres in Varina last year, which they named Feral Ridge Ranch. She organizes workshops there, such as animal husbandry and soap-making, to help other homesteaders in their quest for sustainability.
While Green admits it took her a while to accept the homesteader label, she loves the lifestyle and the community-building homesteading offers. She’s focusing on hunting now, and she’s content getting back to the simplest things.
“We have 15 chicks and two pigs to clear the land. “We want to have cows, ducks and turkeys soon,” she said.
Farmstead Fest 2025 is Friday through Sunday, May 24 to 26, at Moonrise Farmstead, 6111 Liberty Hall Road in Aylett. Programming runs daily, with on-site camping options. Tickets start at $25. For more information, visit farmsteadfest.com
“Reawakening the Voices of Our Path of Virtue” is the theme of the weekend to celebrate
efforts funded by a grant. Board member Ste-
phenne Belle stated completing the project has brought a sense of accomplishment to those preserving the site’s legacy.
Chatsworth School was constructed in 1915 and is one of the few remaining structures from the era. It educated Black children in first through fourth grades in Antioch before the integration of public schools.
The school traces its beginnings to 1908 when classes were first held in a building owned by the Grand United Order of Rising Sons and Daughters of the Star of Bethlehem No. 6. That organization later dedicated 2 acres of land to the
Asian American Festival
Varina School District allowing construction of the Chatsworth School which was transferred to Henrico County in 1915.
The school was one of 23 institutions supervised by noted educator Virginia E. Randolph. Under her guidance, Chatsworth received contributions from the Rosenwald Fund as well as support from the Anna T. Jeanes Fund and the community.
Students came from nearby neighborhoods such as the St. Paul community, Drinkard Town and the surrounding area. A single teacher typically instructed all four grades, often
relying on seatwork and group study to manage the classroom. In the school’s early years, some teachers arrived by horse-drawn wagon or boarded with local families. From 1922 to 1925 the building also served as a place of worship for Antioch Baptist Church.
Chatsworth School closed in 1956. The building and surrounding land were acquired by Antioch Baptist Church in 2001. The church led restoration efforts including the installation of electricity while maintaining the historic integrity of the structure.
Colin Summers
Farmstead Fest co-founders Natalie Green, Meg Oberhand and Eryn Alloway are pictured ahead of the threeday homesteading event taking place this weekend at Moonrise Farmstead in Aylett, pictured below.
Courtesy of Chatsworth School Museum.
The historic Chatsworth School, a restored one-room schoolhouse in Varina that once served Black children in the Antioch Community, will host an open house and plaque unveiling June 7 and 8 to celebrate its legacy and recent preservation efforts.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Stephen Miller-Pitts, Cameron Bertrand, Troi L. Hughes, the Rev. Cozy Bailey, James Harris and Andre Watkins participate in the “For Brothers” panel discussion during the State of the People Power Tour at Abner Clay Park on Saturday, May 17. The discussions, which featured national and local figures, began with brief panel talks on stage that led into longer sessions across the street at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.
“As our ancestors turned to each other and not on each other, we have to replicate that endeavor,” radio host Gary Flowers said during a panel. Singer and performance coach Nickey Mc-
Mullen captured the spirit of the event during the opening rally, calling it “partying with purpose.” “It’s got to be intentional,” McMullen said. “The healing of our nation has to start here because the sickness started here.”
Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
From left, women from the Nepali community perform a traditional Himalayan dance during the Asian American Festival at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on May 16. Members of the Korean community celebrate during the annual event, which has been held for more than 25 years, that showcases the cultures, traditions and cuisines of Asian American communities across the region. At right, children wave the Korean and American flags during a performance.
The American journey behind Pope Leo XIV’s Haitian lineage
By Chelsea Stieber Religion News Service
The man who was recently elected pope, Leo XIV, is an American citizen. He also is the descendant of Haitian immigrants who settled in Louisiana in the 1800s. In this, he shares a history that is deeply rooted in the U.S. South and its legacy of slavery, race and citizenship.
Church historians and others have confirmed that the new pope, born Joseph Louis Bernard, is a Creole of color from Louisiana. His family name — Bernard — is one of the most prominent surnames among New Orleans free people of color, especially those with ties to Haiti. For the past 10 years, I’ve been researching the connections between the Haitian Revolution and free people of color in Louisiana. This population had a unique migration history. They did not come directly from Africa through the transatlantic slave trade like the majority of Black people in the United States. Instead, they arrived in the U.S. during the French and Spanish colonial periods — often with the status of free people of color — or after the Haitian Revolution, as part of the 19th century immigration of free and enslaved people from Haiti to Louisiana.
This part of history has often been ignored or forgotten, both in Louisiana and in the rest of the U.S. In response to the news of Leo XIV’s election, I began searching through historical records from New Orleans to try to locate the Bernard family. I found an astonishing match in census records and passenger manifests from the 1860s: a Joseph Norval Bernard who immigrated with his parents, Pierre and Adelina, from Port-
au-Prince to New Orleans in December 1861. Joseph was 2 years old when they arrived. He had three older siblings — Michel, 14; Girard, 12; and Adele, 9 — and two younger ones — Alexandre, 4, and Clemence, born shortly after their arrival in 1862. All the children are listed as attending school in census records, an exceptional feat for a Black family living in the South before the Civil War.
While most Haitians arriving in Louisiana in the early 1800s were French speakers fleeing the violence of the Haitian Revolution, this family left Haiti 60 years after the revolution had ended.
Abner Baptist to host Mental Health Education Seminar
JaLisa Jones
Abner Baptist Church will host a Mental Health Education Seminar on Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to noon at its sanctuary, 15143 Abner Church Road in Glen Allen.
Presented by the church’s Women’s Ministry, the free, in-person seminar is open to all ages to provide resources and guidance around mental well-being for both youths and adults.
The featured guest speaker will be Minister JaLisa Jones, a licensed professional counselor with Fig Tree Therapy. She also is the founder of the Purposeful H.E.R. Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping women from all backgrounds reach their destiny and give back to the community. Jones is expected to lead participants through conversations focused on emotional healing and mental health awareness from a faith-based perspective.
While admission is free, a love offering will be collected. Free parking will be available on site. Attendees are encouraged to register in advance at abnerbaptistchurch.churchcenter.com.
Jen Hatmaker to speak at River Road Church
Free Press staff report
New York Times bestselling author and speaker Jen Hatmaker will be the featured guest at River Road Church, Baptist, on Thursday, May 22, as part of the church’s Distinguished Speaker Forum series.
Hatmaker is the author of 14 books, including “For the Love” and her latest title, “Feed These People: Slam Dunk Recipes for Your Crew.” She also is the host of the award-winning “For the Love” podcast and leads a popular online community that reaches millions weekly. She is a co-founder
of Legacy Collective, a giving organization that supports sustainable projects globally.
The event begins 7 p.m. at the church’s campus, 8000 River Road. Tickets are required and may be purchased through Eventbrite. Free parking is available across River Road and behind the church. For more information, visit rrcb.org. Jen Hatmaker
Their reasons for emigrating are unknown, though Haiti was in the midst of a civil war, and the U.S. offered the possibility of jobs and education — even if the conditions for people of color were discriminatory and often dangerous.
Like many 19th century Haitian émigrés, the Bernard family initially landed in New York. They traveled from New York to New Orleans aboard the steamship Bienville. The ship manifest listed the family’s skin color as “yellow” and their “profession or occupation” as “gentleman” for the men and “lady” for the women — not the kind of work the Bernard family would likely
be enticed to take on in Louisiana.
The family arrived in New Orleans at a moment of major political and social upheaval. The city had just come under Union control, and formerly enslaved people were claiming new freedoms and demanding equal rights. The Bernard family became involved in this fight for racial justice and citizenship. Their names appear in the records of the Freedmen’s Bureau, a federal agency created to help formerly enslaved people transition to freedom after the Civil War. They participated in the push for public education and in early civil rights organizing.
A major event in this fight was a political meeting of New Orleans Creoles of color in February 1866. The Bernard family is listed in the records of that meeting and may have participated in a related protest and attempted integration of public streetcars in the city. The integration effort was widely reported on, including in Harper’s Weekly, where a political cartoon by Thomas Nast ridiculed the absurdity of color-based segregation.
The Bernards’ decision to emigrate to the U.S. and then to actively participate in the political life of their adopted country — despite persistent racism — suggests they viewed the U.S. as a place of possibility.
This is the story of Pope Leo XIV’s family — and of many Haitian families who chose to migrate to the U.S. and fight for full equality. Their fight continues, in part, through his election as pope. It is this — and so much more — that makes theirs a truly American story.
This article originally appeared at theconversation.com.
Love Drops Day Care
AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino
Pope Leo XIV appears May 8 on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
General Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to such new line item by $3,000.00, all for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Hanover County to support the Project Recover initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority. Ordinance No. 2025-104
To repeal City Code §§ 14-57, concerning the establishment of floodplain districts, 14-58, concerning district boundaries and the official floodplain map, and 14-121, concerning modification to requirements of the building code and to amend §§ 14-19, 1421—14-23, 14-25, 14-55, 14-56, 14-59—14-62, 14-83—14-88, 14-120, 14-122, and 14-123, concerning floodplain management, for the purpose of aligning the City Code with the Letter of Final Determination from the Federal Emergency Management Agency dated Jan. 8, 2025, regarding the City’s revised flood insurance rate map. (COMMITTEE: Land Use, Housing and Transportation, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 3:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-105
To designate the 300 block of North 32nd Street in honor of Reverend Dr. Edward Daniel McCreary, Jr. (COMMITTEE: Land Use, Housing and Transportation, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 3:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-106
To designate the 2100 block of Edwards Avenue in honor of Harold Thomas. (COMMITTEE: Land Use, Housing and Transportation, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 3:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-107
To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $75,000.00 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and to designate funds in the total amount of $25,000.00 in the City Sheriff General Fund Budget as the required local match; to amend the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Special Fund Budget by creating a new special fund for the City Sheriff called the “DCJS JAG –Vehicle Cameras Special Fund;” and to amend the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the City Sheriff’s “DCJS JAG –Vehicle Cameras Special Fund” by the total amount of $100,000.00, all for the purpose of equipping the City Sheriff’s fleet vehicles with camera equipment. (COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-108
To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $1,500,000.00 from the Virginia Resources Authority and to amend the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Wastewater Utility Budget which appropriated the estimated receipts of the wastewater utility, by increasing estimated receipts and the amount appropriated for the wastewater utility by $1,500,000.00, for the purpose of funding the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant Thickening and Dewatering Facilities Improvements project.
(COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-109 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Financing Agreement between the City of Richmond and the Virginia Resources Authority for the purpose of funding the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant Thickening and Dewatering Facilities Improvements project.
(COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-110 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Richmond Ambulance Authority Grant Agreement between the City of Richmond and the Richmond Ambulance Authority for the purpose of funding a Peer Recovery Specialist project to combat the opioid crisis in the City of Richmond.
(COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-111
To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Health Brigade Grant Contract between the City of Richmond and Health Brigade for the purpose of funding the creation and implementation of a substance use disorder treatment program to combat the opioid crisis in the City of Richmond.
(COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Ordinance No. 2025-112
To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Health Brigade Grant Contract between the City of Richmond and Health Brigade for the purpose of funding the creation and implementation of a substance use disorder treatment program to combat the opioid crisis in the City of Richmond.
(COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 2:00 p.m.)
Interested citizens who wish to speak will be given an opportunity to do so by following the instructions referenced in the May 27, 2025 Richmond City Council Formal meeting agenda. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at https:// www.rva.gov/office-cityclerk, and in the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Candice D. Reid City Clerk
DIVORCE
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER SAMANTHA SHAW, Plaintiff v. TONY SHAW, Defendant. Case No.: CL25001577-00 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 7th 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 STACEY VAVAL, Plaintiff v. NELBERT VAVAL, Defendant. Case No.: CL25001576-00 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 7th 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 CITY OF RICHMOND WILLIAM LANCE THOMPSON, Plaintiff, v. CHRISTINE JOY SERRANO SEDON, Defendant. Case No: CL25-1107 ORDER OF PUBLICATION THE OBJECT of this suit is to obtain a divorce a vinculo matrimonii from the bond of matrimony from the Defendant on the ground of having lived separate and apart for one year, pursuant to§ 20-91{A)(9) of the Code of Virginia; and IT APPEARING TO THE COURT that the Defendant,
Christine Joy Serrano Sedon, is a non-resident individual, other than a non-resident individual fiduciary who has appointed a statutory agent; it is, therefore ADJUDGED, ORDERED AND DECREED as follows: 1. That this Order of Publication shall be posted at the ftont door of the Courthouse; 2. That a copy of such Order of Publication shall be mailed to the Defendant at the post office address given in the affidavit required by Virginia Code§ 8.01-316; 3. That the clerk shall cause copies of the order to be so posted, mailed, and transmitted to the designated newspaper within twenty (20) days after the entry of the Order of Publication; 4. That the Defendant, Christine Joy Serrano Sedon, appear at the above-named court and protect her interests on or before June 10, 2025; and it is FURTHER ORDERED this Order of Publication shall be published for four (4) consecutive weeks in the Richmond Free Press, a newspaper of general circulation in this County prescribed by this Court. A Copy, Teste: EDWARD F. JEWETT, Clerk I ASK FOR THIS: Christopher H. Macturk (VSB #40071) Faith A. Ennis (VSB # 100670) Evolution Divorce & Family Law, PLLC 1500 Forest Avenue, Suite 117 Richmond, Virginia 23229 (804) 793-8200 (main) (804) 793-8299 (fax) cmacturk@evolutiondivorce. com Counsel for Plaintiff
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER PATRICK SKINNER, Plaintiff v. COURTNEY SKINNER, Defendant. Case No.: CL23001931-00 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 30th day of June, 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 RENISA OSHIBERU, Plaintiff v. OLANREWAJU OSHIBERU, Defendant. Case No.: CL25001509-00
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 1st 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 CASSANDRA SPENCER, Plaintiff v. WILLIAM SPENCER, Defendant. Case No.: CL25001430-00 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 25th day of June, 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 QWANTEZ PRICE, Plaintiff v. JANELLE PRICE, Defendant. Case No.: CL25000683-00 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 25th day of June, 2025 at 9:00 AM and protect her interests.
A Copy, Teste:
FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR.,
Clerk I ask for this:
Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C.
Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724
8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804 798-9667
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER NEISHA CHALLENOR, Plaintiff v. JAMES CHALLENOR, Defendant. Case No.: CL25001342-00 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 17th day of June, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. 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 JOHN HARGRAVE,
Plaintiff v. AMANDA HARGRAVE, Defendant. Case No.: CL25001343-00 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 of the Commonwealth of Virginia, appear here on or before the 17th day of June, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804 798-9667
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ATALLAH PAYNE, Plaintiff v. JOHNATHAN PAYNE, Defendant. Case No.: CL25000684-00 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 has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear here on or before the 13th day of June, 2025 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 MICHAEL SMITH, Plaintiff v. MEREDITH MOORE-SMITH, Defendant. Case No.: CL25001302-00 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 13th day of June, 2025 at 9:00 AM and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804 798-9667
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER CANDICE WILLIAMS-KILKENNY, Plaintiff v. GARY KILKENNY, Defendant. Case No.: CL25001323-00
The City of Richmond announces the following project(s) available for services relating to: RFP250006893: CityWide Customer Service BPO For all information pertaining to this RFP, please logon to the Richmond website (www.rva.gov).
Proposals Due Date: June 23, 2025 at 11:00AM
Pre-Proposal Conference Call-In Meeting: May 28, 2025 at 10:00AM
ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on
To
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. Thank
The City of Richmond announces the following project(s) available for services relating to: IFB 250012795 CSO
CSO 19B, and Hampton St Pump Station Improvements For all information pertaining to this IFB, please logon to the Richmond website (www.rva.gov). Bids Due Date: June 18, 2025 at 11:00AM Pre-Bid Conference: May 28, 2025 at 10:00AM see solicitation on rva.gov for dial in. 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.
please refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com. EOE M/F/D/V
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