Former Councilman Chuck Richardson (center), shown at his home Monday, endorsed Jack Berry (right) for mayor. (Photo Credit Ned Oliver/RTD) CHESTERFIELD Paying the bills: Proffer policy spurs debate The Dale magisterial district’s representative on the Planning Commission last week became the first local government official to publicly criticize recent changes to the county’s cash proffer policy. Taking an opportunity to comment during the commission’s monthly meeting, Michael Jackson expressed frustration with a nearly 50 percent reduction of the maximum cash proffer and the “strong influence” the real estate development industry maintains in Chesterfield. He also challenged the county administrator and [...]

Javaid Siddiqi, Midlothian’s representative on the School Board, addressed overcrowding at J.B. Watkins Elementary School during a community meeting last week at Midlothian Middle (Credit: James Haskins/Chesterfield Observer)   Monday is the voter registration deadline for Virginia Monday is the deadline for Virginians to register to vote in the Nov. 8 elections. If you’re unable to vote in person on Election Day, you can vote absentee by mail, or in person. To register, update your registration or find out what is on your ballot, go to the Department of Elections website at https://elections.virginia.gov/ You can call local voter registration offices in [...]

All seven candidates for Richmond mayor took part in Thursday's Mayorathon forum at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Photo Credit: Jay Paul) CITY OF RICHMOND Feds pass over Richmond for $30M grant critical to East End redevelopment Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ signature initiative to overhaul concentrated public housing in the city’s impoverished East End was dealt a critical blow Thursday with the announcement that federal housing officials again had passed over the city for a $30 million grant. This application marked the city’s fifth attempt to secure U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development dollars through the [...]

RPAC endorsed Jack Berry (right) for Mayor of Richmond (Credit: RTD) Richmond Association of REALTORS endorses Berry for mayor The Richmond Association of Realtors, which bills itself as the largest trade organization in the region, announced today it has endorsed former Venture Richmond Director Jack Berry in the city’s mayoral race. Leaders of the organization said they are backing Berry over his seven opponents because he brings experience working in local government and, in the organization’s view, is best equipped to address City Hall’s problems. “As we looked at the candidates, we focused on who has the background and [...]

Joe Morrissey spoke as other mayoral candidates Jack Berry (from left), Bobby Junes, Levar Stoney, Bruce Tyler and Lawrence Williams listened during the city Democratic Committee mayoral forum at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School on Tuesday (Credit: Alexa Welch Edlund/RTD)   CITY OF RICHMOND Dana T. Bedden starts his third full school year under cloud of uncertainty As Dana T. Bedden begins his third full school year as chief of Richmond Public Schools, he finds himself trying to fix a broken school system while also uncertain if he will be given the time to do it. The school [...]

Historic federal and state tax credits helped transform a former manufacturing complex into The Locks, a mixed-use community along the Haxall Canal in downtown Richmond. (Credit: Bob Brown/RTD)   CITY OF RICHMOND Students, NAACP file federal civil rights complaint against Richmond Public Schools Lawyers for two Richmond public middle school students on Wednesday filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education over district discipline policies they say unfairly punish black students and students with disabilities. The 28-page indictment of the district’s practices details inconsistencies arising from subjective interpretations of a student code of conduct lawyers [...]