The Wrap
The Wrap: A School Board Opening, New Downtown Jobs, and Trash Islands
Get caught up on all the week’s headlines, a little commentary from our staff, and find something fun to do this weekend!
Photo: @tw_crease
THE WEEK IN BRIEF
Hey everyone, hope this week’s been a good one! It’s pretty nice out today, so I won’t be surprised if some of you skipped out on work a little early and are reading this from a patio at your favorite bar or brewery somewhere. I’m writing this from a patio as we speak! If you find yourself in this situation, check out our RVA Beer Explorer for some fun things to do right now or later this weekend!
There’s even more in our Weekend Event Picks (both booze and non-booze related) including how you can check out the last film in the Environmental Film Festival, details on Stone Brewing’s first anniversary party for their Richmond location (side note: they’re releasing a new IPA in collaboration with Hardywood, Ardent, and St. John’s Church entitled “Give Me IPA Or Give Me Death!” How rad is that? There’s also the Richmond International Auto Show, a symphony concert at Hardywood, and The Elbys. Read on in our event picks here!
Find a great (perhaps new) place to eat and get caught up on the rest of the week’s #rvadine news with our Weekly Food News right here–that should have your weekend pretty much covered.
With a $1.5 million investment from the state in tow, a Fortune 500 company is bringing about 500 jobs to Downtown Richmond, it was announced yesterday. Governor Terry McAuliffe, Mayor Levar Stoney, and officials from Owens & Minor made the announcement that they’ll occupy about 90,000 square feet of office space at Riverfront Plaza for a new Client Engagement Center. That’s about 10% of the space available in the twin office towers downtown.
While you probably don’t own a Fortune 500 company, your small business could benefit from a tax forgiveness program if you’re a little behind on your state taxes and have been in business for under two years if a bill introduced in the General Assembly is approved.
In other news, you’ll soon be able to buy 150-proof liquor in the Commonwealth, so there’s that. Also, you know the so-called “Kings Dominion Law” that says school systems in Central Virginia can’t start before Labor Day, in large part due to our two major area theme parks? It remains intact following a vote in the GA this week.
In news out of the Capitol so bizarre that we just had to LEGO-ize it for our RVA News In Brick feature, a conversation between legislators as to whether Civil War reenactors could carry muskets quickly turned into a conversation about cooking meth. We can’t make this up, folks.
Want to help shape the conversation around our schools? Richmond Public Schools seeks a candidate to replace now-Delegate Jeffrey Bourne in the Third District. If you live there and meet a few other requirements, the least of which is a desire to better RPS, learn how you can apply to run in a special election right here.
Richmond, we need to have a talk about a couple things. First of all, don’t be a trashhole (can I trademark this?). So many people have left trash behind at Forest Hill Park that there’s now a literal trash island in the pond. Also, while this may be contrary to good advice for life, don’t blaze any new trails if you’re at Powhite Park. This notice started circulating this week–it’s good advice for any park. As they say in Boy Scouts, “take only pictures, leave only footprints” when enjoying our local outdoor treasures. steps off of soapbox
In unrelated park news, the James River Park Association is looking for some amphibian-curious individuals for a unique new role that you’ll just have to read about here.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
Photo: County of Henrico
- Protesters rallied Monday to try and convince Mayor Stoney to make Richmond a true sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants. Our CNS reporter has the scoop.
- The Veil Brewing Co. and High Point Barbershop have joined forces to showcase our city in an international video contest. Vote for them here!
- Henrico County has appointed a temporary Brookland District Supervisor to serve in the place of the late Richard W. “Dick” Glover.
- Henrico has its own Restaurant Week! You can read about it and what entity it benefits here. We’ll also have a feature on the forthcoming Black Restaurant Week next week–stay tuned!
- A three year old is being hailed a hero for waking up his or her (it’s not clear) family in South Richmond this week when an electrical fire broke out in their home.
Until next time,
Trevor Dickerson
Editor, RVAHub
