Photo: @seen.by.dwight

The week in brief

Happy (almost) weekend, y’all. We’ve come to the end of another week, which means it’s time to recap the week’s headlines. It’s August 4th, also known as #804Day! Here’s a cool way to celebrate tonight at Buskey Cider.

We start this week with some tragic news. Two people died in the James River this week–a kayaker near Robious Landing, and an 89-year-old man near Tredegar Street. It’s a sobering reminder that while the James River is our city’s crown jewel, its mighty power can quite literally sweep you off your feet, and you’ve gotta be incredibly careful when enjoying it.

Work is finally underway to transform the 17th Street Farmers Market into an open air pedestrian-oriented promenade. Crews will remove the remaining canopies, and eventually 17th Street will be closed to traffic. Check out all the plans here.

This weekend is a tax-free holiday for school supplies and emergency preparedness items! Learn more about what’s eligible and check out area school supply lists, which we rounded up, right here.

Ryan O’Rourke with Ironclad Coffee Roasters in Scott’s Addition is always looking for new ways to give back to the community. He hosts monthly fundraisers on an alternating basis to support the Richmond SPCA and Richmond Public Schools, and now he’s spreading kindness and hope in Malawi, the world’s poorest country, with a youth soccer program. I caught up with him this week to learn more about how a small coffee roaster in Richmond is making such a big impact on lives a world away.

This week marked the last week in business for the remaining area Martin’s grocery stores. This means more new Publix stores are on the way, but it also means a lot of empty storefronts will be left in their wake. Look at these barren aisles at the Forest Hill Location just before closing. Personally, I never liked Martin’s and to them I say good riddance, but I wish the best to those out of work and hope they can find employment with Publix or one of the area’s other new grocers.

A viral video showing two young men jumping over cars in what appears to be a foot-based street race on the Boulevard has racked up almost a million and a half views. Richmond Police say they’ve seen the video, posted and produced by an Instagram user who’s known for sharing and creating stunts, pranks, and street races, but says they received no calls for service regarding the incident near The Diamond.

Eating and drinking

There are a ton of new restaurants that have either recently opened or are on the horizon. EAT Restaurant Partners and HOUSEpitality Group led the pack with the announcement of more new establishments than you can count on one hand this week. Get caught up with all the news that’s fit to eat with our Weekly Food News.

A new restaurant app that launched today in the Richmond market allows diners to spin a virtual wheel and take advantage of discounts and other specials at over 31 area establishments. It’s called Spotluck, and it’s a pretty cool concept. I caught up with the team behind it to learn more about the algorithm that determines the discounts (based on weather, time of day, etc.), and you can read more here.

Until next time,

Trevor Dickerson, Editor
RVAHub