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April 1 Newsletter: RIC's international flight quest

Weather: Another hot one with an expected high of 84 and chance of thunderstorms this afternoon.

On this date in 2019, Loose Screw Tattoo puts 15,000 green envelopes that look like parking violations on cars across Richmond. It is an April fool's joke – there was only a coupon for $50 off a tattoo inside.

Today's newsletter sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University: As a top 50 public research institution, Virginia Commonwealth University has an unparalleled drive to discover, innovate and create. VCU impacts the human experience and tackles the problems of tomorrow. It's a university unlike any you’ve ever seen.

Richmond officials are courting a nonstop flight to Europe. It won’t be cheap.

A nonstop flight to Europe has long been on the wish list for both local companies and Richmond International Airport executives, but competition is red-hot for a limited number of flights across the ocean each day.

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Indianapolis recently offered nearly $20 million in potential guarantees to Aer Lingus for four-days-a-week service to Dublin.

An international flight would be a game-changer for the region’s ability to land new businesses, according to GPR President Jennifer Wakefield. Her group is leading a task force that is looking to raise money to attract a transatlantic flight to Richmond. Read more, including a possible destination, here.

Signs at two Richmond sites flagged as part of Trump order to ‘focus on the greatness’ in U.S. history.

Last year, National Park Service employees all over the country were directed to report any public-facing content at parks that “inappropriately disparages Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times).” 

Leaked documents now show that signage at two historic sites in Richmond were flagged last July for the way they discussed America's racial history. Read more here.

City clears application backlog for Gap Grant housing aid program

Richmond officials have cleared a sizable backlog of applications from city residents seeking housing aid money under the Gap Grant program.

But most of the $3.9 million allocated to help lower-income Richmonders with housing costs remains unspent, and Mayor Danny Avula's administration says it's planning a "repeal and replace" effort. Read more here.

Pro-code refresh groups pitch plan to allow smaller duplexes in bid for more affordable homes

A coalition of groups backing Richmond’s zoning overhaul are proposing a new tweak to rules for where duplexes can be built: in all single family neighborhoods, as long as the units are no larger than 1,500 square feet. 

The plan outlined by the Homes for All Our Neighbors coalition Tuesday is the latest attempt to resolve the thorny issue of how much density Richmond should allow in its single family neighborhoods as population grows and housing prices continue to outpace area wages. Read more here.

Today's sponsor:

‘It just has to stop’: Why VCU is accelerating pedestrian safety action

Pedestrian safety remains a critical issue in Richmond. Building on three years of collaboration and confronting recent tragedies, VCU and the city of Richmond are working together to improve safety through infrastructure projects, outreach and education, and increased enforcement. Read more.

In other news

Editor Michael Phillips is out of office.

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