> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.richmonder.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Friday, July 25 Newsletter: Our women's tackle football team is playing for the national title - URL: https://www.richmonder.org/friday-july-25-newsletter-our-womens-tackle-football-team-is-playing-for-the-national-title/ - Published: 2025-07-25T10:00:39.000Z - Updated: 2025-07-25T10:00:39.000Z - Description: Plus, four stories keeping an eye on the city from our reporting team, with a focus on rental housing inspections and emergency response preparedness. Also, they're calling it the "report on reports." - Author: Michael Phillips - Tags: Newsletter **Weather:** The heat is back. High of 96. **On this date** in 1996, swimmer Whitney Hedgepeth of Colonial Heights wins her second individual silver medal at the Atlanta Olympics. --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2025/07/unnamed--1--2-1-1.jpg)](https://www.richmonder.org/richmonds-womens-football-team-is-competing-for-a-championship-friday/) ### Richmond's women's football team is competing for a championship Friday The Richmond Black Widows, a tackle football team that has represented the city for the last 10 years, has an opportunity to win its first ever national championship today. šŸˆ Several Black Widows players served as coaches in the first year of girlsā€™ flag football at area schools. [**Read more on the team, and its efforts to grow the game, here.**](https://www.richmonder.org/richmonds-womens-football-team-is-competing-for-a-championship-friday/) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2025/07/Richmonder_Politics_Final_102924-4.jpg) ### Our in-depth coverage of city issues [**More than a third of required reports to City Council arenā€™t being filed, review finds:**](https://www.richmonder.org/more-than-a-third-of-required-reports-to-city-council-arent-being-filed-review-finds/) They're calling it the "report on reports," and while some of the reports seem to be outdated or unnecessary, others have been ignored. [**Amid sharp criticism, emergency operations chief says city is shoring up its crisis response:**](https://www.richmonder.org/amid-sharp-criticism-emergency-operations-chief-says-city-is-shoring-up-its-crisis-response/) ā€œIā€™m going to be very blunt with you,ā€ Stephen Willoughby said. Prior to the Jan. 6 water crisis, ā€œmany of our plans were nonexistent, or many of our plans had deficiencies.ā€ [**Landlords, realtors ask Council for more targeted rental inspection program:**](https://www.richmonder.org/landlords-realtors-ask-council-for-more-targeted-rental-inspection-program/) The proposal has broad support, but stakeholders are requesting it be more finely targeted to avoid unfairly labeling entire neighborhoods as "blighted." [**Avula moves ahead with revised version of regional water group:**](https://www.richmonder.org/avula-moves-ahead-with-revised-version-of-regional-water-group/) After a closed-door City Council meeting this month, the administration announced a regional work group has been established and is already meeting. But itā€™s more scaled-down and less structured than what the mayor originally proposed. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2025/07/25in25logo--2--1--1--4.jpg)](https://www.richmonder.org/the-richmonder-presents-25-in-25/) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2025/07/rivka--1-.jpg) The 25 in '25 program celebrates the people who make us proud to be Richmonders. ### Rivka Swenson is looking out for Richmond's cats If you see a feral cat with a clipped ear in Richmond, thereā€™s a chance Rivka Swenson had something to do with it. Last year, the City Kitty Project fixed 688 stray cats, trapping nearly 400 themselves. The project also rescues about 200 cats a year, rehabilitating them and finding people to adopt them. [**Read more here.**](https://www.richmonder.org/25-in-25-rivka-swenson-is-looking-out-for-richmonds-cats/) --- ### In other news - [**Colonial Downs jockey airlifted to Richmond hospital after being thrown from horse**](https://www.richmonder.org/colonial-downs-jockey-airlifted-to-richmond-hospital-after-being-thrown-from-horse/) - [**Ex-Truist employee stole $195,000 from accounts, faked her own death to avoid arrest**](https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/ahshah-martin-july-22-2025?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR7%5FExZL7mX8FICLyMtoMgiZUOAM1wAiOrrr5FIelZz0V664s%5FJ4OMRTh2E9PQ%5Faem%5F8SisxGt5EZDEEOzGpmaLMg) (CBS 6) - [**Richmond hires new finance director from Virginia Beach**](https://www.richmonder.org/richmond-hires-new-finance-director-from-virginia-beach/) --- ### The editor's desk Thanks to all who took a minute yesterday to fill out [our reader survey](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeC11PdREbH5mATlIbXrda9PVhhLqNLdB4T0bNBivvw9g9Wwg/viewform?usp=dialog). We are hopeful to grow in 2026, and we're looking to you to help guide that growth. There's [still time to participate](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeC11PdREbH5mATlIbXrda9PVhhLqNLdB4T0bNBivvw9g9Wwg/viewform?usp=dialog), and potentially win a Richmonder t-shirt! *Michael Phillips, founding editor* *mphillips@richmonder.org* --- Sent this by a friend? [**Sign up for our free thrice-weekly newsletter here.**](https://www.richmonder.org/sign-up-for-the-richmonders-free-newsletter/) Want to support The Richmonder? [**Become a donor for $9.99 a month**](https://donate.stripe.com/aEU8xm7EWefggx29AP) and keep quality local journalism in the community.