Good morning!

We’re trying out a new once-a-month Saturday feature. My goal is to invite people to become part of The Richmonder family – we want to create connection in the community, and that starts with getting to know you, so please reach out with your thoughts on what we cover and how we can best serve you.

Remember, we care as much as you because all six of us at The Richmonder live here too.

Most visited story of the month

Max Posner’s powerful photo montage of the monks' Walk for Peace. It feels good to look at them again. That was a beautiful Richmond moment that already seems like a long time ago.

The ‘Walk for Peace’ enters Richmond on Monday. This is what it’s like to walk with the monks

Peace as a word and symbol is ever present on homemade signs along the Walk. Peace as a feeling also permeates the air along the path trodden by the monks, and soldiers on no matter the weather.

The RichmonderMax Posner

IN A VERY CLOSE SECOND: Graham Moomaw’s look into how 500 more gambling machines than were initially approved are at the Richmond Rosie’s. Why is it drawing the attention of state legislators? An interesting dive into the moving parts between casinos and the Virginia Gaming Commission.

Lawmakers question how Rosie’s was approved to add more gambling machines in Richmond

The Richmond location went from 700 machines to 1,200 without a public hearing.

The RichmonderGraham Moomaw

Headscratcher of the month

The iPhone kerfuffle. You must read it to believe it. It got weirder this week, with the judge crediting The Richmonder for revealing the iPhone’s whereabouts to her. This could be a British procedural on Netflix. 

Judge rips city for ‘reckless failure’ to preserve phone in ex-FOIA officer’s lawsuit

Monday’s ruling from the judge was a flashpoint in the two-year-old case about transparency in city government.

The RichmonderGraham Moomaw

This month’s Big Announcement: The Richmonder’s 2026 event series calendar

As you know, we’re dedicated to creating healthy communities through local news and information. Our events are very much a part of that mission as well. If 2025 is any indication, we’ve created our own winning formula. Psst, it’s because we have the secret sauce: Michael Phillips is a brilliant emcee! (real attendee feedback)

• April 29 public square event at The Shockoe Institute, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. 
  • This event’s focus coincides with the Expanding Freedom exhibit that begins on April 9. The format encourages interaction between the audience and speakers. More information next week! 
• June 14 speaker series at The Branch Museum, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
  • The impact of philanthropists on Richmond’s civic life. This is an outdoor event held in the gardens. Stay tuned for ticket announcements later in the spring.  
• July 23 speaker series at The Valentine Museum, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
  • We'll host a discussion in conjunction with the museum’s Building a City exhibition. Speakers TBD, but Sarah Vogelsong will be the moderator.
• September 25, The Richmond 25 celebration. A big party honoring 25 of Richmond’s under-the-radar rockstars, featuring keynote speaker and Richmond rockstar Kristen Cavallo. Tickets go on sale later in the summer. 
• Plus more to be announced!

Also stay tuned for Coffee with Michael dates and locations.

Important note: Our donors and members get first crack at event tickets. Three out of our last five events sold out before we could promote them to our full subscriber list.

Did you know?

In December 2024, the Richmonder.org website attracted 32,375 unique visitors. In December 2025, it attracted 164,083. That’s a whole lot of new eyeballs.

We are almost exclusively community funded. Thank you to our donors for making our work possible!

Want to help? Make a one-time donation to The Richmonder, or just share our newsletter sign-up link with a friend. 

Thank you for spending a little of your Saturday with me! Enjoy your weekend, 

Beth

P.S. — When the school district initially wouldn't share which positions it was proposing to lay off before a budget debate, we spent time and money fighting for you to have that info. That work is funded by our members. Join now.