Jan. 19 Newsletter: Last-minute billing in FOIA case
Weather: Freezing temperatures will last until about 9 a.m., so be careful on the roads.
On this date in 1977, the mayor of Tangier Island requests food be delivered by helicopter after an unusually cold winter froze the Chesapeake Bay for an extended period of time.
City and county offices are closed today in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. See a list of planned events here.
With new batch of invoices, city’s costs for FOIA officer lawsuit rise to $633K
The legal bills for Richmond’s efforts to fight a lawsuit filed by former city FOIA officer Connie Clay have risen significantly after the private law firm handling the case filed seven months’ worth of invoices in the last days of 2025.
Meanwhile, the two sides continue to fight over the relevance of a lost phone and the city's efforts to retrieve it. Read more here.
Friends remember Rev. ‘Tee’ Turner, who spearheaded Richmond’s Slave Trail and worked towards racial reconciliation
Reverend Sylvester “Tee” Turner, a prominent pastor who helped build many of the institutions acknowledging Richmond’s slave-trading past, died unexpectedly last week at age 74.
His colleagues celebrated him as a man who was more interested in building relationships than being in the spotlight.
“Reverend Tee was the kind of person that wouldn’t just pass you the baton, he would pass you the baton and teach you how to run, and cheer you on, and also tell you to pick the pace up,” one said. Read more here.
Nonprofit helps immigrants settle when they arrive in Richmond
ReEstablish Richmond is a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 with the mission to fill service gaps for resettled refugee communities and help them thrive in their new home, while also supporting the individuals and faith groups that assist them.
Read more, including some of the group's success stories, here.
Nonprofit launches program to connect RPS students with HBCU opportunities
The HBCU Bridge program prepares juniors and seniors in high school for life in higher education. They are able to learn about the history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities while learning the ins and outs of topics such as college applications and financial aid.
After graduating its first class last spring, 20 John Marshall students are participating in the newest cohort. Read more here.
In other news
- Richmond man charged after firing at officers outside GRTC headquarters, police say (CBS 6)
- High school basketball coverage: Former VCU star, Wythe alum is rebuilding the RHSA basketball team, which won a nail-biter on Friday. Also: Steward's 'Donate Life' game about more than just basketball
- On Faith and Values: Office hours with an unexpected professor
- Hey Richmond: Mayor Danny Avula's Newsletter
The editor's desk
Inauguration weekend has come and gone, and soon the Capitol will reemerge from behind the scaffolding. A welcome to all the out-of-town delegates, lobbyists and others descending on Richmond for the next few weeks. Please spend lots of money here.
Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org
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