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Jan. 30 Newsletter: Crime was down in 2025

Weather: Time for another round of "will it snow?" Details below.

On this date in 1967, City Council debates expanding Riverside Drive further east, to take advantage of interest in recreational options along the James River. The road is ultimately left as-is.

Today's newsletter sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University: As a top 20% global university, Virginia Commonwealth University is an unparalleled powerhouse of innovation and creative problem solving. VCU attacks challenges as opportunities. It's truly a university unlike any you’ve ever seen.

Nearly all types of crime fell in Richmond in 2025, with significant drops in gun violence. However, domestic violence is on the rise.

  • “What we’re seeing not only is direct domestic intimate partner violence, which is certainly a concern, but we’re also seeing a disturbing trend of romantic rivals who are shooting each other and killing each other,” said Richmond's police chief.

Read a breakdown of the stats here, including Richmond's most-robbed chain of stores.

Snow this weekend in Richmond? It's really hard to know.

Last weekend, Richmonders were prepared for snow and ice, having been warned as early as Monday that a major storm was coming.

  • This weekend, it will be an entirely different story.

The National Weather Service is putting Richmond directly on the line dividing the snow-haves from the snow-have-nots. If the storm inches northward, expect 3-6 inches of snow on Saturday. If the storm inches southward, it could be nothing. Read more, including why this is a tricky storm to forecast.

Proposed RPS budget draws criticism, confusion ahead of Board meeting

The union representing teachers called for an independent audit into RPS finances, and added that the district shouldn't have been caught off guard by a long-planned freeze of assessment increases.

  • The budget proposes 46 layoffs, but the specific positions or roles have not been identified ahead of public discussion.
  • The union called a five-day furlough of Superintendent Jason Kamras "performative."

A revised version of the proposed budget was put out after what RPS described as the "accidental misclassifications" of some positions. Read more here.

Hanover Board asks ICE to reconsider proposed facility

The Hanover Board of Supervisors made a statement Wednesday night opposing the construction of a government "processing facility" that would hold as many as 1,500 people detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

The statement acknowledged that the federal government may not have to respect the wishes of the Board, but asked that the Department of Homeland Security consider the county's feedback.

Several hundred protestors gathered outside the meeting, with more circling the facility after parking lots filled up. Read more here.

Flying Squirrels release ticket prices for new stadium

Prices range from $34 directly behind home plate to $10 standing-room-only seats.

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"The majority of tickets available for fans to purchase on an individual-game basis are priced at or below day-of-game pricing at The Diamond," the team's GM said.

The new stadium will have a larger variety of seating options. Read about them, including Adirondack chair seating, here.

Today's sponsor:

At VCU, impactful innovation follows multiple paths

VCU, a top 50 public research institution, leads all other Virginia public universities in licensing revenue generated from its inventions, according to AUTM, an association representing the academic research community.

Researchers across VCU’s campuses are increasingly building new business ventures, forming partnerships with companies, licensing technologies and collaborating with industry and government agencies in ways that directly shape patient care, public health, advanced manufacturing and even national security.

Read more about how VCU researchers are turning inventions into ventures and why industry and government are taking notice.

In other news

The editor's desk

Loving the videos of people ice skating on their yards and in parking lots. Not loving all the ice.

Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org

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