June 11 Newsletter: Sheriff's race rematch
Weather: Sunny and 86. Summertime in Richmond.
On this date in 1991, U.S. Senator Charles Robb said he did not report receiving a secretly made audio tape of L. Douglas Wilder because he was not involved in its creation and had no plans to use it against Wilder. (more)
Sheriff’s race pits familiar challengers, who are sparring over jail deaths and the office’s role
Next Tuesday is primary voting day in Richmond, and voters will effectively decide who the city's next sheriff will be. The sheriff's primary duty is to run the city jail.
Incumbent Antoinette Irving is once again facing William Burnett, who she defeated in 2021.
- A death at the jail earlier this month was reportedly the ninth of Irving's 8-year tenure. Burnett said that's too many, while Irving noted she's doing better than her predecessor.
- Staffing issues have plagued the department. Irving said those struggles are a national trend, while Burnett said he believes low morale is impacting staffing.
The candidates spoke to The Richmonder about their backgrounds and proposed policies. Read more here.
‘You can’t just discard it’: Varina's Chatsworth School unveils historic plaque
The Chatsworth School was a one-room schoolhouse that served Black children in Henrico County's Antioch community, in Varina.
Last weekend a plaque was unveiled, and the renovated school is now open for tours by appointment.
“The history of where we come from should never be lost,” said Pastor James Sailes. Read more here.
Also today in The Richmonder
Richmond City Council overwhelmingly approves Odie Donald as CAO
The 7-0-1 vote clears the way for Donald to start on July 9. Mayor Danny Avula said Donald is the right person at a moment when many Richmond residents still feel like they deserve better performance from city government.
Virginia appeals court rejects Second Amendment challenge in Richmond machine gun case
A man who was arrested in a Richmond convenience store with a machine gun argued that carrying it was a constitutionally protected activity. The judge disagreed, upholding previous rulings that machine guns are “‘dangerous and unusual’ and thus are not ‘weapons in common use.’”
Summer is here to stay in RVA
After a cool finish to May, those pleasant days are long gone. Also, why is it so hard to predict summer thunderstorms? And did you know the Earth is farther from the sun during summer?
In other news
- Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney candidates speak (RVA's Got Issues)
- Why Norfolk’s NEON District Works—and What Richmond Can Learn (RVA Mag)
- The weird stuff Richmond diners steal from restaurants (Axios)
The editor's desk
Our intern, Eleanor, keeps a note on her phone rating chicken places, but she only rates nuggets and strips, which disqualifies my two go-to recommendations (Buttermilk and Honey for the sandwich, Mama J's for fried chicken). She's here until August, so hit reply and send your recommendations our way.
Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org
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