June 20 Newsletter: So many parking tickets
Weather: High of 86 today, and it's not getting cooler.
On this date in 1975, Richmond schools superintendent Thomas C. Little responds to an increase in sick leave by assigning two nurses to travel to homes and verify illnesses when teachers call out.
Power outages: Dominion crews worked last night to restore power after a storm knocked it out for thousands of Richmonders.
Richmond issues about 11,000 parking tickets a month. We dug into the data.
On average, Richmond drivers receive about $460,000 in parking tickets each month, according to city parking ticket data obtained by The Richmonder.
Victoria A. Ifatusin took a look at the last eight years worth of violations, and found that we're not back to pre-pandemic levels of ticketing yet, but it's getting much harder to successfully contest a ticket. Read more here.
New draft zoning maps spark debate over disparities in density
It's no surprise the first zoning rewrite in five decades is drawing strong opinions.
- Councilor Ellen Robertson said Richmond's historically Black neighborhoods are having to bear the burden of increased density, while the West End stays largely intact.
- One committee member urged planners to allow three-family housing units in all residential zones, as "a matter of equity and opportunity."
- A potential solution is to allow more mixed-use development along designated "transit corridors."
Read more from Sarah Vogelsong here.
Banana Ball is coming to the Diamond this weekend. Here’s what to expect.
The Savannah Bananas are the hottest thing in baseball, and two of their spinoff teams will play a pair of sold-out games in Richmond this weekend.
Correspondent Laura Finaldi saw the show earlier this month, and shares what fans can expect. She's not just a fan, though — she's dating the pitcher. "Jimmy Strings" is also a violinist, in addition to pitching. That's not unusual in Banana Ball. Read more here on the unique brand of baseball that's sweeping the country.
How Richmond voters blocked Levar Stoney’s rise to higher office
Richmond voters delivered an overwhelmingly negative verdict on the former mayor Tuesday night, even as he racked up strong enough numbers elsewhere to finish a close second in the Lieutenant Governor primary.
In the voter precinct for the Oregon Hill neighborhood, Stoney finished in a tie for sixth place, winning just 6 votes, compared with 156 for winner Ghazala Hashmi.
Richmond appeals $1.1 million, 101-seat Head Start cut after asking for 200-seat reduction
The federal government notified Richmond that it will cut only 101 Head Start seats in the city next year, roughly half of what the School Board had requested as part of its plan to deal with chronic underenrollment in the pre-K program.
Richmond is appealing that decision, as well as $1.1 million in funding cuts for the $8.5 million program. Read more here.
In other news
- Virginia commission approves Barbara Johns statue for U.S. Capitol (Times-Dispatch)
- Why the Church Hill Juneteenth Day of Freedom is a 'sign of unity' (WTVR)
- Where Ya Bin opens Chesterfield store on Friday. Here's what to expect (Axios)
The editor's desk
As a downtown worker, I'm all too familiar with the sight of the green parking ticket envelope. It's good to know I'm not alone.
Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org
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