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March 11 Newsletter: More information on real estate agent who died in custody Sunday

March 11 Newsletter: More information on real estate agent who died in custody Sunday

Weather: Peak heat arrives today, with a high of 85. The cooldown begins this evening.

On this date in 1984, VCU, UR and UVA are all selected to participate in the NCAA basketball tournament. All three win a game – UVA makes the Final Four, while UR defeated Charles Barkley’s Auburn team.

Today's newsletter sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University: As a top 50 public research institution, Virginia Commonwealth University has an unparalleled drive to discover, innovate and create. VCU impacts the human experience and tackles the problems of tomorrow. It's a university unlike any you’ve ever seen.

Richmond real estate agent who died in custody tried to hire someone to kill his wife, court records say

In early February, Richmond police pulled over a wanted criminal with an extensive history of breaking the law.

The driver then allegedly told police he had been offered money and a minivan by a man who wanted his wife, who was in the process of divorcing him, killed.

That appears to have led to Friday’s arrest of Michael Barrett, a Richmond real estate agent who was taken to a Henrico jail. Barrett died in custody Sunday. Officials believe he harmed himself while in jail. Read more on the case here.

City backs off ‘Operation Vaporize’ as blowback from vape shop owners intensifies

Richmond officials are temporarily easing up on efforts to go after local vape shops after complaints from business owners that the crackdown has been excessive.

A lawyer representing dozens of Yemeni-American vape shop owners sent city leaders a letter this week that called the recent enforcement actions illegal and racist.

City officials have previously said many vape shops, which have rapidly filled retail space all over Richmond, are illegally selling marijuana and have become magnets for armed robberies. Read more here.

Richmond police say one person charged in weekend street takeovers

The Richmond Police Department said officers responded to multiple calls over the weekend for “vehicles driving recklessly and for possible random gunfire associated with a large number of motorists operating vehicles in a dangerous manner throughout the city.” Read more here.

  • Spring weather traditionally brings a surge of crime and this year has been no exception. CBS 6 reported that three people were detained last night after a shootout in Highland Park.

Allergy season returns

Richmond has moved into its "high" tree pollen season, which will last throughout March.

Grass pollen has not yet sprouted, but will join the tree pollen in the coming weeks.

Today's sponsor:

Uncommon impact: VCU pairs efficiency with affordability

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission’s report ranks VCU No. 1 for efficiency, a key part of the university's strategy to keep tuition growth as low as possible. 

At VCU, the data shows that the university has prioritized and remains committed to keeping costs as low as possible — despite national higher education trends. For students from households earning less than $110,000, there was zero growth on average from 2019 to 2024. 

Overall, the net price of a VCU education grew by only 8%, despite 22.5% inflation over that same period. Read more.

In other news

The editor's desk

It's hard to fly because of TSA lines. It's hard to drive because gas is so expensive. And the train only runs at 6 a.m. each morning because of construction. Good thing it's a nice time of year in Richmond.

Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org

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