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May 20 Newsletter: Free bus funding

Weather: A blazing-hot 97 could set another record, but cooler temperatures (and rain) move in overnight.

On this date in 1934, store owners along Broad Street complain about loitering after crowds flock to a newly reopened ABC store as Prohibition ends.

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.

GRTC commits to another year of fare-free service

Bus company officials say they now consider keeping service free part of “our DNA” – an assumption they say will be baked into future budgets rather than tied to specific grants or funding allocations.

  • But board members wouldn't sign off on hiring a permanent fundraising position, worrying that the role might not bring in enough in donations to justify the expense.
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Fundraising so far has been limited to a handful of small events, including a GRTC night at the Midlothian location of Chipotle.

“You’re not going to do it with Chipotle fundraising,” said one board member. Read more here.

Richmond High School for the Arts closed after flooding

Richmond High School for the Arts (formerly George Wythe) is closed to students this week after a faulty HVAC system triggered major flooding inside the school over the weekend.

A new school is under construction directly adjacent to the current school, with a scheduled move-in date of mid-September, about three weeks into the new school year. Read more here.

ALSO IN EDUCATION: RPS seeking new chief talent officer, six months after hiring the current one

Dominion, NextEra announce proposed merger. What does it mean for Richmond?

NextEra committed to retaining a "dual headquarters" structure in Richmond and Juno Beach, Florida, and said it would keep all Dominion Energy employees for at least 18 months after the merger closes, which is expected to take place in 2027.

The deal still must be approved by federal and state regulators. Reuters reported on Monday morning that Dominion would have to pay $2.24 billion if the deal falls through. Read more here.

Richmond takes further actions to distance itself from ICE

Mayor Danny Avula announced Tuesday that the city is taking additional steps to separate itself from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

  • The city will no longer share Flock license plate reader data with Virginia jurisdictions that have cooperation agreements with ICE.
  • RPD uniforms have been updated with more clearly visible “RICHMOND POLICE” patches to better distinguish local officers from federal agents.
  • The city will also prohibit ICE from using city property for its operations, including city-owned parking lots. Read more here.

ALSO IN CITY NEWS:

Today's sponsor:

VCU aims to be ‘an international hub’ for research, VP Rao says in annual address

During the recent annual State of the Research event, P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., VCU vice president for research and innovation: 

  • Detailed VCU’s robust research growth - 109% growth in sponsored research funding since 2018.
  • Reinforced that research is fundamental to VCU’s mission - from undergraduate projects to licensed innovations.
  • Provided an overview of the university’s research accomplishments, including recognizing some of VCU’s most notable faculty researchers.
  • Announced VCU’s ambitious new goal to reach $1 billion in sponsored research funding.

Read more.

In other news

The editor's desk

Sabrina Moreno at Axios has figured out the truth about Ukrop's Rainbow Cookies: If you're from here, you love them. If you're not, you don't get it. (I'm not from here.)

Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org

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