Oct. 24 Newsletter: Richmond's most-loved trees

Weather: There could be patches of frost this morning, but the days will remain pleasant. High of 62.

On this date in 1986, the Salem City School Board bans smoking by teachers on school property.

Exploring Richmond: Meet 5 of the city's most unique trees

From Church Hill to Henrico, these trees have stood for generations, and serve as living monuments to the history that happened underneath their shade. See the full list here.

After Church Hill teardowns, Richmond eyes steep penalties for unapproved demolitions

It could become far more expensive to tear down a building without permission in some of Richmond’s most historic neighborhoods. 

This was prompted in part by a 2023 teardown of two old storefronts near Chimborazo Park in Church Hill, after being told by the city those buildings needed to be preserved. Ultimately, the developer could only be fined $200.

New penalties could be as much as twice the property's value. Read more here.

CARITAS forges onward at 40: Housing needs continue to increase as funding remains in jeopardy

"We have more than 400 beds under our roof," the nonprofit's CEO said. "And people don't know that CARITAS is really that big of a footprint and that big of a safety net here in the Richmond area."

One issue the group has seen is a spike in residents 60-and-older facing homelessness.

"Now, there's always several people that have walkers in an emergency shelter, just really struggling," one employee said. "We as a community have to figure out how to solve that better." Read more here.

City officials aim for ‘middle ground’ on creation of FOIA library

Richmond policymakers want more time to study their options before moving forward with legislation to boost government transparency by creating an online Freedom of Information Act library. Read more on the proposals, and their reception, here.

High school football report: Player of the year race remains wide open

Reporter Rob Witham says there are at least a dozen players potentially deserving of the honor, one of the most wide-open fields in recent memory. Plus, this week's games to watch. Read more here.

In other news

• Buried in France in 1840, a U.S. president’s daughter comes back home (Washington Post)
  • James Monroe's eldest daughter was repatriated to Hollywood Cemetery this week.
• The 20th Annual Richmond Zombie Walk will take place on Saturday
  • The event takes over Carytown beginning at 2:30 p.m. at the Byrd.
• Hanover family, school system locked in dispute over service dog (Times-Dispatch)
  • The parents are the dog's trained handlers, but they say the school system won't let one of them attend classes alongside their son.

The editor's desk

A great midweek program at the Richmond Forum, with Jeffrey M. Lacker interviewing Andrew Ross Sorkin on the parallels between 1929's recession and our economy today.

Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org

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