Sept. 21 Newsletter: Solar showdown

Weather: Temperatures cool into the 70s but rain is expected to arrive late in the evening.

On this date in 1987, record high river levels cause copperhead snakes to seek new homes in residential areas of the city.

Today's newsletter sponsored by VCU Health

Richmond is rushing to do a solar energy deal. Some officials see ‘a lot of risk’

The deal, which will be fast-tracked starting at a special meeting this morning, could come across as a political win for city leaders, making Richmond appear more environmentally friendly and willing to take local action against climate change.

But as the solar proposal nears the finish line, top City Hall officials reviewing the finer details have privately raised concerns about whether the benefits are worth the financial and legal risk that could come with a 25-year contract involving dozens of city buildings.

“Simply put, there is a lot of risk that has been clearly expressed,” Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II said in an early August email obtained by The Richmonder. Read more here.

Planning Commission balks at plan to convert affordable West End apartments into high-end townhouses

“This is not what the city of Richmond needs,” one commissioner said of the plan to tear down an 18-unit apartment building and build eight luxury townhouses.

The developer’s chief operating officer pitched the project as a necessary replacement of a 1960s-era building that he said had reached the end of its life.

“It’s not somewhere you would want your friend, your mother or your child to live currently,” he said. Read more here.

IG: No evidence proving tip Richmond workers were buying ‘baggies full of fresh weed’

Richmond’s inspector general recently looked into an anonymous tip that city workers were buying “huge zip-lock freezer baggies full of fresh weed” during work hours from a “hemp food truck” parked on Mayo Island.

The inspector general’s office did find a blue box truck advertising “Holistic Remedies, Cannabis Education, Smoke Accessories and More…” at the specified parking lot in the middle of the Mayo Bridge. However, no city vehicles were seen pulling up to the truck while it was under surveillance by the inspector general’s office and the police. Read more here.

Avula: 'We need to reevaluate our relationship with Flock'

Richmond Mayor Danny Avula said Saturday that he will spend time thinking about the use of Automatic License Plate Reader technology in the city, particularly cameras the city uses that are made by Flock Safety.

"I've been really consistent about saying that our choice to use this technology is because I believe in the benefits to public safety, and I believe those benefits outweigh the risks they pose to our community," Avula said.

"But I've also been very consistent about saying that this is not a closed issue, and that I will always remain open to hearing from the people of Richmond on it," he said, committing to a four-part plan. Read more here.

• High school football: Week 4 featured several surprising results
• Highland Springs dominates a NoVa foe
• Improved offensive flow for James River comes to pass against Monacan
• Thomas Dale flexes offensive muscle in road rout of Glen Allen

Today's sponsor:

U.S. News & World Report names VCU Medical Center No. 1 hospital in Virginia

Virginia's best, and among the nation’s best. VCU Medical Center has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-2027.

U.S. News also recognized the medical center among the Top 50 in the nation for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery at No. 29, and orthopedics at No. 44. The publication also ranked VCU Medical Center No. 1 in the Richmond metro area for the 16th consecutive year. Read more here.

In other news

• Facing high levels of benefit theft, Richmond and Chesterfield among first to get new, more secure EBT cards
  • While magnetic stripes transmit account information directly to a card reader, meaning it can be duplicated and stolen, the chips create unique, encrypted codes for each transaction.
• Longtime film industry champion Andy Edmunds mortgaged his home to produce his own film, which debuts tomorrow in Richmond
  • “The Cashier” is a dark comedy set in Richmond and centered on Glenda (Daphne Maxwell Reid), a humble cashier who stumbles upon a winning lottery ticket.
• One Year In: Rebuilding Trust in Richmond City Hall | Guest column by Odie Donald II (Times-Dispatch)
  • "Over the last year, the city has faced two federal government shutdowns, back-to-back winter storms, a train derailment, a significant water main break, and complex stadium negotiations. We’ve addressed them all."

The editor's desk

Our silent auction launches tomorrow as part of our celebration of The Richmonder 25. We've got an outstanding mix of new Richmond experiences and some classic favorites. Keep an eye on your inbox!

Michael Phillips, founder
mphillips@richmonder.org

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