Axios Richmond
The opioid epidemic and foster care system are colliding in Virginia
Family members in Virginia are increasingly becoming caretakers of children removed from their parents' care due to drug use, according to an investigation from WHRO. Why it matters: It's one way to avoid forcing more kids into an already overwhelmed foster care system as the addiction crisis gets worse and fractures more families.
Virginia drivers required to have car insurance starting July 1
Virginians will no longer be able to legally drive without car insurance starting July 1. State of play: Virginia was one of only two states that allowed people to drive while uninsured, but only if you paid an annual $500 fee — which the Department of Motor Vehicles told Axios nearly 6,100 residents do.
6 things to do in Richmond this weekend
Lock and load. It's the weekend, and this one is shaping up to be a mild and pretty one weather-wise. 🌸 Get some green inspiration for your garden at Historic Garden Week, which runs through Saturday but offers its last Richmond tour Thursday through five Windsor Farms gardens. $50 advance tickets ($60 at the gate).
Brecotea, the Richmond-based Asian-inspired bakery and teahouse chain, is a treat for locals
Karri here, still thinking about a berry and cream-filled croissant I recently devoured after treating myself at Brecotea, a newish-to-town Taiwanese bakery. State of play: Brecotea opened its first location in the West End in 2019 and now has a bakery in Cary, North Carolina and three Richmond locations, including its most recent addition, 11544 Busy St.
Everything to know about Richmond's Diamond District stadium plan
Richmond City Council is poised to approve a new financing plan for the decades-in-the-making new baseball stadium set to replace The Diamond.Why it matters: The proposal, which the council will vote on next month, could put the city and taxpayers on the hook for the full cost of the new stadium.It's also one of several major changes in recent weeks to the broader Diamond District project, the $2.4 billion development expected to change the look of the neighborhood as it's built out over the next 15 years.The latest: Earlier this month, city officials presented to the council a plan to...
Texas Inn is open and two other new Richmond restaurants to try this week
It's been a red hot week for Richmond restaurant openings, so let's just dive in.Why it matters: There are delicious new eats now available in Richmond.Texas Inn — the Richmond outpost of the Lynchburg-based Virginia diner chain — opened Monday in the former Izzy's Kitchen spot at 2901 Park Ave.The T-Room, as regulars call it, opened its first location in 1935 and now has four locations around the state. Richmond ad guy Dave Saunders bought the restaurants in 2018 and brought a location home with him.The classic diner-style restaurant is famous for its Cheesy Westerns, a cheeseburger topped with...
Vote for Richmond's new "I voted" stickers ahead of the 2024 presidential election
Richmond residents are getting new "I Voted" stickers this year — and we get to help pick the design.State of play: The Richmond Office of Elections is hosting an online contest to pick the winning sticker design from four finalists, all designed by VCU students.Voting is open through April 30.Zoom in: The final four sticker designs and the artists' vision behind them, per VCU:A cardinal wearing sunglasses, artist and DMV transplant Kansiny Nguyen's intentionally patriotic and colorful design.An opossum filling out a ballot, a nod to "how opossums are basically Richmond's unofficial animal mascot," artist and Spotsylvania native Asia Rorick says.An art deco-inspired skyline, an homage to the city's art scene, per Chesapeake native and artist Gabriel Thompson.Or a colorful take on Richmond's architecturally interesting landmarks — to show the "colorful personality of the people," says artist and Herndon native Tre Venable.What's next: You can vote once a day here. The winners will be announced next Friday and the stickers in-use in November.
Richmond mayor Stoney drops out of Virginia 2025 governor's race
Mayor Levar Stoney is dropping his bid for the 2025 Democratic nomination for Virginia governor and will instead run for lieutenant governor, his campaign announced Tuesday.State of play: Stoney was facing a difficult primary against fellow Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the race to succeed Gov. Youngkin next year.While the June 2025 gubernatorial primary is more than a year away, Stoney dropping out makes it even more likely Spanberger will take the nomination, AP reports.She's seen as a "formidable candidate" by both parties due to her name recognition, centrist politics and record of winning races, per AP.And if she...
Stoney drops bid for governor and will run for lieutenant governor
Mayor Levar Stoney is dropping his run for the Democratic nomination for Virginia governor and will instead run for lieutenant governor, his campaign announced in a news release early Tuesday morning. Stoney was running against Rep. Abigail Spanberger for the nomination. What they's saying: "After careful consideration with my family, I believe that the best way to ensure that all Virginia families do get the change they deserve is for our party to come together, avoid a costly and damaging primary and, for me to run instead for Lieutenant Governor," Stoney said in a statement. This has been a breaking news story and will updated.
Richmond's 30-day public housing eviction freeze
Richmond's public housing agency is pausing evictions for at least 30 days, in part to assess whether it's been miscalculating rent prices.Why it matters: A rent miscalculation could mean some of the poorest residents in the city are being charged more than federally allowed, leading them to potentially face eviction — and homelessness — if they can't pay.The big picture: An estimated 66% of tenant files reviewed — or 23 of 35 — had rent calculation errors, according to a recent Department of Housing and Urban Development audit obtained by Axios.All 20 reviewed files of residents using housing vouchers had...
Taylor Swift (allegedly) name drops Richmond's Lucy Dacus in “The Tortured Poets Department”
Forever Richmonder and boygenius member Lucy Dacus is seemingly name dropped in Taylor Swift's new album, "The Tortured Poets Department."Why it matters: It's not every day a Richmonder is (allegedly) involved in a major pop star's ex-BF drama, which fans theorize most of the album is about.The lyric in question, via the title track: "Sometimes I wonder if you're gonna screw this up with me. But you tell Lucy you'd kill yourself if I ever leave and I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seen."Zoom in: The "you" in question appears to be Matty Healy, frontman...
Richmond's best celebrity sightings
Filming is set to being in Richmond this week for the coming-of-age musical from Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams.Why it matters: That means celebrities — like Pharrell and the film's leads, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey and Da'Vine Joy Randolph — will likely also be in town and possibly out and about in Richmond.State of play: In celebration of famous people arriving, we wanted to share some of our favorite, recent-ish celebrity sightings.Solange KnowlesThe singer, model and little sister to Beyoncé was briefly married to Richmond native Alan G. Ferguson.The couple came for a visit in 2017, stayed at...
Homicides in Richmond are declining so far in 2024
Despite the recent surge in youth homicides, violent crime and homicides overall are down in the city thus far this year.Why it matters: April has been an especially deadly month in Richmond, but the city is actually seeing its lowest violent crime rate in seven years.State of play: Violent crime in the city is down 7% compared to this time last year and is at its lowest rate in "at least seven years" for the first quarter of 2024, Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said in RPD's quarterly crime briefing last week.By the numbers: From Jan. 1 to March 31,...
Stoney has no plans to let Richmond decide on Monument Avenue's future
Mayor Stoney won't be letting Richmond decide on Monument Avenue's future before leaving office in November, reports WTVR.Why it matters: The city vowed to let Richmonders design it "through a thoughtful and community-rooted planning process" nearly three years ago, when Virginia removed the pedestal that once held the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.Between the lines: A $1 million state-funded initiative for VMFA to lead the efforts also never happened.Now, Stoney says "the investment from the city particularly should go into areas that need it the most," like Southside and plans to memorialize Richmond's role in the slave trade...
A Richmond rapper's lyrics have become TikTok's soundtrack
"Don't ask me how I did it. I just did it. It was hard."The big picture: Those lines have been used in more than 113,000 TikToks as a sound people use over their video — and they're from Richmond rapper Chandler's song "NOTHIN' TO IT."Zoom in: The TikTok where he released the first clip of his new song at the end of March has nearly 9 million views.Another video where he's wearing an "OG FOUR LOKO SURVIVOR" hat and has the caption "when you accidentally rap a really relatable line" has 6.3 million views.Other TikToks with the sound have used the following captions:"How did you pull a 6'0 baddie as a 5'3 dude?""When the blacked out friend makes the last cup" (in beer pong)."How did you survive middle school as a Horse Girl?"
Spring Richmond Restaurant Week starts Monday
Spring Richmond Restaurant Week is here.Why it matters: Restaurant Week helps promote Richmond's independently owned restaurants and serves as a major fundraiser for Feed More, the region's food pantry.How it works: Every year in spring and fall, dozens of local restaurants put together a special three-course menu for a set price.This year's spring event starts Monday, April 22 and runs through Sunday.There are 31 participating restaurants this spring offering three-course menus for $35.24 per person, with $5.24 going to Feed More.All locals have to do is visit any of the participating restaurants and eat.New to the event year:1933 Public House,...
How to legally get high in Virginia
Virginia hasn't legalized recreational weed sales yet, but that doesn't mean you can't get legally high.The big picture: Since Virginia became the first southern state to legalize marijuana consumption in 2021, the path to a legal market has been a doobie (sorry, a doozy).The closest Virginians got to legally buying weed was this year, when Democrats sent a retail marijuana market bill to Gov. Youngkin.He vetoed it, but not before bluntly saying,"Anybody who thinks I'm going to sign that … must be smoking something."The intrigue: A loophole allowing the sale of THC-containing products like Delta-8, closed last July. So that...
Popular "Samurai Armor" exhibit comes to VMFA
One of the largest collections of Japanese samurai armor in the world will be on view at VMFA beginning Saturday.Why it matters: "Samurai Armor" offers Richmonders a rare opportunity to see this stunning collection up close, and with 360-degree views of many of the intricate suits.The big picture: The samurai period spanned nearly 700 years of Japanese history, running from 1185 to 1868.Samurai (which means "those who serve") were the military elite soldiers of the nation's warrior culture. Their armor, made from iron and leather and passed down through generations, is a symbol of the samurai legacy.What's inside: Around...
Virginia's best 4/20-friendly vacation destinations
Virginia may only be part of the way toward fully legal recreational marijuana, but that's not deterring travelers looking for a 420-friendly vacation. State of play: U.S. states that blazed the marijuana legalization trail now have a high concentration of weed-friendly vacation rentals, a new study by Upgraded Points shows.
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