Free Republic

One of the witnesses of last month's gang rape of a 15-year-old girl at her homecoming dance said that while he could have stopped the attack that he watched for 20 minutes he didn't feel accountable for what happened. I feel like I could have done something, but I don't feel like I have any responsibility for anything that happened," the unidentified 16-year-old witness told ABC's San Francisco affiliate KGO-TV. Two witnesses told the television station they didn't call police during the more than two-hour-long assault on the girl because they didn't want to be called a snitches. For the...

A Video Tour Of The Virginia Governor's Mansion

The more I read about the aftermath of the horrific gang rape in Richmond, the more it becomes clear to me that this entire town is one big toilet bowl. Instead of focusing the rage on the attackers, whomever they may be, and calling for these lowlife animals to be strapped to a good old fashioned electric chair as soon as possible, I am hearing excuses.

Note: The following text is a quote: MS-13 Gunman Sentenced 80 Years for Attempted Murder ALEXANDRIA, VA—Dennis L. Gil Bernardez, 33, of Landover, Md., the gunman in an MS-13 shooting, was sentenced to 80 years in prison today for attempting to murder rival gang members on Oct. 6, 2008, at a park near homes in Reston, Va. His accomplice, Jose M. Aguilar Orantes, 18, of Reston, Va., who provided the firearm, was sentenced to 55 years in prison for his role in the attempted murders. A third member, Carlos B. Guzman Cruz, 25, of Richmond, Va., was sentenced to 144...

It was a crime shocking not only in its brutality but in its callousness, Richmond police say. A 15-year-old girl leaving early from the homecoming dance at Richmond High School was enticed into a darkened alley just off campus to hang out with as many as a dozen young men who were drinking.

Utilities: Smart Billing By Staff Reports Published: July 6, 2009 A little more than a year ago, the Wilder administration and the City Council backed off a proposed stormwater fee to underwrite infrastructure projects, many of which the council killed off for financial reasons. This year the council decided it could put matters off no longer, and adopted a budget that included a stormwater fee. City residents have received brochures. In a few weeks, they'll receive the bills, which typically will run in the neigbhorhood of $50 for the year. Businesses will have to shell out, too. Although we're not...

Welcome to the Free Republic Nascar Thread SATURDAY NIGHT RACING Fire up those engines boys and let's go racing God bless our military. Protecting our freedom. ******** RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY - 2009 EVENT SCHEDULE NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES - NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES FRIDAY, MAY 1 12:00 N - 1:30 PM NSCS PRACTICE - SPEED 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM NSCS FINAL PRACTICE - SPEED 4:10 PM NNS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS - ALL POSITIONS)- SPEED 5:40 PM NSCS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS - ALL POSITIONS)- SPEED 7:00 PM NNS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS - ESPN2 7:30 PM NNS LIPTON TEA 250 RACE -ESPN2...

From its half-mile-long driveway to its stunning, panoramic view high above a broad section of the James River, country-music legend Jimmy Dean’s Chaffin’s Bluff home has a lot to offer. But both amenities proved a nightmare for dozens of Henrico County firefighters who worked well into this morning to extinguish a fire that destroyed or severely damaged as much as 75 percent of Dean’s Varina-area home off Osborne Turnpike. Dean and his wife escaped the home unharmed, authorities said. . . . Buehren said the construction of the home made the fire difficult to contain. Its “balloon” construction system creates...

Just in from the Richmond Tea Party. A big crowd (somewhere in the thousands, total?) gathered under dark skies and a light rain fell but did not dampen spirits....so many people I couldn't get close enough to even see the speakers. Tried to get a Tea Party bumper sticker but they were SOLD OUT. Diversity and transparency....hmmmm....it was evident that society was well represented at all levels....there were swarms of kids, young people, business people, students, housewives, retired people, foreign people, white, brown and black people, short tall fat skinny young old gray ugly pretty you name it....no less than...

Richmond city leaders are hunting for $1.5 million a year over the next two years to help bail out the West Contra Costa school district from its financial hole and keep Richmond schools from closing. The money would buy the district more time to lobby state and federal officials to forgive its debt, or to persuade voters to pay higher taxes to keep neighborhood schools with low enrollment open, city officials said. City Councilwoman Maria Viramontes said the district must find a long-term solution to its problem, not just apply bandages. With Richmond willing to pitch in, school district officials...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Circuit City Stores Inc., the No. 2 electronics seller after Best Buy, filed for bankruptcy protection Monday, thus becoming the latest retailer hurt by a worsening economic downturn. According to the company's Chapter 11 filing with the U.S. bankruptcy court in Richmond, Va., Circuit City (CC, Fortune 500), which currently has 566 operating stores in the United States, will continue to do business and pay its workers while it restructures debt and its business operations. Circuit City said it decided to file for bankruptcy at this time to ensure that it would have "adequate merchandise flow...

10-31) 10:03 PDT OAKLAND -- BART closed its Richmond. Fruitvale and Coliseum stations this morning after numerous youths heading to a protest in San Francisco against federal immigration policies jumped fare gates, authorities said. About 100 fare-evaders were reported at the Fruitvale station in Oakland about 9:45 a.m., Johnson said. The station was closed a short time later. There was no immediate information on whether a bus bridge would be set up there. The protesters were heading to a noontime rally on Sansome Street in San Francisco opposing the policies and enforcement actions taken by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement...

At Richmond International Raceway, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin likened the last three weeks of the presidential race to last month's close finish at the raceway in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. "You all know something about close races" she told the crowd of between 20,000 and 25,000. "John McCain and I are nearing the finish line of another close race," and it will be a sprint to the finish.

www.rpv.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Venue change announced for Gov. Palin Rally in Richmond on Monday Demand for tickets overwhelming Richmond, Virginia (October 11, 2008) ? The McCain/Palin campaign has announced a venue change for Governor Sarah Palin's campaign stop in Richmond on Monday. Due to overwhelming demand for rally tickets, the Richmond rally has been moved from the Arthur Ashe Center to the Richmond International Raceway. In addition, the program time has been moved to 2:00 p.m. Doors will open at 11:00 a.m. "Enthusiasm continues to run high for the McCain/Palin ticket, and Virginians are excited to welcome back Senator...

...The decision comes with no guarantee of where or whether the statue might be displayed or how it is interpreted.

Has Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's chances of landing the coveted spot as Obama's Veep risen? According to stories at both The Politico and the Washington Post Kaine has risen to the level of serious contender, along with Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. The WaPo story has close Kaine associates acknowledging that Kaine has told them that he has had "very serious" conversations with Obama about joining the ticket.

Our recent coverage of the scandal at Richmond Catholic Charities ( CCR) tells a sordid tale of tragedy, secrecy, and sub­terfuge. But this incident, sorrowful as it is, also reveals a deeper and more per­vasive problem that has plagued the Church in America for decades. That problem is the power of rogue bureaucra­cies that have hijacked the work of the Church and secularized it. In many cas­es, like that in Richmond, they have to­tally corrupted it. Sometimes we have to wonder if the chanceries have learned anything from the clerical abuse scandals and cover- ups that have so damaged the...

The Roman Catholic bishop of Richmond was told that a diocesan charity planned to help a teenage foster child get an abortion in January and did not try to prevent the procedure. Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo "was told erroneously that everything was in place and there was nothing he could do to stop it," said Steve Neill, Bishop DiLorenzo's communications officer. "He is very apologetic about the whole episode. "It is very awkward, it is very embarrassing. A human life was taken. He certainly has not taken it lightly in any way. He is clearly opposed to abortion." Mr. Neill...

Richmond city officials' decision to restrict the crude oil the Chevron refinery can process if it upgrades its facility could drastically affect the company's plans.After five hours of public testimony and deliberations, the Richmond Planning Commission early Friday morning approved a crude limit to calm public fears over increased pollution and health risks."Let's try something a bit ground-breaking and see if it flies," Commissioner Charles Duncan said. "The health of the community is at stake."Exactly how much the new crude cap will alter Chevron's plan to upgrade equipment will depend on how extensive that cap is. The commission directed city...

Richmond's Planning Commission agreed early today to limit the amount of a new type of crude oil that Chevron wants to process at its refinery in the city, and the panel's decision drew cheers from environmental groups concerned that a planned plant expansion would increase air pollution.Chevron officials want to expand their 3,000-acre refinery on Richmond's waterfront to add a new power plant and crude oil processing facility. The material processed at the new facility would have higher contents of sulfur and other impurities, city officials said.The commission also approved an environmental impact report for the project, a move that...

Va. —  The University of Richmond was placed on lockdown Tuesday afternoon while police searched for a man who was reportedly seen carrying a gun. University spokeswoman Linda Evans and police said no shots were fired. Evans said witnesses reported seeing a man with a handgun in Boatwright Memorial Library at about 2:50 p.m.. She said the man was wearing a dark-colored shirt or jacket with the word "Sheriff" on the back, and maybe a fake beard. Evans said the man refused to identify himself to library workers.

My friend who works at the University says they are in lockdown mode because there is a gunman on the loose in the library. Anyone have more info?

RICHMOND, Va. -- Officials at Richmond International Raceway announced Saturday afternoon that all tickets for that night's Crown Royal 400 have been sold. It is the track's 33rd consecutive sellout. "Ticket sales were steady and we remained optimistic leading into this weekend," Richmond track president Doug Fritz said. "The hard work of our staff and our continued effort to provide a first-class experience for our fans continues to pay off." (SNIP) "NASCAR fans are the first people affected by the economy and the last people to recover from the economy, so it definitely has affected the industry as a whole....

*** WELCOME - FREE REPUBLIC NASCAR RACING FANS Blue Angels to do the fly-by after the anthem at Richmond International Raceway Saturday, May 3. *** Cup Series practice [Speed TV] Live: 11 a.m. ET Friday TV Delay: 1:30 p.m. ET Cup Series qualifying 5:30 p.m. ET Friday Race begins at 7 p.m. ET Saturday on FOX In memory of Lt Cmdr Kevin Davis Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway on Friday, May 2, 2008 - ESPN2/7 p.m. MRN/7:30 p.m. THIS IS AN IMPOUND RACE - YOUR FANTASY PICKS SHOULD STILL BE LOCKED IN THURSDAY NIGHT. Yesterday was Dale...

She knew him as a devoted friend, so worldly wise at 19 that the slight difference in their ages evaporated. "What people need to know is what a kind person he was; he was full of life, full of laughter and connecting with people," she said. But Thursday night, the new world shared by VCU students Tyler J. Binsted and his 21-year-old girlfriend turned upside down at Richmond's Byrd Park. "They got my keys and opened the trunk of my car," Binsted's girlfriend said yesterday, her face drawn, her eyes dry as sand. One of the two assailants had a...

At every Richmond City Council meeting, residents step to the podium to tell city leaders exactly what they think. Sometimes they applaud the council. More often, they point to the rising homicide rate and potholes they say the city has failed to fix, loudly demanding change and calling out officials and city employees by name. Council members sometimes take to the mic to dispute the charges. "This is the talk of the community, where everyone is saying, 'Enough is enough,'" said Barbara Becnel, president of Richmond Black Women Organized for Political Action. "There should be respect. And demeaning and name-calling,...

As the Catholic Diocese of Richmond sets out to develop its next five-year strategic plan, it faces the reality of more Catholics and fewer priests to serve them.This means some parishes could close or have to merge, said Beth Neu, director of pastoral planning. Clustering will become widespread in the future, she said."Nothing is off the table," she said.The number of priests in the diocese has declined 25 percent during the past 10 years, Neu said. And within the next five years, the diocese expects to lose 18 to 22 priests to retirement, diocesan spokesman Stephen Neill said.Those figures have...

Richmond, Oct 29, 2007 / 10:47 am (CNA).- A retired Roman Catholic priest faces forty years in jail for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from two rural Virginian parishes, the Associated Press reports. On Friday Father Rodney L. Rodis, 51, pled guilty to one count of mail fraud and one of money laundering.  Father Rodis embezzled money from Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Bumpass and St. Jude Church in Mineral between 2002 and 2006, prosecutors said.  He wired at least $515,231 to relatives in his native Philippines to purchase property.Authorities said Father Rodis established bank accounts and a post...

"Nayiscawr" Chevy 400 at Richmond this evening had the usual partiotic prelim before "Gentlemen, start your engines!", of course. A local sherrif, I believe it was, drew audible chuckles by muffing the Pledge of Allegience. Hope it was merely a Bush-ism, but it sounded like he intentionally pledged allegience to the flag of the United States of America, for which Republicans stand...?

WELCOMEFREE REPUBLIC NASCAR RACING LEAGUE CHEVY ROCK & ROLL 400 Saturday Night ~ September 8, 2007 ON ABC ~ 7PM ET RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY - RICHMOND VIRGINIA ELVIS WILL RIDE WITH JR NEXTEL CUP EVENT SCHEDULE for this week. No truck race this weekend. This is a COT race and impound. ~THE TROPHY~ >

Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 22nd I will be guest hosting for a vacationing Jimmy Barrett on WRVA’s “Richmond’s Morning News” show. “Richmond’s Morning News” can be heard over the airwaves at 1140 AM or over the internet from 5:00 AM to 9:00 AM. For those of you that can’t listen directly CLICK HERE for a direct link to WRVA’s live feed.Come join me as we discuss Virginia and national issues and of course football with some longtime friends and allies. My lineup includes: 6:08 am Bob Lewis, Associated Press Writer 6:53 am John Hagar, Chairman, Republican Party of Virginia 7:08 am...

Twelve men in Richmond were shot and wounded, some critically, in a rash of five apparently unrelated shootings that took place in less than 24 hours, police said. At least two of the incidents were drive-by shootings, police said. And at least one of the others may be gang related, though officers aren't saying for sure. "What was unusual was that we had a couple of multiple-victim shootings," said Richmond Police Lt. Arnold Threets. "That really ratcheted up the numbers."

FREE REPUBLIC NASCAR THREAD Crown Royal Presents The Jim Stewart 400Richmond International Raceway Welcome all to the the Nextel Cup race at Richmond International Raceway! Since the first race in Richmond in 1953, the track has undergone three name changes, four configuration changes and one surface change, from dirt to asphalt.Lights were also added to the facility in 1991. RIR is the only track to hold all of its major events under the lights.Richmond's unique, .75-mile layout produces tremendous side-by-side racing, yet drivers obtain high enough speeds to give it a superspeedway feel. That rare combination still allows for...

Amid persistent reports of raids, real or imagined, by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a panel of experts will look at the bigger picture of immigration reform and legislation that would address the specter of 11 million people living on the fringes of American society. "Immigration has become one of the defining issues of the decade -- a worldwide issue, in fact," said Joel Marsh, a board member of an East Bay chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union who will moderate the discussion Wednesday at the Richmond Library. The panel includes Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, ACLU staff attorney Julia...

The Museum of the Confederacy will likely drop the word "Confederacy" from its name when it moves its collection to a new home.

RICHMOND -- A Richmond elementary-school teacher who had just been placed on leave was arrested on felony charges Wednesday after she refused to leave campus and instead rallied her students against the principal, kept her class in the library and used a girl as a shield as police arrived, authorities said. The Sheldon Elementary School teacher, Jennie Mo, 57, of El Cerrito grabbed one of her girl students and managed to get another student to help her as she was confronted by a police officer in the school library, police said. She ended up being handcuffed in front of her...

RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) -- A man walked into a church, doused a nativity scene with a flammable liquid and set it ablaze in front of a practicing choir, police said. Robert Mills, 40, of San Pablo, was arrested Friday night while hiding in a park minutes after police said he walked into St. Cornelius Parish and announced he was going to set the church on fire. Mills told everyone to leave but blocked the doorway until he began showering the sanctuary with the liquid, giving choir members a chance to escape, said Richmond Police Lt. Enos Johnson. The fire destroyed...

A 20-year-old Richmond man was sprayed with gunfire early Friday as he sat in a car across the street from a "tent city" occupied by people campaigning to end gun violence. But residents of the encampment said the killing had only strengthened their resolve. Travante James was shot multiple times shortly after 4 a.m. across the street from John F. Kennedy Park, home of one of four tent cities that have sprung up recently around Richmond's Iron Triangle and other crime-plagued areas. The victim was taken by paramedics to Kaiser Medical Center in Richmond and pronounced dead, making him the...

RICHMOND, Va. - A university student appears to be responsible for an advertising class assignment that went awry when the teacher's pug was threatened to be killed online, the school said. Virginia Commonwealth University had previously said it did not suspect a student was behind the posting on networking site MySpace.com in which someone identifying himself as Jason threatened to kill the pug, Oscar, online this week. The school later traced the postings to a school computer. It refused to identify the suspect because of federal privacy laws regarding students. Mike Lear, an adjunct professor at VCU's Adcenter, last week...

  WELCOME The Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway Dedicated to our military around the world with a special thanks, hugs and prayers to the guys and gals at Walter Reed. Saturday - September 9, 2006 7:30 pm ET on TNT NAVY ARMY COAST GUARD AIR FORCE MARINES NATIONAL GUARD

RICHMOND: At least three people were seriously assaulted by a group of black men at the Century 16 TheaterRichmond police determined Friday that at least three people attacked by a crowd of young black men at Century 16 Hilltop theater this month were victims of hate crimes. Two victims were attacked Aug. 11 outside the theater, and one was assaulted inside, stomped by at least 30 men while the film "Step Up" continued to roll, Police Chief Chris Magnus said. The theater staff failed to help any of the victims. In one case, a witness reported employees in the theater...

The uncomfortable silence at the Richmond Times-Dispatch. by Greg Weatherford This isn’t the story I had in mind. I’d intended this to be a pretty straightforward description of the Times-Dispatch, Richmond’s only daily, as it adjusts to a new editor and a new publisher. But in the process of researching and interviewing for this article, I found the story increasingly entangled in a net of secrecy and fear. The publisher and the editor refused to be interviewed. Some newsroom employees dodged my calls; others called me surreptitiously, speaking in whispers and begging me to keep them out of any article....

A suspect was arrested Thursday in a five-month series of grope-and-run incidents that plagued apartment complexes between West Broad Street and Staples Mill Road. A man would run up to women under the cover of darkness, grab their private parts and run away. "It was strictly run, grab and then run," said Henrico County Investigator Ed Kopacki. None of the women was injured, but the incidents caused fear and alarm among female apartment dwellers. "I think they were afraid of being out at night because of what happened," Kopacki said. Police identified the suspect as Hector G. Tubin-Tut, 18, an...

Operation Completion Announces Guest Cities Dover – On Tuesday morning, the Operation Completion Central Advisory Panel (CAP) released the list of guest cities that will host pro-military rallies during the summer of 2006. The list that included seventeen cities in fourteen states and the District of Columbia was accompanies with a partial schedule that included the previously announced event in Sacramento, CA. The complete list included Sacramento, San Antonio, Richmond, Boise, Saint Paul, Indianapolis, Lansing, Columbus, San Diego, Houston, Denver, Tampa, Nashville, Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Dates were given for Sacramento (May 12), Saint Paul (June...

SATURDAY NIGHT RACING WOOHOO.....BE HERE 7pm ET

WESTWOOD ONE LAUNCHES THE MONICA CROWLEY SHOW --New Program to Air Saturdays, Noon - 3 p.m. ET-- Beginning Saturday, April 1, 2006 New York, NY Monday, Mar 20, 2006 - Westwood One (NYSE: WON) is proud to announce the national launch of The Monica Crowley Show, the three-hour talk program hosted by author and news personality Monica Crowley. The show begins Saturday, April 1, 2006, and will air from noon to 3 p.m. ET. The Monica Crowley Show will debut on major market stations across the country including: WABC-AM New York, WTKK-FM Boston and WTNT-AM Washington DC. The show will...

RICHMOND -- Exactly one year after an 82-year-old widow was fatally mauled by three roaming pit bulls, the Virginia Senate yesterday unanimously passed two identical bills imposing tough penalties on dog owners whose pets seriously injure others. The bills, drafted in response to Dorothy Sullivan's death, make dog attacks that result in serious injury a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $2,500 fine. If a dog previously declared dangerous seriously injures, but does not kill a person, Virginia currently punishes it only as a misdemeanor. Mrs. Sullivan's daughter said the bills' passage managed to bring...

RICHMOND (AP) -- Two black bears killed last month after one of them bit a child were buried this weekend at an emotional memorial service attended by 500 mourners. The bodies of the bears, euthanized to be tested for rabies after biting a 4-year-old who put his arm through the fence surrounding their 2-acre habitat, were exhumed from a landfill and cremated last week after a public outcry over their deaths intensified. "This is where they belong," said a teary Samantha Monk, 9, of Glen Allen, who joined several people in laying flowers and wreaths at the grave. "They shouldn't...

RICHMOND -- A federal judge has ruled that a southeastern Virginia school district didn't violate a teacher's free-speech rights by removing Christian-themed postings from his classroom walls. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith rejected arguments that York County school officials deprived William Lee of his First Amendment rights when they ordered the removal of postings that included articles about President Bush's religious faith and John Ashcroft's prayer meetings with his staffers when he was attorney general. "This case is not about what free-speech rights Lee has as an individual expressing himself on private property," Judge Smith wrote in her opinion...