Free Republic

Two days after toxic black smoke from the Chevron refinery fire enveloped Richmond, a second phenomenon swept through the city: the rush for money. More than 1,000 residents claiming to have coughs, nausea, scratchy throats and psychological trauma visited a downtown law office Wednesday in hopes of receiving a payout for their suffering. Another 1,000 contacted Chevron directly. Chevron was so overwhelmed, it set up a storefront downtown to accommodate the claims and answer questions. But what claimants are likely to receive - at the most, a few thousand dollars each - is not enough to buy a long-term solution...

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - A judge found enough evidence to convict a Richmond mom who is charged with vandalism, but he's delaying a final disposition until she performs community service hours. 29-year-old Susan Mortensen allowed her daughter to draw on rocks on Belle Isle with chalk. Mortensen will now serve 50 hours of community service in order for the judge to dismiss her charge. In court, NBC12 learned a little more about the confrontation between Mortensen and Officer Stacy Rogers, who saw her daughter writing on the rocks. Outside the courthouse, people support Susan Mortensen with their own chalk on...

A strange happening at the Obama campaign event at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond today. The media pool reports mentioned a woman wearing a black burka who was removed from the event. To make things more interesting, the pool reporter says the person was wearing U.S. military insignia.From the AP:VCU police reported that a heckler was removed from the arena, taken outside and released. A police dispatcher didn't know what the woman had yelled. According to a White House pool report, photographers observed a woman wearing a black burka being escorted out of the gym by Richmond police and other...

It's the Capital City 400 presented by Virginia is for Lovers this Saturday Night at Richmond, Virginia.

Sometimes, you actually get what you ask for. After nine unsuccessful attempts to win a seat on the Richmond City Council, Corky Boozé prevailed in 2010 - winning election and a long- sought place in public office. After that much effort, it's only natural to ask what people think of your performance in office. Politicians rely on public polls to measure their popularity and take the public's pulse on controversial political issues all the time. But the method Boozé chose to test the waters is one for the books. He asked his council colleague - and former campaign supporter Tom...

You may recall a few weeks back when the Richmond, VA Tea Party, angered that the Occupy Richmond protestors did not have to pay fees or incur other costs for use of the same city park that the Tea Party members shelled out $8500 to use for their rally, sent an invoice to the city government demanding a refund. Now, in retaliation, the city has informed the group that they are to be audited.

Remember a few weeks back when a Tea Party group in Virginia made a fuss about fees they paid the city for meeting space? Their argument, with which I agree, was that it was unfair for them to be charged thousands of dollars in fees when the city of Richmond was allowing occupiers to use public land without permits: It’s not fair, the City of Richmond’s picking and choosing whose first amendment rights trump someone else’s first amendment rights and we thought – well that’s fine, then they can refund our money. If that’s how they’re going to run the...

A nonprofit founded by Mayor Dwight C. Jones owes the federal government $27,566.70 in unpaid taxes. On March 27, the Internal Revenue Service placed a lien against property owned by the Imani Intergenerational Community Development Corp., which Jones founded and until recently served as board president.   As pastor of First Baptist Church South Richmond, Jones founded the nonprofit in 1989 to develop affordable housing for low-income residents in the Manchester area. During his campaign for mayor, Jones frequently cited the group's success luring new commercial and residential development into the blighted Hull Street corridor. Imani's main holding is a...

RICHMOND, Va. - An outbreak of smallpox was the furthest thing from historian Dr. Paul Levengood's mind when his staff at the Virginia Historical Society put together an exhibit of "bizarre bits" that were added to the society's collection since its founding in 1831, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. There was Confederate president Jefferson Davis's cigar, confiscated by Union troops. There was a fungus carving of Robert E. Lee on his horse, Traveller, and a wreath made of human hair. Then someone mentioned a letter, handwritten and dated 1876, with what appeared to be a smallpox scab pinned inside...

The mayor of Richmond, Calif. plans to skip her city’s Veterans Day memorial events to attend an Occupy rally, a choice that’s prompting anger and criticism. Mayor Gayle McLaughlin will miss a Veterans Day salute Friday in favor of an Occupy Richmond “public speak out,” the San Jose Mercury News reported. McLaughlin defended her decision, telling the newspaper that the city is not sponsoring the Veterans Day event, and the rally she will attend will honor Scott Olsen, the Iraq war veteran injured at an Occupy Oakland rally last month. Richmond and Oakland, both in the San Francisco Bay Area,...

The Richmond Tea Party is demanding a refund from the city for $10,000 it spent on for permits, portable toilets, police presence and emergency personnel for three rallies held at same plaza where the Occupy Richmond squatters set up their camp. The Republic reported: The Richmond tea party is demanding a refund of about $10,000 from the city, claiming it unfairly charged them for rallies while allowing the Occupy protesters to use the same space for several weeks for free. The political organization is sending the city an invoice for the charges incurred for three rallies held in Kanawha Plaza...

RICHMOND -- The Richmond Tea Party wants its money back from the city of Richmond for the cost of permits and other fees to use the same area in which Occupy Richmond has settled for nearly the past two weeks for free. The local branch of the Tea Party says it should be reimbursed for all the fees accrued and paid over the past three years for use of Kanawha Plaza, a city-owned square across from the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank and a few blocks from Virginia state capitol buildings. Occupy Richmond, an affiliate with the Occupy Wall Street movement,...

A bloody fistfight broke out among rival gang members at Richmond City Hall on Friday, according to police. Seven men from different parts of the city brawled in a third-floor suite that houses the city’s Office of Neighborhood Safety around 12:30 p.m. Friday, department director Devone Boggan said. He said all of the men involved in the melee are enrolled in the office’s “Operation Peacemaker” fellowship and happened to show up at the office at Richmond’s Civic Center at the same time unexpectedly.

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is holding little back as he compares his state’s model for success to Washington’s big government corporate socialism and big labor cronyism. In a recent letter, Gov. McDonnell writes, “we are unapologetic supporters of Virginia’s Right To Work laws.” But, McDonnell doesn’t stop there. He pulls no punches when he compares Richmond to Washington, DC and boasts about Virginia’s success. From Gov. McDonnell’s letter: There’s much more separating Richmond and Washington than just 100 miles of interstate. It’s a Tale of Two Cities.

Chris Freund, Vice President Friday, October 7, 2011 Information Alert: Federal Reserve Bank – No More Gay Pride Flag An internal document circulated at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond today inidcates that the bank will no longer display the "Gay pride" flag during "Gay Pride" month. You may recall that the decision to fly the flag earlier this year met with significant opposition from within and outside the Bank. The document, from bank President Jeff Lacker and VP Sally Green states, "Ultimately, this decision rests with the two of us. At this time, we have decided to limit our...

Herman Cain is the American story. Born the son of a chauffeur and house cleaner, his rise to the highest levels of corporate management and now as a prominent conservative leader is truly extraordinary. After earning a Master's degree from Purdue, he served in the U.S. Navy, shared the pastorate of a Baptist church, beat stage IV cancer and finished second in a three-way bid for a U.S. Senate seat. His life as a celebrated CEO of Godfather's Pizza and turnaround expert has given Herman Cain an unparalleled national platform. Hailing from Georgia, Herman is married to his wife, Gloria,...

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region contracted at a less pronounced rate this month, according to the Richmond Fed's latest survey. Looking at the main components of activity, employment grew at a slightly quicker rate, while shipments exhibited more moderate weakness and new orders slipped further into negative territory. Evidence of diminished weakness was also reflected in most other indicators. District contacts reported that backlogs, capacity utilization, and delivery times remained negative but improved from August's readings. Manufacturers reported somewhat quicker growth in finished goods inventories. Looking forward, manufacturers' assessments of business prospects for the next six months were...

President Barack Obama hit the road on Friday to drum up support for the American Jobs act, which he announced in a speech to a joint session of Congress on Thursday, and he really put his back into it. "Obama is yelling again," tweeted David Corn, Mother Jones's Washington editor, shortly after the speech began. Toward the end, his volume grew even louder -- Politico's live blog described his crescendo of "Let's get something done" as a roar, before the "forceful" words, "let's get to work." The president is flogging a $447 billion plan that aims to create jobs. He...

It's The Last Chance for a few to make it into the Chase DanceOffs , Saturday Night under the lights at Richmond. .. for others, a chance for payback. BoOOOYaaaa .. Is this Flash's last best chance for a Fifth Championship?

Obama to take jobs plan on the roadBy ERICA WERNER - Associated Press Fri, Sep 2, 2011 WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama will take his jobs plan on the road next Friday in a visit to Richmond, Va. The trip on Sept. 9 will allow the president to begin selling the plan to the public a day after unveiling it before a joint session of Congress. It was confirmed by a White House official speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of a public announcement. Obama will face a tough lift getting congressional Republicans to sign...