While running for Mayor in 2024, candidate Avula’s top priority in the “Thriving neighborhoods and affordable housing” section of his platform stated: As Mayor, he will: Fight displacement of long-term residents and expand the supply of deeply affordable housing for...
The American Dream is about coming here to build a better life. You work hard, follow the rules, take care of your family, and contribute to your community. In return, you are meant to belong as a citizen, live with stability, and be treated with respect. That is the deal. Or at least, it was supposed to be. A few weeks ago, the story broke about...
A group of Buddhist monks making a 2,300-mile trek across the United States for peace and compassion is expected to pass through Richmond this February as part of their “Walk for Peace” pilgrimage from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., a journey drawing attention from social media followers and local onlookers alike. The walk, organized by...
2025 has been a tough year for farming across the country, and from the outside looking in, it’s hard to tell what’s actually happening versus what’s being spun. So instead of guessing about beef prices or egg shortages, it made sense to ask someone dealing with these realities every day. I spoke with Chris Newman, a Virginia farmer I interviewed...
Richmond has its own way of ringing in the New Year. A little backward glance, a little chaos, and just enough polish to feel intentional. You can lean into loud live shows, dress up for something splashy, or keep it simple with a solid drink and good company. However you want to do it, RVA has options that feel very Richmond. Here’s how to close...
Richmond's Nettspend and Vans turned Laurel Skatepark into a canned food drive that was part skate scene, part community pull-up, built around a simple ask: bring something that helps someone else eat. For readers who may not know him yet, Nettspend is one of Richmond’s most visible breakout artists of the last few years. You can read about him...
Update 9:34am: Richmond Police confirmed that Martin, 71, was hit by a driver while in a crosswalk at the intersection of East Broad and North 10th streets on Saturday afternoon. He succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. Read more HERE. -------------------------------- William “Bill” Martin, longtime director of The Valentine, has passed away....
As we close out the year, here’s a look at some of the most impactful stories we published in 2025. Over the past year, we covered Richmond as a living system under pressure, focusing on the people, culture, and policies that shape daily life and determine who gets held up or left behind. Thank you to everyone who read, shared, challenged us, and...
President Donald Trump signed an executive order today moving marijuana out of the federal government’s most restrictive drug category, formally acknowledging that cannabis has medical value and a lower potential for abuse than previously recognized. The order reclassifies marijuana from Schedule I, alongside heroin, to Schedule III, placing it...
Amid a national immigration crackdown, the fallout from the recent shooting of two National Guardsmen by an Afghan national in Washington, D.C., has thrust the precarious status of Afghan nationals in the U.S. into the spotlight. In Richmond, Axios reported earlier this week that local Afghan families have seen citizenship oath ceremonies and...
