Graham Moomaw

2 weeks ago | richmonder.org | Graham Moomaw

Odie Donald II — the current chief of staff to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens — has been hired to serve as the city of Richmond’s next chief administrative officer, Richmond Mayor Danny Avula announced Friday. Before his current role in Atlanta, Donald served for about 16 months as the city/county administrator for the combined government of the city of Augusta and Richmond County in Georgia.

2 weeks ago | richmonder.org | Graham Moomaw

The office of Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin denied a records request from her primary opponent’s campaign advisor that sought communications between the city prosecutor’s office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Gray Montrose — who’s working with local attorney Tom Barbour as he tries to unseat McEachin in this month’s Democratic primary — filed the Freedom of Information Act request on April 30.

2 weeks ago | richmonder.org | Graham Moomaw

When Richmond officials put up a bench near a roadside memorial in Manchester that says more than 100 Confederate soldiers from South Carolina were buried in the area, it drew pushback from critics who saw it as a sign the former capital of the Confederacy was still spotlighting the Lost Cause. The bench — installed in 2023 at the request of a Virginia man who wanted better access to a city-owned site where he says one of his ancestors is buried — was later removed.

2 weeks ago | richmonder.org | Graham Moomaw

Richmond is joining the list of Virginia localities seeking to be more environmentally friendly by imposing a tax on disposable plastic bags provided by grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies. The 5-cent tax will take effect at the beginning of 2026, according to the legislation the City Council voted to approve Monday.

3 weeks ago | richmonder.org | Graham Moomaw

Four years after losing a primary challenge against Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin, Richmond lawyer Tom Barbour is taking another shot at unseating the city’s top prosecutor. The two candidates are competing in a Democratic primary on June 17, and the winner will be a virtual lock to win the general election in a heavily Democratic city where Republicans rarely bother to field candidates.