Laura Finaldi

1 week ago | richmonder.org | Laura Finaldi

Norman Shumake has been going to Kings Dominion since 1976, the year after it opened. Raised in Louisa and currently living in Powhatan,Shumake said he remembers visiting goats and sheep at the petting zoo, watching a fireworks show during America’s 200th birthday, and walking to the front of the line of the Scooby-Doo roller coaster before thinking twice and making a quick exit before his mother realized what was going on. “I remember getting passes when I was five or six years old.

2 weeks ago | richmonder.org | Laura Finaldi

Cash has been king in the U.S. housing market since the pandemic, and Richmond is no exception. In 2023, nearly 19% of homes sold in Richmond, Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico were purchased with cash, compared to 14% in 2019, according to data from the Richmond Association of Realtors. That percentage gets higher in traditionally pricier areas. The MLS home listing system divides the city into zones. Zone 20 encompasses the West End between Powhite Parkway and the University of Richmond.

4 weeks ago | richmonder.org | Sarah Vogelsong |Sean Sublette |Laura Finaldi |Graham Moomaw

As the Richmond City Council started to dive into possible changes to Mayor Danny Avula’s budget proposal Wednesday morning, it was clear early on that there was a math problem. Collectively, the nine council members had come up with about $20.9 million worth of ideas on how to spend more money, but had only identified about $8.2 million that could be saved. The mismatched numbers added up to an at-times tense meeting.

4 weeks ago | richmonder.org | Sarah Vogelsong |Sean Sublette |Laura Finaldi |Graham Moomaw

As City Council continues its review of Mayor Danny Avula’s budget proposal, more than 70 Richmonders turned out Monday night to air their views on its spending aims. Much of the turnout was fueled by Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities, or RISC, an outspoken group of local church congregations that has been particularly vocal on issues of affordable housing and gun violence.

4 weeks ago | richmonder.org | Sarah Vogelsong |Sean Sublette |Laura Finaldi |Graham Moomaw

Richmond utility officials said monthly rate increases proposed as part of Mayor Danny Avula’s budget are primarily being driven by inflation and the need to build up financial reserves in the gas utility. Across the city’s utilities, “we’re seeing increasing operation costs,” Billy Vaughan, the Department of Public Utilities’ senior deputy director for finance, told Richmond’s Public Utilities and Services Commission during a presentation Thursday.