RVA’s Got Issues

Henrico County: what's it all about, where is it going, and how is it going to shape the future of RVA? Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas joins Rich to answer questions from our listener voicemail line. They talk about everything from federal funding cuts to the Green City development to Henrico’s response to the Richmond water crisis. With all of the instability in Washington, can Henrico stay on its steady course of economic growth?

It's time to decide the People’s Budget of Richmond! Richmond's government has set aside $3M of YOUR money – and now YOU get to decide what to do with it. This participatory budget program has reached the voting stage, and now anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in the city – age 14 and up! – can vote on projects in their council district. Rich sits down with City Council staffer Leidiana Delgado to find out how the process got this far. Then he talks to two "budget delegates" – regular folks who volunteered to review all the ideas so that the whole city could vote on the best ones possible.

Rich talks to two local sports czars about the business of sports tourism, a billion-dollar industry that’s become vital to the economic health of the entire region. From youth to colleges to the pros, RVA is building a sports infrastructure that’s meant to help both residents and visitors score big. Plus: STAND UP FOR RICHMOND! We’ll talk to members of the River City Red Army about their support for the Richmond Kickers... and each other.

What is nuclear fusion, and why is it coming to Chesterfield County? Virginia's energy needs are growing exponentially, and we are going to need every kilowatt we can get if we don’t want our energy bills to grow with them. Adam Sledd of the Dominion Energy Innovation Center returns to the pod to talk with Rich about nuclear fusion, data centers, and the future of RVA’s energy – and energy bills. Plus: we go to the James River Park System to talk with an expert about the problem of invasive species, and hear from an all-natural, four-legged solution.

Public education is facing huge challenges across the country, as the Trump administration takes steps to possibly abolish the federal Department of Education. Add to that demands for immigration enforcement and cuts to Diversity programs, mix in some longstanding structural and staffing concerns, and our local school systems may be facing more challenges than ever. Rich sits down with Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras, who talks about ALL of it... and answers YOUR questions from our listener voicemail line.

Evictions seem like a simple issue. Renters should pay their rent. When they don't, they need to leave. But the realities of renting and leaving are much more complicated than that. Today, Rich talks with a housing expert to learn why eviction court is rarely a winning prospect for renters. The city's plan? Pair tenants facing eviction with a lawyer for free. Later we talk with a lawyer who already does this work and what challenges they face when representing renters.

For almost a century, local government has provided “public housing” for our most vulnerable residents. But here in RVA, there’s a plan to replace our public housing communities with something completely different. On this episode, Rich sits down with Steven Nesmith, the CEO of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. He is spearheading this bold new plan, and a "tough love" approach, that he says may END public housing as we know it in Richmond.

What's 45 days long, based in Richmond, and shapes the future of the state of Virginia? On this episode, Rich unpacks this year's General Assembly with veteran state politics reporter Michael Pope. A big question EVERYONE is wrestling with is how to prepare for the changes coming out of Washington. Separately, Democrats are headed towards yet another veto showdown with Gov. Glenn Youngkin. But there are glimmers of bipartisanship, and it's called... a Momnibus? That, and more, in this end-of-session recap on what passed, what didn't, and the politics shaping it all. We're also shining our community spotlight on two VCU students who are at the heart of General Assembly coverage, Sarah Hagen and Andrew Kerley. They're part of what's known as the Capitol News Service, which has students writing for news outlets in need of state coverage. It's a win-win, but Rich asks, isn't it a troubling time to get into journalism? Michael Pope is the host of a NEW podcast from VPM and the Virginia Public Access Project called The Virginia Press Room. Find out more at https://www.vpm.org/vapressroom. Follow Capitol News Service on Instagram (@vcucns), Andrew Kerley on Twitter (@andrewkerley_), and Sarah Hagen on Twitter (@sarah_hagen).

Hamilton Glass is seen by many as the founding father of Richmond's mural movement. He instigated a huge public mural project featured in the PBS Doc called Mending Walls. The project brought 30 artists from different cultural backgrounds together to collaborate on 16 murals in Richmond. The slogan for the effort was "we need to talk" about race and the artists' formative experiences. On the project's 5th anniversary, Glass talks about the origins of Mending Walls and how the project continues to evolve. The Community Spotlight shines on Silly Genius, a mural artist who brings his love of graffiti and hip-hop together in the large murals he and his partners paint - bringing life, color and vibrancy to vacant buildings in rundown areas of Richmond.

It's no secret: Richmond's got some baggage. Case in point, the #GreatRichmondWaterCrisis. Less than a week into new city leadership, hospitals ran low on water and people boiled snow to flush their toilets. Was it a fluke, or is this the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unresolved issues in city government? Thad Williamson is the coauthor of a new book about the history of Richmond city government. More than anyone, he knows how the mayor's office works... and the baggage that comes with.

It's the holidays! The fire is delightful, chestnuts are roasting, people are wassailing (whatever that is). But for some folks, this is a time of year that hits hard, where the pain of addiction, of isolation, or even just loneliness, can make it much less joyful. So what can we do to close the loneliness gap in RVA?

Redlining has been illegal for more than half a century. But Black homeowners today are still feeling its impact through appraisals that undervalue their homes. Rich unpacks recent findings on appraisal bias in Richmond with two housing experts, as well as their undercover method for addressing housing discrimination today. If you live in Henrico, chances are you pay bills! But have you ever wondered why those payments have to be mailed out of state? Shouldn’t we keep the money and jobs in our own community? Finally, we look at a farmers market in Chesterfield that serves everything from arepas, to nopal, to fresh coquito. America DeLoach founded the Latino Farmers Market to help vendors who felt left out of other markets.

A flood of renewable energy projects are hitting the RVA region. What does it mean for households in the region? And is it enough to satiate our soaring energy demands? A listener asks Rich: am I being gaslit by these door knockers? After a canvasser says a "no soliciting sign" doesn't apply to them, one listener is stumped about how to tell people to bug-off (although Rich hopes you don't do this to everyone) If TV taught us anything, it's that when something bad happens, the only thing to do is put on a show. Tariq Karriem, a local Henrico high school graduate, took this to heart after feeling students of color were being left out of local theatre productions. So he and others started their own theatre group, the Black Virginia Theatre Alliance

In his very first sit-down interview since the election, mayor-elect Danny Avula joins Rich to discuss what Richmonders can expect from his administration. What are his top priorities and how will he start to tackle them? How will he bring more people into the political process? And how will he advocate for the city on both the State and Federal level?

Need some 11th hour candidate info for election day? We have you covered! Check out any of our recent episodes on the mayoral contest, what it takes to be on city council, a plan to shake up the school board race and much, much more. We'll be next week with a new episode. Until then, see you at the polls!

Our series "Who's Got Your Vote?" takes you inside Richmond's race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. For our final week of our series, Rich talks with Andreas Addison, the current Richmond City Council representative for the first district. Hear how his tutelage under Governor Wilder and Mayor Dwight Jones opened his eyes to what public leaders can accomplish, why the "karass" is an integral part of his political outlook, and how he plans to bring City Hall's technology up to speed.

Our series "Who's Got Your Vote?" takes you inside Richmond's race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. So, who's got your vote? This week Rich talks with Danny Avula, a pediatrician who was also recently the state commissioner for the the Virginia Department of Social Services. He says the connections he formed while overseeing the state's COVID rollout can help in amassing more financial support for the city and maintains his support for LGBTQ and abortion rights, despite support from prominent social conservatives in Richmond.

Our series "Who's Got Your Vote?" takes you inside Richmond's race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. So, who's got your vote? This week Rich talks with Michelle Mosby, Richmond City Council's first Black female president. She says she won't need training wheels to tackle the mayor's job. She also tells us how her past bouts with bankruptcy inform her financial views, and what she'll do to establish stronger oversight when it comes to dysfunction in City Hall. Watch a longer version of this interview on VPM's YouTube channel.

Our series "Who's Got Your Vote?" takes you inside Richmond's race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. So, who's got your vote? This week Rich talks with Maurice Neblett, an entrepreneur and community leader in the city. Hear what being "a true son of Richmond" means to him, how he says a non-political background gives him an edge in the race, and why transparency and accountability mean so much to his campaign. Watch a longer version of this interview on VPM's YouTube channel.

Our series "Who's Got Your Vote?" takes you inside Richmond's race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. So, who's got your vote? We kick off with Harrison Roday, a leader in the nonprofit and industrial manufacturing space. He says his "get things done" attitude, experience in politics under Senator Tim Kaine and his aptitude for budgeting and finance sets him apart from the other candidates. Watch a longer version of this interview on VPM's YouTube channel.