RVA’s Got Issues

Ever since she started in Richmond politics, Rich had been hearing about Kenya Gibson. First on the Richmond School Board, now on the City Council, she always seems like she has something important to say. And she is going to say it, even if it ruffles some feathers. Rich finally sits down with her to find out: what makes her tick? Guest: Kenya Gibson, Councilwoman in Richmond's 3rd district.

Richmond has come a long way since our "murder capital" days, but the problem of gun violence persists, challenging our assumptions about how it happens. Can new data, new approaches – and a new city office – end gun violence in Richmond? Plus: we hear from an after-school program for kids that might be part of the solution. Guests: Greg Hopkins, Office of Gun Violence Prevention https://rva.gov/human-services/gun-violence-prevention Amir Elsayed, NextUp RVA https://nextuprva.org/team/

In Richmond, the poverty rate has gone down pretty dramatically in the past few years. That’s hard to do, and it’s not getting any easier in this environment of federal cuts and chaos. So a lot of folks are looking at our city and asking, how are we doing it? Rich sits down with the head of the city’s Office of Community Wealth Building to find out. Then, we visit with graduates from that office's guaranteed income pilot program. What does lasting change look like? Guest: Caprichia Smith Spellman, director of the Office of Community Wealth Building.

Immigration enforcement seems to be changing in RVA, so Rich sits down with VPM News reporter Keyris Manzanares about the human costs of those changes. Plus: some activists want Richmond to implement a "trust policy" - how do we trust that's the right move? Guests: VPM News reporter Keyris Manzanares https://www.vpm.org/people/keyris-manzanares Josue Castillo, New Virginia Majority https://www.newvirginiamajority.org/ Miriam Airington-Fisher, Las Abogadas law firm https://airingtonlaw.com/

Marvin Grimm spent nearly 50 years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. The city of Richmond recently paid him millions for this error. But what about the reason he was incarcerated in the first place? Rich sits down with Tessa Kramer, host of the VPM podcast, Admissible: Shreds of Evidence, to talk about faulty evidence from Virginia’s crime lab. Is that what's driving wrongful convictions in the Commonwealth? This episode contains some brief but graphic descriptions of violence that some listeners may find disturbing. You can find all episodes of Admissible at admissible.vpm.org. Guest: Tessa Kramer https://www.tessakramer.com/

What is the state of the arts in RVA? We asked a panel of experts, and a live audience, about everything from youth programs to city government support to equity and accessibility.This episode was recorded LIVE at the Firehouse Theatre in Richmond as part of FWD: RVA, a curated week of free arts and culture programming presented by Style Weekly in conjunction with artoberVA. This episode’s guests: Maura Sinnenberg, Director of Advancement, Cadence Theatre Scott Garka, President, CultureWorks Desirée Roots, Local arts icon

Local health clinics care for our most vulnerable residents. But federal and state funding cuts have them facing huge budget shortfalls, just as thousands of Virginians are projected to lose healthcare coverage. How sick is this going to make us here in Richmond? Plus: despite all the bad news, we’ll talk with a cancer survivor who has made at least one small part of our healthcare system shine a little brighter. This episode’s guests are Karen Legato, Executive Director of Health Brigade (https://www.healthbrigade.org/), Gabby Maldonado, founder of VCU’s Students Caring About Cancer, and her mentor Dr. Caroline Cobb. Read about this year’s group here: https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/students-caring-about-cancer-at-vcu-builds-community-and-pursues-advocacy-efforts/

Danny Avula has been Mayor of Richmond for almost 9 full months. He inherited a city with some significant challenges – water crisis, anyone? But at some point, you can’t look backwards anymore. You have to go forward, lay out your priorities, and fight to make them happen. So what is Mayor Avula trying to change? Who will he have to battle to get it done? And if he does do it, will anybody notice? This episode's guest is Danny Avula, Mayor of Richmond.

Why are there so many vape shops in Richmond? Authorities are starting to crack down. But the shops seem to keep coming, and in the absence of clear explanations, it’s hard to know why. Are they legal? Are they safe? And if they aren’t, what is the city doing about it? On this episode, what IS with all the vape shops? This episode’s guest is Anthony Harris, co-publisher of RVA Mag. Read Anthony's article: https://rvamag.com/news-headlines/the-new-corner-store-how-vape-shops-took-over-richmond.html

The City of Richmond is updating its housing code for the first time in decades. What are people getting right and wrong about the Code Refresh? And what will it do in RVA to shape the future of housing – and, well, everything? Listeners can add comments to proposed zoning maps and rules until September 28 here: https://www.rva.gov/planning-development-review/code-refresh

The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority is pushing ahead with bold plans to redevelop the city’s public housing communities, but city leaders and community residents have questions. In light of federal funding cuts and local concerns, are we still on the right path? Housing Authority CEO Steven Nesmith returns to the show to provide answers.

Earlier this year, Richmond faced empty pipes, boil advisories, and a city that suddenly couldn’t count on its most basic need. When can we trust our water supply - and our city government? Rich sits down with Richmond DPU Director Scott Morris, the guy now responsible for the city’s water supply, to find out.

Dominion Energy delivers electricity to millions of homes and businesses in Virginia. But these days there’s tremendous pressure on the company with skyrocketing energy demands. How will Dominion meet the Commonwealth’s needs and clean energy goals, while still keeping rates affordable? Rich sits down with Dominion CEO, Bob Blue, to find out.

For the first time in 50 years, the city’s zoning code – the rules that say what can be built where – is being revised. It’s definitely time: the need for housing is desperate! But with a stunning reversal of white flight – an influx of young professionals into the city – how do we preserve the Richmond we love for everyone? Rich talks to City Council's Ellen Robertson and Home of VA's Tom Fitzpatrick about how to counter displacement while providing for Richmond's future. Plus we hear from Cyane Crump of Historic Richmond. Amid all the code changes, how do we preserve the city's historic fabric?

Richmond is voting for the office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney. Like the District Attorneys you’ve seen on TV, the CA is the city’s prosecutor, and has a huge impact on our local criminal justice system. Two candidates are competing in a June Democratic primary election; whoever wins will likely take office. So this June vote is crucial – with early voting already underway. We’ll hear from both candidates, Tom Barbour and Colette McEachin, about their vision for the office of Commonwealth’s Attorney – and the future of justice in Richmond.