A look at illiteracy levels in America and what one woman can do to help On Sept. 8, the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day, a holiday created to underscore the importance of eradicating illiteracy. For the general American public, the word “illiteracy” evokes images of impoverished people and communities in the conventionally destitute nations of South Asia, West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Hidden among us, however, is an unseen population of Americans strugg

In the age of the “Girlboss,” five female entrepreneurs reveal what it is like to be a CEO while balancing families and facing other social standards. Together, these women question the ideals of modern feminism and how the word has come to be perceived today -- all while imparting wisdom for any aspiring entrepreneur.

The former capital of the Confederacy has become relatively progressive over the years; it is home to a thriving LGBTQ+ community, but the city is not without violence and discrimination – for some groups more than others. In the last three months of 2016, three transgenders were killed within a 90-mile radius of Richmond, Stacie Vecchietti, director of the Virginia Anti-Violence Project, said.

​The ties between race and poverty separate the five magisterial districts of Henrico County; the two share a toxic relationship with crime and even danger in our communities. It is true that the average American doesn’t read Henrico County, Virginia and think – danger – but statistics show the surprising amount of law-breaking that occurs within the boundaries of the county.

Over 100 people gathered yesterday evening to hear Tom Perriello, a democratic candidate for Virginia governor, speak at a town hall style meeting. A sea of faces, of all ages -- male, female – and predominately white, gazed hopefully up towards a stage centered at the historically black Virginia Union University.

Despite frigid, 20-degree wind chill Wednesday morning, dozens of protesters gathered outside the SunTrust building in downtown Richmond to express growing dissent for newly-appointed U.S. Attorney General and Alabama’s former Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions.

The General Assembly failed to pass three bills relating to science education, the only bills of their kind over the past two years. SB17, proposed by Sen. Bill Stanley (R-Moneta), would have ensured donations made by Science, Technology and Mathematics-based organizations to impoverished public schools were used for STEM purposes. The bill passed Senate but failed to pass a House subcommittee.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe vetoed a bill Tuesday that would restrict spending related to abortion or family planning by the Virginia Department of Health. The bill, HB224, was introduced by Del. Ben Cline (R-Amherst) and Del. Dave LaRock (R-Loudon) and passed the House 60-33. It also passed the Senate 20-19.

Two local legislators proposed bills to cap public university tuition, but their efforts failed during this year’s General Assembly. Sen. Glen Sturtevant, R-Richmond, and Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, proposed bills SB1088 and SB1087 amid the nomination of Betsy Devos as the U.S. Secretary of Education and subsequent close confirmation battle.

The Virginia Senate unanimously passed a bill that would criminalize the act of female genital mutilation by categorizing it as a class one misdemeanor. The bill was originally proposed by Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, but was later incorporated into bill SB1060, introduced by Sen. Dick Black, R-Leesburg.

The House will soon vote on a bill by Sen. Ryan T. McDougle that would allow crimes such as underage drinking and marijuana possession to be cleared from a criminal record in five years if the offense occurred before a person’s 21st birthday. The bill, SB976, unanimously passed the Senate Jan. 19 and must also pass the House before it has a chance to become law. This is the second time that McDougle, R-Mechanicsville, proposed a bill to offer what is called expungement in legal terms.

Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond, has always been interested in preserving history – in remembering the stories of those once downtrodden, forgotten because of racism, neglect and apathy. This year, McQuinn introduced a bill to the Virginia General Assembly that would push to preserve historic African-American cemeteries.

The scene was harshly symbolic, and in my eyes, indicative of the state of our modern planet. These vultures – who seemed much closer to nature than humanity could ever be – noticed the decrepit state of a habitat that is perhaps not as pretty as say coral reefs, but is just as important. It was depressing, to say the least, to see these birds that prey on lifeless beings circling a place that once belonged to a greener, livelier earth.

University of Richmond police emailed a traffic alert at 4:08 p.m. Thursday after a car-related incident occurred on Boatwright Drive, near the lodges. The incident appeared to have involved a mid-sized red car, which reportedly drove off the road. There did not appear to be any serious injuries and campus police and emergency medical services were on-site, along with a tow truck and crew sweeping glass off the road. No Richmond city police or ambulances were present, and the car was towed away

A look at illiteracy levels in America and what one woman can do to help On Sept. 8, the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day, a holiday created to underscore the importance of eradicating illiteracy. For the general American public, the word “illiteracy” evokes images of impoverished people and communities in the conventionally destitute nations of South Asia, West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Hidden among us, however, is an unseen population of Americans strugg

Today, almost 32 million adults in the U.S. struggle with illiteracy. There is a strong correlation between the presence of different reading materials at home and higher proficiency in reading, writing and math.