cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/31060748

RICHMOND, Va. — Several ICE agents had their internal organs forcibly removed during a recent raid on the Slave Pit, home of the extraterrestrial rock band GWAR, confirmed absolutely horrified sources.

“The band was in the middle of our weekly cocaine-orgy/seafood boil when these ICE chodes stormed the Slave Pit claiming we were illegal aliens and threatening to deport us back to our home planet of Scumdoggia,” said GWAR vocalist Blothar the Berserker. “Obviously, these jerkoffs had no idea who they were messing with. I grabbed one of these ICE guys and ripped his spleen out through his dick while the rest of the band went to work on the other ‘agents.’ Then we used their hollowed-out skulls as toilets because anyone stupid enough to fuck with GWAR has to have shit for brains.”

Excerpt from the article:

RICHMOND, Va. — As the city has revealed limited information about what caused the third significant issue to impact its drinking water system within a matter of months, records reviewed by CBS 6 could shed light on the problems at Richmond's Water Treatment Plant leading up to the current boil water advisory.

An apparent maintenance request dated May 12 showed that plate settlers, a type of sediment filter at the plant, were noted as needing be cleaned to "remove alum sludge."

The maintenance request stated cleaning the plates could "prolong the use" of the sedimentation basins "with increased flow going throughout" and indicated that the plates may have been "clogged."

...

The work order was updated with an action item that stated an employee requested on May 14 for plate settlers to be "thoroughly washed and cleaned" but they were "informed by operations this was not a good time" and it would need to be done at a later date.

Read the full article | Archive.org | Archive.today

Excerpt from the article:

RICHMOND, Va. — A boil water advisory caused by an operational issue at Richmond's water treatment plant earlier this week has been lifted by VDH, per an announcement from the city.

The advisory has been lifted after two sets of water samples came back negative for any harmful bacteria, with one taken Tuesday night and the other midday Wednesday.

“I’m deeply grateful to the residents and businesses for enduring this unexpected boil water advisory,” said Mayor Danny Avula in the announcement. “Residents and businesses expect better, and I am as committed as ever to finding the problems and fixing them. Doing this work requires being honest about what’s working and what’s not and I pledge my ongoing commitment to doing just that.”

Read the full article | Archive.org | Archive.today

ETA the official press release from the city (Archive.org)

Looks like most of the reports are from the Museum District, the Fan, and Scott's Addition areas. I haven't seen anything in the news yet.

Snapshot of relevant post on other social media site that shall not be named

EDIT: Added a link to local news coverage. Fortunately, there is no boil water advisory, let's hope it stays that way. 🤞

EDIT 2: As of 11:30 AM, the article I linked above has been updated to reflect that some neighborhoods are now under a boil water advisory.

Excerpt from the article:

While the city's initial communication about the situation at 9 a.m. on Tuesday said the water was safe and a boil water advisory was not needed, an update sent at 11:30 a.m. issued an immediate boil water advisory for communities served by the Ginter Park Tank, which include:

• Byrd Park
• Brookland Park
• Carver
• Carytown
• Chamberlayne
• The Fan
• Ginter Park
• Jackson Ward
• Laburnum Park
• the Museum District
• the North Side
• Oregon Hill
• Randolph
• Scott’s Addition
• VCU’s Monroe Park campus
• Windsor Farms
• Parts of the city center

"Some customers in this area may experience a total loss of water service, while others may experience varying degrees of loss in water pressure," the city said in a statement. "Impacted residents are encouraged to take conservation steps immediately and boil water before consuming it. City officials remain in close contact with the Virginia Health Department to assess and remedy the situation. Once the water pressure is back to normal in the impacted areas, Department of Public Utilities personnel will begin the process of flushing the system and subsequently lifting the advisory."

EDIT 3: Added a link to the press release on RVA.gov.

Excerpt:

Below is a checklist for safe water use during this time:

• Do not drink tap water during this boil water alert.
• Do not drink from water fountains in parks, public or private buildings that receive water from the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities.
• Do not use ice made from water today. Discard the ice and sanitize the ice machine and/or ice trays.
• Do not use tap water to make drinks, juices, or fountain soft drinks.
• Do not wash your dishes using tap water – use boiled water or use paper plates.
• Do not wash your fruits and vegetables with tap water – use boiled or bottled water.
• Do not brush your teeth with tap water -- use boiled or bottled water.
• Do not cook with tap water, unless your food will be boiled vigorously for three minutes.

Temporary water conservation tips:

• Eliminate or shorten shower times.
• Avoid unnecessary toilet flushes.
• Avoid washing clothes for as long as possible.
• Postpone washing dishes if possible.
• Check all faucets, shower heads and under cabinets for drips.

Please share this information with everyone in your household, local friends and family, and others who may have not received this advisory directly.

Excerpt from the article:

RICHMOND, Va. -- Twenty-five more children were gifted a custom adaptive bike based on their abilities thanks to a Richmond nonprofit founded by an Army veteran.

The children and their families gathered at AMF Bakery on West Laburnum Avenue on Sunday to be fitted for their new bikes along with some riding lessons.

James Howard started Richmond Empowering Abilities for Children with Cycles or REACHcycles after he medically retired from the Army in 2010 after numerous combat injuries and a stateside swimming injury left him a quadriplegic.

Read the whole article | Archive.ph | Archive.org

Pretty late but Richmond and Henrico's boil advisories have been lifted. Thank god that fiasco is over and enjoy the now-restored water!

Currently raining where I'm at but they are calling for more snow this afternoon/evening

Excerpt from the article:

In just under a decade, Richmond has gone from a few festive spots with holiday tree lightings and fancy Christmas decorations (we’re looking at you, The Jefferson) to full-on temporary name changes and themed menu drops. Today, you can’t swing a stocking without hitting a holiday pop-up bar.

So we’ve gathered them up, from the new to the tried and true, for your December drinking pleasure. That’s right, you’ve found the only guide you’ll need for Richmond’s sleighful of sparkling holiday bars and pop-ups. Check out our two experienced writers’ brief notes on the vibes, menus, prime hours, reservation details and even dress codes for nearly 40 spots (yes, you read that right). Most of them are local, with a few out-of-town suggestions.

Read the full article | Archive.today

Excerpt from the article:

RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond City Council voted to approve the purchase of a Fan District property to serve as a new animal shelter.

The Tuesday night vote was 7-2 with 5th District Council member Stephanie Lynch and 6th Voter District Council member Ellen Robertson voting against the project.

Last month, Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) Director Christie Chipps-Peters told CBS 6 she believed she found her “dream” property 2310 West Cary Street to serve as the city’s next shelter.

Like many shelters nationwide, RACC regularly posts pleas for help on social media to adopt pets and empty their persistently full shelter currently located on Chamberlayne Avenue.

Read the full article | Archive.today | Archive.org

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/22029541

Keep Virginia Cozy is an organization of volunteers who clean up litter in and around the Richmond area. Their next organized cleanup is Sunday, November 24, at Belle Isle. Follow them on IG or FB to get notified of future events. Learn more Keep Virginia Cozy on their website

Excerpt from the article:

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Richmond nonprofit Keep Virginia Cozy is just weeks away from completing a major milestone. Since 2017, Keep Virginia Cozy has cleaned up Richmond’s neighborhoods and parks with help from volunteers and businesses. It will soon celebrate 1,000,000 pounds of trash picked up across Richmond. Keep Virginia Cozy's founder Brian Bell said that’s the equivalent of the weight of three pregnant whales.

Read the full article | Archive.today

Excerpt from the article:

RICHMOND, Va. -- You'll now be able to catch the GRTC Pulse bus from Glen Allen to the City of Richmond.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday at the Henrico Sports and Events complex to kick off that new route.

The Route 1 service expansion is projected to add more than 20,000 monthly riders to GRTC's most popular fixed-route bus.

The route connects downtown Richmond to Virginia Center Commons through Chamberlayne Avenu and Brook Road.

The service operates every 30 minutes, Monday through Saturday, and hourly on evenings and weekends.

Read the full article | Archive.today

The debate moderators posed 11 questions to the candidates:

1. Tell us why you are the best and most qualified person on this stage to be the next mayor of Richmond.
2. A recent audit of the city finance department found deficient customer service, poor management, and disorganized accounting of taxpayer documents. Please explain what you will do to fix these issues.
3. What steps will you take to improve transparency in municipal government and ensure that citizens have access to public information?
4. SOL pass rates rose in Richmond this year, but are still far below many other school systems in the metro area. What should the mayor’s role be in improving the city school system?
5. Several once-affordable neighborhoods have been rapidly gentrified, increasing the worth of homes, but also making it difficult for long-time residents to afford the taxes that accompany increased assessments. What specific policy do you recommend to buffer the impacts of rising assessments for long-time residents in gentrifying neighborhoods?
6. How do you expect to streamline the city’s permit process and change the perception that nothing gets done with Richmond’s government?
7. Why isn’t more being done to address the number of pedestrians who are being injured or killed on Richmond streets? As mayor, what do you pledge to do first to address the issue?
8. As mayor, how would you see your relationship with the police chief and how would you go about achieving it?
9. What's your sense of the role of VCU in the city?
10. What is your plan for reimagining Monument Avenue if you are elected?
11. What is your position on the recommendations of the Richmond City Charter Review Commission? Which specific parts do you support and which do you not support?

Read/watch the full coverage | Archive.today

EDIT: I mistakenly only included the first five questions in the OP.

Excerpts from the event page:

Join us for an engaging evening with the candidates running for city council! This is your opportunity to hear directly from the candidates about their visions for our community, ask questions, and be an informed voter.

What to Expect:

• Candidate introductions
• Moderated Q&A
• Discussion on key issues affecting our city

[...]

The schedule: Because we expect 16 candidates to attend, we will have two groups of eight candidates representing four districts. The first group (Districts 3, 5, 7 and 9) will start at 6:00 and the second group (Districts 1, 4, 6 and 8 will start at 7:15 after a short break. The entire event will end no later than 8:30.

Read the full event page | Archive.org | Archive.today

Locate the Virginia Museum of History and Culture: Bing Maps | Google Maps

428 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23220

Other useful election related links:

• Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, which is 27 days from today—live countdown. Early voting is going on now—find your nearest early voting location.
• Check your voter registration status—the deadline to register or update your registration is October 15
• Find which Richmond city district you live in
• RVA Ballotpedia page
• Virginia Public Access Project

What's everybody doing this weekend? Here are some ideas from the RTD:

• My Morning Jacket w/ special guest Jade Bird: Thursday at the Maymont, show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $45. musicatmaymont.com
• Armenian Food Festival: Friday and Saturday at St. James Armenian Church, free to attend. facebook.com/ArmenianFoodFestivalRichmond/
• 2nd Street Festival: Saturday and Sunday on Second Street in Jackson Ward, 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 1-6 p.m. Sunday. Free to attend. venturerichmond.com
• Richmond Veg Fest: Saturday at Byrd Park, noon-6 p.m. Free entry; pay as you go. veggiefest.org
• The Corniest Fall Festival Ever: Saturday at Monroe Park, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free to attend, pay as you go. altriatheater.com
• Oystoberfest: Saturday at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, noon-5 p.m. $2 suggested donation. oystoberfest.com
• Dachtoberfest: Saturday at Richmond Raceway, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. $10 in advance or $15 at the door. www.definc.org
• Powhatan Festival of the Grape: Saturday at Historic Courthouse Village, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. $20-$35. powhatanwinefestival.com

Read the full article | Archive.org | Archive.today

Excerpts from the article:

The city of Richmond finalized the island's purchase earlier in the year and hosted an event Thursday morning to begin the public engagement process on what will be a public park for Richmonders and visitors to enjoy.

[...]

Parks and Rec officials said the public engagement process for the project begins in October. The city wants to hear from residents about the design of the park before finalizing any schematic plans, officials said.

Read the full article | Archive.org | Archive.today