A Final Report, Protests, and the City's Biggest Block Party
Cheers RVA!
Today will be mostly cloudy with a high of 83 and potential isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon, with a low of 60 in the evening. The weekend looks similar, with variable clouds, warm temperatures, and more potential storms on Sunday.
the juice:
The City has released the final After-Action Assessment Report on the January Water Outage, with two key findings:
The water treatment plant was operating in "Winter Mode," which relied on a single critical component instead of the more resilient "Summer Mode," which had redundant components. (the plant now permanently operates in summer mode)
When the main power feed failed, an automatic transfer switch (called a "Bus Tie") failed to activate, preventing power from switching to the second available power source.
A number of recommendations and immediate actions have already taken place, including implementing new emergency protocols and investing approximately $5 million in repairs and upgrades at the plant.
the pulp:
The Mercury reports over 2k people attended a protest at the state Capital Wednesday opposing a state constitutional amendment that would protect abortion access. HJ1 would enshrine abortion access in the state’s constitution. The measure passed the legislature this year, and would need to pass again next year before appearing on the ballot.
The 50501 Movement chapter of Virginia is planning a protest on Saturday at 11:30 am at the Capitol to protect a range of issues. The group has organized a number of demonstrations and rallies since the initial protests on February 5th, according to Axios.
Richmond Magazine celebrates 25 years of the Monument Avenue 10k, noting the 6.2 mile race has been completed by runners as young as six and as old as 90. Known as “RVA’s biggest block party”, the event hosts 25k runners.
the dive:
Chris Suarez from styleweekly dives into the groundbreaking ceremony held Thursday for the new Shockoe Institute center at Main Street Station.
CEO of the institute Marlon Buckner said:
Our visitors are going to have the experience to understand the evolution of our history and slavery’s role in it, and in particular, Richmond’s role in the domestic slave trade. But we’re also going to give visitors the opportunity in our lab to extend their learning journey and to participate in a whole array of programs and services and creative activities that are designed to enrich their experience while they are here.
The institute is part of the larger plan to transform 10 acres in Shockoe Valley into a historical site “commemorating the neighborhood’s legacy as an epicenter of the slave trade in the antebellum South”.
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Have a flourishing day RVA!
Thanks for reading. If you enjoy this newsletter, tell a friend, or donate.