Free Newspaper Access and RPS HVAC Woes
Cheers RVA!
Today will be mostly sunny with a high of 86 and a low of 63. The week ahead looks pleasant with mostly clear skies and highs around 80.
the juice:
Two people lost their lives to motor vehicles over the weekend in tragic events.
A woman was struck by a vehicle and killed while crossing West Broad Street in a hit and run on Friday evening, via WTVR.
The incident occurred near the intersection of Emerywood Parkway and West Broad, adjacent to the Sheetz convenience store. Another hit and run occurred while officers were securing the scene. Both incidents remain under investigation.
A girl riding her bicycle was killed after being struck by a vehicle after attempting to cross Three Chopt Road near Ridge Elementary on Sunday morning, according to WTVR. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with police.
the pulp:
The Richmond Times-Dispatch is offering a one-year free subscription to K-12 students and educators in the Richmond area as part of its News for Students program.
The University of Richmond is facing a federal civil rights complaint regarding some of its scholarships, via WWBT. An Equal Protection Project based out of Rhode Island is alleging the scholarships are limited to minorities and are therefore discriminatory.
the dive:
Victoria Ifatusin from the Richmonder dives into the balance RPS must play with a shoestring budget and a maintenance backlog for a number of buildings with outdated HVAC systems and mold issues.
A 2024 report recommended $43.72 million in immediate repairs, but this year’s capital improvements budget has allocated just $13.6 million for such projects.
Ifatusin writes:
The maintenance issues are widespread throughout the city’s school buildings, largely because of how old those buildings are. On average, an RPS building is over 80 years old. (RPS division spokesperson) Alyssa Schwenk also noted that the division has a HVAC team of three people addressing poor systems in multiple school buildings.
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Have a mindful day RVA!
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