The Parham Papers and Running Opportunities
Cheers RVA!
Today will be mostly sunny with a high of 81 and a low of 61. It almost feels like Autumn.
the juice:
Richmond City Council outlined a plan to pay $5.8 million to a man wrongfully incarcerated for 45 years with funds from a delinquent tax sales special fund, via WTVR.
Michael Grimm was falsely convicted of murder and sexual assault in 1976 and was exonerated in 2024.
The 2025 General Assembly passed a bill giving $5.8 million in restitution to Grimm, with localities required to match the amount of state compensation.
A final vote is set for September 8.
the pulp:
The 11-year old girl killed after being struck by a vehicle while riding her bike has been identified, with roadside memorials popping up along Three Chopt Rd, via WRIC. The girl was not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident. There have been eight crashes involving cyclists so far this year in Henrico, with this being the first fatality. In 2024 there were 40 crashes involving cyclists with two fatalities in the county.
The full Richmond Marathon has officially sold out, with more than two months to go before the race. The half marathon and 8k still have spots open. The Cap Trail 10 miler and 5k, which takes place on October 25, still has spots open as well.
the dive:
R. Anthony Harris from RVAMag dives into the Parham Papers, a series of reports by Christa Motley about the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences (VARR), an accredited body for sober living that has often operated in the shadows.
Motley has been investigating VARR and the money and power behind Richmond’s recovery housing industry since 2022.
Harris writes:
Recovery housing is meant to be a lifeline, a place where Virginians at their most vulnerable can stabilize, rebuild, and get the support they need. “We’re talking about people who might be just out of jail, a week sober, detoxing, or court-ordered into treatment,” Motley says. “They’re in a position where they can barely form a coherent thought some days, just trying to survive.”
Her reporting shows how quickly that mission can be undermined when power is concentrated in the hands of a small group. “When the same insiders control the money, the rules, and the oversight, you’ve basically set it up for exploitation – financial and personal,” she says.
The consequences aren’t abstract. Motley has documented residents who were verbally abused, pressured into relationships with people in authority, funneled into treatment programs for the operator’s financial gain, and even kicked out with little warning sometimes with tragic outcomes.
In 2025 a number of longtime VARR leaders have exited the association and a Senate work group has been established to “present recommendations on recovery housing oversight, transparency, and resident rights to the General Assembly.”
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Have an inviting day RVA!
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