Today Mayor Stoney announced that the City of Richmond would recognize Monday October 14, 2019 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. In the presence of representatives from the Nottaway, Chickahominy, Patawomeck, Mattaponi, Upper Mattaponi, Cheroenhaka and Pamunkey Indian Tribes, the mayor expressed thanks for the groups’ partnership and appreciation for their contributions to the Richmond community. While the federal government recognizes the second Monday in October each year as Columbus Day, the City of Richmond has never recognized Columbus Day as an employee holiday. The City of Richmond will again be open for business this Monday, but this year requests that employees and residents alike use Indigenous Peoples’ Day as an opportunity to reflect not only upon the culture and heritage of native peoples, but also to celebrate their influence, accomplishments and resilience in the face of extraordinary hardship. “Native Americans were the first residents of Richmond,” said Mayor St...

At the October 14 meeting of the Richmond City Council meeting, Mayor Levar M. Stoney will propose two ordinances promoting public safety: an ordinance requiring the reporting of lost or stolen firearms and an ordinance prohibiting driving while distracted using a handheld communication device. Any person who loses a gun or has one stolen in the City of Richmond will be required to report the loss or theft to the Richmond Police Department within 24 hours. Failing to do so will result in a civil penalty. The goal of the ordinance is to help reduce the trafficking of lost and stolen guns, which are more likely to be used in criminal offenses. So far this year, 354 firearms have been reported stolen in the City of Richmond, 186 firearms from vehicles alone. “Unreported gun loss and gun theft lead to gun crime,” said Mayor Stoney. “We all need to play a role in keeping our communities safe, and we can no longer wait for the General Assembly to act. This piece of legisla...