The Mayor’s Youth Academy (MYA) is now accepting applications for the 2015 MYA Summer Employment programs. MYA is accepting applications for all programs, now through Monday, March 23. Visit www.RichmondGov.com/MayorsYouthAcademy to apply online. In person applications will be accepted Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. at the MYA offices in the East District Initiative, 701 North 25th Street, or call 646-7480 to schedule a special appointment. Youth must prove city residency when applying. “In 2014, more than 450 youth were engaged in the MYA program with 89% of MYA graduates going on to attend two and four year colleges and universities,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “I strongly encourage our city’s youth and their parents to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity for summer employment. The collaboration between MYA and our community business partners provides city youth the opportunity to develop relationships with international youth, gain valuable work experience while...

Schedule Maximizes European Visibility; Course Modifications Based on Community Feedback and Learnings from “Test Event” Road Race Map , Video   Elite Men’s Individual Time Trial Map , Video Individual Time Trial Map , Video   Team Time Trial Map , Video Richmond 2015, the organizer of the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, today announces the official schedule and course modifications for cycling’s preeminent competition that will be held in Richmond in September. “We spent the past few months working with the UCI on finalizing the schedule and tweaking the courses for the 12 world championship races that will take place over nine days,” said Tim Miller, chief operating officer of Richmond 2015. “We’ve been able to incorporate many of the things we learned from the official test event, the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships, which was held last spring, in order to provide the best experience for racers, fans and Central Virginians alike.” Added W...

If your gas bill is unusually high compared to previous months. It is probably not due to a gas leak. Gas leaks are noticeable by their strong, rotten egg odor. Gas leaks are not like water leaks, which could be in a faulty toilet or dripping under your house or in a cabinet or basement and continue for days or weeks without being noticed. What is your thermostat set on? Even in the coldest weather, you should keep it at 68 and turn it down to 59 at night or whenever you are away from home for more than a couple of hours. You should never use a gas oven for heat by leaving it on all day or night with the oven door open. That is dangerous. Anything coming in contact with the burners could start a fire, or a burner blowing out could emit deadly carbon monoxide. It is also costly because the oven runs continually and doesn’t turn off when the room has reached the desired temperature. Never use an oven to heat the house. Dress in layers by wearing thermal undershirts and leggings, with re...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones created Neighbor-To-Neighbor (N2N) to increase the collaboration of civic engagement and volunteerism throughout the City of Richmond. N2N recruits volunteers of all ages, races, ethnicity, gender, and faith persuasions who reside in the great City of Richmond, leveraging service as a strategy to “Build the Best Richmond." For a list of upcoming volunteer opportunities, click here .

The Richmond City Council has adopted two resolutions that will ensure the incorporation of health into future planning and programs. This legislation, unanimously adopted by City Council, serves to incorporate health considerations into decision-making processes across sectors that influence health. The Health in All Policies (HiAP) and Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) Cities and Towns Resolutions are outgrowths of Mayor Dwight Jones’ Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Policy and fall under the auspices of the Mayor’s Healthy Richmond Campaign. The HiAP legislation calls for the City to incorporate “fair and just” principles into policymaking and to consider the health impacts of decisions made by all aspects of local government. A team of City departmental leaders will be formed to implement the HiAP framework across all departments, agencies, and offices, in order to promote health, and well-being and overall quality of life of all residents, regardless of whom they are or whe...

~Project component of East End Transformation Plan~ The intersection of 25th Street, Nine Mile Road and Fairmount Road will undergo major improvements with the installation of a roundabout. Construction is set to begin next week to re-design the intersection, which will include the removal of existing traffic lights. The $1.2 million project has received state and federal funding. The roundabout is a component of the East End Transformation Plan, which includes major sidewalk and landscaping improvements, modernization of public housing and revitalization of blighted residential areas. City transportation engineers say once the roundabout is in place, it will reduce the number of accidents in that area and increase traffic efficiency. The most recent traffic study at the intersection indicated 11 accidents occurred there during a three year time frame. Currently the City operates five modern roundabouts and expects to begin construction on several more this year. Experts say ...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones today announced the appointment of Richmond Police Department Deputy Chief Alfred Durham as the next Chief of Police. When naming Alfred Durham, Mayor Jones acknowledged the wealth of experience at senior levels in Richmond’s police department, and the department’s success with community policing. “When Chief Ray Tarasovic told me last fall that he wanted to retire, I decided then that I wanted the next Chief to continue two hallmarks of his tenure. First, I expect crime rates to stay low and I expect a continued commitment to community policing,” said Mayor Jones. “We’ve had five straight years of violent crime reduction, with rates the lowest in the 40 years I’ve been in Richmond, and that’s helping to fuel the Richmond Resurgence.” Mayor Jones noted that Alfred Durham brings a wealth of experience to the position, having previously worked in Richmond serving on former Chief Rodney Monroe’s leadership team. Durham worked in Richmond from 2005 to 2007. He is a g...