The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.
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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of April 26, 2023:
Richmond fire chief touts inspection improvement
Reported by VPM News’ Connor Scribner
Richmond Fire Chief Melvin Carter told members of City Council’s Public Safety Standing Committee on Tuesday that the fire department inspected every Richmond public school for the current academic year and verified that all noted code violations were corrected.
Last week, VPM News published an investigation that focused, in part, on RFD’s failure to document annual inspections for every school building as required by state law. From 2015 through 2022, RFD documented only about 60% of required annual inspections.
City Council eliminates Richmond zoning parking minimums
Reported by VPM News’ Jahd Khalil
Richmond City Council voted to eliminate parking minimums at its Monday meeting, amid a docket of varied market-oriented policies aimed at addressing the housing crisis it declared earlier this month.
The resolution on parking regulations eliminated dozens of pages of parking requirements and passed 7–0. Fifth District Councilmember Stephanie Lynch and Sixth District councilmember Ellen Robertson were not present.
In other news:
- VEC lays off 157 workers, raising new questions about long-term funding (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
- Jim Justice’s family businesses in legal dispute with Martinsville bank over millions in loans (Cardinal News)
- Lucas accuses N.Va. Dems of backing Spruill to force her out (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
In case you missed it:
- Descendants of enslaved, enslavers gather for reconciliation talks in Va. (The Washington Post)