Good morning, RVA! It's 69 °F, and we've got some clouds to burn off today. Highs will stay in the generally pleasant low 80s. Enjoy!
Water cooler
Alright, Justin Mattingly at the RTD reports that Richmond's School Board voted to hold a special election for the 7th District seat in November of 2018. This seat currently sits vacant after Nadine Marsh-Carter stepped down a couple weeks back. Since we've got an entire year before the special election, the Board will appoint an interim member—which means literally any 7th District resident can apply. I'm not sure how/where exactly folks apply, but the deadline is September 29th. That's right around the corner, so you don't have a ton of time to polish up the ol' resume if you're interested.
Oh man, there's a packed agenda (PDF) at today's Land Use Housing and Transportation committee meeting—clearly the most interesting of City Council's standing committees. We've got resolutions in support of the City's applications to VDOT for the Gillies Creek Greenway, new sidewalks and pedestrian improvements, extending the Capital Trail to the T-Pot bridge, and adding a 3rd Street alternative to the 1st and 2nd Street bike lane project. They're also looking at the ordinances that tweak the rules around sale of city-owned property, and they will consider adopting the Downriver Update as a part the City's Master Plan. Busy day for those folks!
Samantha Willis at Richmond Magazine has an interview/profile of Virginia Union University's new president, Hakim J. Lucas. Check it out for some history on the school and how the current federal landscape impacts Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Y'all, it's Bike Restaurant Week—and we're already two days in! I feel such bike shame for not mentioning it before now. Until Thursday, you can join Bike Walk RVA in a guided tour through one of Richmond's neighborhoods—on bike—and take advantage of discounts or special menu items at a handful of participating restaurants. Bikes and restaurants—one of life's historically great combinations, just like peanut butter and jelly or a Miller High Life and another Miller High Life.
Gubernatorial candidates Northam and Gillespie will debate each other tonight at 7:00 PM in Northern Virginia. You can watch over on nbcwashington.com.
Senate Republicans will once again try to repeal Obamacare at some point over the next couple of weeks. Vox has the new steps they've got to go through to take away access to health insurance from millions of Americans. Blerg.
Sports!
- Nats begin a series against Atlanta tonight at 7:35 PM.
This morning's longread
The Week My Husband Left And My House Was Burgled I Secured A Grant To Begin The Project That Became BRCA1
Sometimes you just gotta keep plugging away.
I went into his office, and he said, “I wanted to tell you, I’ve just learned you’ve been awarded tenure.” And of course I burst into tears. Now, this department chairman, bless him, was a gentleman a full generation older than me. He had three grown sons. He had no daughters. He had certainly never had a young woman assistant professor in his charge before. And he took my shoulders, and he stepped back, and he said, “No one’s ever reacted like that before.” He said, “Sit down, sit down. What’s the matter?” I said, “It’s not the tenure. It’s that my husband told me last night he was leaving me.” He looked at me, opened the drawer of his desk, pulled out a huge bottle of Jack Daniels, poured me a half a glass of it, and said, “Drink this. You’ll feel better.” It was 9:30 on Monday morning. So I did - and I did. I made it through the day, got sober, and around 3:30 headed back up the hill to pick up Emily from school. She hopped in the car with Ernie, her dog, and we drove home. We got home, walked up the stairs, opened the house... and it was absolute chaos. Someone had broken in.