Henrico Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell will present a recommended budget for the 2025 fiscal year at a Henrico School Board meeting Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. The new budget, which will have to go through a months-long approval process, will go into effect July 1 this year and apply through June 30, 2025. The school board will first vote on the recommended budget and any amendments on Feb. 22 and then send it to the Henrico Board of Supervisors for approval. A final version of the budget will be adopted by the school board in April. The school board will...Article Link

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The Metro Richmond region led Virginia's 10 metropolitan regions in job growth in 2023, according to data from the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement. The region added 16,300 non-farming jobs to climb to 718,900 total non-farm jobs, outpacing Northern Virginia, which added 11,200 to climb to 1,561,100. Overall, nine of the 10 metro areas experienced over-the-year job gains, while one remained unchanged. Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased slightly in December to 3%, up from 2.9% in November, according to additional data from the department. The number of employed residents fell by 8,395 from November to December –...Article Link

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Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently announced additional appointments to key state positions: Virginia Commission on Higher Education Board Appointments – The Honorable Lisa M. Hicks-Thomas of Henrico, deputy general counsel at Dominion Energy; Child Support Guidelines Review Panel – H. Van Smith of Henrico, attorney and counselor at law at Smith Strong, PLC; Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, Board of Trustees – Riley Shaia of Henrico, group exercise instructor at Tuckahoe Family YMCA; Virginia Lottery Board – Sherry L. Williams of Henrico, chief risk officer at Atlantic Union Bank; Board for Professional Soil Scientists, Wetland Professionals, and Geologists – Steven Yob...Article Link

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A bill that would provide free meals for all public school students in Virginia passed the Senate Education and Health Committee Thursday. “This is about making sure that every kid who goes to school gets fed — no questions asked,” said Sen. Danica Roem, D-Manassas, the patron for Senate Bill 283, earlier this month. The proposal would cost an estimated 6 million over the next two years. Some Republicans including Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, balked at the cost. “I just obviously do not want any child to go hungry and do not want any child who cannot afford a meal...Article Link

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Legislation to raise the state minimum wage to per hour by 2026 is moving briskly through the Virginia General Assembly as Democrats take advantage of their narrow majorities in both chambers to complete an effort they began in 2020. “This is a simple bill,” said Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, who chairs the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee. “It just reenacts what we did before.” Carried by Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, as Senate Bill 1 and Del. Jeion Ward, D-Hampton, as House Bill 1, the legislation is a signature priority of Democrats this session and would bring the wage to...Article Link

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Dr. Cassandra Willis has a full roster of activities to motivate her students – monthly attendance celebrations, a holiday “pop-up shop,” book vending machines, and a school-wide kickball game with a professional kickball player. These initiatives may seem minor, said Willis, who has been the principal of Montrose Elementary since fall 2022, but they impact the young students in ways that really matter – boosting their excitement for learning, their motivation to come to school, their confidence that they can succeed. “It seems like something so small, but it keeps attendance numbers up and it just keeps the building calm,”...Article Link

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Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer recently announced the following lease transactions in Henrico County: Commonwealth Restoration Specialists LLC – leased 10,000 SF of industrial space at Gaskins Center, 9878-9898 Mayland Drive (Evan Magrill represented the landlord); Bon Secours Urgent Care – leased 4,246 SF of retail space at 11201 Nuckols Road (James Ashby IV represented the landlord and Alex T. Wotring represented the tenant); Veterans Fire Protection, Inc. – leased 3,492 SF of industrial space at Northgate Center, 8002-8030 Staples Mill Road (Gregg Beck represented the landlord); Plumblife Plumbing, LLC – leased 3,093 SF of industrial space at Staples Mill...Article Link

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Culture Encounters, a non-profit dedicated to igniting cultural curiosity, knowledge and appreciation, will launch a "Conversations to Connect" series Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. at the Dorey Park Recreation Center (Henricus Room). Vivian Addotey will moderate a panel of African Americans, Africans, and Caribbean immigrants that includes Nana Derby, Alfred Powell, Jr., Micheal Ja-El Asante, Raina Vann, Debbie Campbell-Rance, and El Hadji Djibril Niang. The event is free, but registration is required. For more information or to register, visit the Culture Encounters Facebook page or https://cultureencounters.org.Article Link

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New school board members Madison Irving and Ryan Young have made it off the campaign trail and into their new roles, but their emphasis on getting schools fully staffed and all students equally supported hasn’t changed. After Irving won a three-way race for the Henrico School Board’s Three Chopt District seat and Young defeated four other opponents in the Fairfield District race in November, both were sworn in to their school board positions in December and attended their first school board meeting Jan. 11. Both Irving and Young emphasized the need to fill existing vacancies in Henrico Schools. According to...Article Link

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Albert "Doug" Douglas Salter, Lieutenant (Ret.) Henrico County Division of Police, 80, of Richmond, Virginia, passed away January 9, 2024, in the company of his daughters. He is survived by his daughters, Kimberly Salter (Thom) and Rebeccah Rogers (Tom); grandsons Luke (Sara) and Seth, great-granddaughter Nola; brother, Robert F. Salter (Joyce), beloved nephews and niece. Doug was dearly loved and will be greatly missed. Everyone that knew him knew he had a generous, kind heart. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, January 16 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Parham Chapel of Woody Funeral Home, 1771 North Parham...Article Link

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