The City of Richmond Office of Minority Business Development presents Money Smart for Small Business 2016, a FDIC and SBA partnership and 13-module free business course. The curriculum provides training for new and aspiring entrepreneurs and those entrepreneurs who need a refresher on the basics of organizing and managing a business. Certificates of Completion will be given to students who complete all the classes in the curriculum. Classes start February 9 and will be held at the Center for Workforce Innovation 900 E. Marshall Street (Next door to Marshall Plaza –Social Services office) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:15 - 7 p.m. Make-up classes will be scheduled at a later date. For more information on classes and schedules, visit http://www.richmondgov.com/MinorityBusinessDevelopment/documents/2016-Spring_MoneySmartRegistrationLinks.pdf For questions, call 804-646-5947 or email Minority.Business.Development@richmondgov.com

The Department of Public Works will start construction mobilization on Monday, Jan. 4 to begin work on a roundabout at the busy intersection of Brookland Park Boulevard, Meadowbridge Road, 2nd Avenue and Dill Avenue; known as Six Points.  In addition to replacing the existing traffic signals with a roundabout, the project includes landscaped islands, pedestrian crosswalk marking, handicap ramps and new signage at the intersections. The $1.2 million project has received state and federal funding. The work is expected to last four to six months, depending on weather.  The improvements will reduce vehicle and pedestrian conflict points, provide slower operating speeds for motorists, and shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians. Experts say roundabouts can reduce fatal accidents by as much as 90 percent and have been proven to reduce the number of vehicle and pedestrian accidents. In the past three years, five accidents have been reported at the Six Points intersection....

With great honor and privilege, Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Cynthia I. Newbille, Richmond City Council 7th District, unveiled an honorary street sign on Dec. 21 in the 1900 block of Princess Anne Avenue to recognize the tireless work of community activist Alicia C. Rasin. A pillar of the Richmond community and an advocate for families of homicide victims for more than 30 years, Rasin passed away on October 9 In the early 1990s, Rasin founded Citizens Against Crime, an organization through which she and others collaborated with victims, police, businesses and residents to fight crime in some of the city’s toughest neighborhoods. She also is credited with bridging the gap between various segments of the Richmond community and establishing relationships with local media that enabled them to humanize crime victims and their families in their news reporting. Rasin, who was known as the “Ambassador of Compassion,” worked around the clock to provide solace to victims of violent crime, as w...

On Tuesday, December 8, Mayor Jones along with Woodfin officials celebrated the opening of the new Woodfin headquarters at 1823 North Hamilton Street in Richmond. This new location, that replaces their old headquarters which served them for four decades in Mechanicsville, gives Woodfin a central hub to serve their customers throughout the greater Richmond area. “I am thrilled Woodfin decided to relocate their headquarters to the city of Richmond. Locally rooted businesses like Woodfin play a critical role in the revitalization taking place along this important corridor of the city,” said Mayor Jones. Woodfin is a family-owned business rooted in Richmond for two generations and a firm supporter of the growth that is taking place in the city. The renovation project started in the spring of 2015 and took about eight months to complete. Woodfin is the latest Richmond-based company to join the city’s revitalization efforts in and around the Scott’s Addition neighborhood. “Scott’s Addition ...

On Friday, November 20, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony to kick off the partnership between Richmond’s Center for Workforce Innovation and Capital One. This partnership was developed in order to improve workforce development efforts in the greater Richmond area. Mayor Dwight C. Jones along with Jamison Manion, Programs Administrator for Workforce Development from the Richmond Center for Workforce Innovation, Lane Hopkins, Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Vice President from Human Resources at Capital One, and Michael Gilbert, a representative from RideRichmond, spoke about the Bike Distribution Program that will give a bicycle to individuals who complete the Center’s Workforce Pipeline training program. This will allow them greater access to transportation in the greater Richmond area. Many jobs lie outside the reach of Richmond residents who are strictly dependent upon GRTC bus lines. This lack of transportation greatly contributes to the unemployment rate among the city’s ...

From Monday, November 16 through Sunday, May 1, the Wharf Street entrance to the Intermediate Terminal Dock will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.  There will be no public access to the mid-section of the dock, as it is a work zone undergoing structural rehabilitation.  The lower eastern and western docks will remain accessible to the public, as well as the portions of the Virginia Capital Trail that run parallel to the Intermediate Terminal Dock. For more information on city services and schedules, please visit us on line at www.RichmondGov.com .     

The Richmond City Health District is reminding residents to take precautions to reduce the risk of people or pets contracting rabies from domestic or woodland animals.   This advisement comes after the recent exposure of a pet dog to a raccoon that has tested positive for rabies.  The raccoon was picked up by Richmond Animal Care and Control from a backyard in the 3700 block of Lawson Street on Richmond’s Southside. The public is advised not to approach wild or stray animals either in wooded areas or if they wander onto your property; especially if the animal is acting strangely.  Take the following steps to prevent family members and pets from being exposed to rabies: · Don’t attract wild animals into your yard by leaving out pet food or uncontained garbage · Vaccinate all cats, dogs and ferrets against rabies and keep their shots up to date · Don’t allow your pets to roam freely through the neighborhood; keep them on a leash when walking them · Report stray a...