RVA’s Got Issues

It's no secret: Richmond's got some baggage. Case in point, the #GreatRichmondWaterCrisis. Less than a week into new city leadership, hospitals ran low on water and people boiled snow to flush their toilets. Was it a fluke, or is this the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unresolved issues in city government? Thad Williamson is the coauthor of a new book about the history of Richmond city govern...

It's the holidays! The fire is delightful, chestnuts are roasting, people are wassailing (whatever that is). But for some folks, this is a time of year that hits hard, where the pain of addiction, of isolation, or even just loneliness, can make it much less joyful. So what can we do to close the loneliness gap in RVA?

Redlining has been illegal for more than half a century. But Black homeowners today are still feeling its impact through appraisals that undervalue their homes. Rich unpacks recent findings on appraisal bias in Richmond with two housing experts, as well as their undercover method for addressing housing discrimination today. If you live in Henrico, chances are you pay bills! But have you ever wonde...

A flood of renewable energy projects are hitting the RVA region. What does it mean for households in the region? And is it enough to satiate our soaring energy demands? A listener asks Rich: am I being gaslit by these door knockers? After a canvasser says a "no soliciting sign" doesn't apply to them, one listener is stumped about how to tell people to bug-off (although Rich hopes you don't do this...

In his very first sit-down interview since the election, mayor-elect Danny Avula joins Rich to discuss what Richmonders can expect from his administration. What are his top priorities and how will he start to tackle them? How will he bring more people into the political process? And how will he advocate for the city on both the State and Federal level? 

Need some 11th hour candidate info for election day? We have you covered! Check out any of our recent episodes on the mayoral contest, what it takes to be on city council, a plan to shake up the school board race and much, much more. We'll be next week with a new episode. Until then, see you at the polls!

Our series "Who's Got Your Vote?" takes you inside Richmond's race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. For our final week of our series, Rich talks with Andreas Addison, the current Richmond City Council representative for the first district. Hear how his tutelage under Governor Wilder and Mayor Dwight Jon...

Our series "Who's Got Your Vote?" takes you inside Richmond's race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. So, who's got your vote? This week Rich talks with Danny Avula, a pediatrician who was also recently the state commissioner for the the Virginia Department of Social Services. He says the connections he f...

Our series "Who's Got Your Vote?" takes you inside Richmond's race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. So, who's got your vote? This week Rich talks with Michelle Mosby, Richmond City Council's first Black female president. She says she won't need training wheels to tackle the mayor's job. She also tells u...

Our series "Who's Got Your Vote?" takes you inside Richmond's race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. So, who's got your vote? This week Rich talks with Maurice Neblett, an entrepreneur and community leader in the city. Hear what being "a true son of Richmond" means to him, how he says a non-political bac...

Our series "Who's Got Your Vote?" takes you inside Richmond's race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. So, who's got your vote? We kick off with Harrison Roday, a leader in the nonprofit and industrial manufacturing space. He says his "get things done" attitude, experience in politics under Senator Tim Kai...

There are 18 candidates running for Richmond City Council this November, but Rich has just one question for this week's guests: what's the job of a city council member actually like? For an honest answer, he brings in former council president, Mike Jones, and current council president, Kristen Nye. This week, RVA’s Got Questions... about who RUNS for city council. With only 6 of 9 seats having a c...

It's Rich's FAVORITE time of year, local election season. But what makes this year different? A plan to end dysfunction on the Richmond Public School board. Next up: the little-known quirk that determines how Richmond elects its mayor. One listener wants to know how voting actually works in RVA, and whether we'll catch the ranked-choice bug. Rich wraps things up with his election heartthrob, the V...

The James River is the heart and soul of Richmond. But it's also the dumping ground for the city's sewage when it rains too much. What will it take to fix this issue? One frustrated listener asks us: why is it so hard to open a business in Richmond? Rich runs through the litany of applications you need to complete to set up shop in RVA. But it's not as bad as you might think. The Broadberry Entert...

Climate change is here, in RVA, today. But some neighborhoods are much more vulnerable to excessive heat and flooding than others. Rich talks with a local climate scientist about inequities in our climate vulnerability, as well as the city's plan to address them. Everyone seems to have a DOT these days. That is, a department of transportation. But why isn't there one in Richmond, and is that neces...

What would YOU do if you controlled how your government spends its money? Richmond City Council is doing exactly that as part of a new $3 million public budget. Outgoing council president Kristen Nye talks about how this works... and whether it's here to stay. This week's listener question: How do you dispose of guns? The answer is easier than you may think. Finally, our community spotlight is abo...

It takes two to tango, but only one artistic director to lead the Richmond Ballet. For the first time in over 40 years, the official ballet for the state of Virginia is coming under new leadership. What does this mean for the future of the region's cultural institution? A listener asks Rich...what happened to all those anti-litter campaigns we use to see on TV? Is this something RVA still cares ab...

Four elementary schools in Richmond are reopening in July for the start of their extended school year. This "grand experiment" aims to reverse COVID-related learning loss in struggling schools. But will keeping kids (and their teachers) in a classroom fuel burnout? One thing you WON'T find in RVA is a major league sports team. A listener asks, what would it take to change that? Anyone can be a bal...

What do an attempted coup in Cuba and secrets from the Vietnam War have in common? They both led to the creation of the Freedom of Information Act. This law allows people to access public documents and hold their government accountable. But it doesn't always work that way, as two Richmond woman recently discovered when they put the states public record laws to the test. Food insecurity is a growin...

Last year, the city of Hopewell notched a huge victory in the fight against gun violence. Now cities like Petersburg and Richmond want in. We talk with Maurice Washington and Sarah Scarbrough about the strategy they've brought to the region. This week's listener question: Who is Dillon, and why does he get a rule? The Dillon Rule restricts what cities and counties can do in Virginia, and it's all...

Most cities struggled with bus ridership coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not RVA. We talk with Faith Walker, Executive Director from RVA Rapid Transit, about what GRTC is doing right - and where there's room for improvement. This week's listener question is about a Maymont resident and his enemy: Richmond Sidewalks. Why do the suck? (his words, not ours). But seriously, why do sidewalks have...

We hear it everywhere, everyday: Housing is expensive. But with so many new apartments and homes being built in RVA, why do costs continue to rise? And what can local government do about it? To answer that question we talk with Jovan Burton from the Partnership for Affordable Housing. For this week's listener question, we talk speed cameras. How are they being used in Richmond, and why aren't ther...

Launching May 22, 2024, RVA’s Got Issues delves into the politics and big issues defining life in and around Richmond, Virginia. What’s being done to keep housing affordable? How do we combat gun violence? Will longer school years resolve decades-long education gaps? Host Richard Meagher connects with guests to discuss the past, present, and future impact of these questions so YOU know what’s happ...