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Richmond police on Friday identified the victim of a homicide that occurred last week near Virginia Union University as Kevin Toler, 35.
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Richmond registrar violated city policies on nepotism, internal investigation finds
- Samuel B. Parker
Officers initially responded to the 2900 block of Chamberlayne Avenue at around 9:02 a.m. on June 6 for the reports of random gunfire. At the scene, officers found Toler on the ground and suffering an apparent gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Richmond police Detective C. Weaver at (804) 646-6030 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.
Letter: To fight elder abuse, empower older adults
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed on June 15, signifies our collective struggle against the mistreatment of older adults. Elder abuse refers to intentional or neglectful acts by a caregiver or a trusted individual that cause harm to an older adult. It can come in the form of physical, emotional, neglect and financial mistreatment.
The National Council on Aging estimates that approximately 5 million older adults are abused every year in the United States, yet only 1 in 14 cases is reported. Research findings estimate that older victims of financial fraud lose roughly $30 billion a year.
Identifying potential frauds and cons such as lottery scams, identity theft or email phishing schemes is crucial. Older people should be wary of unsolicited calls and emails, particularly those requesting personal information, money transfers or unusual payment methods such as gift cards, especially if these requests are communicated with extreme urgency.
With a collaborative strategy in place, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield works in tandem with health care providers to detect early signs of elder abuse. We have taken great strides to implement caregiver education programs, because in many cases, the caregivers are the first line of defense in recognizing indicators of abuse. We are not just advocating prevention, but actively invested in providing solutions to help prevent elder abuse.
Our health plans are designed to support older adults by addressing the social drivers that can impact health, including social isolation — a significant risk factor for elder abuse. Our community members benefit from resources beyond traditional health care services that our plans can provide, including access to nutritious meals, safe and stable housing, and transportation. We continue to partner with organizations aiming to create a safer, more supportive society where older adults are valued and included, and their rights are protected.
Dr. Eugene Hsu, senior Medicare clinical officer for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Letter: Virginians pay the price for RGGI
When Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed Executive Order Nine on his first day in office to leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the RGGI tax charged to every utility customer was $2.39 per month. In just two years, this tax has doubled to nearly $5 without any vote by Virginians or their elected representatives. Democrats in the General Assembly have clearly stated their intent to mandate that Virginia rejoin RGGI and reimpose this tax on Virginians.
At its core, the RGGI tax is regressive and applied to many Virginians’ electricity bills regardless of their ability to pay. On average, Virginians pay more for electricity as a portion of our income than most states. In some of our lowest income localities, Virginians spend almost 10% of their average income on electricity. Public policy should be devoted to making electricity more affordable, not less.
Some of Virginia’s largest employers pay millions each year into RGGI. This cost is represented in our economy through lost jobs and lowered wages, meaning that the RGGI tax hits working families’ three times— on their electricity bills, in their paychecks, and inflated prices of goods and services. The costs of daily necessities are rising across Virginia, and our families and businesses simply cannot afford to stay in RGGI.
Del. Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke County.
Letter: Hero's story humanizes war, D-Day
Thank you Em Holter for writing and the Richmond Times-Dispatch for publishing the moving stories about Normandy, D-Day and 1st Lt. Jimmie Monteith ("D-Day 80 Years Later," June 5).
Like Ms. Holter, I too am somewhat of a history buff, but tend to shy away from the war stories that are regrettably so much of the chronicle of our civilization.
Ms. Holter, in her writing, was able to humanize this great war tragedy by demonstrating what it means to be a hero and aptly illustrating the location whereby fate was to place an average individual into a situation whereby they might become that hero. I graduated from Virginia Tech and probably walked past Monteith Hall a hundred times without knowing the story of the courageous person for which it was named. I now know and appreciate the sacrifice.
By reading these stories, I have a deeper understanding of D-Day, but also of the heroes on that critical day. This is the test of good writing. Those minutes of reading have caused me to reflect for hours on peace building (not just the absence of violence, but the intentional changing of the causes of violence) and the heartbreak and irrationality of war even as I continued reading the newspaper (Ukraine, Gaza, etc.). Will this insanity never end? To quote Voltaire, “History never repeats itself. Man always does.”
Ironically, we are today embroiled in a situation eerily similar in the world to the rise of Hitler in the lead-up to World War II. If we do not stand together and reject the politics of isolationism and support Ukraine in its struggle against the unjust and brutal land grab from Putin, we will, simply stated, find ourselves in the next world war.
William P. Cawley.
West Point.
Letter: Seventy years after Brown, our work continues
Seventy years after Brown, our work continues
I want to send my congratulations and gratitude to the Richmond Times-Dispatch for your excellent series on the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, its immediate effect in Virginia and its subsequent history. Your hard-hitting Editorial Board summation on May 19 (“Segregationist history? In RVA, the past is our present”) about its lingering failures was helpful and timely.
The reason for my gratitude is personal. Having arrived in Richmond for the first time in September 1962 to enter Union Theological Seminary (now Union Presbyterian Seminary), I was startled by adulations to the Confederacy and its lingering effects almost everywhere. I moved from Atlanta, Georgia, where I had attended most of elementary and high school, and where Grady High School had been quietly and successfully integrated in 1961. This was vigorously supported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, with its courtly and determined editor, Ralph McGill, who advocated for compliance with the 1954 Supreme Court decision.
I arrived in Richmond confronted with Confederate monuments, articles in the press about the “war between the states” alongside articles in support of Massive Resistance. The latter was frequently discussed by faculty and students at Union Presbyterian Seminary because Prince Edward County was where Union had been organized in 1812 as a part of Hampden-Sydney College. In 1898, Union moved to Richmond’s Ginter Park neighborhood.
Controversies over integration overshadowed my tenure at Union, enhanced by the 1963 visit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., when he spoke in Richmond. Many of us attended the speech and were delighted to see one of our most faithful professors, Ernest Trice Thompson, on the stage greeting the speakers.
In 1965, Union responded to the events in Selma by sending faculty and student representatives to the march from Selma to Montgomery the week after Bloody Sunday. We also organized our own sympathy march in Richmond with Virginia Union students and Catholic priests and nuns. Several hundred of us marched from the North Side to the state capitol.
Thank you for helping me recall those heady, hopeful years, even as I lament. In spite of extraordinary progress in many areas, especially politically, we still have, along with most of the U.S., not only segregated schools but insufficient commitment — year after year, governor after governor — to quality equal education for all students.
O. Benjamin Sparks.
Richmond.
Letter: Who will stand up to Donald Trump?
Make the people feel like they are victims and you are the only savior. Use terms such as “vermin” and “poisoning the blood of our country” when you talk about immigrants. Stir up fear and doubt and stigmatize everyone who is on the opposite side. Make a mockery of the justice system if you do not like its verdicts. Isolate and malign those in your group who disagree with you. Threaten those on the “other” side and target citizens just doing their jobs. Encourage citizens to overturn a presidential election. Act as if the law does not apply to you.
Sound familiar? Those tactics and words used by former President Donald Trump are exactly those used by Hitler as he built Nazi Germany. And yet few Republican leaders, other than Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, have had the courage to stand up against someone whose power is increasing. Unlike most of their fellow Republicans, Cheney and Kinzinger have the courage to speak the truth regardless of the personal consequences.
Courage has become rare in the Republican Party. Where are the voices from those who were in the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, afraid for their lives? Why have they capitulated to Trump? Why have they not banded together and opposed him and his followers? Why have they not nominated an alternative for president? What is really going on in their minds other than thoughts of being reelected?
At 81, I am horrified and saddened by the deep divide in our country, the backward direction it is moving, and the unwillingness of our leaders to speak up. It’s like the emperor with no clothes. To end this sure journey toward a Hitler-like regime, they and ordinary citizens must stand up and say “No more!” Count me as one who will.
Betty Humphries Williams.
Manakin Sabot.
Letter: On China, Youngkin puts national security first
I am writing to echo Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s recent letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin regarding the Pentagon’s plan to invest $104 million in taxpayer funds to install solar panels on its rooftops. Gov. Youngkin’s call to question this decision is not only wise but also imperative, particularly in light of concerns surrounding the use of Chinese-manufactured solar panels.
While the adoption of renewable energy sources is undoubtedly crucial for reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainability, we must also prioritize American interests and values. The proposal to rely on solar panels manufactured in China raises significant red flags, both in terms of national security and economic prosperity.
Recent reports have underscored the aggressive tactics employed by the Chinese government to dominate the global solar industry, often at the expense of fair competition and environmental standards. By outsourcing the production of solar panels to China, the Pentagon not only risks supply chain vulnerabilities but also undermines American innovation and ingenuity.
Instead of supporting authoritarian regimes abroad, the Pentagon should be investing in American-made products that uphold our values of freedom, democracy, and economic fairness. By promoting domestic manufacturing, we can create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and ensure energy independence for generations to come.
Gov. Youngkin’s inquiry into this matter demonstrates leadership and foresight in safeguarding our nation’s interests. It is imperative that the Pentagon reevaluates its plan and explores alternative options that prioritize American-made products and innovation, while still advancing environmental sustainability goals.
Helen Sharpe, first vice chairman of the Young Republican Federation of Virginia.
Glen Allen.
Richmond speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Jun. 14, 2024
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Letter: To fight elder abuse, empower older adults
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed on June 15, signifies our collective struggle against the mistreatment of older adults. Elder abuse refers to intentional or neglectful acts by a caregiver or a trusted individual that cause harm to an older adult. It can come in the form of physical, emotional, neglect and financial mistreatment.
The National Council on Aging estimates that approximately 5 million older adults are abused every year in the United States, yet only 1 in 14 cases is reported. Research findings estimate that older victims of financial fraud lose roughly $30 billion a year.
Identifying potential frauds and cons such as lottery scams, identity theft or email phishing schemes is crucial. Older people should be wary of unsolicited calls and emails, particularly those requesting personal information, money transfers or unusual payment methods such as gift cards, especially if these requests are communicated with extreme urgency.
With a collaborative strategy in place, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield works in tandem with health care providers to detect early signs of elder abuse. We have taken great strides to implement caregiver education programs, because in many cases, the caregivers are the first line of defense in recognizing indicators of abuse. We are not just advocating prevention, but actively invested in providing solutions to help prevent elder abuse.
Our health plans are designed to support older adults by addressing the social drivers that can impact health, including social isolation — a significant risk factor for elder abuse. Our community members benefit from resources beyond traditional health care services that our plans can provide, including access to nutritious meals, safe and stable housing, and transportation. We continue to partner with organizations aiming to create a safer, more supportive society where older adults are valued and included, and their rights are protected.
Dr. Eugene Hsu, senior Medicare clinical officer for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Letter: Virginians pay the price for RGGI
When Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed Executive Order Nine on his first day in office to leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the RGGI tax charged to every utility customer was $2.39 per month. In just two years, this tax has doubled to nearly $5 without any vote by Virginians or their elected representatives. Democrats in the General Assembly have clearly stated their intent to mandate that Virginia rejoin RGGI and reimpose this tax on Virginians.
At its core, the RGGI tax is regressive and applied to many Virginians’ electricity bills regardless of their ability to pay. On average, Virginians pay more for electricity as a portion of our income than most states. In some of our lowest income localities, Virginians spend almost 10% of their average income on electricity. Public policy should be devoted to making electricity more affordable, not less.
Some of Virginia’s largest employers pay millions each year into RGGI. This cost is represented in our economy through lost jobs and lowered wages, meaning that the RGGI tax hits working families’ three times— on their electricity bills, in their paychecks, and inflated prices of goods and services. The costs of daily necessities are rising across Virginia, and our families and businesses simply cannot afford to stay in RGGI.
Del. Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke County.
Letter: Hero's story humanizes war, D-Day
Thank you Em Holter for writing and the Richmond Times-Dispatch for publishing the moving stories about Normandy, D-Day and 1st Lt. Jimmie Monteith ("D-Day 80 Years Later," June 5).
Like Ms. Holter, I too am somewhat of a history buff, but tend to shy away from the war stories that are regrettably so much of the chronicle of our civilization.
Ms. Holter, in her writing, was able to humanize this great war tragedy by demonstrating what it means to be a hero and aptly illustrating the location whereby fate was to place an average individual into a situation whereby they might become that hero. I graduated from Virginia Tech and probably walked past Monteith Hall a hundred times without knowing the story of the courageous person for which it was named. I now know and appreciate the sacrifice.
By reading these stories, I have a deeper understanding of D-Day, but also of the heroes on that critical day. This is the test of good writing. Those minutes of reading have caused me to reflect for hours on peace building (not just the absence of violence, but the intentional changing of the causes of violence) and the heartbreak and irrationality of war even as I continued reading the newspaper (Ukraine, Gaza, etc.). Will this insanity never end? To quote Voltaire, “History never repeats itself. Man always does.”
Ironically, we are today embroiled in a situation eerily similar in the world to the rise of Hitler in the lead-up to World War II. If we do not stand together and reject the politics of isolationism and support Ukraine in its struggle against the unjust and brutal land grab from Putin, we will, simply stated, find ourselves in the next world war.
William P. Cawley.
West Point.
Letter: Seventy years after Brown, our work continues
Seventy years after Brown, our work continues
I want to send my congratulations and gratitude to the Richmond Times-Dispatch for your excellent series on the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, its immediate effect in Virginia and its subsequent history. Your hard-hitting Editorial Board summation on May 19 (“Segregationist history? In RVA, the past is our present”) about its lingering failures was helpful and timely.
The reason for my gratitude is personal. Having arrived in Richmond for the first time in September 1962 to enter Union Theological Seminary (now Union Presbyterian Seminary), I was startled by adulations to the Confederacy and its lingering effects almost everywhere. I moved from Atlanta, Georgia, where I had attended most of elementary and high school, and where Grady High School had been quietly and successfully integrated in 1961. This was vigorously supported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, with its courtly and determined editor, Ralph McGill, who advocated for compliance with the 1954 Supreme Court decision.
I arrived in Richmond confronted with Confederate monuments, articles in the press about the “war between the states” alongside articles in support of Massive Resistance. The latter was frequently discussed by faculty and students at Union Presbyterian Seminary because Prince Edward County was where Union had been organized in 1812 as a part of Hampden-Sydney College. In 1898, Union moved to Richmond’s Ginter Park neighborhood.
Controversies over integration overshadowed my tenure at Union, enhanced by the 1963 visit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., when he spoke in Richmond. Many of us attended the speech and were delighted to see one of our most faithful professors, Ernest Trice Thompson, on the stage greeting the speakers.
In 1965, Union responded to the events in Selma by sending faculty and student representatives to the march from Selma to Montgomery the week after Bloody Sunday. We also organized our own sympathy march in Richmond with Virginia Union students and Catholic priests and nuns. Several hundred of us marched from the North Side to the state capitol.
Thank you for helping me recall those heady, hopeful years, even as I lament. In spite of extraordinary progress in many areas, especially politically, we still have, along with most of the U.S., not only segregated schools but insufficient commitment — year after year, governor after governor — to quality equal education for all students.
O. Benjamin Sparks.
Richmond.
Letter: Who will stand up to Donald Trump?
Make the people feel like they are victims and you are the only savior. Use terms such as “vermin” and “poisoning the blood of our country” when you talk about immigrants. Stir up fear and doubt and stigmatize everyone who is on the opposite side. Make a mockery of the justice system if you do not like its verdicts. Isolate and malign those in your group who disagree with you. Threaten those on the “other” side and target citizens just doing their jobs. Encourage citizens to overturn a presidential election. Act as if the law does not apply to you.
Sound familiar? Those tactics and words used by former President Donald Trump are exactly those used by Hitler as he built Nazi Germany. And yet few Republican leaders, other than Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, have had the courage to stand up against someone whose power is increasing. Unlike most of their fellow Republicans, Cheney and Kinzinger have the courage to speak the truth regardless of the personal consequences.
Courage has become rare in the Republican Party. Where are the voices from those who were in the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, afraid for their lives? Why have they capitulated to Trump? Why have they not banded together and opposed him and his followers? Why have they not nominated an alternative for president? What is really going on in their minds other than thoughts of being reelected?
At 81, I am horrified and saddened by the deep divide in our country, the backward direction it is moving, and the unwillingness of our leaders to speak up. It’s like the emperor with no clothes. To end this sure journey toward a Hitler-like regime, they and ordinary citizens must stand up and say “No more!” Count me as one who will.
Betty Humphries Williams.
Manakin Sabot.
Letter: On China, Youngkin puts national security first
I am writing to echo Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s recent letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin regarding the Pentagon’s plan to invest $104 million in taxpayer funds to install solar panels on its rooftops. Gov. Youngkin’s call to question this decision is not only wise but also imperative, particularly in light of concerns surrounding the use of Chinese-manufactured solar panels.
While the adoption of renewable energy sources is undoubtedly crucial for reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainability, we must also prioritize American interests and values. The proposal to rely on solar panels manufactured in China raises significant red flags, both in terms of national security and economic prosperity.
Recent reports have underscored the aggressive tactics employed by the Chinese government to dominate the global solar industry, often at the expense of fair competition and environmental standards. By outsourcing the production of solar panels to China, the Pentagon not only risks supply chain vulnerabilities but also undermines American innovation and ingenuity.
Instead of supporting authoritarian regimes abroad, the Pentagon should be investing in American-made products that uphold our values of freedom, democracy, and economic fairness. By promoting domestic manufacturing, we can create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and ensure energy independence for generations to come.
Gov. Youngkin’s inquiry into this matter demonstrates leadership and foresight in safeguarding our nation’s interests. It is imperative that the Pentagon reevaluates its plan and explores alternative options that prioritize American-made products and innovation, while still advancing environmental sustainability goals.
Helen Sharpe, first vice chairman of the Young Republican Federation of Virginia.
Glen Allen.
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