Community Corner

đŸŒ± Patch AM: How did Richmond schools and parents handle this year’s mold crisis?

Be sure to catch Gram Cakes and Coffee on the Richmond Patch calendar

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Good day Richmond! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How did Richmond schools and parents handle this year's mold crisis?
  • How can Richmond residents influence which schools get rebuilt first?
  • Which Richmond artists are teaming up for the Duets exhibition?

Also on today's calendar: Gram Cakes and Coffee and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What did the tractor say to the plow? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Saturday: Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm, with a high of 83 and low of 73 degrees.
  • Sunday: Mostly cloudy and humid, temps: high: 86, low: 69. 🌶 Hot!
  • Monday: Mostly sunny and less humid, with a high of 83 and low of 56 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Kamras praises community's response to mold issues at multiple Richmond schools (wric.com) — Richmond families are learning how community support helped Barack Obama and Bellevue Elementary navigate mold problems that delayed the start of the 2026–27 school year. Superintendent Jason Kamras praised PTAs, volunteers, and parents for backing teachers and students as Barack Obama reopened after two weeks of remediation, with an after-action report and new protocols expected at the October school board meeting.
   

2. Richmond Public Schools asks community to help shape facilities plan (vpm.org) — Richmond Public Schools is asking families and residents to help prioritize which aging school buildings should be modernized or rebuilt, following recent mold-related closures. With community meetings underway and a 1% school construction sales tax on the fall ballot, the district faces $680 million in long-term maintenance needs and must decide how to sequence major upgrades.
   

3. Duets: Artspace Artist Members & Their Guests Dual-Venue Biennial Exhibition Celebrates Artistic Collaboration (rvamag.com) — Richmond art lovers can look forward to Artspace's 2026 "Duets" biennial, with collaborative works shown at Stratford Hills Shopping Center and a satellite exhibit on Broad Street downtown from early October through mid-December. Multiple receptions and a special violin-and-harp concert give locals several chances to meet artists, explore diverse media, and enjoy an extended season of creative collaboration close to home.
   

4. Burt Pinnock's Community-Centered Design Philosophy and the Growing Role of Public Participation in Architecture (kivodaily.com) — Community-focused architect Burt Pinnock has helped shape how Richmond plans public spaces, emphasizing collaboration with residents, nonprofits, and descendant communities. His work with Storefront for Community Design and the Richmond 300 plan shows how local voices increasingly guide neighborhood projects, memorials, and preservation efforts across the city.
   

5. Richmond family shares how free books changed their daughter's life (wtvr.com) — A Richmond family describes how free book fairs at J.B. Fisher Elementary helped their daughter fall in love with reading, build confidence, and even deliver a graduation speech. The Scripps Howard Fund and CBS 6 "If You Give a Child a Book" campaign now support three Richmond Title I schools, helping students build home libraries and encouraging residents to keep the effort growing through donations.
   

📸 Around Richmond

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Please share & repost to help reunite this stray dog!
    Found on September 10, 2026 in Richmond, VA 23221 near Roseneath and Wythe Sharing for a neighbor. For the latest information or to contact the… (Nextdoor Jefferson Terrace Community)
  • Just had a guy knock on my door offering to pave my driveway with 'extra asphalt'.
    Not saying it was definitely a scam but it's a pretty well known scam. Just a heads up for the neighbors. Driving a silver truck with no logos and… (Nextdoor Forest Hill Historic Dist)
  • Rexel USA, Inc. posted a job opening for EPC Warehouse Associate in Richmond. Apply here.
  • Resources Connection, Inc. posted a job opening for Senior Delivery Manager - US ServiceNow Practice in Richmond. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Richmond here.

Ok Richmond! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Hold me close John Deere. (Thank you Jenny H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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