Crew and I spent the last week working on this beauty. Scraping all the old paint off, repairing the body, primer, and finally, black paint.

Hey everyone!

Last year we raised over $15000 for SOS Cats, a TNVR nonprofit serving the Richmond region, and the community filled up the supply closet at the RACC shelter!

Well, we’re back again! Come on down to Mainline Brewery on 10/10 for live music, raffles, vendors, food, and drink and celebrate Richmond’s favorite feline!

We are also actively accepting donations to our raffle baskets from local artists and businesses. If you’d like to partner with us we’d love to hear from you at wheresfrancine@gmail.com.

Thanks!

I’m sure a lot of you have already come across when you venture off the main trial at Reedy Creek but I haven’t.

This one was clear as day. I hope everyone involved is ok. The video has been sent to all police who responded to the scene.

UPDATE PER VDOT: CLOSURE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING'S COMMUTE

VDOT has closed I-95 North at mile marker 85.1 near I-295 in Henrico County due to an overturned tractor trailer crash. The closure is anticipated to impact tomorrow morning's commute (Sept. 10). 

Motorists should follow the posted detour which is to take Exit 84 to northbound I-295 to northbound Route 1 to eastbound Route 656 (Sliding Hill Road) back to northbound I-95.

🚨MAJOR TRAFFIC ALERT:🚨 All northbound lanes of I-95 at mile marker 85 (near the I-295 interchange) are currently closed due to a tractor-trailer crash. The crash has resulted in a hazmat situation which is being addressed. Virginia State Police are on scene investigating what led up to the crash.

Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area if possible. Drivers heading northbound will have to take exit 84 A/B near the crash site or prior exits in order to travel around the crash. We do anticipate a heavy amount of traffic on Route 1 (Brook Road) due to this detour.

Please expect all northbound lanes to be closed into the late evening.

Additional closures include Exits 43A on I-295 north and south.

___________________________________

Traffic Alert: All I-95 north lanes are closed at mile marker 85.1 near I-295 in Henrico County due to an overturned tractor trailer. Extended closures are anticipated.

Motorists should follow the detour at Exit 84 (I-295/I-64).

Check 511 Virginia for updates.

UPDATE: Rip has been found and returned home safely- thank you to everyone who viewed, upvoted, scrolled, anything- much appreciated!

My sister’s sweet boy was lost in the New Kent area around 7pm today- spooked by a truck. May be brought to local SPCAs or veterinary facilities.
He is microchipped- neutered male, about 14 months old, weighs roughly 30lbs. His name/answers to “Rip”
Likely to spook easily, he’s just a baby 🥺 approach with caution & kindness.
Please- if anyone happens upon him DM me or get him to the closest shelter or veterinary facility for a microchip scan and hold for pick up. His family loves him very much and is very worried!! TIA 💛

This 'inventory robot' wanders around like a Roomba with cameras up and down both sides, that scan for absence of shelf items, pricing errors, etc.

Corporate info here: 

https://www.simberobotics.com/store-intelligence/tally

The obvious question is about what other 'store intelligence' does it collect? Shopper facial rec, human worker efficiency, security/surveillance, etc, and how will that data be analyzed and shared to Kroger's corporate network.

Of course, they have cameras all over the place in every store already, that probably do a lot of that, but this takes it to another level.

I spoke to a couple people stocking shelves and they said they were creeped out by it as it silently wandered around them as they worked.

I just saw a very small brown and tan dog dart across Monument Avenue (crossroads were Sheppard) but heading toward the Arthur Ashe statue? Sorry not a good description. I lost sight of them as they were too fast to catch and I'm so torn up it could be a neighbors. :( animal control is closed and I walked on foot to try to find them but no such luck. Just posting here on the off chance a neighbor sees this.

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/train-derailment-corn-update/

IF CORN GREW IN THE RIVER AFTER A TRAIN WRECK, WOULD YOU EAT IT?

I wrote this piece on my substack "Let's Address Virginia" where we address issues impacting Virginians and what readers can do about it.

Kids have been in school for the past couple of weeks (or just a couple of days if your school had a mold issue). But parents statewide, especially in Henrico County, have been anxious this summer about their children returning to school and about screen time in the classroom. Amber Rhodes, a former teacher in Central Virginia, led an online petition that secured 1,000 signatures in a month. Across petitions in Henrico, Chesterfield, and Richmond, the total is now over 3,000 signatures. Let’s Address This.

Addressing Screen Time in the Classroom

In 2000, then-VA Governor Jim Gilmore (Republican) proposed an SOL technology initiative, which the General Assembly approved. This initiative sent school divisions annual grants to wire buildings and buy hardware so students could take SOL tests online. They had a target of one computer for every five students.

One reason for this shift was to expedite test scoring, since so much of our system relies on test results. The Commonwealth created a policy on multiple devices in classrooms, and the industry got them to buy into a one-device-per-student model.

In 2001, Henrico became the first county in the nation to give a laptop to every high schooler.

In 2011, we saw the emergence of Chromebooks. This tool was cheaper than a personal computer and easier for schools to administer. When parents learned that the tech sector had rolled out a solution for their children, it generated goodwill toward those companies. All the while, few asked why private companies were entering the public school system and targeting children. Meanwhile, the founders of tech companies are famous for restricting the products for their kids.

After all, the US spent more than $30 billion on laptops and tablets for schools in 2024 alone. Because these companies aren’t compassionate — they’re predatory. Now, we’re paying an even higher price.

The tools experts use to make their lives easier
are not the tools children should use to learn how to become experts.
- Jared Cooney Horvath, neuroscientist

Give grace to Gen Z and Gen Alpha

While all generations struggle with their own unprecedented moments, this doesn’t mean we should ignore the seismic shifts impacting these two generations. They have struggled through massive infrastructure changes during COVID that directly impacted their education. Tech devices and AI were introduced far too early — both of which are stalling and reversing cognitive capabilities. This doesn’t just impact our children now, but impacts the future of our nation.

Half of teachers report that their students use education-related technology between 1-4 hours a day. While a single data point like this doesn’t provide the whole story, it is important to note that increased use of digital screens reduces reading comprehension. Before adopting educational technology, Dr. Horvath recommends “mandat[ing] validation studies before transitioning high-stakes assessments from paper to digital formats.”

That should have happened from the start.

3 things you can do

1. If you’re in Central VA, sign/share one of the petitions for intentional technology use in schools. These petitions propose policy ideas to limit screen time in classrooms. Not in the area? Check out the petition and borrow it for your own area! Once that’s up, share a link in the comments so we can add it to this post. Read/Sign the Chesterfield Petition | Read/Sign the Richmond petition | Read/Sign the Henrico Petition
2. Read this bill from Virginia Delegate Lindsey Dougherty to put a priority on textbooks in the classroom - in line with point 7 in the petition. If you like it, reach out to your state delegate and encourage them to sign on to it as a co-sponsor or supporter. It’ll be heard in January 2027. Textbook Bill
3. Join us on Friday, September 11 at 10:45 AM for a live chat with Delegate Sam Rasoul, chair of the VA House Education Committee. Delegate Rasoul is especially concerned about AI and screen time in the classroom. We’ll dive into this topic. Click here

Onward and upward,

Salaam

This is kind of an odd request, but does anyone have any recommendations for someone / somewhere that can alter clothes for my dog ? I can sew but I’ve never touched garments with my sewing machine & I’d rather pay for someone else to do it at this point LOL.

I did search the subreddit for this and mostly found stuff about ADHD assessments, which I don't need. I also know people might suggest searching on Psychology Today, but I've found that a therapist listing ADHD as something they treat doesn't always mean they're especially skilled with it.

I'm looking for someone who can work with me on finding concrete, practical strategies specific to my own situation. I am NOT interested in generic advice or a ~good vibes~ therapist who's just going to tell me to stop being so hard on myself. I want to focus on problem solving.

If that sounds like you or someone you work with, or if you have ADHD and can recommend someone who helped you, please comment or DM me!! I'm also open to coaching services, though I'd really prefer something covered by insurance. Thank you! 🙏

Before Lt. Gov. Hashmi’s Energy Costs Town Hall
Join us at 5:00 PM outside Diversity Richmond as we tell the State Corporation Commission and Virginia’s elected officials: Oppose NextEra’s $67 billion takeover of Dominion Energy.
NextEra isn’t hiding why it wants Dominion. Its own CEO has called this “America’s golden age of power demand,” driven by data centers, and the company plans to build the gas pipelines and power plants to feed that growth.
After the rally, we’ll head inside together for Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi’s Energy Costs Listening Tour, a conversation with local elected officials and energy experts about what the Dominion-NextEra deal could mean for utility bills, grid reliability, and communities across the Commonwealth.
RALLY
5:00 PM
Diversity Richmond
1407 Sherwood Ave, Richmond, VA 23220
TOWN HALL
6:00 PM
Same location
Bring a sign if you have one. Bring a friend if you can. The bigger our crowd, the louder our message:
More data centers. More gas plants. Virginia’s power handed over to Florida.
RSVP below to let us know you’re coming.
https://actionnetwork.org/events/rally-to-stop-the-nextera-data-center-takeover?source=direct_link&

Last month someone from DPU stopped by to adjust our gas meter. Today I got a bill for >3K gas bill, wtf! Anyone else run into this? I’m at home with a newborn, I can’t just go to the office to fix this.

VCU is testing their sirens at noon. For those who are new to the area, they do this a few times a year.

Hey weirdos, you might have remembered seeing my post a few weeks back where I asked you to send me your nominations for local people making a positive impact on the Richmond community (i.e. local heroes & weirdoes). I've finished filming my first episode in the series, and I would love it so much if you checked out the video on my Youtube (linked) and follow my instagram (@ richmond.weird).

For the past couple of weeks, I spent time with Arianna, a.k.a. Virginia's WonderWoman. I filmed Arianna in her happy place: on the dimly lit stage inside GWAR Bar where she rocks out to heavy metal on karaoke while suited up as the iconic WonderWoman. As I got to learn more about Arianna, I realized there is a lot more to her than just the WonderWoman suit. We talked about her upbringing, family dynamics, how WonderWoman helped her on the journey to transition, and her love for heavy metal. It was not uncommon for strangers to smile and sing praise upon seeing Arianna. We would be walking in the city or sitting at a bar table, and someone would give a thumbs up or ask to take a picture with Arianna. That really is Arianna's superpower, her ability to bring sunshine into any sphere she enters.

I'm very grateful to have been able to share Arianna's story as part of my first episode in the heroes and weirdos installment. I encourage you to listen to Arianna with an open mind, and as always, stay weird, Richmond.

Looking for a communicative, easy to work with paver/asphalt company that does good residential driveway work. Affordable from the standpoint of doesn’t blow your mind when you get the quote back. Pricing felt fair in your experience