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VOL. 28 NO. 27

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

www.richmondfreepress.com

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Meet winner of VCU School of Dentistry ‘First 100’ Trailblazer Award B1

JULY 3-6, 2019

And they’re off More than 1,200 people race into Rosie’s Richmond Gaming Emporium for the first day of betting By Jeremy M. Lazarus

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Spectators enjoy fireworks over the Appomattox River from the beach at Hopewell’s City Park last Saturday. It was the first of several holiday fireworks displays in the area.

Fireworks to light up skies on Fourth of July Looking for a festive way to spend the Fourth of July holiday? Fireworks and festivities will be featured at area events on Thursday, July 4, to celebrate Independence Day and the 243rd anniversary of the United States declaring independence from British rule. Please turn to A4

Slot machines are illegal in Virginia. But don’t tell that to Shannon Bratson, 52, or many of the 1,200 others who piled into the new Rosie’s Richmond Gaming Emporium in South Side Monday morning to try out the 700 new machines following speeches and a ribbon cutting. “They sure look and operate like slots to me,” said the Richmond waitress, who pointed to the screen and spinning wheels after she punched the button on the penny machine she was playing. “I should know,” Ms. Bratson continued. “I’m at Charles Town and Maryland Live! several times a month,” referring to Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, W.Va., and the Live! Casino in Hanover, Md. The slot flavor of the machines is the key reason so many people came to play. The machines are expected to be the top attraction at the new casino-style operation that has taken over the former Kmart store in the 6800 block of Midlothian Turnpike, just as they are in Rosie’s other operations. Before the doors opened at 11 a.m. at the Richmond site, the line of people waiting to try their luck was four deep and stretched from the speaker’s podium past the side wall to the tree line at this affiliate of the Rosie’s operations in Virginia that include Colonial Downs horseracing track in New Kent County. The track reopened in April. A smaller Rosie’s gaming outlet is open in Roanoke County and an outlet in Hampton is opening soon. That initial turnout represented good news for the Chicago investors who have laid out about $41 million to buy and renovate the Richmond property and for the 225 new employees. The new Rosie’s Richmond represents more than 10 percent of the $300 million investment the group is making in facilities. The turnout also seemed to be good news for the state and city, each of which will capture

Councilman Agelasto asks for taxpayer money to pay his legal bills By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Parker C. Agelasto has run up a hefty legal tab fending off lawsuits seeking to immediately remove him from his 5th District City Council seat now that he and his family have moved out of the district. Mr. Agelasto, who is set to step down on Nov. 30, has appealed to his eight City Council colleagues for financial help with the legal bills. But his appeal has hit a major roadblock — an adverse legal opinion from City Attorney Allen L. Jackson that appears to bar the council from providing him any relief using taxpayer money. Mr. Agelasto The opinion was issued in response to questions raised during a June 24 closed-door meeting City Council held on the matter. The Free Press obtained a copy of Mr. Jackson’s June 28 opinion that was issued as the council prepared to meet again behind closed doors Monday night following other business. That meeting was put off, possibly because at least one council member, Reva M. Trammell, had another commitment. Mr. Agelasto stated when he announced his plans to resign that the cost of legal representation was a key factor, but he has never provided details. The Free Press has been told that Mr. Agelasto already has paid about $6,000 to his attorney, former Virginia Attorney General Anthony F. “Tony” Troy, with another $8,000 due. In the opinion, Mr. Jackson wrote that council has no obligation to pay the legal bills and lacks the authority to do so. Mr. Jackson wrote that the Colette W. McEachin is sworn in as Richmond’s new two state laws that address commonwealth’s attorney Tuesday morning by Judge Joi payment of legal bills only Jeter Taylor, chief judge of the Richmond Circuit Court, as permit local governing bodies Mrs. McEachin’s proud mother, Gladys Wallace, holds the to do so when the litigation Bible. Mrs. McEachin’s husband, Congressman A. Donald arises “from the performance McEachin of Richmond, Richmond Circuit Court Clerk of some official duty.” Edward F. Jewett and several of Mrs. McEachin’s deputy In Mr. Jackson’s opinion, commonwealth’s attorneys also attended the ceremony at Mr. Agelasto’s situation does the John Marshall Courts Building in Downtown. Mrs. not meet that test. McEachin, who has more than 20 years of experience Mr. Jackson noted that the as a city prosecutor, took over the top job after veteran separate lawsuits filed by two Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring left July 1 former council members, Sa’ad to become a partner in the McGuireWoods law firm. Mr. El-Amin and Henry W. “Chuck” Herring, who recommended Mrs. McEachin for the top Richardson, are based on an post, is backing her in the Nov. 5 special election when allegation that Mr. Agelasto voters will formally choose his successor.

Taking the oath

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Patrons try their luck Monday at the 700 gambling machines at Rosie’s Richmond Gaming Emporium in the 6800 block of Midlothian Turnpike.

a share of the revenue the operation generates. Richmond is hoping for $2 million in general revenue from this local site. Patrons at Rosie’s Richmond found an expansive gaming floor filled with equipment that looks like slot machines. But looks are deceiving, said David Lermond, executive director of the Virginia Racing Commission, which regulates the machines along with the state’s other horse racing-related operations. The computer-operated reels in a slot machine are based on random numbers, Mr. Lermond said,

Ava Reaves

but that is not the case with these machines. The machines in Rosie’s generate winners and losers based on the results of historical horse races, he said. Players, he said, can use buttons to change the horses they bet on or the race that will dictate the results, although most players do not. Essentially, a group of about 40 machines with the same denomination for play — penny, nickel or quarter — are linked together via a computer. As players put money into the machines, they Please turn to A4

FBI joins investigation, offers $20K reward in 9-year-old’s death By Ronald E. Carrington

The FBI has announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the shooting death of 9-year-old Markiya Dickson, who was shot and killed May 26 as she played at a Memorial Day Weekend community cookout at Carter Jones Park in South Side. “We had a request from the Richmond Police Department to join the investigation,” David W. Archey, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Richmond field office, said during a news conference Tuesday at Richmond Police headquarters. Markiya “The two big factors for the FBI supporting the RPD in the Dickson case were the shooting took place in a public park and the victims were juveniles; a violent attack in a public park. Since that day, the Richmond Police Department has worked around the clock

to identify the people responsible for this senseless act and this tragic death,” Special Agent Archey said. He said the FBI felt this case is important to solve and to convict the person or people responsible, therefore “we came forward with the reward at the request of Richmond Police.” He stressed the need for solid leads and witnesses in order to find and prosecute the perpetrators in Markiya’s death. “The department wants to hear from witnesses who took video in the park that day,” Richmond Police Chief Will Smith said. “We need everyone’s support to solve this case. Dickson However, it will not bring Markiya back. It will provide justice for the family.” He said the department has developed a list of suspects, but still needs witnesses to come Please turn to A4

Council approves City Hall gun ban; tighter security plan in the works By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Fortress City Hall? Maybe. Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration, shaken by the May 31 massacre in which a Virginia Beach city employee killed 12 people and wounded four others at that city’s municipal center, is preparing to roll out a plan that could end the free and unfettered movement of the public inside Richmond City Hall and possibly in recreation areas, libraries and other city property. Police Chief Will Smith cited the massacre in disclosing Monday to City Council that the administration would present in 30 days or so

a plan for strengthening the now lax security in public spaces where city authority to ban firearms was stripped away years ago by the General Assembly. “We are somewhat behind the times in that we are an open, easily accessible operation,” Chief Smith said. He offered few details of what he described as a long-needed security overhaul that potentially could carry a multimillion-dollar price tag. Chief Smith made the announcement during a special City Council meeting at which the council gave a big thumbs up to Mayor Stoney’s week-old proposal to ban guns from Please turn to A4