The following events celebrate aspects of African and African-American heritage during the summer months. All information for these events was provided by the Elegba Folklore Society. Learn more about the Elegba Folklore Society at http://efsinc.org/.

Juneteenth, A Freedom Celebration
Symposium, Friday, June 14 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Elegba Folklore Society, 101 E. Broad Street

Independence Day Our Way, Saturday, June 15 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Manchester Dock

Homage to Our Ancestors, Sunday, June 16 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Visit http://efsinc.org/events/festivals/juneteenth/ for more information.

Grand Opening of Determined: The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality
Saturday, June 22 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture
Admission complimentary, RSVP requested

What is Africa to Me? Perspectives on History and Culture
Community Study Group
Wednesday, June 19 at Elegba Folklore Society

Out of Darkness, Showing and Conversation
Part of the 3rd Saturday Documentary Series
Saturday, July 20, 5 p.m. at Elegba Folklore Society

The Fire Inside, Paintings by Kelly U. Johnson
Showing through August 31 at Elegba Folklore Society

In the Beginning… Virginia, Along the Trail of Enslaved Africans
Cultural History Tour
Visit http://efsinc.org/tours/ for more information.
 

Hurricane season lasts six months, starting on June 1 and ending on November 30. The Richmond Metro Area’s likelihood of experiencing hurricanes peaks in the period of August through September.

Hurricanes that affect the Richmond Metro Area may not be as strong as when they hit the coastline, but heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and even tornadoes are still a serious threat. The storms can cause damage such as long-term power outages and the destruction of homes and other property.

Hurricane weather experts release predictions each year for the upcoming seasons. A normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean consists of 12 named storms and six hurricanes. This year, the researchers are predicting 13 named storms, five of them with the potential to become hurricanes, meaning they have winds of 74 mph or greater. Experts also predict that two hurricanes could reach “major” strength, with winds of at least 111 mph.

Residents and those who work in the city should have a plan for emergencies and disasters. Make sure to be prepared for this hurricane season by having an emergency kit, a family plan, and a way to stay informed.

To learn more about hurricane preparedness, visit www.ready.gov/.
Click here to watch a message from Mayor Stoney.

“I thank Governor Northam for his leadership in calling for a special session of the Virginia General Assembly to address gun violence in our commonwealth. 

The governor is right – thoughts and prayers are not enough. We need action to bring common sense gun regulation to Virginia, and localities need the authority to protect their communities. 

Now is the time for EVERY ONE of our state lawmakers to stand up and be counted. We owe it to the families in Virginia Beach, to the family of 9-year-old Markiya Dickson and to every life lost in Richmond and across the commonwealth due to gun violence. 

Every Virginian deserves to go to work or play in the park or walk our streets without fear. It’s time for courage and accountability. November is coming.”

Continuing his commitment to public engagement with residents in every part of the City of Richmond, Mayor Levar M. Stoney is pleased to announce the following dates for Community Office Hours to be held in all nine council districts:

If you have any need for language access accommodations like CART services, an assisted hearing device, a sign language interpreter, or other language interpreters, please send an email to RVAMayor@richmondgov.com or call the Office of the Mayor at (804) 646-7970 at least 5 business days before the event in your district.

The national accreditation for public safety communications has been awarded to Richmond’s 911 agency.

The Richmond Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) received the national Public Safety Communications Accreditation on May 4 from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA).

“The CALEA accreditation validates what we already know – that the City of Richmond has dedicated and well-trained public safety professionals who are ready, willing and able to assist our residents with emergency response communication when they need us the most,” said Mayor Levar M. Stoney. “I’m proud of our DEC team for this impressive achievement.”

Through the multi-year accreditation process, the department voluntarily demonstrated how it meets international best practices in public safety and professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery. It completed a self-assessment phase and a meticulous site-based assessment in October 2018 of community engagement, policy, procedures, equipment and facilities by CALEA assessors.

“The accreditation process has evolved Richmond DEC from a good emergency communications center to a great center,” said Director Stephen M. Willoughby. “CALEA’s benchmarks will help ensure that we remain a high-performance organization that provides superior service to those who live, work and play in the city of Richmond,” he said.

The accreditation was awarded during the CALEA conference, May 1-4, 2019, in Huntsville, Alabama. Willoughby and Tory Maye, deputy director of operations; Jackie Crotts, deputy director of technology; and Kathy Berg, emergency communications manager, accepted the accreditation, after appearing before CALEA’s 21-member Board of Commissioners that reviewed all findings and determined its accreditation status.

This is DEC’s first award of national accreditation. It now moves into CALEA’s four-year accreditation cycle that includes four annual remote, web-based file reviews and a site-based assessment in the fourth year.

“This award of accreditation does not come easy,” said CALEA President Anthony Purcell. “The Richmond Department of Emergency Communications went through a rigorous review and evaluation of their organization and then implemented the necessary policy and procedure changes. The process does not stop now. By voluntarily choosing to seek CALEA accreditation, DEC commits to an ongoing review of adherence to CALEA’s standards. The Richmond community should feel confident that DEC is going above and beyond and operating under the highest standards in public safety.”

CALEA was created in 1979 through the combined efforts of four major law enforcement organizations: The International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriffs’ Association and the Police Executive Research Forum.