Axios Richmond

May 08, 2026
We've made it to the weekend.
- Happy early Mother's Day to all the moms out there!
βοΈ Today's weather: Sunny, with a high of 72 and a low of 52.
π§ Sounds like: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel.
π Happy birthday to our members Mollie Beswick, Alena Yarmosky, Shemeck Piatek, Margaret Tait, and Valerie Bartush!
- And happy early birthday to Bonnie Ashley, Ward McCann Harrison, Andrew Ryan, and Anne Ewald!
Today's newsletter is 1,090 words β a 4-minute read.
1 big thing: πΌοΈ Art park tug-of-war
Richmond officials won't say whether a temporary public art experiment under the Manchester Bridge has a future βΒ but organizers say the city wants it taken down.
Why it matters: Richmond asked artists to test whether a dedicated public art park could work. And while organizers say they delivered, the city hasn't decided what comes next.
State of play: This past fall, city officials recommended the Little Giant Society βΒ the group behind the proposed park βΒ try the concept on a smaller scale first.
- They did on April 25, transforming the unused stretch beneath the bridge into an open-air art space with 500-pound rotating murals, thanks to a special permit from Parks & Recreation and about $16,000 in fundraising.
- The event even got Mayor Avula out to paint, Ian Hess, the nonprofit's president, tells Axios.
- And according to Hess, the mayor personally told him he'd call members within his administration to discuss making the project permanent.
The mayor's office didn't confirm or deny Hess' account.
- "If we want to build a project like this, in this specific location, it will require aligning a lot of different pieces and stakeholders," Avula said in a statement to Axios.
- "It's definitely worth exploring β if not this location, [then] somewhere else in the city."

Friction point: The permit only covered the one-day event, and required the park to be taken down that same day.
- Weeks later, the murals remain standing β which Hess attributed to logistical challenges and weather.
- But Hess emphasized the group is "not battling the city" and still hopes to work together to make the project permanent.
Zoom out: Supporters say the park could turn city-owned land into a tourist attraction and year-round showcase for Richmond artists.
- Though the roughly $500,000 proposal has been caught between overlapping agencies and unresolved questions over site control, maintenance, liability and graffiti, per Hess.
What's next: Hess said organizers plan to donate at least one mural piece to the city "as a token of good faith."
Full story with how Petersburg is launching theirs
2. π· Mother's Day reality
More than half of Virginia families with young children live in a "child care desert" β a region with a shortage of licensed day care providers, according to a new analysis.
Why it matters: Quality child care is a crucial benefit for parents with jobs β particularly mothers β and shortages are a financial and logistical headache for families.
By the numbers: Last year, 57% of Virginia children ages 6 and younger lived in a "child care desert," per a new report from the liberal Center for American Progress.
- That's an area where there are more than three kids per available licensed child care slot.
- Nationwide, it was 46%.
Meanwhile, more mothers are working than ever before, per the latest stats from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- 74% of women with kids under 18 participated in the labor force last year, up from 72% in 2023.
Yes, but: That participation varies widely depending on the age of the kids, per BLS.
- Just 68% of mothers with kids under the age of 6 worked last year compared to 78% of women with kids 6 to 17.
The bottom line: Mother's Day is this weekend. You should do something nice for your mom.
3. π The Current: Fatal crash charges
A grand jury indicted a 38-year-old Moseley resident accused of fatally striking Valentine museum director Bill Martin on misdemeanor charges tied to the December crash. (News release)
- Those charges include failure to stop for a pedestrian, careless driving and driving with a suspended license.
The man accused of shooting his girlfriend and killing her 18-year-old son and their 14-year-old daughter in Highland Park now faces 11 charges, including murder. (WRIC)
π° Henrico is contributing $900,000 toward a planned expansion of the Salvation Army's Northside Richmond shelter, which would double its emergency housing capacity from 50 to 100 beds. (VPM)
πΊ Thousands of Richmond-area Xfinity customers can once again watch WTVR after the channel's owner resolved a five-week dispute with Comcast. (Times-Dispatch)
π A nearly 8,700-square-foot riverside mansion on Wilton Road has hit the market for $8.5 million, one of the region's priciest home listings in years. (BizSense)
4. π Jill Biden's Richmond side quest
Jill Biden helped her aunt adopt a cat for her birthday from the Richmond Animal League when she was in town recently.
Why it matters: Biden was spotted in Richmond over the weekend of April 25, but it was unclear why she was here β until now.
Driving the news: The former first lady was celebrating her aunt Barbara's 89th birthday, per a social media post.
- As part of the celebration, Biden β along with her family and security team β stopped into the Chesterfield shelter and adopted "Milk," a kitty with feline leukemia virus, Newsweek reports.
Zoom in: Biden was also spotted dining at Latitude Seafood Co.
- "Regardless of politics, having a former first lady visit a local Chesterfield restaurant is something we think is pretty cool and something the staff appreciated," restaurant co-owner Kevin Grubbs tells Axios.
5. ποΈ From Highland Springs to NASCAR history
Dystany Spurlock is about to become the first Black woman to race in one of NASCAR's top national series.
Why it matters: She grew up outside of the Richmond Raceway.
Driving the news: The former Richmonder competes today in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series race at Watkins Glen.
- But her first track was at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, per Fox Sports.
Fun fact: Spurlock, 34, also played football on the boys' team at Highland Springs, reports USA Today.
- And she told Fox Sports that "I never talked smack. But if I did hit them and knock them down, I'd look at them and say, 'You got hit by a girl.'"
What's next: You can watch her make history on FS1 at 4:30pm.
Keep reading for her world record
π Karri is looking forward to celebrating her mom this weekend!
- She promises to only fight with her sister half of the time.
β₯οΈ Sabrina loves being the spitting image of her mom and feels grateful to have her a short drive away.
- She's also sending a lot of love to anyone navigating a tough Mother's Day this weekend.
Thanks to Alexa Mencia Orozco for editing today's edition.
Sign up for Axios Richmond

Get smarter, faster on what matters in Richmond with Sabrina Moreno and Karri Peifer.







