Richmond officials won't say whether a temporary public art experiment under the Manchester Bridge has a future — 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 — the group behind the proposed park — 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 — 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 — 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

More than half of Virginia families with young children live in a "child care desert" — 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 — particularly mothers — 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.

Go deeper

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)

💰 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)

📺 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)

🏠 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)

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 — 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 — along with her family and security team — 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.

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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