A year ago today, we hit your inboxes for the first time, beginning a roller coaster that took us from the inner workings of the state's abortion rights fight to the surprisingly simple process of getting a medical marijuana card.

Why it matters: We're celebrating our one-year anniversary today.

In the past year, we were first to report on the city's $700,000 payout to racial justice protesters, Myrna Morrissey's divorce filing, Richmond's new 686 area code, the return of drinkable Valentine's Meat Juice and how outdated software is costing the city millions in tax revenue, to name a few stories.

And we had some fun. We covered local bear, UFO and Bigfoot sightings, checked out gaming at The Park (and went back for the food), told you about dozens of new restaurants, seafood sandwich cakes and super cold martinis and explained how to buy an island in the James River.

Zoom out: Looking back, two of the big trends we covered throughout the year came to define much of Richmond in the last year: housing and city development deals.

Flashback: A year ago, we covered an update on the city's yearslong effort to open a casino (more on that below) and the city's skyrocketing housing prices, driven in part by a surge in relocation interest from our neighbors in D.C.

• We even touched on the city's ballpark deal and failed arena plan.

We continued to cover these issues throughout the year, through every Diamond District ballpark delay (groundbreaking was initially supposed to happen in the spring) to every new revelation on new residents and increasingly unaffordable housing.

The big picture: The frequency of these stories tells the tale of a city with work to do.

• On one hand, you have a region that's growing, changing and welcoming new people.
• But on the other, you have a city mired in the same debates over development proposals year after year.

What's next: We'll keep reporting on the big trends, plus the Coliseum redevelopment proposals, upcoming state legislature elections, the city's next police chief and our celebrity fat cat's diet plan.

• We want to hear your ideas, too.

📬 Reply to this email to let us know what issues we should be looking at.

The lead story in our inaugural edition was about state lawmakers blocking the city from holding a second casino referendum.

What's happening: Well, the resulting one-year moratorium is expiring, and Mayor Stoney announced plans last week to get the proposal on the November ballot.

💭 Our thought bubble: Did we accidentally create a time loop?

State of play: A second referendum still isn't a done deal.

• Lawmakers left town without passing a budget, but they held out hope they'd reach an agreement by July 1. And if they do, they could once again use the document to block Richmond from moving forward.

What they're saying: Stoney's office said the latest move to re-up the referendum is about being prepared and meeting state-mandated deadlines.

• Stoney continues to frame the casino as a too-good-to-pass-up economic development opportunity, re-upping estimates that the project would create 1,300 jobs and bring in $30 million in new tax revenue every year.

The other side: Stoney's arch nemesis on the issue, Sen. Joe Morrissey, says he hasn't given up his efforts to steer the project to Petersburg, where public officials have been lobbying for a crack at the plan since Richmond voters first rejected the proposal in 2021.

• Morrissey tells Axios he expects lawmakers will once again use the state budget to block a referendum in Richmond this year, allowing another year of debate and study.

Read the full story

🚔 City police say they're preparing to launch an anti-violence initiative that includes partnerships with state police, who will patrol neighborhoods, and the FBI, who well aid investigations and prosecutions. (WTVR)

🏛 Sen. Tim Kaine said he'll move to strip an amendment clearing the way for the Mountain Valley Pipeline from the debt ceiling bill. (Washington Post)

🚗 The city removed unauthorized speed limit signs put up by residents of Woodland Heights frustrated by people driving too fast through the neighborhood. (WRIC)

🌦 The National Weather Service radar that covers our area is going out of service for two weeks for upgrades and repairs, which will make it difficult to spot weather events at low altitudes. (NBC12)

After a more than three-year pause, interest and repayments on student loans could resume as early as the end of summer.

Driving the news: Language in the federal debt ceiling bill would end the moratorium on interest and repayments on government-held federal student loans after Aug. 30, Politico reports.

• The pause has been in place since March 2020.

Why it matters: More than 1 million Virginians have some type of student loan debt, according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

• Plus, any recent graduate with student loans has likely never had to set up a payment plan, so SCHEV is encouraging borrowers to prepare now by visiting virginiastudentloanhelp.org.

Keep reading: How much Virginians owe

💼 Check out who’s hiring now.

1. Director of Nursing at Vitality Living.
2. Director of Financial Aid at South University.
3. Assistant Teacher at Westminster Canterbury.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

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MoviePass, the national movie theater subscription service, is back from bankruptcy and under new ownership, and nearly every theater in Richmond is participating in the service.

Why it matters: 118 theaters in Virginia are participating, including the Byrd, CinéBistro, Movieland and Regal and AMC theaters, per WRIC.

How it works: MoviePass allows subscribers to see multiple films on the big screen for a set monthly price.

• $10 for one to three movies.
• $20 for three to seven movies.
• $30 for five to 11 movies.
• $40 for 30 movies.

Of note: MoviePass operates on a credit system, with weekdays and matinees "costing" fewer credits than weekend and evening shows. How many credits you use determines the number of films per tier.