Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: What did internal emails reveal about Richmond’s troubled new utility billing system?

Happening soon: Blanton & Pleasants 97th Anniversary Customer Appreciation Day on the Richmond Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Saturday September 26th Patch AM
Saturday September 26th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Good morning Richmond! We're back in your inbox this morning to keep you in the loop with what's happening in and around town. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • What did internal emails reveal about Richmond's troubled new utility billing system?
  • How Richmond twins went from no running water to leading an ER
  • Richmond police probe shooting after alleged domestic abduction at Southwood apartment

Also on today's calendar: Blanton & Pleasants 97th Anniversary Customer Appreciation Day and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: Riddle: David's parents have three sons: Snap, Crackle, and what's the name of the third son? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Saturday: Pleasant with sunny spells, with a high of 72 and low of 59 degrees.
  • Sunday: Partial sunshine, temps: high: 69, low: 58.
  • Monday: Rather cloudy, with a high of 72 and low of 62 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Emails show problems with Richmond's rollout of new billing system started day one (wtvr.com) — Richmond residents are still grappling with serious problems in the city's new public utilities billing system, including incorrect balances, portal glitches, and even a massive erroneous withdrawal from a business account. Newly released internal emails show error alerts started the very day the system launched, as vendors and city staff scrambled to fix data and late-fee issues while leaders now publicly acknowledge rollout mistakes.
   

2. Identical twin doctors who grew up in poverty returned to their Virginia hometown to co-run an ER (cbsnews.com) — Two identical twin physicians who grew up in deep poverty in Richmond are now co-directing the emergency department at Chippenham Hospital, serving the same community that once struggled alongside them. Their journey from a difficult Richmond childhood to Stanford, medical school, and back home highlights both local hardship and the impact of compassionate care in a busy Southside ER.
   

3. Man shot by police at Richmond apartment, accused of holding woman against her will (wric.com) — Richmond police say a man was shot in the leg by officers outside a Southwood Parkway apartment after he allegedly pulled a gun while they tried to arrest him in a possible domestic abduction. The woman involved was unharmed, the man is in stable condition, and the officers are on paid leave while the incident is investigated.
   

4. VBA recommends 5 for Court of Appeals seats (valawyersweekly.com) — Two Richmond Circuit Court judges are among five candidates the Virginia Bar Association has "highly recommended" for four new seats on the expanded Court of Appeals of Virginia. Lawmakers will choose the judges, who are expected to take office in January 2027, as the court grows to handle heavier caseloads and faster appeals statewide.
   

5. Over $1 million in illegal drugs seized across Virginia in one week: VSP (wric.com) — Virginia State Police say more than $1 million in illegal drugs were seized statewide in just one week, in an operation announced from Richmond. Troopers, working with local and federal partners, recovered large quantities of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, THC products and meth, plus cash and a firearm, all of which will be destroyed to protect public safety.
   

📸 Around Richmond

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Richmond

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Richmond Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Richmond PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • A fall craft market featuring a variety of handmade and seasonal items including pet supplies, fiber crafts & textiles, bath & body products, vintage jewelry, home and seasonal decor, and fine art.
    Also includes a shredding event from 10 AM to 1 PM. (Nextdoor Innsbrook)
  • A couple of shots of a White-breasted Nuthatch caching a seed.
    Nuthatches cache and retrieve seeds across several acres of its home territory, remembering the locations of hundreds or even thousands of individual… (Nextdoor Clubview)
  • Eaton Corporation, plc posted a job opening for Assembler - 1st Shift (Klockner Dr.) in Richmond. Apply here.
  • Whole Foods posted a job opening for Produce Team Member (Clerk, Floor Service) - Full Time in Richmond. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Richmond here.

Ok Richmond! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: David (Thank you Thomas F. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what's happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Richmond