The Henrico Citizen's Top 20 Stories of 2022

Henrico Newsflash – December 29, 2022

Dec 29, 2022

1. Family seeks more than $3M from Henrico School Board, claims violation of federal special ed law

The Henrico County School Board has been served with a request for judicial review following a years-long dispute between school district staff members and the family of a student with disabilities.

2. Freeman High School community mourning death of teacher

The Freeman High School community is in mourning, following the unexpected death of social studies teacher Lara Curry.

3. Henrico man calls for his own arrest at board of supervisors meeting

In a bizarre but calculated and composed address nearly two hours into Tuesday’s Henrico Board of Supervisors meeting, Henrico resident John Owens demanded his own arrest on charges of solicitation of prostitution.

4. Vithoulkas to announce plan for Henrico car-tax bill relief Friday

Outraged by the increase in your recent first-half car tax bill? You’re not alone.

5. Eastern Henrico schools account for nearly 60% of county’s remaining teaching vacancies

Less than a month from the start of the new school year, Henrico County Public Schools officials still were seeking candidates to fill more than 380 vacant in-school positions – nearly half of them at 21 Eastern Henrico elementary, middle and high schools.

No Newsflash Friday, Monday

The Henrico Newsflash will not publish tomorrow or Monday, so that staff may enjoy the New Year’s holiday with their friends and family. We’ll see you Jan. 3!

6. Henrico gas station fined for price-gouging

A Henrico gas station has been fined by Attorney General Mark Herring’s office for price-gouging during the Colonial Pipeline emergency in the spring of 2021.

7. Henrico teachers’ pay plan creates confusion, anger

Confusion about their compensation plan has created a groundswell of activity this week among Henrico County Public Schools teachers.

8. Missing Henrico man found with ‘significant injuries,’ taken to hospital

A joint search and rescue effort involving Henrico County and state agencies located missing 29-year-old Henrico man Carlos Jabier Piche in a wooded area in Eastern Henrico May 19, according to Henrico Police.

9. Eleven Henrico schools not fully accredited

Six Henrico County elementary schools and five middle schools failed to earn full accreditation from the Virginia Department of Education, according to data released by the agency last week.

10. Tuckahoe Middle School band director dies

Tuckahoe Middle School music teacher and band director Kirkland Jackson died July 1, following a battle with cancer. Jackson is survived by his wife, Maureen, and their two-year-old and three-month-old daughters.

11. Henrico Schools promotes 3 new principals to replace retirees

The Henrico County School Board approved new administrative appointments including three new principals who are taking the place of three retiring principals.

12. Henrico Schools reduces isolation periods, makes mask transition plans

Starting Monday, Henrico County Public Schools students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for only five days if they are fever-free without medication and their symptoms are improving. The previous isolation time was 10 days.

13. Hundreds of Henrico students walk out of school in support of abortion rights

High-schoolers across Henrico County walked out of their schools by the hundreds on Monday afternoon in support of abortion accessibility, in light of the draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion that would end a federal guarantee of abortion rights granted under the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

14. Henrico’s Top Teachers – 2022

For the 11th time, the Henrico Citizen is proud to highlight the work and efforts of 20 outstanding teachers in Henrico County – from the pre-K through high school levels.

15. Henrico Recreation and Parks director out after just 3 months on the job

The new director of Henrico County’s Recreation and Parks division is out after just three months on the job.

16. Dozens of higher education leaders support Youngkin’s ‘lab school’ plan

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin gathered the leaders of more than two dozen higher education institutions in Virginia, including the presidents of all five historically Black colleges and universities in the commonwealth, to tout proposed legislation on Thursday that would expand the college partnership “lab school” concept.