Students from Cristo Rey High School in Richmond have been interning with Henrico County since the beginning of their school year. They help register citizens to vote, record county taxes, manage general services of the county and help libraries. And they’re only freshmen.

Cristo Rey is a private high school in Richmond that exclusively serves students of limited income. As the founding class of the 37th Cristo Rey school in the nation, the Richmond students are part of a 12,000-student body who work with more than 1,700 businesses nationally.

On a sunny, November afternoon, artist Nico Cathcart held a tiny drawing up against a massive, blank backdrop. It was her way of spotting the precise place to add vibrant color to a symbolic mural outside the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.

“This piece is directly inspired by its location,” Cathcart explained.

Fifteen elected officials are set to begin new terms for Henrico County on Jan. 1, following a swearing-in ceremony that included several firsts and a surprise marriage proposal.

Nine returning incumbents and six newcomers took their oaths of office, affirming their commitments to the constitutions of the United States and Commonwealth of Virginia, during an investiture held Dec. 11 at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.

Construction is expected to begin in March on a roundabout at Woodman and Greenwood roads — the first of several planned in Henrico County to promote safe, efficient traffic flow.

The Board of Supervisors on Dec. 10 approved a $3.5 million contract with Abernathy Construction Corp. for the project. The company submitted the lowest of 10 bids.

Henrico County has agreed to lease Belmont Golf Course to The First Tee of Greater Richmond. The nonprofit organization will maintain and operate the course and oversee an immediate renovation in keeping with its historic design.

By building two high schools simultaneously, acquiring 1,200 acres on the James River and pursuing an indoor sports complex, Henrico County shows it’s willing to make bold moves to ensure the community’s success, County Manager John A. Vithoulkas said during his State of the County address for 2019.

Speaking Wednesday to about 300 business and community leaders at the Short Pump Hilton, Vithoulkas highlighted a series of “moon shots” — projects, initiatives and other accomplishments — from the past year.

Henrico sees opportunity when apartment complexes get new owners

In welcoming an improved Hope Village during today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Henrico officials said their experiences with the project validated the county’s new approach for seeking better living conditions at older apartment complexes.

Fairstead Affordable, operating as Hope Preservation LP, bought the property in 2018 and invested more than $5 million in renovations as part of a $14 million tax-exempt financing package. The financing was approved by the Henrico Board of Supervisors based on the complex’s location and issued through the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority.

Proposal by Rebkee could spur revitalization of Virginia Center Commons

The Henrico County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized negotiations for an indoor sports and convocation center that would be developed on the property of Virginia Center Commons mall.

With its unanimous vote, the board accepted the recommendation of a working group and County Manager John A. Vithoulkas to enter formal talks with The Rebkee Company. The real estate development firm was one of three companies to respond to Henrico’s request for proposals for a venue that could host indoor sports and other large gatherings, such as high school graduations.