News to Know for July 6: Pedestal removal discussions; Deadly I-64 shooting; Resuming evictions; Hot & humid

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Take a look at our top headlines before you start your day!

Hot & humid with Elsa remnants on the way

High temperatures will soar into the mid 90s today and tomorrow. Hot and humid and mostly sunny.

Thursday is a First Alert Weather Day as our meteorologists track Tropical Storm Elsa. Right now it looks like showers with heavy rain are possible for Virginia Beach.

Discussions on Confederate pedestal removal

Today the City of Richmond Planning Commission will discuss the removal of several empty pedestals that formerly held Confederate statues along Monument Avenue.

That includes what’s left of the Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson and Matthew Fontaine Maury memorials.

Mayor Levar Stoney’s administration wants them gone, but two weeks ago the commission declined to recommend their removal to the city council. The governor’s office and several community groups want more public input before removing them.

Passenger dies after car shot on I-64; Deadly July 4th weekend

Virginia State Police says a passenger has died after a car was shot on the Shockoe Valley Bridge on I-64 in Richmond.

According to the investigation, the driver of a Kia sedan was in the left lane when someone in the center or right lane shot at it, striking a person in the passenger seat. The passenger was transported to a local hospital where he later died. The driver was not injured.

“We’re still looking and investigating to see whether this was targeted, whether this was anything random or a drive-by,” said VSP Sergeant Dylan Davenport.

July 4th marked one of the most violent weekends in recent memory with nine people dead in eight separate shootings within 48 hours.

Richmond to resume evictions

Officials in Virginia’s capital city plan to resume evicting families from public housing units for the first time in nearly two years if they have failed to pay their rent.

Over 800 households in units overseen by the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority had entered repayment plans for delinquent balances totaling about $1 million as of mid-June. Nearly 700 of them had fallen behind on those agreements.

Family honors fire recruit who died after training incident

The family of a Chesterfield fire recruit who lost his life following an on-the-job training incident is speaking out. Tyvaughn Eldridge’s family said he was healthy, so they’re not sure how this happened.

Eldridge’s family says he had to be rushed to the hospital Thursday. Saturday morning, the firefighter recruit passed away on his 26th birthday.

Hugs of comfort and prayer are what’s helping a grieving family make sense of the unthinkable.

ABC to stop selling low-alcohol beverages

Virginia ABC recently announced it would stop selling any beverages with less than 7.5% alcohol content on Jan. 1.

Instead, consumers can find those drinks in grocery and convenience stores. However, Virginia ABC will sell the low-alcohol beverages if they’re produced by a Virginia distiller.

Eagles player, Richmond native to host free football camps

Philadelphia Eagles safety and Richmond native Anthony Harris will host two free football camps in the Richmond area on Friday.

On July 9, Harris will be at River City Middle School from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Lunch and NFL gifts will be provided. Harris will host a second camp later in the day at L.C. Bird High School in Chesterfield.

“I’m excited to be able to give back to my community, and make an impact with some of my fellow athletes from the area,” said Harris, who formerly played for the Minnesota Vikings. “It’s been a tough year for our youth but I’m looking forward to hitting the field with them!”

Final Thought

“It’s wisdom that will put all the inevitable failures and rejections and disappointments and heartbreaks into perspective.” - Arianna Huffington

Copyright 2021 WWBT. All rights reserved.

Send it to 12 here.

Want NBC12’s top stories in your inbox each morning? Subscribe here.