THE AGENDA: Self-intro, City Council meeting to discuss future of Petersburg, and more.
Introducing THE AGENDA
Welcome to The Agenda! This new weekly feature will cover all the public meetings in Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights that may be important to you.
First of all, as the new Public Transparency and Justice Reporter at The Progress-Index, I'd like to take a moment to indulge in a brief fourth-wall break and introduce myself to the newspaper's readership.
I am not originally from the area, although I was excited to move here and learn about both Virginia and Petersburg's rich, unique and fascinating history. (I have yet to take the Old Towne Petersburg tour but it's on the books!) I'm from all over. Half-Argentine and half-American, I was born and raised in Buenos Aires but have lived in Oakland, Los Angeles, the city of Oxford in England, Tempe, Manhattan, Miami, New Jersey and Uruguay. I am excited to add Petersburg to the list and learn all about this city from those who know it best — local people including you!
I specialize in investigating abuses of power in government, the criminal justice system, and beyond. I have worked as a reporter in Argentina, at the Miami Herald and at The New York Times. In Miami, I covered the devastating June 2021 Surfside condominium collapse that killed 98 people (and was part of the team that won a Pulitzer for our coverage and investigation of the collapse), worked on the global Pandora Papers journalistic collaboration and investigated the rise of moving scams in Florida, the rapidly aging population of Florida's prisoners and the abuse of disabled prisoners, DeSantis's book bans, and more. At The New York Times I investigated preventable COVID-related deaths in prisons across the country, the rise in primarily right-wing, white nationalist counter-protestors bringing guns to BLM and LGBTQ+ demonstrations, events and protests, and looked into how an unapproved medical product with serious manufacturing concerns could have made its way into the inventory of respected medical institutions across the nation, among other projects.
I have a Master of Science from Columbia Journalism School, where I co-wrote and produced a podcast episode looking into the youngest child to ever be sent to New York’s Rikers’ Island Jail (he was Black, from the Bronx, and only thirteen) and a degree in international relations from Pomona College.
As the new Public Transparency and Justice Reporter at The Progress-Index, I am excited, humbled and honored to take on the responsibility of leading investigative and social justice coverage for the newspaper, investigating injustices and abuses of power in the Petersburg area and Virginia as a whole. Overall, however, while I bring my own experiences and expertise to the table, I couldn't do this job without you - our reader. The job of a watchdog reporter is rendered null without local whistleblowers and diligent, tuned in citizens like you who keep up to date with what's going on in their communities. In short, my job would be impossible without you. As I get settled in, I'm excited to meet and get to know more of you, and hope you will reach out to tell me what's important to you, and what YOU would like to see covered in The Progress-Index!
My email is apitchon@gannett.com.
With all that said, please enjoy this week's Agenda:
On Tuesday the 27th, there will be a joint meeting of the Petersburg City Council and Planning Commission between 6 to 8 p.m. at the Petersburg Public library. As part of the joint meeting, there will be a public review and update of Petersburg's "Comprehensive Plan," the city's guide for the future of Petersburg. This will include a review of the plan itself, feedback from the public and an open house to hear additional comments. Also scheduled is a review of future land use, catalyst strategies and next steps for the future of the plan, including the integration of both new and ongoing economic development strategies.
Tuesday, Feb. 27
Joint Meeting of the Petersburg City Council and Planning Commission, 6 to 8 p.m., Petersburg Public Library.
Petersburg City Council Closed Session, 4:30 to 6 p.m., Petersburg Public Library. The session will be closed because the City Council will be receiving "legal advice and status update" from the city attorney, including "legal consultation regarding the subject of specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by the city attorney," according to the Agenda for the meeting.
Tuesday March 5
City Council Work Session, 5 to 8 p.m., Petersburg Public Library.
City of Colonial Heights Planning Commission Meeting, 6 to 8 p.m., City Council Chambers.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Self-intro, meeting to discuss future of city & more: THE AGENDA.
