Step back
0James 4:14 states, “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” We have experienced great tragedy in our Chesterfield community recently. In the period of a week, two children were killed on the railroad tracks and two children died after being left in a hot vehicle. There is hardly a day that goes by that we do not hear about another structure fire that has displaced the occupants. There are also few days that an ambulance or engine does…
Book, puzzle donations needed
0CHESTERFIELD — Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Families First, a program of Chesterfield County’s Department of Mental Health Support Services, will host a month-long book and puzzle drive in June. Four donation centers will be set up across the county at select fire stations. Those stations are: Station 11 – Dale, 5811 Iron Bridge Road, North Chesterfield; Station 14 – Dutch Gap, 2711 W. Hundred Road, Chester; Station 20 – Courthouse Road, 201 Courthouse Road, North Chesterfield; and Station 7 – Clover Hill, 13810 Hull Street Road, Midlothian. Donations will be collected from 8 a.m to 7 p.m. Boxes will be set up…
County extension office recognized for school garden program
0CHESTERFIELD – Chesterfield County’s Cooperative Extension office was recently recognized statewide for its school garden program, which works with area partners to help kids grow gardens and learn about healthy eating habits. The school garden program won Virginia Cooperative Extension’s 2017 Program Excellence Award at the Virginia Extension Service Association’s annual conference. Chesterfield won in its district and the state category, winning $1,000 to go directly back into the gardening program. “The demand for hands-on school enrichment through 4-H gardens and horticulture has steadily increased,” 4-H extension agent Bethany Eigel said. “This award will help Chesterfield Extension to expand into…
College football scholarship offers keep rolling in
0As summer gets ready to officially start, the recruiting scene is scorching for several area student-athletes. Thomas Dale High’s defensive lineman/linebacker Rick D’Abreu has a total of 16 scholarship offers. The four newest offers for the rising senior are from Campbell, William and Mary, and two schools from the academically prestigious Ivy League, Penn and Yale. Thomas Dale running back Chris Tyree picked up his 25th scholarship offer when Ohio State came calling May 14. Then Oklahoma and Stanford extended full scholarship offers to him. He also received an invite to The Opening, one of the nation’s top high school…
Animals in the Dogpound
0Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. I was reading the Sunday paper, and I came across an interesting headline that tweaked my interest. The title read: “My daughter told me to stop being a hermit crab.” In short, the story was about a 40-something single mom who had just gotten out of a bad two-year relationship, her first after her divorce, and she was about as low on the “loser” totem pole she could be. Her 11-year-old daughter had finally had enough and sympathetically told her mother that she had to stop living her life…
Police looking for missing man
0Chesterfield Police are searching for a missing man who was last seen at about 12 a.m. Sunday, May 20. Douglas E. Burwell Jr., of the 6000 block of Gatesgreen Drive, was last seen by his girlfriend. She reported that Burwell had asked her to go on a walk, but he left the residence first; when she attempted to follow him, he told her to return to the house. She then returned to the residence. When Burwell had not returned home by about 6 p.m. on May 20, she called police. Burwell, 42, is described as a black male, about 6…
Lane leaving, school board to appoint Fairheart interim superintendent
1The Chesterfield County School Board announced last week that it intended to appoint former Middlesex County School Superintendent Donald “Rusty” Fairheart as Chesterfield County Public Schools’ interim superintendent during a special-called meeting Tuesday, May 29. Fairheart will replace James Lane, who is leaving to become the state superintendent of public instruction. Lane has been in the post since July 1, 2016. Fairheart has served as Chesterfield County Public Schools’ chief of staff with oversight of day-to-day operations since joining the school division in 2016. Prior to joining the school division, he was executive director for the multijurisdictional Southeastern Cooperative Education…
Never forget: Love for country, friends behind veterans memorial
0William T. “Billy” Stubbs has an exceptional memory. His life story documenting nearly 95 years, encompasses childhood, school, friends, career and marriage. His wartime memories seem the most vivid as he shares his experiences as a Marine Corp veteran of the “War in the Pacific” and the loss of four friends. “Bensley was a very small community prior to World War II,” he said. “There were about 20 young men from the community that were drafted. All served overseas and four were killed in defense of our great country. We all went to Chester High School together. “Bruce Graham was…