Community

Former TDHS assistant principal now at Carver Middle School

By Caleb M Soptelean on April 23, 2019 Community, Schools

Carver Middle School underwent an unexpected change recently when it got a new principal. Principals Anthony McLaurin and Jason Trueblood were administratively switched in January, with the former heading to Carver and the latter going to the Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home. McLaurin was the principal at the detention home for 18 months before coming to Carver. He was previously an assistant principal in Richmond and at Thomas Dale High School. He has been in education for 13 years after earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Hampton University and master’s and doctorate degrees in educational leadership from Virginia State…

Healthefit open house May 1

By Press release on April 23, 2019 Business

Healthefit, a new medical fitness provider in Chester, is having an open house from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 1, at 3509 Festival Park Plaza in Chester Village. The business is a 24/7 fitness center that replaces Chester Fitness. Healthefit is the nation’s first medical fitness company covered by health insurance, a press release states. Healthefit offers a “triangle treatment” protocol of using medical exercise, DNA-based nutrition, and behavior modification as medicine to treat chronic illness. At the open house, information will be available about arthritis, better sleep, mental health, osteoporosis, strokes, posture and high blood pressure. Food…

Chesterfield police officer fired

By Caleb M Soptelean on April 23, 2019 Community, Police

Chesterfield Police Chief Jeffrey Katz announced last week that he terminated Daniel Morley, a former school resource officer at L.C. Bird High School who had been linked to white nationalism. In an April 18 press release, Katz said, “Our community deserves to know the men and women of their police department respect and revere them – whoever they may be. It is true that Mr. Morley has a First Amendment right to free speech and association. However, the views espoused by and attributed to Mr. Morley violate county and departmental policy and our organizational values; his continued employment is antithetical…

2019 Appomattox RiverFest is Saturday

By Press release on April 23, 2019 Events, Outdoors

On Saturday, Friends of the Lower Appomattox River presents the Appomattox RiverFest with activities featuring 30-plus regional exhibit partners, tasty food, live music and a whole lot of fun outdoor activities! New this year is the 25-foot-tall climbing wall, provided by the National Guard, where festival-goers can test their climbing skills while building self-confidence. This much anticipated family event is for river and nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, history buffs, and everyone who wants to spend a day taking in the scenic and historic treasures of the Appomattox River! The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at…

Project Utopia? Residents concerned about potential ‘megasite No. 2′

By Caleb M Soptelean on April 16, 2019 Economic Development

Woods Edge RoadMarguerite Christian Elementary School The red-lined area is available for sale by the Cushman & Wakefield/Thalhimer realty group. Some folks living in the Southeast Chesterfield area are not too hip about a potential large-scale industrial development that could be coming their way. Concerned citizens who live near Marguerite Christian Elementary School recently informed the Village News about plans they say were revealed to them for a potential development on some 175 acres across from the school. The citizens say they recently got wind of the development due to a sewer line installation along Woods Edge Road. An employee…

Graceful entry: New pastor on board at Chester church

By Caleb M Soptelean on April 16, 2019 Features, People

The Rev. Jaim Gann recently was installed as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Chester. He wasn’t planning on moving, but felt God leading him to Chester. Grace Lutheran Church recently installed a new pastor, the Rev. Jaim Gann. Gann, 44, came to Chester with his wife Janine and children, Sarah, 12, and David, 8. He replaces the interim pastor, Martin Teske, who had filled in following the retirement of longtime pastor Rich Finck in June 2017. Gann most recently pastored in Bowie, Md., for 13 years. Prior to that, he was in Carneys Point, N.J., for five years. Gann…

Two VN writers win awards

By Caleb M Soptelean on April 16, 2019 Community

Danielle OzbatAmanda Creasey Two of the Village News’ freelance writers recently won awards for their work. Amanda Creasey won a first-place award from the Virginia Outdoor Writers Association for a story about Chester resident Andrea Sisson and her son Nick summering in Alaska several times and returning with a sled dog as a pet. Danielle Ozbat won a second-place award for education writing from the Virginia Press Association for a series of three stories about local teachers: Lori Brown, Matoaca Middle School, Latin; Debbie Bailey, Carver Middle School, social studies; and Chevette Waller, L.C. Bird High School, math. The first-place…

Moore’s Lake transformed: Emerson, Roper open The Jane apartments

By Caleb M Soptelean on April 16, 2019 Business, Economic Development, Housing

Jasmine Harris of Matrix Residential is pictured in front of the pool at The Jane apartments. The Moore’s Lake area has been transformed into some luxury apartments: The Jane at Moore’s Lake. The iconic vacation spot of Jefferson Davis Highway from years gone by can be viewed in photographs that line the walls of the first floor of The Jane’s first 100-unit apartment building at 12300 Moore’s Lake Road. During an April 10 open house, locals got a chance to view what county supervisor Dorothy Jaeckle last week called a $60 million investment in the Jefferson Davis Highway corridor. The…

Supervisors approve FY20 budget

By Caleb M Soptelean on April 16, 2019 Board of Supervisors, Chesterfield Government

The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a Fiscal Year 2020 budget last week that includes an additional $1.9 million in funding for Chesterfield Schools. Budget Director Meghan Coates noted that the $1.9 million deficit was created when the General Assembly’s budget did not match what Gov. Ralph Northam had proposed. The county made up the gap with contingency funds. Included as part of the budget was a real estate property tax rate of 95 cents per $100 of assessed value, which — although the same as last year — will result in a tax increase for most property…

RoboHawks earn invitation to Detroit robotics competition

By Press release on April 16, 2019 Community, Schools

Four Richmond-area high school robotics teams will face top competitors from around the world at the FIRST Championship presented by Qualcomm in Detroit from April 24-27. The teams won spots at the international tournament during the FIRST Chesapeake Championshp held April 10-13 at George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena. The best high school robotics teams from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia faced off. Here are the local teams who qualified for the Detroit championship: •Robotics Team 346 – RoboHawks – Lloyd C. Bird H.S., Chesterfield •Robotics Team 384 – Sparky 384 – J.R. Tucker H.S., Henrico •Robotics Team 1086 – Blue Cheese –…

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