Coyner blames former sup’t for school district’s problems
0A group of mostly women protested outside last week’s school board meeting about health and maintenance issues. (Courtesy photo) Chesterfield’s former school superintendent was faulted last week by a school board member for the district’s maintenance and transportation woes. At the school district’s Sept. 10 meeting, Bermuda District representative Carrie Coyner laid blame at the feet of former superintendent James F. Lane, who led Chesterfield schools from July 2016 to June 2018 and left to become the state superintendent of public instruction. Lane was replaced by Merv Daugherty, who started Nov. 1. “We have had ongoing maintenance problems,” Coyner said.…
Bus service to begin in March
0Greater Richmond Transit Co. plans to begin offering bus service along Jefferson Davis Highway in Chesterfield County in March. That’s the word from GRTC’s communications director Carrie Rose Pace. The service will run between the Food Lion in North Chesterfield near the Richmond city limit and John Tyler Community College in Chester. Last October, county transportation director Jesse Smith said the GRTC option would use 40-passenger buses that would run from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. for a $1.50 fare. A previous bus service route in the county ran along Routes 60, 150, 1 and 10, but ridership was “fairly…
Biden 2020?
0Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. As of this writing, the next Democrat presidential debate is just around the corner (Sept. 12). It looks like two dozen have been cut down to a more manageable size of 10. This is not surprising since the top three – Biden, Warren and Sanders – are totaling a combined 70 percent of the poll numbers. I think many people will watch the debate just to see if Joe Biden generates one of his classic gaffes. He has been on a roll as of late, and I think it…
First responders honored at Kiwanis’ Fall Fling
0Attendees mingle at last week’s Fall Fling. (Ellie Browning) The Fall Fling kicked off on Sept. 11 underneath the stars and stripes of the largest American flag in Virginia. Event-goers experienced delicious barbeque, listened to music and got the opportunity to honor first responders. Representatives from the state police and Chesterfield County police, fire and EMS received a plaque to commemorate their efforts in keeping the public safe. With the help from Dr. Joseph Hilliard and several sponsors, the Kiwanis Club planned the Sept. 11 event in about four months. It was the first Fall Fling since 2010. The club…
New boat ramps?
0A memorandum of understanding between Chesterfield County and Dominion Energy calls for decommissioning of a boat ramp at Dutch Gap Conservation Area in order to allow the utility to remove coal ash from two coal ash “ponds” along Coxendale Road near Henricus Historical Park. The proposal calls for two new boat ramps at the 108-acre James River Conservation Area, located east of Falling Creek Ironworks Park and Interstate 95, including 7,000 feet of new roadway at the above site. That portion of the project would cost an estimated $5 million, take two years to engineer and two years to build.…
Ramsey honored
0Family and friends gathered at R. Garland Dodd Park at Point of Rocks on Sunday, Sept. 1, to celebrate the life of Chesterfield County resident Wanda Castelow Ramsey, who died Aug. 18, 2019, at age 70. Each person who attended was asked to write a message on a balloon to be released. (Jane Bennett photo)_
Police escort load of ‘no small potatoes’
0It was an odd procession that headed through Chester on Thursday, Sept. 5. A tractor-trailer, wrecker and multiple police cars went to what may seem to be an unlikely destination: the Shoosmith landfill off Lewis Road and Route 10. A broken-down trailer was discovered at Bells Road and Interstate 95 in Richmond, and it contained a less-than-pleasing aromatic load of 40,000 pounds of rotting potatoes. Though not pleasant, it’s not the smell that is hazardous, but what comes from the potatoes as they decay. If potatoes are kept in a mostly sealed room and begin to rot, the room will…
Five homeless after fire
0Flames roared from a house in the 6700 block of Wentworth St. around 5 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, and left five people without a home. “Fire and EMS personnel arrived on scene and found heavy fire showing from the side of the house,” Lt. Jason Elmore of Chesterfield Fire and EMS said. One adult and four children evacuated while firefighters were on the way. No injuries were reported. The house sustained major damage, Elmore said.The cause of the fire has been ruled as an unattended candle. The Red Cross is assisting the family.