Longtime Pocahontas employee says goodbye
0Louise Woolard (Photo by Andrew Sporrer/PSP) Louise Woolard’s last day at Pocahontas State Park is Friday, March 29. The longtime state employee has been office manager at the park for 31 1/2 years. Woolard’s time at Virginia’s largest state park before that began when she started helping her parents, Charles and Lois Moore, run the park pool in 1981. She continued doing so after she became office manager in September 1987. “It’s been a family thing,” she said last week. “My three kids grew up in the park.” Woolard has noticed a lot of technology changes over the years. “I…
Chesterfield Police initiate terminations of two officers: White nationalist ties reported in one case, another involves soliciting a minor online
0Simeon Steers-SmithDaniel Morley Chesterfield County Police Chief Jeffrey Katz removes audio gear following a March 22 press conference in which he announced the arrest of police officer Simeon Steers-Smith on a charge of soliciting a minor online. (Caleb M. Soptelean photo) It was a rough week for Chesterfield Police. The Chesterfield County Police Department last week suspended a police officer after reports linked him to Identity Evropa, a white nationalist organization that has apparently rebranded under the name American Identity Movement. Another officer, Simeon Steers-Smith, was charged with soliciting a minor online. Steers-Smith has been employed with CCPD since May…
Sugar is not a treat
0When I grew up candy was something I got on special occasions; holidays, a reward for good behavior, a treat from our once a week grocery store shopping, but never anything that I had access to on a daily basis. Today there are candy bars at the grocery and many stores and public places have candy and soda machines right at the front door, all very tempting. It seems that food manufacturers are well aware of the studies that show there is a psychological relationship between sugar cravings and a reward response similar to addictive drugs like cocaine. I’ve been…
Revolutionary revelation: Chester man finds connection to the past
0Daryle Hurt, center, is pictured wih his grandson, Christopher Blaine Hurt, and son, Timothy Blaine Hurt. Some genealogical research has given Daryle Hurt a little pride in his ancestors. He began digging into some records five years ago and found out that he’s related to Edward Pedigo, a man who fought for the colonists in the Revolutionary War. “I finally found a hero in my family,” Hurt said. Up until that time, he thought all of his ancestors were poor. “[Pedigo] owned a lot of property, owned slaves and was a fairly prosperous landowner in Kentucky,” Hurt said. “My great-great-great-grandfather,…
Chesterfield has new state trooper: Thacker previously was in the Marine Corps
0Jaleel Thacker stands next to his patrol car. (Caleb M. Soptelean photo) Chester resident Jaleel Clayton Thacker is on patrol in Chesterfield County as a newly sworn Virginia State Trooper. On Feb. 15, Thacker graduated with 79 other new state troopers after completing 1,300 hours of classroom and field instruction in more than 100 subjects, including defensive tactics, crime scene investigation, ethics and leadership, survival Spanish, police professionalism, firearms, judicial procedures, officer survival, cultural diversity and crisis management. “The police academy wasn’t quite what I expected,” Thacker said. “It was far more challenging than I anticipated it to be, which…
Law enforcement offers tips for seniors
0From left, Sheriff’s Lt. Matt Wilkerson, Fire Chief Loy Senter and Police Chief Jeffrey Katz speak at an event March 21. Law enforcement professionals had some advice for seniors at a “Be Safe, Smart and Secure” event at Southminster Presbyterian Church. Chesterfield Police Chief Jeffrey S. Katz said that the police department has connected with one-third of the households in the county through the Nextdoor app. “We’ll let you know about crime trends in your area, and you can communicate with us,” he said. County residents can also sign up for the EMS Passport program, which costs $49 a year…
Swift Creek Mill Theatre offers ‘Bright Star’ spring musical
0(Photo by Robyn O’Neill) Swift Creek Mill Theatre’s spring musical has a Grammy-nominated bluegrass score inspired by real events set in the 1920s through 1940s. “Bright Star” tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption. Artistic director Tom Width explains, “On Aug. 14, 1902, William Helms was walking along the Big River … when he found a small valise containing a bruised and battered five-day-old baby in the riverbed, some 50 feet below the train trestle above.” The spring musical opened March 23 and runs through May 11 on Fridays, Saturdays, and select Thursdays at 8 p.m. with matinees at…
County offers information about backyard chickens
0Have you ever imagined of having your own little flock of chickens or gathering fresh eggs from your backyard? Good news: Chesterfield County allows backyard chickens. The Central Library presented a program March 16 about backyard chickens. Mike Persia, Virginia Tech Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, talked about chicken nutrition, housing, breeds and much more. State poultry specialist Kymberly Coffman emphasized the importance of getting birds from reputable and healthy flocks. Those who live in a residential-zoned areas may have up to six chickens and no roosters. Areas zoned for agriculture with 3 or less acres may have up to…