County proceeds with new audit and finance committee, for now
0By a unanimous vote last week, the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors decided to restructure the audit and finance committee following the school board’s recent decision to withdraw from the committee. The replacement was needed for a quorum as the committee was made up of four members, two from each board, and three were needed to conduct business. Now the committee will only have two members. The supervisors’ action took place during the Oct. 24 meeting. Board chair Dorothy Jaeckle said she was opposed to splitting the committee, but agreed to the change so that the committee can vote to…
County to offer lifetime dog licenses beginning Nov. 1
0Beginning Nov. 1, Chesterfield County will offer a lifetime dog license for $10 at the county treasurer’s office, the animal shelter and several local businesses. Licenses, which are required, are valid for the life of the dog as long as the owner resides in the county. Annual renewals are no longer required. Owners are required to purchase the mandatory license no later than 30 days after the dog turns four months old, or no later than 30 days after the owner acquires a dog four months or older. Licenses are not transferable to a new owner. Getting a dog licensed protects…
Lions hear about Alzheimer’s awareness
0By Carelyn Sheppard There are 10 warning signs used for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease which the Chester Lions learned at their meeting in October. Sharon Condrey, a representative of the Greater Richmond chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, spoke to the club about the topic and distributed information about programs for patients and caregivers. Occasionally, typical age-related changes and degeneration are confused with the signs of Alzheimer’s, which is one type of dementia and the sixth-leading cause of death. Early detection of the disease will have a tremendous effect on the patient’s quality of life. Those signs which are use…
Shoebox operation brings hope to the less fortunate
0ABOVE: Ilona Penner, Catherine Crocker, Gilda Stanberry A shoebox from Operation Christmas Child saved Ilona Penner’s life. “It brought hope and showed that somebody cared,” Penner told an audience of attentive volunteers who filled Kingsland Baptist Church Oct. 19 to listen to a story about the profound power of a simple gift. Penner was just 11 when she moved into a Ukrainian orphanage after her mother’s death. She never knew her father, whom she said abandoned her when she was a baby. Penner recalled being uplifted by a shoebox filled with gifts and handwritten letters that she and the…
Airport expansion placed on hold
0After much discussion during its Oct. 24 meeting, the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors postponed a decision on whether to approve a 40-year lease agreement with Richmond Executive Aviation. The pending agreement would bring a second fixed-base operator to the airport. Mark Hackett, chief executive officer of REA and a former JetBlue pilot, plans to offer flight training, aircraft tie-down parking and storage, maintenance, and sales of aircraft parts and fuel. REA plans to build two 10,000-square-foot hangars at sites 1 and 2 near the airport’s north ramp. The agreement calls for construction to begin within 12 months and completion…
Thomas Dale tops Hopewell, Matoaca downs Meadowbrook, Bird falls to Monacan
0Thomas Dale 49, Hopewell 42 Football can be a game of attrition, perhaps more than any other sport. Perseverance is needed too. Once again, Thomas Dale High’s football team persevered through a tough contest and defeated Hopewell 49-42 in double overtime. “I’m proud of these boys for having a never-die attitude,” Thomas Dale coach Kevin Tucker said. “Having to play these close games against quality teams like Hopewell, Dinwiddie and Petersburg will help us in the playoffs.” Injuries have been a key point for Thomas Dale this season, and this game was no different as another quarterback went down. This…
Dogpound elections
0Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. The mid-term election is right around the corner, and the voters need to step up and make their voices heard. Do we vote red or blue, some other color, or do we really look at the candidate and the issues? Probably some of each, but the real problem seems to filter all the way to Washington, where it appears that once they get there, everyone goes to his or her individual corners and refuses to come out to play. I understand the role of party affiliation, but how many…
Sports tourism sees another banner year: Economic impact hits $41 million in Fiscal 2018
0CHESTERFIELD – With 62 sports events attracting athletes, families and coaches from across the nation and several countries, sports tourism’s local economic impact reach $41 million in Fiscal Year 2018. That is an increase of nearly $2.4 million over the previous year as Chesterfield County matures as a sports destination. Sports tourism and the visitor spending it generates drove nearly $1.5 million in local tax revenue collected for the year. River City Sportsplex, which the county acquired in December 2016, continued to establish itself nationally, earning SportsEvents Magazine’s acknowledgement as an “Ultimate Soccer and Lacrosse Destination and Venue,” as well…