Lions launch vision screening van
0CHESTER – Chester Lions were excited to learn that the Mobile Health Unit, which has been in the plans for the past five years, is done. Calvin Easter, vice-district governor for the area and treasurer for the Mobile Health Unit, spoke to the Chester Lions at their recent semi-monthly meeting. The van is 27 1/2 feet long and will house five work stations inside. Currently, it holds the machines that are used for screening vision. One of the van’s best features is that it takes care of the need to use black tents for the darkness necessary for the machines to…
Boy Scouts build mini-bridge for Richmond Railroad Museum
1CHESTERFIELD – Connor Brooks and his crew of helpers saw an important need and they knew they could help. Because they did, the Richmond Railroad Museum has a new mini-bridge and Brooks is a step closer to his Eagle rank. Brooks’ Eagle project greatly improved the access and safety for the museum’s former Seaboard Coast Line caboose No. 21019 – one of the most popular attractions there. Joining Brooks were fellow Chester Troop No. 2815 Scouts Alex Anderson and Seth Kindberg. The museum thanked Brooks and his team for what they called “their enduring contribution to the museum.” The Old…
Fleischer sets home-run record at VMI
0Last Wednesday, Thomas Dale High alum Collin Fleischer made history. In what ended up being a dramatic walk-off 9-7 victory over Virginia Tech, the senior got the VMI Keydets’ bats started with a solo home run in the first inning. That round-tripper gave him 42 for his career at the Southern Conference college and set a new school standard. “Collin is one of the strongest kids to come through Thomas Dale,” coach Chris Marshall said. “I figured his power would continue at VMI. I remember when he played for me that everybody in the park would stop to watch him…
LC Bird’s relay team brings home the gold
0L.C. Bird High’s track program has made for many discussion points recently, especially since coach Adam Canning and the Skyhawks brought home the school’s first-ever state track championship this past indoor season. The Penn Relays is one of the biggest events on the East Coast, and a team of 10 athletes was brought by L.C. Bird to Philadelphia to compete. Four of those athletes, the boys’ 4 x 100 relay team, won the national race with a time of 41.93 seconds. “It [The Penn Relays] was a lot of fun,” Canning said. “Going in after our preliminary run, I didn’t…
Offers roll in for Hickman
0They say when it rains, it pours. There may not be a truer statement for Matoaca High defensive end Immanuel “Manny” Hickman. Coming into this spring, the 6-3, 230-pound three star recruit didn’t have any scholarship offers. Now, he’s got a dozen. “He may be a bit of a later bloomer,” coach Jay Parker said. “But he is certainly getting all that he deserves now. The kid excels in the classroom and in the community, in the school and on the field. His grades and test scores are high, and he works just as hard on his game.” Since March,…
Dancing in the Dogpound
0Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. The other week I wrote about bringing back old TV shows and someone mentioned that it would be nice to bring back the American Bandstand. For the older generation, I think that is a great idea. How many times have you gone to a wedding or any other event where there is dancing, and there is always at least one couple there, usually older, drawing all the attention on the dance floor? Not the Dancing with the Stars-type of dancing with lifts and jumps, but a smoothly coordinated dance…
Farmer’s market to open Saturday
0Lauren Smith grew up on a farm, but when asked to help manage this Chester Farmer’s Market, her response was, “Hell no!” She later changed her mind, explaining that it is because she was already going to be involved with the market. “I just want everybody to be happy,” she said. Smith, 27, has been a vendor or vendor’s helper since Nicole Jordan and the Chester Community Association opened the market in 2008. She and her sister, Kristen, have helped their dad, Jerry Smith, with his vegetable stand and later branched out to offer their own items. Smith began selling…
Facelift coming to Chester campus of John Tyler Community College
0A $34 million renovation and expansion is coming to John Tyler Community College’s Chester campus. Construction is scheduled to begin in early June with a target completion date of August 2019. Plans started in 2015, said Greg Dunaway, director of facilities and safety for the college. The Nicholas Center will be renovated and expanded from 26,000 square feet to 50,500 square feet, while the Bird Hall classroom building will be renovated. Holly Walker, the college’s public relations manager, said an emphasis on preparing students for high-tech jobs is driving the expansion. The focus is on health sciences along with manufacturing…