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News Near You for Nov. 29

By Staff Reports
Published: November 29, 2009

NEWS NEAR YOU

Richmond Investigators working through the night arrested a 28-year-old resident of a South Richmond apartment complex where a woman suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound early yesterday morning. Richmond police said Leonard Muhammad Silva was arrested by U.S. marshals several hours after the 1 a.m. shooting left a woman near death in the 500 block of Argyle Terrace in the St. John's Woods complex. Silva is charged with malicious wounding in connection with the incident that police said began with an argument between Silva and another man. The victim was taken to nearby CJW Medical Center (Chippenham) and then to VCU Medical Center.

Richmond Fantasia Barrino, who won the third season of "American Idol" in 2004 and has gone on to TV and Broadway success, was the

guest performer at a banquet last night marking the centennial of St. Paul's Baptist Church. The banquet at the Richmond Marriott concluded a weeklong celebration for the 10,000-member church, led by the Rev. Lance D. Watson. St. Paul's serves the area through a community-development corporation, a credit union, six schools and a counseling center. It has worship at two campuses, 4247 Creighton Road and 700 E. Belt Blvd., and incorporates two other campuses.

Ettrick Virginia State University will hold a news conference to introduce the school's 13th president tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. in the Barrett Room on the third floor of Virginia Hall. In May, VSU began a national search to replace Eddie N. Moore Jr. Moore previously had announced that he will retire next June.

AROUND THE STATE

St. Paul The construction of a massive coal-fired power plant has brought more than 1,300 workers to far Southwest Virginia. They are helping build the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in St. Paul. The 585-megawatt plant is scheduled to be operational in 2012. Greg Edwards of Dominion Virginia Power said construction is beyond the halfway mark. A 20-story boiler building already rises from the site. Of the crew involved in the building of the $1.8 billion power plant, about one-third are from Wise and Russell counties, Edwards said. A coalition of environmental groups has been fighting to block the power plant for years, arguing that emissions would harm air and water quality and contribute to global warming.

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach police said a man found dead in his condominium after a standoff with officers apparently committed suicide. Officer Margie Hobbs said police believe Michael T. Cerrigone, 32, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Hobbs said an autopsy report is pending, and police are investigating Cerrigone's death. Officers went to Cerrigone's residence Wednesday in response to a call from neighbors who had heard a shot fired. Officer Adam Bernstein said Cerrigone exchanged gunfire with officers and then barricaded himself inside the condo. No officers were injured. A SWAT team went in and found Cerrigone's body in a bedroom.

Staunton The Department of Veterans Affairs has selected Staunton for an outpatient clinic that is expected to open by next spring. The clinic will serve 14,000 veterans who live in Waynesboro, Staunton, Augusta County and several other localities. The clinic will provide 7,500 square feet of clinic space in a facility to be constructed at 1002 Natasha Way. The clinic's management and staffing will be the responsibility of the Salem VA Medical Center. Veterans currently enrolled at the Salem VA Medical Center who live close to the Staunton clinic will be given priority care at the new facility. Referrals for specialty care to the Salem VA hospital or other VA sites will continue for veterans seen initially at the Staunton clinic.

-- From Staff and Wire Reports