BRIEFS: NEWS NEAR YOU

This daily column features short news items from the 20 localities that make up the greater Richmond area. On Mondays, we run at least one item from each of the localities. If you have a news item, call 649-6990 or e-mail us at

NEWS NEAR YOU

Amelia Work has begun on the visitors center at Amelia County's Sailor's Creek Battlefield State Park. The $1.1 million center is expected to be completed next summer.

Caroline The Caroline County Visitors Center on state Route 207 is scheduled to open Nov. 22, more than a year and a half behind schedule. The county has hired an attorney to mediate the issue of how much the builder will have to pay in penalties for failing to complete work on the $2.2 million, 7,000-square-foot building on time.

Charles City Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County will host its annual Thanksgiving Festival on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The event will include a re-enactment of the feast with Captain John Smith. The Chickahominy Indian Dancers also will appear. Lunch will be available for purchase. For details, call (804) 829-6018.

Chesterfield The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors will hold a special work session Friday at 10 a.m. at Camp Thunderbird, 9300 Shawonodasee Road, for an update on the county's economic and revenue outlook and related issues.

Colonial Heights Next month's regular Colonial Heights City Council meeting has been changed from Nov. 11 to Nov. 18.

Cumberland The Cumberland County Planning Commission will conduct a workshop next Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the old clerk's office conference room in the courthouse complex. The workshop is to finish the draft of a large-lot zoning-district proposal before holding a public hearing and to review other proposed revisions to the zoning ordinance.

Dinwiddie The Dinwiddie County treasurer's office has unveiled an online payment and inquiry system. The system, which can be accessed through the county's Web site, www.dinwiddieva.us, can be used to make payments to the treasurer's office for real estate and personal-property taxes. The system has tax information available beginning with the 2006 tax year.

Goochland The Goochland High School athletic department is holding a citrus sale scheduled to continue until Nov. 14. The department is selling navel oranges, tangelos and red grapefruits from Florida at $20 for a small box and $32 for a larger box, the Goochland County school system announced. The fruit is scheduled to arrive at the high school Dec. 10. For details, call Bryan Gordon at (804) 556-5322, ext. 4711.

Hanover Middle and high school students interested in having a say in Hanover County planning issues are encouraged to apply to Hanover Youth Perspective. The group will include students in grades seven through 12 from each magisterial district. For an application, visit www.co.hanover.va.us and look under Special Notices, or go to the planning department's Web site, www.co.hanover.va.us/planning/default.htm. For details, call Lee Garman at (804) 365-6171. The application deadline is Nov. 7.

Henrico Need tax relief? On Nov. 12, the Henrico County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing and consider a proposal to increase the annual income limit for households eligible to receive real estate-tax relief from $62,000 to $67,000. The program is for residents who are 65 or older or permanently or totally disabled.

Hopewell The Hopewell City Council this month voted in favor of entering into a predevelopment agreement for the city marina with a Virginia developer and consultant. The company will conduct market studies and develop a preliminary site-development plan. In a few months the vision will be presented to the council.

King and Queen King and Queen County school officials are looking for people to serve on several advisory committees for 2008-09, including special education, gifted education, school health, career and technical education, and the comprehensive and technology plans. If you're interested, call the School Board office at (804) 785-5981 or (804) 769-5007.

King William King William County's school system is seeking bids on high-speed Internet connectivity. Responses are due Nov. 19 by 3 p.m. For details, call Richard E. Dimsey Sr., supervisor of technology and communications, at (804) 769-3434 ext. 507, or e-mail him at .

Louisa The groundbreaking for Moss-Nuckols Elementary School is scheduled for Nov. 3. Weekly updates, including pictures of the site, will be posted to the Louisa County school system's Web site, www.lcps.k12.va.us.

New Kent The New Kent County Social Services Department is accepting applications for fuel assistance through Nov. 14. To qualify, a one-person household's maximum gross monthly income cannot exceed $1,127. For a household of four, the maximum gross monthly income limit is $2,297. The New Kent Social Services office is at 3610 N. Courthouse Road in Providence Forge, and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For details, call (804) 966-1853.

Petersburg Petersburg School Board member Kenneth W. Lewis will lead a school-information meeting for Ward 5 residents Thursday at Peabody Middle School, 725 Wesley St. The meeting will be from 7 to 9 p.m. in the auditorium.

Powhatan The Huguenot Trail Advisory Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Manakin Episcopal Church, 985 Huguenot Trail in Powhatan County.

Prince George Prince George County High School's student newspaper has received top honors from the Virginia High School League's State Championship Journalism Workshop. The Royal News won the workshop's 2007-08 Trophy Class Award for the third straight year. The newspaper's Madison Moss won first place in the state for front-page design, Tori Anderson won second place for editorial cartooning, and Brittany Carpenter won honorable mention for sports photography. The Royal News' adviser, Chris Waugaman, received the 2008 Washington & Lee Adviser Award from the Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers.

Richmond The Navy League's Richmond Council will celebrate the Marine Corps' 233rd birthday at an 11:30 a.m. luncheon Nov. 12 at Willow Oaks Country Club, 6228 Forest Hill Ave. The guest speaker will be retired Marine Lt. Col. William F. Stringer, who is a deputy commandant of Virginia Tech's Corps of Cadets and an adjunct faculty member with the Marine Corps Command and Staff College at Quantico. The cost for the luncheon is $18 a person. To make reservations, contact the Navy League office at (804) 355-7557 before Nov. 10.

Sussex The Community College Workforce Alliance will offer a five-week computer class at the Wakefield Foundation in Wakefield in Sussex County from 6 to 9 p.m. on Mondays starting Nov. 3. For details or to register, call (804) 523-2292.

AROUND THE STATE

Chatham The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors will meet in special session tomorrow to discuss a prospective business or industry or the expansion of an existing business or industry. The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. in the conference room of the Pittsylvania Economic Development Office, 34 N. Main St. in Chatham. At least part of the meeting will be closed to the public.