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 The Amelia County Treasurer's Office will mail real estate and personal property tax bills this week. Anyone who was a resident of the county as of Jan. 1 should receive a bill within the next 10 days.

Caroline A new branch of the Caroline County library is scheduled to open about this time next year in the Dawn area, and a groundbreaking ceremony for the new building will take place tomorrow at 4 p.m. The 5,000-square-foot facility on U.S. 301 one-half mile north of state Route 30 will have a computer lab with Internet access, casual reading, reference and research areas, and a public meeting room for programs and community use. The library is being built by Dawn of a New Library, a partnership between the Dawn Advisory Committee and Friends of the Library.

Charles City A rabies clinic for dogs and cats will be held Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Charles City County Government and School Board Building, 10900 Courthouse Road. Animals 4 months old or older with a current rabies vaccination are eligible, and shots will be administered by a licensed veterinarian. The cost is $5 per animal. For details, call (804) 652-4745.

Chesterfield National Park Service volunteers portraying Confederate sailors of the James River Squadron will be camped at historic Drewry's Bluff in Chesterfield County on Saturday and Sunday. Special programs will include demonstrations of loading the fort's heavy artillery and displays featuring torpedoes used to mine the James River. Throughout the weekend staff will offer talks on the role of Fort Drewry in the defense of Richmond. Camps will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All events are free.

Colonial Heights Effective Wednesday, the Skateboard Park will have the following fees: $1 per day for children under 18, $2 per day for people 18 and older. The annual pass is $20 for Colonial Heights residents and $30 for nonresidents. The money raised from the new fees will be used to improve the skate park.

Cumberland The Museum Board of Cumberland County will meet tonight at 7 in the old clerk's office conference room. The meeting is for election of officers and to lower the number of members present to have a quorum.

Dinwiddie U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-4th, announced this month that Dinwiddie County has received a $62,178 federal grant as part of the Secure Our Schools program. The program provides funds to improve security at schools, including for the purchase of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other equipment that can help prevent crime.

Goochland This fall, the Goochland County school system will launch a Reflections Program, a contest of the Virginia Congress of Parents and Teachers. Any child from preschool through 12th grade can submit original work in literature, music composition, photography, visual art, dance choreography or film/video production. The most imaginative entries that interpret this year's theme, "Wow!" will be judged in competitions that can reach the national level. Entry forms are available at all Goochland public schools. The deadline for local entries is Nov. 7.

Hanover Hanover County residents, many of whom feel pinched by the new Oct. 5 due date for second-half real estate taxes, will be granted a 60-day reprieve from penalties and interest for late payment of those taxes this year. The Board of Supervisors last week unanimously approved an emergency ordinance to waive late fees, provided that the taxes are paid by Dec. 5. Any amounts paid after that date will be subject to the full penalty and interest retroactive to Oct. 5.

Henrico Elko Community Day will be held at the Windsor Club of Elko in Henrico County on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. It will feature live entertainment, children's activities, arts and crafts, storytelling and hayrides. For details, call George Throckmorton at (804) 737-2076.

Hopewell Historian and musician Carson Hudson will be at the Appomattox Regional Library on Saturday at 2 p.m. Hudson will entertain for the fall meeting of the Hopewell/Prince George Friends of the Library. The program is free and open to the public. For details, please call (804) 458-6329 or visit www.arls.org.

King and Queen The inaugural King and Queen County Holiday Historic Church Tour will be held Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring some of the most historic churches in the county. The tour, sponsored by King and Queen Community Development Corp., focuses on churches in the Walkerton, St. Stephens Church and Bruington areas, including: Bethlehem Baptist, Bruington Baptist, Mizpah United Methodist, New Mount Zion Baptist and Shepherds United Methodist. Tour tickets are $10 and include admittance to all five churches. For ticket information, call (804) 769-9656 or e-mail .

King William The 26th annual Crab Carnival is set for Friday and Saturday in the town of West Point. Friday's events include the Tour de Crab bike race, Fireman's Parade, entertainment by Wayne Greer and Groove Tide at the Town Square stage and fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Saturday's lineup includes Shayne Cooley, the Bayside Youth Ballet, Highway 249, Gina Daniels and the Swing Bandits, Hot House, Slick Nickel, and the Flatland Cloggers. An 8K run, woodman's competition, arts and crafts booths, wrestling demonstrations, children's activities and a parade are also scheduled. For details, look up the Crab Carnival link at www.westpointvachamber.com.

Louisa The Louisa County Board of Supervisors this month passed a resolution proclaiming October 2008 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The local Shelter for Help in Emergency has led the way addressing domestic violence in Louisa with a 24-hour hotline and support and information for victims among other services, according to the resolution.

New Kent Anyone interested in volunteering with the New Kent County Parks and Recreation Department is invited to attend an informational meeting tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Courthouse. Volunteer opportunities include the adopt-a-park program, after-school programs and sports leagues. For details and to register, call (804) 966-8502.

Petersburg Alumni of Petersburg High School, the former Petersburg High School on Washington Street and the former Peabody High School are invited to join this year's homecoming celebration. A meet-and-greet reception will take place Oct. 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Petersburg High School, 3101 Johnson Road. High school slides, yearbooks and other memorabilia will be on display. For details, contact John Hart, president of the Petersburg Citywide PTA, at (804) 943-1745 or .

Powhatan A two-hour Equine Pasture Workshop will be held Oct. 7 at the Village Building Auditorium in Powhatan County. The program will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. and will include a seminar on pasture renovation and identifying toxic plants.

Prince George The Appomattox Regional Library System is conducting a survey for Prince George County residents regarding a new branch library. The surveys can be found in the county's Web site, www.princegeorgeva.org/ or the library's Web site, www.arls.org or on paper copies at the other branches. The library wants to find out what the residents of Prince George would like to see in the new library planned for the Courthouse area.

Richmond Senior Connections, the Capital Area Agency on Aging, is seeking sponsors for its annual Empty Plate Luncheon, to be held Oct. 14 at the Science Museum of Virginia's Thalhimer Pavilion. In connection with "Healthy Aging Month" in September, the agency has launched an Empty Plate Campaign, a fund-raiser to continue its efforts to improve quality of life for seniors and extend support to their caregivers. For details on becoming a luncheon sponsor or to make a campaign donation, call (804) 343-3000 or (800) 989-2286.

Sussex The Sussex County Board of Supervisors and the county Planning Commission will hold a joint public hearing Oct. 9 on numerous zoning changes proposed in an effort to create consistency between Sussex's zoning ordinance and its comprehensive plan. The hearing is one of a series scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the General District Courtroom.

AROUND THE STATE

Collinsville Authorities are asking for help in identifying a vehicle that may be associated with the 6-year-old slayings of a Henry County family. A notice on the Richmond FBI's Web site says authorities have identified a possible vehicle associated with the deaths of Michael and Mary Short and their daughter, Jennifer. The notice gives no description of the vehicle. Authorities want reports on any suspicious vehicles that could be connected to the crime. Officials recently increased the reward to $67,000 for information leading to a conviction in the crime.

Norfolk A Norfolk teen has been arrested and charged with killing an Army staff sergeant and setting a fire that destroyed a row of town houses. Police said the 17-year-old was arrested Thursday evening. The teen, whose name was not released, is charged with the May 1, 2007, death of Charles Liegel Jr., 28. Liegel's body was discovered after a three-alarm fire that destroyed his town house and several others nearby. He had been assigned to the U.S. Joint Forces Command. The teen was charged with murder and arson.

Fairfax A Fairfax County man has been sentenced to 51 years in prison for trying to kill a police officer. Rocky L. King, 27, was convicted in June of attempted capital murder of a police officer, possession of cocaine and two gun charges. He was sentenced Friday in Fairfax Circuit Court. Prosecutors say that in September 2007, he pointed a gun at the head of an officer who was trying to get King to come out of his car, which King had crashed into a road median in Herndon. Other officers then shot and wounded King. A search of King's car turned up 100 rounds of ammunition, marijuana and the clip for his gun. King's blood-alcohol level was 0.23, nearly three times the legal limit, authorities said.