Police officers and firefighters from around the Richmond region were recognized yesterday for their selfless acts of bravery. They risked their lives to rescue people from burning trucks, water-submerged cars, smoke-filled buildings and collapsed trenches. They also apprehended dangerous criminals with guns. And for their efforts, they were awarded gold, silver and bronze awards at the 20th annual Valor Awards breakfast at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

Chesterfield County is spending more with women-owned businesses and companies inside the county line. So is Henrico County. The localities are doing so in part because of their diversity initiatives, officials say. “I think it’s a great idea,“ said Karen Allen, owner of Southern Police Equipment, a Chesterfield-based business that handles supplies to the county’s law-enforcement agencies.

Cold teen pulled from James River after police pursuit A 17-year-old boy was pulled from the James River in Chesterfield County yesterday morning after police said he jumped into the water while eluding police during a traffic stop. The incident began about 7:25 a.m. on Robious Road when a Chesterfield officer using radar clocked a car traveling 71 mph in a 45-mph zone. Police said that when the officer tried to stop the car, the motorist continued to drive and turned from Robious onto James River Road, where Bettie Weaver Elementary and James River High schools are located.

Keeping Chesterfield kids in school Every 26 seconds, a student drops out of school. Three out of four end up in prison. Some Chesterfield County middle school educators hope that stepping into a small reproduction of a prison cell and hearing the grim details of prison life will discourage students from choosing to drop out.

Hundreds turned out yesterday in Chesterfield County for a flu-vaccine clinic, where 800 doses of H1N1 vaccine were administered.

Two retailers are expected to open within a day of each other this month. Appliance and consumer electronics retailer hhgregg is scheduled to open its two area stores Nov. 19 while outdoor gear and clothing retailer Recreational Equipment Inc. (known as REI) is scheduled to open Nov. 20. Both are new to Richmond’s retail landscape.

A Henrico County man who died after crashing into a guardrail Saturday was one of three motorcyclists who eluded police on Interstate 95 while racing in and out of traffic at more than 100 mph, authorities said yesterday. Erwin Brower, 27, of the 4400 block of Foxtail Lane died at the scene after crashing his Suzuki GSX-R600 racing bike on the ramp leading from southbound Chippenham Parkway to northbound I-95, said Sgt. Thomas Molnar with the Virginia State Police.

A young woman who was raped at gunpoint last year by a local church official benevolently forgave her attacker yesterday shortly before he was sentenced to 33 years in prison. But Oscar A. Rivera-Licona, 35, rebuffed his victim’s offer of absolution. Instead, the former head deacon of the Richmond Evangelistic Center of Seventh-day Adventist questioned the veracity of the woman he raped despite DNA evidence linking him to the crime.

A Richmond man was the motorcyclist killed during a pursuit Saturday in Chesterfield County, state police said yesterday. Virginia State Police said Erwin Brower, 27, was trying to elude a trooper who had initiated a traffic stop. The chase lasted about 10 minutes, beginning on northbound Interstate 95 just south of Chester about 8 p.m. The crash occurred on southbound Chippenham Parkway near U.S. 1.

On a recent Wednesday night in Henrico County, about 50 teenagers packed into Grandpa Eddie’s Alabama Ribs & BBQ to listen to some local bands jam. Their parents, for the most part, sat in the back, noshing on fried okra and peanut-butter pie and watching from a safe distance. “It was a really good night. The kids got a chance to perform in front of their friends,“ said Carey Friedman, who owns the restaurant on Three Chopt Road near Cox Road.

Audrey M. Harris; 10440 Cherokee Road, addition, $75,000. Tina R. Shiver, owner; Lifestyle Builders & Development, contractor; 8707 Elm Road, addition, $59,500. NVR Homes Inc.; 5113 Glenbeigh Drive, $123,382. Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, owner; Better Homes Inc., contractor; 1300 Decatur St., $113,535. Bruce D. Adkins, owner; Hanover Interiors Inc., contractor; 1902 Conrad St., alterations, $84,850.

Take $60 million out of Chesterfield County’s $1.2 billion budget, and these are some of the things that could disappear:

• jobs for 225 teachers and 32 school resource officers, 30 firefighters and 30 police officers;

• four libraries and a couple of fire stations; and

• 10 government and public school departments, including health, planning, finance and budget.

Christi Uminski, a senior at Midlothian High School, felt a little anxious to be in the Model County Government program, in which she had the opportunity to mingle with county officials and shadow an employee for half a day. “It’s a little nerve-racking,“ she said, referring to the upcoming shadow day with her mentor. This year, the three-day Chesterfield County program was moved up to the fall so students could reflect on their participation in college applications, said Tim Bullis, schools spokesman.

Chesterfield County Public Schools will receive a windfall of nearly $671,000 from savings on bonds refinanced this year by the state. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced yesterday that the state will distribute $28.7 million to Chesterfield and 27 other school divisions, as well as the state Literary Fund. The savings resulted from lower interest rates on bonds refinanced by the Virginia Public School Authority.

There will be no tricks, treats or Halloween parties this year for many of Virginia’s convicted sex criminals. Officers with the Virginia Department of Corrections and the Virginia State Police are teaming up again to make sure registered sex offenders who are under state supervision won’t cause any harm to young ghouls and goblins.