PETERSBURG Dana Ballenger brought home two baby doll sheep and gave them good Southern names, Jezabell and Thelma Lou. She checked first with city authorities to be sure zoning would allow for sheep on her 2-acre lot in historic Petersburg. “I am going green with my sheep,“ she said. “Forget the lawnmower belching out toxins and making lots of dust and stirring up allergens. My little sheep munch the grass, fertilize it and look beautiful while doing it.“

Swine flu appears to have been cut in half in Virginia. About 8 percent of people visiting emergency rooms across the state reported flulike illness, down from a high of 15 percent three weeks ago, according to the Virginia Department of Health. “It looks like we’ve gone over a hump,“ said Dr. Marsh Cuttino, an emergency-medicine specialist with HCA Virginia Health System, which operates six Richmond-area hospitals. “We’re back almost to our normal levels.“

Chickens: No permit is required for up to 10 chickens. The enclosure must be 30 feet from another person’s house.
  Chickens, sheep, other livestock: Enclosures must be 200 feet from property lines.
  Chickens or other live stock: Conditional-use permits would be considered by the Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission, and neighbors would be invited to express their opinions.

Despite tough economic times, Virginia has taken a strong interest in maintaining its programs for early-childhood education, according to a member of the Virginia Board of Education. Rob Krupicka, a member of the board and an Alexandria city councilman, was among a number of speakers yesterday at the Smart Beginnings Public Engagement and Advocacy Summit that highlighted some of the state’s opportunities for children from birth to age 5.

Several school divisions in central Virginia are reporting delays tomorrow after this week’s heavy rains and flooding. The following county school districts are reporting two-hour delays for Friday: Amelia, Dinwiddie, King and Queen, New Kent and Prince George. Also, Sussex County schools are closed Friday.

The Virginia Department of Transportation says motorists this rush hour should proceed carefully because of problems with standing water and downed trees.

There’s a twinkle in Lou Caraker’s eyes when he talks about his grandson, Chip. It’s the pride of a warrior seeing family follow in his footsteps. Chip—Capt. Thomas F. Hancock IV—is a member of the recently established Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. Hancock, of Powhatan County, was a graduate of the first class of the Marine Special Operations School in April, after he served two tours of duty in Iraq.

A 16-year-old Meadowbrook High School student was released from custody yesterday but placed on house arrest for a prank that involved running into an occupied classroom with a fake rifle and pointing it at students as he yelled. Judge Lynn S. Brice of Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court found the evidence against the teen sufficient for a finding of guilt but deferred judgment until Jan. 28 so a social history and psychological evaluation could be conducted.

A 16-year-old Meadowbrook High School student was released from custody today but placed on house arrest for a prank that involved running into an occupied classroom with a fake rifle and pointing it at students as he yelled. Judge Lynn S. Brice of Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court found the evidence against the teen sufficient for a finding of guilt but deferred judgment until Jan. 28 so a social history and psychological evaluation could be conducted.

Keri Wormald directed “Well” at the Barksdale Theater at the same time she led her high school students in a production of “Pride and Prejudice.“ Both plays opened within one week of each other in the spring. “I said I would try to never have two shows opening within a week of each other ever again,“ said Wormald, who teaches at Thomas Dale High School’s Specialty Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in Chester. “It was really hard.“

A Chesterfield County man was ordered held without bond yesterday after his weekend arrest on charges of raping a woman while posing as a police officer. Johnny Eugene Quick, 44, of the 5100 block of Gention Road appeared briefly yesterday in Henrico County General District Court. He was arrested Saturday afternoon on charges of abduction, rape, impersonating a police officer and using a firearm in a felony.

Chesterfield County police are searching for a man they believe robbed two SunTrust bank branches, one on Saturday and the other this morning.

Chesterfield County police declined to provide details of an accident yesterday involving a county motorcycle officer. The officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital after the 11:30 a.m. incident at Courthouse Road and Berrand Road, near Reams Road. Police declined to release the officer’s name or details of the accident; a dispatcher said a chase was not involved.

A Chesterfield County man has been charged in Henrico County with impersonating a Richmond police officer and then raping a woman. Johnny Eugene Quick, 44, of the 5100 block of Gention Road is scheduled to make a court appearance this morning in Henrico General District Court after being arrested on a firearm charge along with charges of abduction, rape and impersonating a police officer, according to Henrico police.

The county is hosting public hearings on the 2009-10 Technology Master Plan and revisions to the School Board’s policy manual.
  When: tomorrow at 7 p.m.
  Where: Public Meeting Room, 10001 Iron Bridge Road
  Info: http://www.chesterfield.k12.va.us