By foot and by boat, nearly a thousand volunteers took to the James River yesterday to tidy up a 70-mile stretch of shoreline. Among the items collected: 479 bags of trash; 321 bags of recyclables; 150 large or unusual items, including an 8-week-old kitten (later taken to a rescue shelter); and one “LL Cool J at Brown’s Island” sticker in pristine condition recovered in Charles City County.

Firefighters expect smoke and flames, but sometimes they also get snow and ice. Chesterfield County firefighters had to deal with clunky snow chains and impatient motorists in responding to an early morning fire yesterday that damaged six condominiums and displaced at least seven residents.