Now that the Richmond Braves are history, what will happen to “Connecticut,“ Paul DiPasquale’s fiberglass Indian brave who trains an eagle eye on all who enter The Diamond? “It may stay where it is now, but what happens to it ultimately depends on what happens to The Diamond,“ said Mike Berry, general manager of the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which owns Richmond’s ballpark and its sentry sculpture.

Richmond’s premier public sculptor is blazing trails with lethal intent. The approximately 30 works in Paul DiPasquale’s first one-man Richmond show in 11 years each consists of parts of firearms - everything from AK-47 assault rifles to single-shot Derringers - that are partially embedded in concrete studded with seashells. The smallest weighs about 5 pounds and fits easily in the hand. The largest stands 4 feet tall and tips the scales at 60 pounds.

The Virginia General Assembly has again said it’s OK to bring a concealed weapon into a bar—but getting Gov. Timothy M. Kaine to sign the bill will be something of a long shot. Senate Bill 1035, sponsored by Sen. Emmett W. Hanger Jr., R-Augusta, would allow holders of concealed-weapon permits to enter drinking establishments with hidden guns as long as the holders don’t drink alcohol.

Mayor Dwight Jones has taken the commendable step of reducing the executive-protection detail that travels with him as he goes about his daily business. Yet as yesterday’s news story by Will Jones and Reed Williams pointed out, the level of police protection he enjoys remains greater than that of the mayors in cities much larger than Richmond.

In its longest session this the state Senate yesterday passed a slew of bills that could affect how Virginians vote, drive and protect themselves and the environment.year, The three-hour session came on the eve of what is known as crossover—the last day upon which the Senate and the House of Delegates must complete work on their own bills before sending them across the hall to be considered by the other chamber.

The green button means “yes.“ The red button means “no.“ Yesterday, a Virginia senator’s mistake of pressing red when he meant to press green gave new life to a bill that seeks to close the “gun-show loophole.“ But its new life may be short-lived.

Del. Edward T. Scott, a Republican from Madison County, has introduced a bill prohibiting felons from possessing ammunition.

A bill that would require most purchasers at gun shows to undergo criminal-background checks before buying a firearm narrowly cleared a Virginia Senate committee yesterday. But legislation to close the so-called “gun-show loophole” still faces opposition in the full Senate and in the Republican-controlled House of Delegates.

Three people stood out at the pro-gun rights rally on the holiday celebration of a nonviolent American martyr. Each bore signs with photos of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and John and Robert Kennedy beneath the message “Guns Didn’t Save These Lives.“

The Virginia State Crime Commission yesterday decided it will not recommend legislative passage of a bill that would require people who buy guns at gun shows to undergo mandatory background checks.

Some emotional pleas to the Virginia State Crime Commission to close what opponents call the state’s gun show “loophole” went unanswered yesterday. Under the law, private parties may sell firearms at gun shows without making a criminal background check on the purchaser. Licensed dealers must do so. Commission Chairman Del. David B. Albo, R-Fairfax, did not permit a vote endorsing such an effort, saying the commission was scheduled yesterday to take up narrow issues related to the gun show question, not closing the loophole.

A Culpeper Town Council committee is set tonight to consider a proposal that would make shooting at varmints permissible without a permit. The proposal would rework the existing law to make the shooter legally responsible for any consequence, accidental or otherwise. Currently, town law prohibits varmint hunting without a permit from the police chief.