Joey Monroe calls himself a survivor. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran has survived since August without a permanent roof over his head, and he understands the consequences of living on the streets. “Anything could have happened to me in the street,“ he said. “I could have ended up dead in the street.“

Still in its first year of operation, The Westin hotel in Henrico County has won one of AAA’s prestigious Four Diamond Awards for superior service and amenities. The 250-room, full-service Westin, owned by Musselman Hotels of Louisville, Ky., only opened its doors Dec. 18. “We came out of the gate strong on our service component, said Feliks Schwartz, general manager of the hotel at 6631 W. Broad St. “We have not taken any shortcuts.“

Local governments aren’t likely to escape the pain when the General Assembly attempts to eliminate an estimated $3.5 billion hole in the next two-year budget. That estimate does not include the losses faced by local school districts to replace federal stimulus money that will dwindle next year and then disappear entirely in the second year of the budget.

The cost of retiree health care is turning into a hot-button issue for state legislators and local officials, who will learn today how much more local governments will have to pay for employee retirement plans. The increase that will be recommended to the Virginia Retirement System Board of Trustees by its actuary is small—about 1 percent overall on average among all localities covered by the state system.

You could say that the better part of Virginia “Gigi” Foster’s life has been spent serving others. So it’s only fitting that she serve as this year’s Hanover County Christmas Mother. Foster is a retired registered nurse whose career includes time with the county’s health department, Richmond Eye & Ear Hospital and Westminster Canterbury. Her days are now spent watching over feisty grandchildren and, for the next few weeks, collecting as much money as possible for the county’s neediest residents.

The disappearance of Mechanicsville teenager Theresa Marie Meadows languished in relative obscurity from the time she vanished in September 2004—until she was located alive last week in South Carolina. On the flip side, the case of missing 20-year-old Virginia Tech student Morgan Dana Harrington has received intense state and national attention since she disappeared Oct. 17 after a Metallica concert in Charlottesville. A three-day search last weekend involved more than 500 volunteers.

The case of a former Henrico County drug investigator who has accused the county’s police chief and other top law-enforcement officers of destroying his career is moving closer to a possible trial. In a 21-page ruling released this week, a substitute judge hearing the case in Hanover County refused to dismiss key elements of a suit filed in August 2008 in which Williams G. “Trip” Hueston III seeks more than $1 million in damages.

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.

A Mechanicsville teenager who vanished more than five years ago was located Wednesday in South Carolina after a Hanover County detective reworked an old lead in the puzzling case. “It’s a very good ending,“ said Hanover sheriff’s Investigator Dave Klisz, who worked relentlessly over the years to find former Lee-Davis High School student Theresa Marie Meadows.

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.

Maybe the third time will be the charm for a proposed solicitation ordinance in Hanover County. The Board of Supervisors voted 4-2 yesterday to have county staff again revise a proposal on solicitation, this time to put restrictions on such activities only along Meadowbridge Road from Interstate 295 to the Henrico County line. Last month, County Attorney Sterling E. Rives III presented an ordinance that prohibited anyone from seeking to distribute handbills, bulletins and other literature; solicit contributions; or sell merchandise or services to drivers and passengers of motor vehicles.

Maybe the third time will be the charm for a proposed solicitation ordinance in Hanover County. The Board of Supervisors voted 4-2 yesterday to have county staff again revise a proposal on solicitation, this time to put restrictions on such activities only along Meadowbridge Road from Interstate 295 to the Henrico County line. Last month, County Attorney Sterling E. Rives III presented an ordinance that prohibited anyone from seeking to distribute handbills, bulletins and other literature; solicit contributions; or sell merchandise or services to drivers and passengers of motor vehicles.

The wheels are once again in motion for two proposed mixed-use developments on Ashland’s eastern boundaries. After months and years of deferrals to work around community concerns and staff requests, Ashland and Hanover County leaders will again seek the public’s thoughts on the latest plans for the East Ashland and Providence Creek communities.