Take that, Peter Greenberg—known now in song as “Peter, Peter, town cheater.“ You can’t trash Ashland without consequences.

Shoppers perusing the stores in some of Hanover County’s busiest retail centers can rest a little easier this holiday season. More than 30 county residents are walking the sidewalks at four shopping areas as part of the county’s Courtesy Patrol.

For 28 years, Diane Glanz has kept close the ashes of her murdered 6-year-old son, and close to her heart the hope his killer would be found and convicted. Yesterday as a jury filed into a Hanover County courtroom, the news that the panel had reached a verdict broke the precedent of two prior deadlocked juries. Glanz wept uncontrollably just at the sight of the six women and six men approaching their seats. And as friends crouched by her side and hugged the now 60-year-old woman, the jury’s findings sparked a broad smile and thumbs-up signals from her.

A jury resumes deliberations this morning, sorting through what opposing lawyers in a 28-year-old Hanover County murder case argue is either fact or fiction. Tasked with reaching a conclusion in a case that stumped two prior juries and lacks DNA evidence, fingerprints or a witness, jurors spent two hours and fifteen minutes yesterday assessing the testimony before being excused for the night.

I don’t hunt. I don’t fish. I don’t wear camo. And I don’t normally frequent chain restaurants.  But Islamorada Fish Company? That’s a different story.  I’m almost embarrassed at the degree to which I feel the need to rave about the Islamorada experience.  I call it an experience because dining here is not just a meal.
SLIDESHOW: Islamorada restaurant in the Bass Pro Shop

John Bradley Crawford is no longer the 19-year-old he was in December 1980. That’s when, authorities say, he abducted a 6-year-old Highland Springs boy just home from school, carried him off to Hanover County, molested him and left him to die. A hunter found the lifeless, scarred body of Alexander Paul Glanz three days later, Dec. 6, tied at the wrists and ankles and with only underwear and socks to ward off the cold.

Stephen Holc never imagined he’d learn how to market a sports drink and sew in the same class.

New Kent The New Kent Ruritan Club and Virginia Blood Services will hold a blood drive on Wednesday from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Quinton Community Center. Register by logging onto www.vadonor.com and enter “nkruritan” as the sponsor code. Petersburg The annual Lighting of Petersburg will be Friday from 6:15 to about 10 p.m. at the Old Towne Visitor Center and Union Train Station. The event includes music from the Virginia State University Marching Trojans and a visit by Santa.

Henrico From today through Dec. 20, holiday shoppers at Henrico County malls will be under the watchful eyes of ACT NOW volunteers on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 9 p.m. ACT NOW (Awareness of Crime Today—Neighbors on Watch) is an award-winning crime-prevention program designed to increase awareness of holiday crime-prevention and shopping safety. The volunteers, dressed in maroon vests and equipped with cell phones and whistles, patrol mall parking lots and shopping areas. For details or to schedule a free crime-prevention program, call (804) 501-4838 or visit www.henricopolice.org.

Six years ago, an evening shift at the Hanover County Emergency Communications Department erupted into chaos. It was Oct. 19, 2002, and the D.C. snipers had struck in Ashland.

Community events in Richmond, Henrico, Hanover, Goochland, New Kent, Chesterfield, Powhatan and Tri-Cities. SATURDAY, NOV. 29 Craft Bazaar and Outreach, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ladysmith Baptist Church, 19443 Jefferson Davis Highway. Details: (540) 226-2911.  TUESDAY, DEC. 2 Christmas Concert, presented by the Virginia State University Concert Choir, 7 p.m., Anderson-Turner Auditorium, Virginia Hall. Free. Details: (804) 524-5311 or (804) 524-5342.

Henrico St. Joseph’s Villa announced this week that it has officially reported to the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation that it had received $1.3 million in new funds to successfully complete the terms of the foundation’s challenge grant. In May 2008, the foundation challenged St. Joseph’s Villa to raise $1 million in new funds to support improvements on the villa’s campus at 8000 Brook Road. The foundation stipulated that the villa raise the money by November 2008, and that if it did so, the foundation would provide $500,000 toward the project. More than 50 donors responded to the challenge, contributing more than $1.3 million, said villa CEO Kathleen Burke Barrett.

Hanover Three bridges in Hanover County have been named after service members from Hanover who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Commonwealth Transportation Board announced. The state Route 835 bridge over Interstate 95 will honor Army Capt. Shane Timothy Adcock, who was killed in Iraq in 2006. The state Route 156 bridge over the U.S. 360 bypass will honor Army Sgt. Heathe Nathanniel Craig, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2006. The U.S. 33 bridge over the South Anna River will honor Army Capt. John Robert Teal, who was killed in Iraq in 2003.

At 64, the age when many people are cruising to retirement, Stafford Mansfield White Jr., a career banker, opened a community bank. Less than three years later, he opened the fifth branch office of Metro-County Bank, and two years after that, in 2002, he sold Metro-County for $17.1 million to Warrenton-based Southern Financial Bank. Southern Financial has since been acquired by Provident Bank, and Mr. White remained on the advisory board, his family said.

Caroline To help compensate for a $2.7 million shortfall in budget projections, the Caroline County Board of Supervisors has asked for 15 percent cuts in most county operations. The cuts will include schools, but not at the full 15 percent rate because that would push the county below the state’s minimum level of school funding. An exact cut in school funding is still under discussion. The county has also imposed a hiring freeze and is prepared to put off capital purchases until after 2010.