With a “before” picture that is hardly pretty, including telltale signs of abuse, neglect and an unhealthy diet, the well-worn face of an overlooked and under-loved creek in western Henrico County is poised for a top-to-bottom transformation, including much of the drainage area beyond its banks. Horsepen Branch, which flows east from the 6800 block of Grace Street (near Christ United Methodist Church) to Upham Brook (near the intersection Staples Mill Road and Interstate 64), is the focus of the second annual Extreme Stream Makeover, a weeklong restoration project involving hundreds of volunteers - school kids, neighborhood associations, civic groups and employees from some of the region’s top companies. Various projects will take place throughout the creek’s drainage area with the goal of improving the water quality of the branch that ultimately feeds into the James River.

Henrico County police are searching for a man who they say broke into Westbury Pharmacy and stole prescription drugs. The break-in occurred between 3 and 4 a.m. Sept. 24 at the pharmacy, located at 8903 Three Chopt Road. The suspect stole narcotics, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call Henrico Investigator C. K. Walker at (804) 501-5000 or Crimestoppers at (804) 780-1000.

The author of a book that sparked a debate at Deep Run High School is speaking tonight at the school. Julia Alvarez, author of “How the García Girls Lost Their Accents,“ will appear tonight at the Henrico County school as part of the All Henrico Reads program. The program encourages residents to read and discuss works by one author.

Richmond political leaders last night had tough questions about a proposed new regional authority that would have the power to raise taxes to meet the area’s long-term transportation needs. Mayor L. Douglas Wilder and several City Council members, at an unusual joint meeting to hear a presentation on the new authority, said they are concerned that the new authority seems to have little focus on mass transit.

Chesterfield County is poised to fire the second shot in what is either a regional tax revolt, an assertion of identity or an “Anything but Richmond” movement. Following Henrico County’s lead, Chesterfield is making plans to change the mailing addresses of county homes and businesses that contain “Richmond,“ “Colonial Heights” or “Petersburg.“

Toward the end of summer, the thick forest that bordered Lois Grebler’s western Henrico County neighborhood became a barren dust bowl. Grebler and her husband, who have lived in the Castle Point subdivision off Francistown Road for 13 years, said they and her neighbors knew a new high school was being built, but they were surprised by how few trees were left between them and the school site.

U.S. Olympian Queen Harrison is returning to her alma mater today in western Henrico County. A 2006 graduate of Hermitage High School, Harrison will be the keynote speaker at Hermitage’s Expectations of Excellence assembly. Harrison, now a student at Virginia Tech, was back on the Blacksburg campus in late August right after competing at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, where she had a disappointing performance in the 400-meter hurdles. Harrison ran more than a second slower than her personal best and fell far short of qualifying for the finals.

Here’s a snapshot of emergency calls during the week of Aug. 25-Sept. 1, as reported by Metro Richmond fire departments. RICHMOND Fire Calls: 218 Emergency Medical Calls: 347 EMS: Cardiac arrests (6), chest pain (51), breathing problems (110), shootings (5), stabbings (4), unconsciousness (60). Significant Events: