A Hanover County man pleaded guilty yesterday in Louisa County to beating his 69-year-old cousin to death by kicking him in the head, a prosecutor said. Jerome Mallory, 42, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the beating of his cousin Charles E. Houchens during an argument Aug. 2 outside a mobile home in Bumpass, said Louisa Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Rusty McGuire.

A Louisa County Grand Jury yesterday indicted Ulisa Mary Chavers on four charges in connection with the discovery of her boyfriend’s body in the bottom of a well in March. She is charged with concealing a body, identity theft, creditcard fraud and possession of a sawed-off rifle. On March 6, authorities found the body of Chavers’ boyfriend, Reginal Cody Bowles, in a well on his property in the Mineral area, where Chavers also lived.

The Republican Party of Virginia’s central committee yesterday elected Pat Mullins of Louisa County, a longtime GOP activist, as the party chairman. Mullins will run again for chairman at the state convention May 29-30 in Richmond, when Republicans nominate candidates for statewide office. Mullins, the Louisa County chairman and a former chairman of the Fairfax County committee, was unopposed yesterday but is likely to have opposition at the convention.

Investigators were not surprised to find human remains last month when they went looking on a property in Amelia County. Ulisa Mary Chavers, authorities say, had told them she buried her husband there about 15 years ago. It is what they didn’t find that puzzled investigators. “There was no skull,“ Amelia Commonwealth’s Attorney Lee R. Harrison said. “And that raises some questions.“

Democrat James Towey will officially kick off his 56th House of Delegates district campaign with a three-day, 56-mile run from his home in northwest Henrico County to the town of Louisa.

A Louisa County judge yesterday certified to a grand jury three charges against Ulisa Mary Chavers in the discovery of her boyfriend’s body at the bottom of a well last month. Judge Susan L. Whitlock of Louisa Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court certified charges of concealing a body, credit-card fraud and identity theft to the grand jury that is set to meet Monday.

Looking to beautify your garden and bolster your culinary prowess? Pick up a variety of rich green, aromatic potted herbs. They’re easy to grow, add variety to your landscape and provide fresh flavor to anything you cook. A good place to start is at Herbs Galore & More, which celebrates its 25th anniversary at Maymont tomorrow. The area’s first big plant sale of the season drew almost 5,000 people last year, according to Cathie Rosenberg, Maymont’s director of marketing.

Alma Gaynelle “Gay” Whitlock was born in Mineral in Louisa County. She studied, and later taught, at universities whose dining halls could seat the entire Mineral population of under 500. She was equally at home in either environment, relatives and colleagues say. Dr. Whitlock died Sunday of cancer, 10 days after her 70th birthday. Until recently, she had been hard at work as director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for School-Community Collaboration and as a town historian and preservationist in Mineral.

A 27-year-old man was convicted yesterday in Louisa County of setting fire to his twin brother’s home in Louisa County after an argument over a cell-phone bill, according to authorities. Joshua A. Follin was found guilty of arson for a fire Dec. 18, 2007, that destroyed a garage, two cars and several recreational motor vehicles, officials said.

A relative of Clent Chavers was shocked to learn yesterday that authorities had exhumed what they believe are his remains in a backyard in rural Amelia County. Friday’s discovery came after Chavers’ widow, Ulisa Mary Chavers, admitted the day before that she buried her husband’s body about 15 years ago outside their former home on West Pridesville Road, authorities said.

Authorities yesterday exhumed what they believe are the remains of a man whose wife has admitted she buried him in their backyard in Amelia County 15 years ago, police said. Ulisa Mary Chavers, 60, already faces charges in the disposal of another body, that of her boyfriend, Reginal Cody Bowles. His remains were found last month at the bottom of a 33-foot-deep well in Louisa County.

Authorities yesterday exhumed what they believe are the remains of a man whose wife has admitted she buried him in their backyard in Amelia County 15 years ago, police said. Ulisa Mary Chavers, 60, already faces charges in the disposal of another body, that of her boyfriend, Reginal Cody Bowles. His remains were found last month at the bottom of a 33-foot-deep well in Louisa County.

Ulisa Mary Chavers already faces charges in the disposal of another body, that of her boyfriend, in Louisa County.

During the first three months of 2009, the central Virginia region had 24 homicides, while in the 2008 period there were 20 homicides. Among 22 localities that make up Richmond’s greater metropolitan region, Petersburg saw the biggest increase.

Klockner Pentaplast has laid off 38 workers at its plant in Louisa County. The German manufacturer of plastic films for pharmaceutical, medical, food and electronics packaging attributed the layoffs to the struggling world economy. “As a global company, we are not immune to these economic forces,“ the company said. Klockner, which opened the Gordonsville plant 30 years ago, also operates plants in South America, Europe, Canada and Asia. It is one of the world’s leading producers of plastic films for packaging.