More than 100 people gathered outside the downtown Richmond offices of Sens. Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner today to protest the proposed health care plans pending before Congress. Neither Virginia Senator, both Democrats, has committed to vote in favor of the plan that was unveiled this week in the Senate. Richmond police officers stood by to make sure the protests were peaceful. Protesters held signs and shouted slogans.

Sen. Mark Warner said he wants to see more cost containment in the Senate’s health care bill before he can support it. The Senate version is better than the bill narrowly passed out of the House of Representatives on that grounds, he said. “I think it’s gotten better but it’s still got a ways to go before I get to yes,“ he told a group of small business owners gathered this morning at Can Can in Carytown.

Richmond police are investigating the armed robbery of a man who was shot and wounded last night in the 2000 block of Mechanicsville Turnpike.

A Richmond jury awarded a research librarian at the Library of Virginia $8 million in damages yesterday, the full amount sought by her lawyers after the woman was struck by a GRTC Transit System bus and severely injured. Meikiu Lo, now 34, suffered spinal and shoulder damage and multiple hip and pelvis fractures that resulted in chronic pain after a GRTC bus making a right turn struck her as she crossed North Eighth Street beside the library two years ago.

ALLEY KATZ—10 Walnut Alley, 643-2816. Crunk Budder, Cast Upon Blind Eyes, Since 1913 and others, 4 p.m. Friday, $7. Joe Enroughty & His Royal Virginians (big band), 5 p.m. Saturday, all ages, $8-$10. V-Bios, Lil Lee, J Dub and others, 10 p.m. Saturday, $5-$7. Four Letter Lie, Corpus Christi and A Bullet For a Boy, 5 p.m. Sunday, all ages, $10-$12.

A soldier from Richmond has been missing since a resupply mission in Afghanistan Nov. 4 that claimed the life of another unit member from Massachusetts, the U.S. Defense Department said today.

Two Richmond women who shopped while the young children under their care slept in a parked car—at 1 a.m.—have received a writing assignment and weekend jail time from a judge in Henrico County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Starline Mae Hanley, 20, and Leondria Louise Brantley, 19, were found guilty this week of misdemeanor child neglect in connection with a 1 a.m. grocery shopping trip to a Short Pump Wal-Mart store Sept. 1.

Heading into the final week of the regular season, the University of Richmond, William and Mary and Villanova remain in contention for the Colonial Athletic Association automatic bid to the FCS playoffs and the league championship. On Saturday, William and Mary (6-1, 9-1) plays at UR (6-1, 9-1) at noon. Delaware (4-3, 6-4) plays at Villanova (6-1, 9-1) at 3:30 p.m. The Spiders, Tribe and Wildcats are headed to the 16-team playoffs. This weekend’s games will help determine which of those teams gets seeded in the 16-team field (there are only four seeds) and which gets home-field advantage in the playoffs.

VMI last season led Division I in scoring (93.8 ppg), 3-pointers (13.7 per game) and steals (14.2 spg). For encore, the Keydets want to play faster, shoot more 3s and create more turnovers. “We’re just small, and we need to play to our advantage,“ said coach Duggar Baucom, whose Keydets meet the University of Richmond tonight at the Robins Center. “Playing fast, putting pressure on people, is to our best advantage. We really were not as fast as we wanted to be last year.“

Anderson, Mrs. Dorothy M., 76, of Richmond, wife of Aubrey Anderson. Baur, Mrs. Elizabeth, 89, of Richmond, wife of Charles T. Baur. Beazley, Mrs. Phyllis Daniels, of Chester, a former teacher, wife of L. Hunter Beazley Jr. Campbell, Mr. William E., 58, of Richmond, husband of Cheryl Campbell. Faulk, Mrs. Louise Mason, 80, of Richmond, widow of Sandy Faulk Sr.

Four Gloucester County supervisors have each filed a $1.35 million lawsuit against Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert D. Hicks, saying that he made defamatory and false statements against them that smeared their reputations. The lawsuits were filed Nov. 3 in Richmond Circuit Court by lawyers from the Troutman Sanders law firm who are representing Gloucester supervisors Teresa Altemus, Bobby Crewe, Michelle Ressler and Gregory Woodard.

On the first day of the signing period, Virginia Tech yesterday said two men’s basketball players signed for its Class of 2010: wing player Jarell Eddie and guard Tyrone Garland. Tech currently has the NCAA-maximum 13 scholarship players but just one scholarship senior, forward Lewis Witcher. Tech coach Seth Greenberg said he expects Eddie and Garland to enroll next school year. So in order for the Hokies to get to 13 scholarships next season, a current player would have to leave with eligibility remaining.

Richmond police are asking for help in locating a dark-colored Jeep Wrangler that may have struck a pedestrian Saturday at North Boulevard and Kensington Avenue. The incident shortly after 2 a.m. resulted in a female pedestrian suffering several broken bones. The Wrangler, with round headlights, headed north on Boulevard and was operated by a male.

On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood before the Brandenburg Gate in West Germany and voiced his now-famous challenge to the Soviet leader: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.“ The Berlin Wall did fall on Nov. 9, 1989, 20 years ago Monday. Reagan’s speech before a crowd of 20,000 was a vital catalyst, says Romesh Ratnesar, deputy managing editor of Time magazine and the author of “Tear Down This Wall.“

Convicted slumlord Oliver C. Lawrence will split his 70 days of incarceration between the Richmond City Jail and a vacant house he owns on North 19th Street in Richmond.