It’s a safe bet to say at least one person didn’t pass the road portion of their driver’s license examination yesterday at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles main office in Richmond. Richmond police were called to the DMV’s rear parking lot about noon for a report of a three-vehicle wreck. Police said someone apparently drove into two parked vehicles in the 2300 block of West Broad Street while taking their driving test.

Calendar of events relating to homes and gardens Williamsburg Garden Walks: Summertime guided tours of the gardens in the Historic Area are included in Colonial Williamsburg admission. Registration is required for all walks: Gardens of the Gentility, 9:30 a.m. today; repeats Fridays and Tuesdays through Aug. 28. Through the Garden Gate, 9:30 a.m. tomorrow; repeats Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays through Aug. 29. For information or registration, call (800) HISTORY (447-8679) or visit http://www.history.org.

Richmond The city’s Department of Public Works is set to start street paving in Bellevue, Oregon Hill, North Highland Park and on Dinwiddie Avenue. The work, which will use slurry seal, is scheduled to begin this month and wrap up in October. Officials expect minimal impact on traffic flow. Prince George Rain barrel kits are on sale at the James River Soil and Water Conservation District office in Prince George County. All kits must be pre-ordered. Kits cost $35 each. To order a barrel, call (804) 957-6148 or (804) 732-4375. Kits are on sale until Aug. 21.

CYCLING 19TH STAGE
(110.6 miles from Bourgoin-Jallieu
to Aubenas, France)
1. Mark Cavendish, Britain, Team Columbia-High Road, 3 hours, 50 minutes, 35 seconds. 2. Thor Hushovd, Norway, Cervelo Test Team, same time. 3. Gerald Ciolek, Germany, Team Milram, same time. 4. Greg Van Avermaet, Belgium, Silence-Lotto, same time.

DETROIT - Former Goochland High School standout Justin Verlander struck out 11 in six innings to earn his ninth victory, and Marcus Thames hit a three-run homer as the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 last night. Verlander (9-4), in his first start since being named to his second all-star team, ran his American League-best strikeout total to 141, the most by a Detroit pitcher before the All-Star Game in 37 years. He gave up five runs and seven hits.

Henrico Henrico County residents interested in becoming foster parents can learn about the county’s foster-care program at an information session on July 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Human Services Building, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive. Henrico has a special need for families interested in serving as foster parents for children 12 and older. Pre-registration is encouraged. Participants can register or get information by calling (804) 501-7496 or visiting http://www.henricocares.com.

Henrico Henrico County residents interested in becoming foster parents can learn about the county’s foster-care program at an information session on July 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Human Services Building, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive. Henrico has a special need for families interested in serving as foster parents for children 12 and older. Pre-registration is encouraged. Participants can register or get information by calling

DON GEHRING We find ourselves in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. It is the economic equivalent of 9/11. Most assuredly, there is plenty of blame to be shared by both government, for its failure to provide adequate oversight, and the private sector, for its catastrophic bad judgment and greed. While that much is clear, solutions to the crisis we find ourselves in are much less clear. Reasonable minds differ on the Obama administration’s stimulus package. The economic “experts” are all over the lot in terms of their “solutions.“ For the average American the complexities of our economic system are befuddling and arcane. In fact, most of us are still reeling from the reality of what we have lost over the past several months. We are afraid to open our financial statements because we have come to expect only bad news.