4BETTER OR WORSE- The week in review

Published online 8:00am Thursday Jun 29th, 2006
and in print issue #0526 dated Thursday Jun 29th, 2006

Best change in the weather: A week ago we were whining about potential drought; this week we whine about flooding from the nonstop rain, five days in a row at presstime.

Worst flooding casualty: An eight-year-old Alleghany County girl is swept away by floodwaters June 27 and is missing at presstime.

Worst place for relief: A woman who went into a downtown alley near Live Arts to relieve herself is grabbed from behind by a man late June 25, the Daily Progress reports. He pulled her into a kitchen area, says Chief Tim Longo, where she grabbed a steak knife and fought him off, causing the attacker to flee.

Harshest sentence: A 15-year-old Waynesboro boy is jailed with an adult child molester, reports Liesel Nowak in the Progress. Circuit Judge Humes J. Franklin Jr. agreed with a prosecution request and sentenced the teen to adult jail rather than juvenile detention, where he would receive educational classes and counseling. The boy, who was convicted of felony charges for using a firearm during a pot deal, is sentenced to three years.

Most tragic memory lapse: Sean Kenley Lewis crashes into a large oak tree near Washington Park and dies instantly June 23. Lewis was fleeing police after he robbed the Cavalier Pipe and Tobacco Shop at Barracks Road, but, according to John Yellig's account in the DP, the only reason he drew police attention was that his lights weren't on.

Best boost for Albemarle students who want to go to UVA: Late county supe, School Board member, principal, and teacher Mortimer Y. Sutherland, who has a middle school named for him, leaves a $6-million endowment to UVA, and three quarters of it is earmarked for needy students, with a preference for those from Albemarle. The balance goes to a nursing scholarship in honor of his sister, Helen Sutherland Berkeley, UVA School of Nursing Class of '32.

Latest bridge bumping: A dump truck smashes into the Old Ivy bridge June 26, closing the bridge indefinitely.

Worst stop-sign running: Ten Fredericksburg bus riders are injured when their bus overturns after being hit by a car June 23.

Worst fire bombing: Three men are arrested June 27 for tossing Molotov cocktails into a Waynesboro residence June 23, the News Leader reports.

Best way to draw state police ire: Use photos of state troopers in political campaign materials. Senator George Allen used an image of himself surrounded by six police officers in a flier, earning a reprimand from the Virginia State Police.

Best legacy of Evan Almighty: The cast and crew donate $4,340 for planting trees along Charlottesville and Albemarle bike trails in appreciation of bike enthusiast/director Tom Shadyac. The trees will be planted two-by-two in honor of the movie's Noah's ark theme.

Worst loss to jiggle TV: Aaron Spelling, producer of Charlie's Angels, Melrose Place, and Beverly Hills 90210, dies June 23.

Most celebrity funerals by a former local in one week: Tommy Garrett, now said to be an L.A.-based radio host, says he'll attend both the Spelling funeral and Patsy Ramsey's, according to a press release.

Best chance to see Reichstag-wrapping, Central Park-gating artist: Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude will speak at this year's July 4 naturalization ceremony at Monticello.