4BETTER OR WORSE- The week in review

Published online 9:00am Thursday Nov 5th, 2009
and in print issue #0844 dated Thursday Nov 5th, 2009

Biggest blaze: Thirty-five to 40-foot flames shoot out of a Still Meadow subdivision home around 11pm October 30 and melt the vinyl siding on nearby homes, according to the Progress. Firefighters responded to the Brownstone Lane home belonging to Earl Burton around 11pm. No one was injured, although the house, assessed at around $400,000, is gutted.

Best example of why smoking can be bad for one's health: An oxygen tank blows up an apartment at the Trail Motel off U.S. 29 October 29. Resident James Paige, who smokes and is on oxygen, is critically injured in the blast and taken to UVA Medical Center.

Best example of why boys, aerosol cans, and matches don't mix: Two Shenandoah County boys are taken to UVA Medical Center October 29 after an aerosol can explodes on their front lawn, WCAV reports.

Best break for former Waynesboro councilor: Dubose Egleston, 55, pleads guilty to misdemeanor sexual battery November 2, dodging a felony charge for an alleged attempted rape of a 27-year old woman September 25, as well as jail time, the Staunton News Leader reports.

Worst shooting: A woman is injured when someone fires into her home in the 900 block of Rives Street around 3am November 1, NBC29 reports.

Worst shootings: A teen couple sitting in a car outside Blue Ridge Commons are shot by a Halloween-mask-wearing man October 29 around 7:30pm and taken to UVA Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Worst news for the 181 local postal workers: A recent study recommends consolidating some operations at the Airport Road facility and moving them to a larger U.S. Postal Services plant in Richmond.

Biggest boost to SPCA budget: The animal shelter presses Charlottesville and Albemarle for funding more in line with industry standards. If approved, the SPCA will get between $4 and $7 per capita instead of the $1.60 local governments currently pay for it to provide pound services. Rachana Dixit has the story in the Progress.

Highest profile bust: Raymond J. Devere-Austin, 76, prolific actor, stuntman, and director of classic TV shows like The Avengers, The Saint, Hawaii Five-O, Hart to Hart, and Magnum, P.I. (and a titled baron), is charged with felony larceny for allegedly taking objects valued at $740.52 from the Antiquer's Mall in Ruckersville, the Progress reports.

Closest proximity to power: The Miller Center of Public Affairs opens a satellite office on K Street in Washington, D.C., to assist its nonpartisan study of the American presidency– and to tap into the 35,000 UVA alums who live in the area.

Best land deal: Charlottesville adds 1.5 acres to Forest Hills Park, courtesy of builder Southern Development.

Most perplexing PAC donations: An organization called the Monticello Business Alliance has contributed to both Rio District candidates for the Albemarle Board of Supervisors–- incumbent David Slutzky and Republican challenger Rodney Thomas–- $7,500 and $5,000 respectively, according to Charlottesville Tomorrow.

Least likely to have her library card renewed: Tracy Bishop, 35, pleads guilty to two counts of grand larceny and one count of breaking and entering the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library on Market Street in June and swiping computers. She'll be sentenced April 27.

Best Lawn bachelor pad: Larry Sabato's Pavilion IV makes the cover of the October 31 Washington Post real estate section, which details the political-junkie-upstairs and period-reception-rooms-below decor.

Luckiest: Joseph Nailler wins $250,000 from an October 27 lottery drawing. The Palmyra man bought the ticket at Harris Teeter in Barracks Road.

Hungriest: Two 400-pound pigs go missing from their bloodstained pen in Augusta County, and believed to be the victims of a bear, according to the News Leader.