4BETTER OR WORSE- The week in review

Worst priestly misdeeds: The Reverend Rodney Lee Rodis, 50, is charged January 10 with embezzling more than $600,000 from his former Louisa parish, Rob Seal reports in the Daily Progress. Despite being a Catholic man of the cloth who took a vow of chastity, Rodis lives as a family with a woman and three children in a subdivision outside Fredricksburg. 

Worst juvenile misdeeds: Jamale Ricardo Evans, 18, and two 17-year-olds are arrested January 8 and 9 for a string of robberies, including the August 6 armed robbery and beating of a Domino's Pizza driver, the August 23 armed robbery of a man on Harris Street, the December 31 beating and robbery of a 62-year-old woman in the Affordable Suites parking lot, and a January 6 burglary in the 500 block of Harris Street. 

Stupidest alleged crime: Leon Ray Morris Jr., 36, allegedly handed an acquaintance a pellet gun that the man recognized as his own September 23. According to a report in the Progress,  the acquaintance, 64, claims that Morris then knocked him down, went through his pockets while a friend held him down, took his house keys, went in the house and took a 9mm handgun. Morris is arrested January 11 on charges unrelated to the alleged robbery, abduction and B&E.

Worst driving: Rescue squad driver Meghan Sacre, 22, is charged with failure to yield when she creams an SUV, causing it to flip on U.S. 250 Bypass when she attempted to go from the left lane to the Park Street exit, the DP reports. Sacre was transporting a patient to Martha Jefferson Hospital.  

Guiltiest driving: The driver of a 1988 Saturn flees when he sees a police officer January 14 near Fashion Square Mall, hits another car head-on and then runs. Joshua Lynn Brown, 24, is charged with reckless driving, felony hit and run, obstruction of justice, driving on a suspended license and possession of marijuana. 

Splashiest opening: The General Assembly convenes January 10 in Richmond, then hits the road for Jamestown for an afternoon speech by VP Dick Cheney and evening State of the Commonwealth by Governor Tim Kaine.

Worst Albemarle schools deja-vu: After major redistricting angst in 2005 that had outraged Ivyites up in arms, two years later, Crozet Elementary is 86 students over capacity and the Albemarle School Board again is looking to redistrict.

Latest alleged Albemarle schools shortfall: $1.8 million.

Second-best real estate market: Despite gloom-and-doom forecasts, 2006 turned out to be the next best market locally, with 4,318 homes sold, compared to 2005's record-setting 4,663 home sales, the Charlottesville Albemarle Association of Realtors reports.

Biggest bingo bonanza: Nelson County schools have received $450,000 over the past five years from the Nelson Schools Boosters' Bingo, played weekly in Madison Heights and now Lynchburg, making Central Virginia a hotbed of bingo, according to the Nelson County Times.

Highest ranking Charlottesville female cop: Wendy Lewis is promoted to lieutenant and will be in charge of the graveyard shift.

First BOS challenger: Ann Mallek plans to run for David Wyant's seat on the Board of Supervisors in November. 

Best place to have a lung transplant: UVA Medical Center patients have the highest survival rates, according to a ranking by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

Worst news for Porsche owners: Under pressure from BMW, Crown Motor Cars drops its Porsche franchise in mid-December, Brian McNeill reports in the DP.

Worst dis to the Albemarle Pippin: A bill before the House of Delegates would make the Ginger Gold apple the state fruit.

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