4BETTER OR WORSE- The week in review
Best/worst scenarios for city manager candidates: Acting city manager Maurice Jones gets the job. Finalist Richard Brown, East Providence city manager, however, faces a newly elected council poised to fire him, according to the Providence Journal.
Biggest land tranfer: MeadWestvaco sells 4,500 acres in Albemarle south of Monticello and Ash Lawn-Highland for $23.75 million to the man who brought gambling to the Greenbrier resort, James C. Justice II, according to Charlottesville Tomorrow.
Biggest change of heart: After the Board of Supervisors seemingly agrees to shoot down land magnate Wendell Wood's request to expand the county's growth area south of Hollymead Town Center at a November public hearing, supes Ken Boyd and Rodney Thomas request the idea be revisited at a December 1 meeting, Charlottesville Tomorrow reports.
Biggest Albemarle School Board shake-up: Chairman Ron Price announces he's taking a new job at Utah Valley University, so his last School Board meeting is December 9. Another board member, Brian Wheeler, resigned this summer.
Latest in the 2008 Fairway shootings: Richmonder Curtis Tyrell Montague, 31, is found guilty of felony murder, abduction, two counts of robbery and four firearms charges stemming from the April 8, 2008, shooting of Shawn Anthony Luck, 29, and robbery of Antwan Tinsley, Tasha Kates reports in the Progress. The jury recommends 85 years, and Montague will be sentenced February 7.
Latest in the vicious attack on a Louisa elderly woman: A jury finds Remone Houchens guilty of three felony counts in the May robbery and beating that left Lois Rosson, 87, blind in one eye and recommends Houchens serve 30 years. Sentencing is February 14, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Latest Rutherford Institute causes: Photo red is dangerous and illegal, president John Whitehead writes the Albemarle BOS, and he denounces as unconstitutional Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's opinion that school officials can seize and search student electronic devices for any report of misconduct. The AG's opinion came at the request of Delegate Rob Bell, who is working on a cyber bullying bill.
Greasiest: Charlottesville Fire Department responds to two grease fires November 30, one of which seriously burns the resident cook.
Worst Taco Bell blaze: A December 4 dinner time fire believed to be accidental guts the restaurant off Seminole Trail near the Carmike.
Worst electric shock: A construction worker on the third floor of the Greenhouse apartment building is shocked and incapacitated December 2 when his tape measure touches a power line. Stephanie Satchell has the story at the Newsplex.
Best tip when fleeing police: Put your vehicle in park before absconding on foot. The driver of a red pickup in Nelson County December 2 pulled into a driveway and ran with one of his passengers while the truck rolled back into a State Patrol cruiser. Police found alcohol and a small amount of pot in the truck.
Most high-speed pursuits: There were at least 1,227 incidents of cops chasing drivers in 2009, 15 percent of those resulted in crashes, and 11 of the attempted evaders were killed, according to a Virginia State Crime Commission that will consider endorsing legislation that would put some restrictions on police pursuits and include vehicle forfeiture for the flee-ers, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.
Most likely to get coal in his stocking: The thief who knocked over a Salvation Army bell ringer at Sam's Club November 30 and flees with the collection bucket containing an unknown amount of cash into the backseat of a gold circa early '90s Mercury Sable.
Boldest attire for a strong-arm robbery: The Salvation Army bucket heister topped his black leather jacket with a fluorescent-green traffic vest.