Now that lawns are greening up, it’s time to consider best practices for mowing your grass.

“How you mow is important,” advises Henrico Extension Agent Karen Carter. “One of the best ways to prevent weeds in your lawn is to mow correctly.”

Start by checking the blade on your mower. It needs to be sharp so that you don’t chew off or shred your grass, which makes it vulnerable to disease and attacks by insects.

The blade needs to be set high enough to leave grass at least 3 inches high. “This is probably the most important thing,” said Carter. “Mowing high improves root growth and helps shade out weed seedlings. You’ll still have some weeds, but the number will be greatly reduced.” > Read more.

Thousands of students in schools across the country are subjected to bullying by their peers on a daily basis. Now Virginia is doing something about the problem.

During its 2012 session, the General Assembly passed legislation requiring teachers and other school personnel to receive training on anti-bullying tactics. Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed the legislation into law; it will take effect in July.

Lawmakers approved two identical measures – Senate Bill 271 and House Bill 504. They will require the Virginia Center for School Safety to provide employees in Virginia schools with training on how to stop bullying. State officials say such training has become necessary as bullying has become more common. > Read more.

Through its A+ School Rewards program, MARTIN’S Food Markets recently donated $131,307 to schools in the greater Richmond community. The program allows schools to earn cash for educational needs. After customers designate the school of their choice, A+ School Rewards points accrue with each purchase made using a BonusCard. The top school this year is Mills E. Godwin High School who earned $9,251. Longdale Elementary School also earned $3,111. For a complete listing of participating schools and the A+ School Rewards they have earned, visit http://www.martinsfoods.com/aplus. > Read more.

Few are the industries that have escaped the effects of the recent economic downturn, with the construction and real estate industries chief among the sufferers.

But an observer might be forgiven for speculating that retirement communities would be an exception.

After all, baby boomers are reaching retirement age in huge waves, at a pace that would seem to leave the construction industry struggling to keep up.

Shouldn’t boomers be beating down the doors of senior citizen communities? > Read more.

It took nearly a century, but the St. Gertrude High School “Gertie Girls” will finally have fields of their own – and a presence in Henrico County.

At a fundraising campaign kick-off held April 28, parents, students, alumnae and friends of the school gathered at the site of a future athletic complex off Park Central Drive to envision the soccer fields, softball diamond and tennis courts soon to take shape. In addition to a turf field for soccer, field hockey and lacrosse, the Outdoor Athletic Center will boast a grass field, concession stand, restrooms, storage space, athletic training room, meeting room and a walking path that can be used by the cross country team.

The complex will be a godsend for families and staff at SGHS, who have relied on a cobbled-together network of rented and borrowed playing fields, a handful of buses and “the patience of our parents” to keep track of the teams’ whereabouts and schedules, said Margaret Shibley, director of alumnae & public relations. > Read more.