For seven years now, outdoor enthusiast Connie Henshaw has been dreaming of the day she would through-hike the Appalachian Trail after graduation from college in 2016.

But she was barely into her freshman year at Virginia Tech when a tragic turn of events upended her plans, and she pulled out of spring semester classes to hit the trail in March – three years early. > Read more.

Two corridors in Northern Henrico soon will receive new permanent signage to welcome travelers.

Signs are expected to be erected by the end of the month at points on both ends of Lakeside Avenue and one location on nearby Brook Road. The county’s Department of Community Revitalization has spearheaded the efforts to design and purchase the signs.

The Lakeside signs – each eight feet tall and made of aluminum – will display the Lakeside “wheel” logo that has been used in recent years by the Lakeside Business Association. > Read more.

Henrico County is implementing a new multi-faceted alert system that will warn residents of emergencies faster than its current system while saving the county about $50,000 a year.

The “Code Red” system, operated by a private company, will be able to send warning messages by phone, text and e-mail countywide or to specific groups of residents in certain geographic areas as warranted, Fire Chief Anthony McDowell told the Board of Supervisors during a work session Nov. 27. > Read more.

U.S. Congressman Eric Cantor (at right, standing, third from right) presented the 2012 Congressional Veteran Commendation to eight local residents, including three from Henrico, during a Veterans Day ceremony at Clover Hill High School.

Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Walter George (standing, fourth from right), Capt. Donald Bloomquist (standing, second from right) and Sgt. James “Jimmy” Ray (standing, far right) of Henrico received the commendation from Cantor. > Read more.

Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer recently announced that Ellen M. Drake has joined the Residential Services Group as a residential portfolio manager in its Glen Allen office. She will manage a portfolio of residential multi-family properties in the metro Richmond and Hampton Roads areas. Drake graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University and served as the director of property management for Monroe Properties in downtown Richmond. Drake holds the Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) designation from the National Apartment Association and is currently enrolled in the Certified Property Manager (CPM) curriculum through the Institute of Real Estate Management. > Read more.