Henrico County News

Henrico County Public School Art students received a total of 148 awards in the recent Scholastics Art competition.

The Gold Key award, which is the highest recognition, was given to 59 works created by students in Henrico. The Gold Key winners’ artwork has been sent for national adjudication. National awardees and teachers will be celebrated at regional ceremonies, public events and the National Ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. > Read more.

Henrico County’s Office of Emergency Management will offer free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training beginning in March. The nine week course will be offered on Tuesday mornings from March 6 to May 1 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or on Thursday evenings from March 8 to May 3 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The class will cover disaster preparedness information on weather awareness, fire safety, search and rescue, first aid tips and how to help first responders, incident command and system overview and crime prevention and awareness. Classes will involve hands-on practical instruction. > Read more.

Navy Seaman Recruit Kewonn M. Jones, son of Sandra R. Jones, of Richmond, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Kewonn completed a variety of training which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, shipboard and aircraft safety and physical fitness. The capstone event of boot camp is "Battle Stations,” an exercise that gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet. "Battle Stations" is designed to galvanize the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each recruit through the practical application of basic Navy skills and the core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. Its distinctly ''Navy'' flavor was designed to take into account what it means to be a Sailor. Kewonn is a 2002 graduate of Highland Springs High School. > Read more.

Legislators and medical experts are concerned about the rising use of synthetic drugs known as “bath salts,” which cause a cocaine-like high – and in rare instances can cause death.

The stimulant, promoted by some YouTube videos and websites, is not to be confused with everyday bathing products. After smoking, inhaling or injecting the designer drug, users may experience euphoria – as well as nausea, seizures, paranoia and other side effects, experts say. > Read more.

A House subcommittee has defeated a Senate-approved bill that would have permitted hunting on Sundays in Virginia.

A subcommittee of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee recommended Wednesday that Senate Bill 464 be tabled.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk, would have allowed hunting on Sundays on private property by the landowners, their immediate family or people who have written permission from the landowners.

At Wednesday’s meeting of the Natural Resources Subcommittee, Northam proposed an amendment to limit Sunday hunting to state or federal military bases and wildlife management areas. > Read more.