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.

(Left to right) Calvin Parsons, Travis Mann and Dill Driscoll walk down West Broad Street on May 8 as part of the 2013 Carry the Load National Relay. Carry the Load was founded in 2011 by former Navy SEAL Clint Bruce to make Memorial Day more meaningful, said Mann, a Navy pilot. It asks members to “carry the load” for veterans who have died or were wounded.

Glen Allen resident Bob Layton has written a book that details nearly 100 lesser-known monuments located throughout the City of Richmond. Discovering Richmond Monuments: A History of River City Landmarks Beyond the Avenue reviews the overlooked contributors lining the streets, parks and buildings of Richmond and provides insight into the development of the city and how it rose from a tiny spot at the falls to become a leader in manufacturing, the arts, and finance and gain the status of “Wall Street of the South.”

It’s a month yet before the curtain rises on opening night of Les Miserables at Collegiate School – but in true Christian Youth Theater tradition, all seven performances are completely and predictably sold out.

Yes, the legendary musical is a popular one – the longest running musical in the world. But when the Broadway production passed through Richmond in March, it did not enjoy nearly as receptive an audience as the CYT Richmond adaptation.

Nor nearly as proud an audience, either.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month this month, artwork by students at the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls will be on display at Crossroads Art Center, 2016 Staples Mill Road, from May 17 to June 17. Items include sketches, pop art and sculptures. VHBG serves as a home for about 50 at-risk youngsters and helps many who are struggling with mental health disorders. The organization held a walkathon May 1 (organized by students) and raised more than $2,000 for education, research and advocacy for suicide prevention.

More than 2,000 cyclists from as far away as Arizona, Maine, Michigan and even Vatican City flocked to Richmond May 11 for the 2013 Cap2Cap, in which participants bike between Virginia's modern and colonial capitals on rides ranging from 25 to 100 miles in length. Among volunteers greeting riders afterwards in the lunch tent at Rocketts Landing was Jacquelin Wade, shown hugging her friend Tera Holland, events coordinator and athlete liaison at Richmond Multisports. Holland, a first-timer at the Cap2Cap, had just finished the 25-miler and pronounced it "a blast!"

After three months and 30,000 pies of preparation, this year's Lebanese Food Festival is set to take place May 17-19 on the 15-acre campus of St. Anthony Maronite Catholic Church in Glen Allen.

The 29th installment of the three-day festival is expected to draw more than 20,000 attendees for food and entertainment, said Sandra Joseph Brown, a member of the Lebanese Food Festival Committee.

Virginia’s suicide rate is the highest it’s been in 13 years, according to the state’s chief medical examiner. Experts say the causes may include the poor economy and lack of mental health services.

In 2011, the most recent year for which data are available, there were 1,067 suicides in the state – 12.6 suicides per 100,000 residents. The numbers have risen steadily since 2003, when there were 804 suicides, a rate of 10.9 suicides per 100,000 population.