A state panel has started studying Spotsylvania's combined fire and rescue system. The panel held a public hearing at the Holbert Building last night. Most speakers mentioned the February death of a county woman. John Leach with Chancellor Volunteer Fire and Rescue said he was there. Leach said, "There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about it." Leach said changes are occurring in the system. Resident Cliff Vaughn said, "There's a systematic problem here with response and efficiencies." Vaughn said he knew there was a problem with the system when 45 people responded to the one alarm fire that claimed the life of Sandy Hill in February. Horace McCaskill, representing the County NAACP wanted an independent review of the fire instead of an internal study. He also wanted more minority recruitment.
Virginia is getting $6.2 million in federal funding to help cope with the housing crisis. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says the grant will allow local governments to buy, redevelop or demolish foreclosed properties...
Saturday morning in downtown Fredericksburg the Alzheimer's Association holds the annual Memory Walk. Jennifer Reynolds with Senior Care at Mary Washington HealthCare says, "About 5 years ago we said about 4.5 million people had Alzheimer's in America. Now we're over 5.2 million..."
During a busy Labor Day weekend at Dulles, one package arriving from Ghana raised some eyebrows. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents say a traveler arriving from the West African nation tried to bring in 14 Giant African Land Snails with him...
