A Napoleon Taxi Service driver was robbed by his passenger, and Crime Stoppers wants to help the Richmond Police Department identify the suspect.

Around 4 o’clock in the morning of Sept. 21, the cab driver picked up a passenger in the 1900 block of Accommodation Street and drove her to the Stop & Go store on Mechanicsville Turnpike. When the driver told the suspect the amount of the fare, she pushed something into the victim’s side and demanded the victim’s money and cell phone.

Virginia State Police officials have released two opioid/heroin awareness videos.

One video – Broken Dreams, details the story of Sheriff Alleghany County Sheriff Kevin W. Hall’s son, Ryan, and his battle with addiction. The video describes Ryan Hall's struggle to overcome addiction and persevere.

The second video, No Second Chance, debuted recently on the Eastern Shore and follows the tragic consequences of a 20-year-old Accomack County woman who died from a heroin overdose in July 2016.

To mark the changing of the name of Cadence at the Glen to Verena at the Glen, the independent living rental retirement community in Glen Allen is hosting an open-to-the-public celebration Nov. 16. The Showcase of Homes will feature cuisine from the culinary team, refreshments and live jazz, along with tours of the community. The public will also have the opportunity to meet residents and staff. Verena at the Glen is owned by an affiliate of Chicago-based Green Courte Partners, LLC. With the name change to Verena (Latin for true) the community is bringing an updated wellness philosophy, along with enhanced dining, fitness programs, services and activities. The Showcase of Homes at Verena at the Glen will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The community is located at 10286 Brook Road, Glen Allen. RSVP at http://VerenaAtTheGlen.com/RSVP.

Retiring Henrico County Manager Virgil Hazelett was honored today by Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs for his contributions to government and community. Hazelett was one of six individuals and groups honored as part of the eighth annual "Excellence in Virginia Government Awards" ceremony at the Richmond Marriott.

Jessica M. Hawthorne has been hired as youth program coordinator at the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, an organization that works with schools, businesses and communities to achieve success through inclusion. In her role, she conducts diversity and inclusion programs for middle school, high school and college students across the Commonwealth. Hawthorne has particular responsibility for VCIC’s assemblies, one-day youth forums and multi-day student retreats.

School redistricting and parents don't always blend well. The Henrico County School Board learned that tonight during a public hearing about the redistricting process that will set boundaries for the new Kaechele Elementary School in Short Pump and impact other schools in the region.

Most of the 42 speakers who addressed the board during the hearing at Hermitage High School made it clear: they don't like the school system's "blended" redistricting option.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ryan Kovacik, a VCU student from Glen Allen, is one of five finalists selected by Dr Pepper to compete for $100,000 in tuition money prior to the SEC football championship game Dec. 1 in Atlanta. Kovacik submitted his video to DrPepper.com explaining why he deserved to win college tuition from the Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway.

“Dr Pepper is a longtime supporter of college football, and we are proud to have helped so many students reach their dreams by removing the burden of tuition through the annual Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway,” said Leslie Vesper, director of brand marketing for Dr Pepper.

For the eighth consecutive year, Richmond International Raceway is partnering with the Central Virginia Foodbank and the Marine Toys for Tots program to collect food and toys through Dec. 14.

Donations can be made to both organizations at the Richmond International Raceway ticket office, located at the corner of Laburnum Avenue and Richmond-Henrico Turnpike (Meadowbridge Road).

Housing sales are picking up in Henrico County, as they are across the greater Richmond real estate market, according to a Long & Foster market report.

Chesterfield, Henrico, Goochland and Hanover counties, in addition to the City of Richmond, experienced positive trends in home sales and median sale price compared to October of last year, while inventory continued to tighten throughout the entire Richmond region.

The Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA), located in Innsbrook, recently was named one of the 2013 Best Places to Work in Virginia. The annual list of “Best Places to Work” was created by Virginia Business and Best Companies Group. The survey and award program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Virginia, benefiting the state's economy, its work force and businesses. VSCPA was honored in the small employer category, having fewer than 100 employees. The rankings of the 3rd annual Best Places to Work in Virginia will be unveiled and published in the February 2013 issue of Virginia Business.

In fall, gardeners often start thinking about perennials either because they want to add additional plants to their gardens or because they need to take at least some of them out of their garden beds.

Perennials are plants that don’t die after one season but continue to live year after year. The category actually includes trees, shrubs, lawns, hardy bulbs, some vegetables and houseplants, and a large number of plants that are grown for their ornamental flowers or foliage.