Bleifeld

NEWS NEAR YOU

Chesterfield The county Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services reminds everyone that Chesterfield prohibits the sale, possession, storage and use of fireworks by anyone other than a licensed and permitted fireworks professional. This prohibition includes sparklers, which are considered fireworks.

Richmond A series of public events to dedicate the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial at the state Capitol will be held July 20-21. The memorial comemmorates Robert Russa Moton High School student Barbara Johns and her fellow classmates who participated in a walkout to protest the conditions of their segregated school in Prince Edward County in April 1951. An educational symposium will be held July 20 at 3 p.m. at the Library of Virginia, and the memorial, created by sculptor Stanley Bleifeld, will be unveiled at 10:30 a.m. July 21 on Capitol Square. For details, visit www.vacivilrightsmemorial.org or call (804) 272-8008.

Henrico The county's Court Appointed Special Advocates will conduct a free, six-week training program beginning Sept. 8 to prepare volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children in Henrico's court system. For details, contact Dayle Goldberg at (804) 501-1675, e-mail

Chesterfield Police are encouraging county residents to start planning for the 25th annual National Night Out, Tuesday, Aug. 5. Residents can celebrate the fight against crime by hosting neighborhood block parties. Event hosts are asked to register their event by July 20. National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug-prevention awareness, develop and strengthen partnerships between police and residents, and generate support for anti-crime programs. For details, contact crime prevention officer Bryan Miltenberger at (804) 318-8691.

Prince George County police arrested two men on drug charges during traffic stops this week. Police said that on Tuesday at 2 p.m., Leonard Bartley Jr., 33, of South Carolina was stopped as he was northbound on Interstate 95. Then around midnight the same day, police detained Steven D. Bennett Jr., 23, of Hopewell, in the 7000 block of John Elizabeth Place. Each man was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. The two stops netted a total of two vehicles, more than 600 grams of marijuana and about $2,000 in cash, authorities said.

AROUND THE STATE

South Boston Police say a North Carolina man was shot and killed Wednesday night by a law enforcement officer. Virginia State Police said Randolph Neal Seamster Jr., 22, of Pelham, N.C., died at the scene in the parking lot of a Sheetz store. Sgt. David Cooper said in a news release that the shooting occurred when members of a regional task force, including officers from South Boston, Halifax County and state police, were investigating a drug-related matter, "which resulted in attempted capital murder of one of the officers." Cooper would give no other details, pending the outcome of a state police investigation. He said the officer who shot Seamster has been placed on administrative leave.

Charlottesville Need something to do before the fireworks start? See the document that started a revolution at the exhibit: "Declaring Independence: Creating and Recreating America's Document," open today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University of Virginia's Harrison Institute/Small Special Collections Library.