NEWS BRIEFS
County man killed in Iraq

Staff Sergeant Darryl D. Booker, 37, of Midlothian, was killed on Jan. 20 while serving in Iraq when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was traveling in was shot down near Baghdad. Eleven of Booker's fellow soldiers also perished in the crash.

Booker was assigned to the Virginia Army National Guard's 29th Infantry Division and had worked as a full-time employee at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston. He had also served in Bosnia-Herzegovina starting in September 2001, and was in Iraq on an earlier deployment.

Booker is survived by his wife, a 16-year-old daughter and four stepchildren.

"Over the holiday, he let me know that he had a couple close calls," recounted his father, Earnest R. Hardy Sr. "He said, 'Don't worry about me. I'm alright. I'm covered.' If he was secure in his assurance of where he was with Christ, then I had assurances."

Booker was active in his church, the Mount Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries in Chesterfield.

School vending machines get healthier

Beginning in July, all county schools will remove soft drinks and candy from their vending machines and replace them with healthier snacks.

"We expect that students will adapt well to this change," said Dr. Marcus J. Newsome, superintendent of schools. "This is just the next step in a process that Chesterfield County Public Schools is undertaking to do our part to promote healthy lifestyles."

Each county high school will receive a $10,000 grant to help make the transition since the schools use profits from vending machines to fund student activities.

According to health department statistics, one in every three county students is either overweight or at risk of being overweight.

Consultant sues Lucy Corr Village

Lucy Corr Village is being sued in Chesterfield Circuit Court by a Maryland-based consulting firm that claims the retirement community has not paid for services it provided under a previous contract.

Prior to Lucy Corr canceling the contract, Jean Moreau & Associates was being paid $20,000 monthly for marketing, development and management services for an expansion project.

"We offered to sit down and talk to mediate the differences," said Will Shewmake, the consultant's attorney.

"We haven't been notified of the suit, and if we had, we would not comment on it," said Lucy Corr's Executive Director Leigh Robbins.

The suit seeks $2.25 million plus interest "and other costs the court deems fit and proper."

Wilton pleads guilty to embezzlement

Robert B. Wilton III, 58, pleaded guilty earlier this month in Henrico Circuit Court to embezzling more than $1.4 million from the estate of former Bon Air resident Madeline Forsee.

Wilton is the son of Robert B. Wilton Jr., a well-known landholder in metro Richmond.

He allegedly gained the trust of the family during a 1986 land deal and was later asked to handle Forsee's $5 million estate.

Wilton faces up to 80 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Mar. 23.

Police seek SunTrust bank robbers

Police are searching for two men who robbed the SunTrust bank branch at gunpoint at 12551 Jefferson Davis Highway around 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 23.

Police said the masked suspects entered the bank, approached a teller, demanded money and jumped over the counter. The suspects fled the bank on BMX-style bicycles with an undisclosed amount of money. Police believe the men then left the area in a dark blue pickup truck. No one was injured during the robbery.

The suspects are described as white males ages 25-35. One suspect wore a red hooded sweatshirt with New York printed on the front and black running pants with a white stripe down the side. The second suspect wore jeans and a brown jacket.

If you have information about this robbery, please contact the Chesterfield County Police Department at 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 748-0660.

Vehicle crash injures four

County police are investigating a two-vehicle crash that occurred at the intersection of Iron Bridge and Kingsland roads at around 11 p.m. on Jan. 20 that seriously injured four people.

According to police, 21-year-old Kenneth M. Robertson was driving westbound on Iron Bridge Road in a 1994 Honda Del Sol when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a 1989 Honda Civic hatchback that was also traveling westbound. Both vehicles then ran off the road hitting several trees.

Both drivers were transported to VCU Medical Center via helicopter - one with life-threatening injuries.

Robertson, of the 6100 block of Barrister Road, has been charged with reckless driving. He is scheduled to appear in Chesterfield County General District Traffic Court on Feb. 27.