NEWS BRIEFS
Another lawsuit is filed over Brandermill Inn

Rajah

The business failure and bankruptcy of the Brandermill Inn and Conference Center has spawned yet another lawsuit. Charles J. McCall of Chesterfield, who owns 15 percent of the inn according to the lawsuit, is suing Telerent Leasing Corporation and the LeClair Ryan law firm for at least $1,650,000 plus court costs, claiming a lis pendens action affected the ownership of the inn and the issuance of insurance.

Telerent claimed the inn's owners hadn't paid leasing fees on office equipment used in the operation of the timeshare and rental business.

Over the last couple of years, several people who bought timeshares from the inn have sued the corporation, alleging they did not receive the benefits they were contractually promised. The inn is currently closed, and according to the suit, the corporation filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2006, and converted to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy last October.

McMurtrie seeks Senate seat

Former Delegate Alex McMurtrie, a Democrat, has announced he is seeking the 11th District State Senate seat.

"We appreciate Alex McMurtrie's willingness to stand up for the citizens of the 11th Senatorial District. Alex's contributions to our area have been recognized by former Governor Mark Warner and Richmond Mayor Doug Wilder in their appointing him to several positions. We look forward to working with Alex this summer to determine the best strategy for defeating [incumbent] Steve Martin," said Lynne Cooper, communications director for the Chesterfield County Democratic Committee.

Suspect

McMurtrie is also running against Independent Roger Habeck in the November election.

Doland faces competition in Matoaca

Omarh Rajah has officially filed his candidacy to run for the Matoaca District seat on the Chesterfield School Board. He will face incumbent Tom Doland, who currently serves as board chairman, in the November election. Rajah, a former Manchester High School teacher, currently works in the education department of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where he helps inmates about to be released apply for jobs and education programs and develop skills to help them lead more productive lives.

Rajah's campaign will focus on three main issues: restoring values and discipline to the classroom; always being accessible to his constituents, and pledging to return all phone calls within 24 hours; and uniting the Matoaca District.

"There's a huge need for more accountability in the Matoaca District. It's the most diverse district in Chesterfield, but the one thing I'm hearing all over the district is that citizens don't feel we're getting our fair share from the county," said Rajah.

Rajah says he's been endorsed by a number of state and local officials, including Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, State Senator John Watkins, Delegate Kirk Cox and Delegate Sam Nixon.

Rajah and his wife, Vantrece, a beautician, live in the Spring Run subdivision with their daughter, Yasmin, and son, Omarh Jr. They are members of Spring Creek Baptist Church.

School Board approves more trailers

Earlier this month, the Chesterfield School Board approved the purchase of 17 new trailers to be used as classrooms at the Enon Annex. The trailers cost $33,595 each including setup, stoops and steps.

Bumpy bridges will be repaired

Motorists will soon have a smoother ride over several bridges in the county. Lanford Brothers Company of Roanoke, was awarded a $615,000 contract to patch and rehabilitate six bridges in Chesterfield that cross I-95 and others in Colonial Heights by this November. The Chesterfield bridges include Route 288 south, Route 288 north, Route 620 (Woods Edge Road), Route 746 (Ruffin Mill Road), Route 615 (Coxendale Road), and Route 618 (Old Bermuda Hundred Road).

The contract involves sealing deteriorated areas to extend the life of the bridge decks. While most work will be done during nonpeak travel times, motorists may experience minor delays. The exception will be the Route 618 bridge, which will be closed for up to two weeks while a latex overlay is installed. Traffic will be detoured onto Route 10 during the closure.

Eighty percent of the funding for these bridge repairs is coming from the federal government while the state is picking up the remainder of the cost.

Bomb threat forces courts closure

The county's courts buildings were evacuated on June 20 after someone called a bomb threat into Richmond's 911 center. An extensive search found no explosives in the buildings.

The Richmond center notified Chesterfield of the threat shortly after 9 a.m. The evacuation of the Chesterfield County Circuit and General District courts, and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, was complete by 9:30 a.m.

K-9 units from the Henrico County Police Department, Virginia Capitol Police and Virginia State Police were used to search the buildings. Both buildings were marked clear by 12:20 p.m. and were reopened.

The morning's dockets were canceled for the day.

Another OxyContin robbery

The Chesterfield County Police Department is investigating a robbery in which OxyContin was stolen from the Walgreens at 20 Buford Rd. at 4:24 a.m. on June 21. This is the fifth drugstore robbery involving OxyContin since May.

The suspect approached the pharmacy counter, displayed a gun, and demanded OxyContin. No one was injured during the robbery. Police believe the man may be responsible for similar robberies that occurred May 13, 15, 29 and June 6. The suspect is described as a stocky, black male weighing 200-235 pounds, and between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall. He wore green camouflage clothing, a matching hat and had a beard.

If you have information, contact the police department at 748-1251 or call Crime Solvers anonymously at 748-0660.

Centralia crash kills county man

A Chesterfield County man was killed on June 17 when his vehicle veered into the path of another vehicle on Centralia Road. According to police, Jeffrey T. Panek, 26, of the 9500 block of Bentwood Lane, was traveling east on Centralia when his vehicle struck a westbound pickup truck near the intersection of Lost Forest Drive.

Home invasion investigated

County police are searching for two suspects who broke into an apartment on June 21 in the 2400 block of Marina Drive in the Falling Creek apartment complex.

Shortly after 1 a.m., the residents were awakened by banging on the door, followed by the door being kicked in. A white male and a black male entered the residence, demanded money, assaulted one male resident with a metal pipe, and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The resident received minor injuries.

Both suspects fled in an older model, white pickup truck that had a red stripe on the side. The truck was last seen headed toward Jefferson Davis Highway.

Vehicles vandalized in Walton Park

Seventeen vehicles were vandalized in the Walton Park, Queensmill and Hawthorne Village subdivisions between June 15-20. Victims reported their vehicle windows had been shattered or broken. Total estimated damages exceed $4,100.

Anyone with information should contact the police department at 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 748-0660.

Car struck by train

An Amtrak train hit a car while it was crossing the railroad tracks in the 3800 block of Curtis Street in Chester on June 16. According to police, the driver of the 2001 Chevrolet Impala was driving south on Curtis Street at 10:32 p.m. when the passenger train collided with the vehicle.

The Impala's driver was taken to VCU Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.