Former Supervisor Barber sued for credit card debt

The legal problems of former Midlothian Supervisor Ed Barber have apparently become financial problems. Chase Bank is suing Barber in Chesterfield County Circuit Court for $47,182 in credit card debt, asking for interest and court costs.

Associates close to Barber said earlier this year that he has little money. On June 20, Barber filed a lawsuit against the Chesterfield County School Board for $200,000 for retirement benefits he claims are owed to him after he resigned from his teaching job last year amid sex charges. Last March, the teenage victim hired three attorneys to sue Barber in civil court for more than $7 million in damages.

In a plea agreement over a year ago, Barber admitted he "touched the private parts of [the victim] against her will." His punishment included a two-year suspended sentence, three years of probation, 100 hours of community service and being registered with the state's Sex Offender Registry.

Party nets nine underage drinkers

A party in Walton Park led to the arrests of nine underage drinkers ages 18-20 earlier this month. According to Chesterfield police, a neighbor called to complain about a party in the 12700 block of Walton Ridge Lane shortly before midnight on July 13. When officers arrived, they found about a dozen young adults at the party, and arrested nine of them - eight of them females - for underage possession of alcohol.

The lone male who was arrested was also charged with identity fraud and obstructing justice after he ran from police.

"The parents [of the young adult who was hosting the party] were unaware this was going on because they were out of town," said Lieutenant D.E. Mooney with the department's Uniform Operations Bureau.

All nine will appear in Chesterfield County General District Court where they face a mandatory fine of at least $500 or 50 hours of community service and the suspension of their drivers' licenses for 6-12 months.

County receives $1 million road grant

Chesterfield County was recently awarded a $1 million matching grant from the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to improve roads and bridges. The funds are available under the Revenue Sharing Program in which each dollar a participating locality puts toward a project is matched by a dollar from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), up to the maximum available allocation of $1 million per locality.

"This program helps counties, cities and towns make their transportation dollars go further," said Virginia Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer. "Revenue sharing is a true partnership between the localities and VDOT to address local transportation needs. The localities determine their priority projects, and the extra funds from VDOT speed up progress on those projects."

Altogether, the CTB approved $51 million in matching funds for projects statewide. Of that, the Richmond District, which includes Chesterfield, received $5.4 million.

Safer railroad tracks in Chester

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) recently installed new pavement markings at the railroad tracks on Curtis Street in Chester. This crossing has been the site of seven vehicle crashes in the last five years.

"The steep grade of the railroad crossing combined with the T intersection on the west side of the tracks make it difficult for motorists to see the pavement when they approach from the west," says VDOT Regional Traffic Engineer Travis Bridewell. "By installing new pavement markings, drivers should be able to see where the road meets the crossing and have better visibility of the road during the day and night."

The four-inch wide, yellow, thermoplastic pavement markings are more durable and last about five years - longer than the typical two years for painted lines. Crews also refurbished the stop bar and provided other maintenance services at the railroad crossing. These improvements totaled approximately $700.

Last month, VDOT applied additional pavement to both sides of the tracks to allow drivers more surface area. Curtis Street averages 2,700 motorists per day, according to VDOT traffic counts.

Police investigate store homicide

Chesterfield police are investigating the homicide of a clerk who was found shot to death at the Fast and Friendly convenience store on Jefferson Davis Highway on July 18.

According to police, a customer entered the store around 11:30 p.m. and found 52-year-old Anwar Farooq of the 2800 block of Sugarberry Lane in Midlothian lying unresponsive on the floor. He died from an apparent gunshot wound. Investigators believe robbery was the motive for the murder.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Chesterfield County Police Department at 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 748-0660.

Falling Creek no longer a Title I school

Beginning this fall, Falling Creek Middle won't be classified as a Title I school, meaning it will no longer face penalties if it doesn't meet annual yearly progress standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

In its place, Davis Elementary will become a Title I school. The $543,000 that Falling Creek would have received in federal dollars will be made up in local funding.

Traditionally, the Title I program provides funding for prevention programs at schools - usually at the elementary level - that serve a large number of lower-income or lowerperforming students who may need additional help to improve their achievement levels.

"It was a routine decision. It was experimental to provide Title I services to a middle school. It's rarely done in Virginia or in the United States," explained Dale Kalkofen, assistant superintendent of instruction.

"We attempted an intervention model and determined it did not work the way the prevention model [at the elementary school level] did," continued Debra Marlow, the school system's director of community relations. "It doesn't mean we're pulling out support for Falling Creek Middle. We have other supports."

Falling Creek has been a Title I school for the last two or three years. Students will continue to benefit from several strategies that were successful under the Title I program. The school will keep on offering an after-school program. A translator and several extra reading teachers will also remain at the school.

However, new strategies will be implemented to improve student achievement. Starting this fall, all sixth-grade students will be required to take strategic reading during the fall semester before moving into sixth-grade English in the spring semester. Strategic reading is designed to increase reading comprehension, said Kalkofen.

Last fall, about 150 students transferred to Robious Middle School after Falling Creek failed to meet NCLB standards for annual yearly progress. The federal government clas- sified the school as "in need of improvement," because it did not meet the minimum goals for reading in the limited English proficiency, Hispanic and students with disabilities subgroups, and in the disabled students subgroup in math.

Pedestrian killed on Hull Street Road

A pedestrian was killed on July 18 after he was struck by two vehicles at the intersection of Hull Street Road and Commonwealth Centre Parkway. According to police, Samuel B. Moorman, 55, of Lynchburg, was attempting to cross Hull Street Road around 5:13 a.m. when he was hit by a 2001 Saturn Ion traveling in the eastbound lane. The impact then knocked him into the path of a 2002 Ford Explorer.

A private contractor, Moorman had been staying at the motel located at that intersection and was attempting to cross the street to have breakfast at McDonald's.

Moorman was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither drivers were injured, and no charges are expected.