NEWS BRIEFS
Hot dog case is solved

A Chesterfield woman was arrested on Aug. 18 after she was accused of stealing two Dachshund show dogs from a Hensley Road home. Deidre O'Malley allegedly took the dogs late last month during a domestic dispute with another woman. O'Malley is charged with larceny of animals or poultry.

He said, she said

A situation of he said, she said ended in a 69- year-old Chesterfield man being arrested for brandishing a firearm and object penetration on Aug. 13. According to police, a domestic dispute occurred between Ethridge N. Ayers Sr., of the 2200 block of Holding Pond Lane, and 24-year-old Helen M. Shaw who was living in the same home. Shaw accused Ayers of assaulting her while Ayers accused Shaw of bringing drugs into the house.

Both were arrested by police. Shaw is charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

Cameras help VDOT cash in

Since going online last February, cameras at the toll booths along Powhite Parkway in the county have collected more than 54,000 images of possible toll violators. The cameras were installed to help the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) catch motorists who speed through toll booths without paying a toll. Violators receive a notice in the mail detailing the date of their violation and a photo of the license plate taken at the time of the violation. They are responsible for paying the toll and a $25 administrative fee. If they fail to pay the bill, they may be taken to court.

From Feb. 1 to July 31, VDOT has collected $331 in previously unpaid tolls and $9,849 in administrative fees. So far, there have been no court proceedings for unpaid tolls.

ACT scores are up

The average ACT score of Chesterfield graduates increased this year, as did the number of Chesterfield graduates taking the college admission and placement exam.

Chesterfield County's 2007 graduates earned an average composite score of 21.5, up from 21.1 last year. This year, 784 Chesterfield graduates took the ACT, up from 603 in 2006. Overall and in every subject, the county's school system exceeded or matched average ACT scores for Virginia and for the United States.

Administered in all 50 states, the ACT is a curriculum-based achievement exam that predicts how students will perform in college coursework. The highest possible score is 36.