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Richmond Officials Assess Damage From Wind-Driven Fire Mar 27, 2004 By David E. Leiva/ Associated Press Writer/ RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Firefighters poured water on the remains of a smoldering downtown building Saturday, a day after wind-whipped flames destroyed or damaged nearly two dozen structures. Firefighters had stayed on the scene overnight to douse hot spots, said Lt. Keith Vida of the Richmond Fire Department. A woman died when the power company shut down electricity to help firefighters contain the blaze. She went into cardiac arrest after her oxygen tank quit, said Assistant Fire Marshal Lt. Ronald Faulconer. The woman...

Fox reporting "five or six square blocks" near Broad Street on fire in downstown Richmond, VA. "Explosions heard" before fire erupted. Evacuations underway. Fire spreading.

IS THE Confederate battle flag a symbol of hate? Although there are certain connotations that have been improperly associated with the Confederate flag, there are still many people within the American population who display it to show pride in their heritage. Heritage, not hate.The Confederate States of America was a compilation of southern states that seceded from the United States of America. Following the formation of this new government, the grievances between the North and South produced hostility and warfare.Our differences divided us as a nation. Yet during that period, there arose a certain Southern solidarity that people cannot forget.A...

Scientists Present Findings at First Conference Ever on Forgiveness Research 10/22/03 2:34:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor Contact: Vicki Robb, 202-285-4394, or Louisa Mattozzi, 703-476-0742; Web: http://www.forgiving.org News Advisory: More than 40 of the top scientists in the world who study forgiveness are reporting on their research at a conference in Atlanta Oct. 24-25 at the Westin, Peachtree Plaza Hotel. Spanning the globe from South Africa to Northern Ireland, some of the top researchers include Franz duWaal (director of the Yerkes Primate Center), Ming Tsuang (Harvard psychiatrist), and Lyndon Eaves (geneticist, second most cited geneticist in world)....

Marijuana and Its Receptor Protein in The Brain Can Control Epilepsy, VCU Study Finds Ingredients in marijuana and the cannabinoid receptor protein, which is produced naturally in the body to regulate the central nervous system and other bodily functions, play a critical role in controlling spontaneous seizures in epilepsy, according to a new study by Virginia Commonwealth University researchers. The study, the first to look at marijuana and the brain's cannabinoid system in live animals with spontaneous, recurrent seizures, suggests new avenues that researchers can explore in their search for more-effective drugs to treat epileptic patients who don't respond to...

Immigrant Group Sues Virginia Colleges Immigrant-Rights Group Sues Seven Virginia Colleges Over Admissions Policy The Associated Press ALEXANDRIA, Va. Sept. 3 — Immigrant-rights groups are suing seven Virginia colleges for allegedly following the state attorney general's advice to deny admission to illegal immigrants.The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, contends that the schools' policies usurp the role of federal immigration authorities. It was filed on behalf of unidentified students who either attend or have graduated from Virginia public high schools. The suit follows an advisory opinion issued last year by Attorney General Jerry Kilgore recommending that all Virginia...

A group of Hispanic illegal immigrants sued seven state colleges and universities yesterday in federal court, claiming the schools denied them admission because of their immigration status. The lawsuit, made public yesterday, says the schools' presidents and rectors are following ill-conceived legal advice from state Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore, who last fall issued an opinion recommending that all Virginia colleges deny admission to illegal immigrants and suggesting that admissions officers report potentially illegal applicants to federal authorities. The schools are George Mason University, James Madison University, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), the Northern Virginia Community...

Nadeau, 32, continues a rehabilitation program at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center that includes physical, recreational, and occupational and speech therapy. The Danbury, Conn., veteran suffered a moderate to severe head injury, a fractured left scapula (shoulder blade) and injuries to his left-side lung and ribs on May 2 when his car spun and hit the Turn 1 wall during a practice session at RIR. Doctors at VCU Medical Center said Nadeau has shown rapid progress this week, is medically stable and is not in a situation where it is necessary to classify his general condition. Jay Frye, general manager...

Va. music student defies deafness to a high degree By Bill Baskervill, The Associated Press May 18, 2003 RICHMOND, Va. - A woman who lost all hearing when she was beaten by a robber received a master's degree in music composition Saturday from Virginia Commonwealth University, becoming the first deaf student ever to earn a music degree from the school. By Lisa Billings/AP Tammie Willis watches fellow music student Tiara Walker play piano at Virginia Commonwealth University. Willis can't hear the music - she was rendered deaf in a 1994 beating Instructor William Eldridge described Tammie Willis's accomplishment as...