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Vol. 36, No. 38 | Richmond Suburban News | December 16, 2020
STOPS AT EVERY HOME IN TOWN
County employees getting bonus; Lock your vehicles! Investigations of larcenies of autos on rise supervisors OK broadband plan By Melody Kinser Managing Editor
By Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville Local ASHLAND — Naughty or nice, all Hanover County employees will be receiving a cash bonus during this year’s holiday season. The Hanover County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan at last week’s regular meeting that allows county administrator John Budesky to distribute the one-time stipends to all county government and school system employees. Budesky said the $750 for full-time employees and $375 part-time bonuses represent an effort to reward employees whose merit raises were cancelled this year
due to COVID-19 budget restraints. “Needless to say, 2020 has been a challenging year for our organization, our community, the C ommonwe alt h and the nation,” Budesky said. BUDESKY “One of the things that I’m extremely proud of is the response that our employees have contributed in responding to the needs of our residents in day-to-day operations.”
The county administrator noted that county offices closed only one full day when the pandemic began in March, and Hanover County Public Schools has offered both face-to-face and online instruction for its 16,000 students, one of only 10 systems in the state to do so. “We believe that we are doing our very best to respond to the needs of our citizens and our community. Our employees have gone well above and beyond in those efforts to address those ongoing needs,” Budesky said. “We’ve come back even stronger and been very agile to meet the needs of our residents in changing envisee BONUS, pg. 7
Students, parents want to keep winter sports active By Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville Local
Metro Creative Connection
ASHLAND -- When Hanover County Public Schools officials announced a decision to suspend winter sports activities earlier this month, a number of student athletes began a campaign
designed to persuade administrators to allow the sports to continue. HCPS officials told stakeholders winter sports activities would be suspended until a final decision is reached no later than Friday, Dec. 18. A number of students and parents pleaded their case at a
regularly scheduled Hanover County School Board meeting last week. All spoke in favor of the continuation of winter sports, including basketball, indoor track, wrestling, gymnastics, and swimming. The efforts coincide with see SPORTS, pg. 18
HANOVER – Hide it, lock it, or lose it. That’s the rallying cry the Hanover County Sheriff ’s Office is using in an effort to curb a rash of larcenies of vehicles. Often, victims have left their vehicles unlocked – even with the keys in them. “We cannot stress enough how this is a preventative game,” Lt. James R. Cooper, public information officer for Col. David R. Hines, sheriff. “We started seeing an increase in larcenies from autos beginning in September up until, well, now. I think the last one we had was Monday night/ Tuesday morning (Dec. 7-8), where a handgun was stolen out of an unsecured vehicle.” Even more alarming, Cooper said, “We’ve had two handguns stolen out of unsecured vehicles since September.” According to Cooper, the
Melody Kinser/ The Local
Do not leave items that will attract thieves to your vehicle. The Hanover County Sheriff’s Office is reporting an increase in larcenies of automobiles.
main areas being targeted are subdivisions and apartment complexes in Mechanicsville in the central portion of the county, including the Kings see LOCK, pg. 12
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