Briefs

Local & VCU

Hundreds register for help from holiday need programs

More than 700 families have registered for Christmas Mother or Angel Tree assistance during the first week that The Salvation Army in Central Virginia accepted applications.

Those approved applicants in the Christmas assistance programs, based on their needs, are assigned to the Christmas Mother program sponsored by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Angel Tree program sponsored by WWBT/NBC 12 or other Salvation Army Christmas assistance programs.

The 729 first-week registrants were slightly fewer in number than last year, but the bulk of registrations tend to come later in the process, according to Salvation Army spokesman Jeff Baldwin. Those already-approved families include 1,199 children.

The Salvation Army in Central Virginia served more than 10,500 children in 2010 through its Christmas assistance programs. Contributions through the Christmas Mother campaign totaled $266,000.

The Richmond Christmas Mother Fund was established in 1935 by The Richmond News Leader to provide needy children and families with toys, clothing, food and other assistance during the holidays. It later became a joint project with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The Salvation Army now administers the fund as part of its citywide Christmas programs.

Brief by The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Bank of America’s $200,000 grants assist local organizations

William Byrd Community House and Communities in Schools Richmond each will receive a $200,000 unrestricted grant and leadership training from Bank of America as part of the bank’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative.

The Richmond organizations were chosen for the Neighborhood Builders program, which works with 92 high-impact nonprofits across 44 U.S. cities and London.

Bank of America is investing $20 million in the program this year, bringing the total commitment to $150 million since the program’s inception in 2004. The bank has invested $2.25 million in Richmond since the program began.

Bank of America is also recognizing five Local Heroes selected for their commitment to the highest standards in community service. Each Local Hero can choose a nonprofit charity to receive a $5,000 donation.

Local Heroes and their organizations are Peter Adler of Chester, ElderHomes; Mary Gravely of Montpelier, Hanover Education Foundation, Helping Hands; Jay Michael Ipson of Richmond, Virginia Holocaust Museum; Floyd E. Miller II of Richmond, Special Olympics Virginia; and Margaret Lerke Woody of Richmond, ART 180.

Five local high school students were announced earlier this year for paid internships and leadership training.

Brief by The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Cuccinelli sees ‘good chance’ he’ll run

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli told a student at Norfolk Technical School on Tuesday that there is a “good chance” he’ll run for governor.

At first, it seemed Cuccinelli had slipped and inadvertently broke news on an issue about which he has hedged to reporters for months – that he would challenge Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2013.

Before too much of a frenzy started to build, a spokesman for the attorney general chimed in, pointing out that Cuccinelli had not specified when he might run for the top job.

Brief by The Richmond Times-Dispatch

National & International

Marines end ban on KIA bracelets

Marines are now able to wear bracelets commemorating friends killed in action, a change in policy announced last week by Commandant Gen. James F. Amos.

“We are acknowledging the close personal nature of our 10 years at war and the strong bonds of fidelity that Marines have for one another, especially for those fellow Marines who we have lost,” Amos said.

The decision came Tuesday after a meeting between Amos and his senior leaders at a Marine Corps General Officer Symposium, which is a group of general officers that makes recommendations to the commandant.

In announcing his decision, Amos said he approved the wearing not only of KIA bracelets, effective immediately, but also bracelets that memorialize prisoners of war, the missing in action and those who died of wounds or injuries sustained in a combat zone. KIA bracelets are usually thin rubber or metal bands bearing the names of the fallen in Afghanistan, Iraq or other combat zone.

The regulation on Marine uniforms does not specifically mention the KIA bracelets among jewelry authorized for wear when in uniform. It says they can wear watches, but they must be inconspicuous; necklaces must be worn inside the uniform and not visible.

Brief by The Associated Press

Russia bans entry to US officials in retaliation

Russia has banned entry to U.S. officials allegedly involved in killings and abductions, a strong response to Washington’s blacklisting of Russian officials involved in the prison death of a whistleblower.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday it was blacklisting unspecified U.S. officials it claims were involved in the abductions of alleged terrorism suspects, the torture of inmates at Guantanamo prison, the killings of civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the abductions or abuse of Russians in the United States. It did not say how many U.S. officials were affected.

The action was in response to the U.S. State Department’s decision in July to ban entry to dozens of unidentified Russian officials allegedly involved in the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

Magnitsky died in 2009 at age 37, when the pancreatitis he developed in jail was left untreated. He spent almost a year in pretrial detention on charges of tax evasion that were filed by the same police officials he had accused of illegally taking over the assets of an investment fund he worked for and fraudulently using them to reclaim $230 million in taxes from the state.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it will expand the list of banned officials if the U.S. keeps pushing for the prosecution of those involved in Magnitsky’s death.

Brief by The Associated Press

Webb vows to continue fighting for criminal justice reform

Virginia’s retiring U.S. senator said Friday that he will continue to fight for change in the national criminal justice system in his remaining time in office.

Just hours after his sponsored National Criminal Justice Commission Act was filibustered on the Senate floor, Sen. Jim Webb, a Democrat, spoke to a packed room of students, staff and guests at the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.

The act would have created a bipartisan committee to conduct a $14 million, 18-month review of the nation’s criminal justice system and offer recommendations to overhaul it.

Brief by The Richmond Times-Dispatch