WRIC reports that Fair Nation is looking at the North Boulevard location for The Richmond Fair July 17-26.

Officials with the Richmond Metropolitan Authority confirmed Wednesday the group is in talks to bring a independent fair to The Diamond this summer.

According to RMA officials, talks are ongoing with Fair Nation, a Tennessee-based group that originally aimed to bring the "Richmond Fair" to the old State Fairgrounds at the Richmond Raceway Complex in Henrico County. 

 At RichmondFair.com the event is said to feature:

• Twisted Metal - crashing cars, Demolition Derby.... Wham!
• Petting Zoo - Over 100 Animals
• Circus - Stunt and Thrill Show, Circus, Aerial Acts
• Banana Derby - Monkeys Riding Dogs

From The Carytown Merchant's Association:

Carytown First! is your chance to save more. On the first Thursday of each month, participating Carytown shops stay open later, have better deals and specials and offer unique opportunities such as special tastings, fashion workshops and much more.  

Click The Image At Right To Enlarge & View All The Deals and Events

Shocking news from the 3400 Block of Monument Avenue as police report that intruders robbed a couple at gunpoint/taserpoint early yesterday evening. 

WTVR reports:

"They told me to face forward and don't look at them", said the victim.

She said she was forced into the bathroom, and her boyfriend stayed in the bedroom with the suspects who she said were trying to tie him up with a belt. He pleaded with them, she said.

The victim says the suspects then let her out of the bathroom, and told her to lay down on the bed face down. Then suspects then grabbed her purse then left.

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch police apprehended one suspect in this bold daytime robbery and are close to arresting his accomplice.

Richmond Police announced the arrest of seven suspects in area robberies, four of those are linked to crimes in the Fan and Museum District. The massive roundup marks the end of a triumphant month of police work in the third precinct according to RPD.

 “These arrests are the most recent example of how multiple units working together can resolve criminal activity quickly”. said Third Precinct Commander Will Smith in a statement.

The following area robberies have been linked to suspects:

Kevin Wade Koch, 45, for an attempted robbery in the 00 block of North Plum Street on June 15. No home address is available for Koch.

Shelton A. Privott Jr., 35, of the 1200 block of Georgia Avenue for a June 14 robbery in the 2200 block of West Cary Street.

Kenneth Canamore Jr., 25, for robberies in the 2900 block of Kensington Avenue and the 2700 block of West Grace Street, that occurred on June 21. No home address is available for Canamore.

David Morse, 28, whose address was unknown, was charged in a robbery Saturday in the 3500 block of West Cary Street.

“Each of these arrests will have an ongoing positive impact in each of the neighborhoods impacted by these crimes.  While significant crimes can occur despite the efforts of the police to prevent them, the Richmond Police Department will use all resources available to identify and apprehend offenders quickly,” said Smith.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has additional coverage of this crackdown on crime.

CBS 6 follows up on the ongoing investigation into the death of Jessica Pasqual on Kensington Ave:

It's been more than two weeks since the body of 20-year-old Jessica Pasqual was found in the parking lot outside of her Kensington Avenue apartment.

Richmond investigators tell CBS 6 that it may be several more weeks before toxicology reports come back so the state medical examiner can determine whether Pasqual was dead when she was partially run over by a vehicle. 

Visit CBS 6 For Additional Details.

The walls of the new concession stand at Byrd Park's Boat Lake grow every day as construction workers labor on this much needed park enhancement. The RTD reported in May:

The concession building will resemble the park's six-sided Round House, with a brick exterior and white columns supporting its overhang, Pope said.

It also will feature a cupola for aesthetics and improved ventilation, which could make air-conditioning unnecessary, he said. Other design features include skylights and waterless urinals.

Richmond Police report that the Ben & Jerry's at 2901 W. Cary Street was robbed yesterday evening.

            ROBBERY
6/24/09             10:43 p.m.
2901 W. Cary St.  

An employee reported an unknown male robbed the business.

If you have information about any of the above listed incidents, please call the Detective Division at 646-6741.  

On Wednesday the Environmental Protection Agency released a disturbing report showing areas of the Fan and West of the Boulevard neighborhoods with some of the worst air quality in the nation. Census tract 405 (Boulevard/Stuart to Boulevard/Broad) and tract 402 (Boulevard to I95) are among the top 600 neighborhoods in the nation for toxic air pollutants.

The Associated Press reports:
The levels of 80 cancer-causing substances released by automobiles, factories and other sources in these areas exceed a 100 in 1 million cancer risk. That means that if 1 million people breathed air with similar concentrations over their lifetime, about 100 additional people would be expected to develop cancer because of their exposure to the pollution.

The average cancer risk across the country is 36 in 1 million, according to the National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment, which will be released by the EPA on Wednesday.

According to the recently released report from the EPA based on the 2002 National Assessment the 405 census tract has an average risk of 119 in a million, while census tract 402 has a risk of 107 in a million.

"If we are in between 10 in 1 million and 100 in 1 million we want to look more deeply at that. If the risk is greater than 100 in 1 million, we don't like that at all ... we want to investigate that risk and do something about it," said Kelly Rimer, an environmental scientist with the EPA, in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Other neighborhoods along the Boulevard corridor show an elevated risk of cancer according to the study but were markedly lower than those located closer to Interstate 95/64.

Another EPA study on non-cancer causing pollutants reveals almost all census tracts in the area have higher than normal concentrations of respiratory irritants.  

Read More From The Associated Press On This Report

View The 2002 National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment from the EPA

Download Detailed Maps Of Air Quality For Google Earth

Hazmat teams from the Richmond Fire Department were called to a Park & Recreation facility on Swan Lake Drive this afternoon. Several streets through the Byrd Park area were closed to traffic as the swarm of first responders from across the city clogged the narrow lanes.

...DEVELOPING...

UPDATE 6:44 PM - LaptopMnky tweets: @tensouth I'm always a little disappointed when there's no alarmist headline in the picture :( ex: ARBOREAL ATTACK!

Without having information on the extent of injuries to city employees it would be a mistake to blast the roof off with one of our sensational headlines. 

UPDATE 5:37 PM -

WTVR reports - Spokesperson Shawn Jones with the Richmond fire department, says City workers were transporting a 55 gallon drum that somehow ended up in the park area.

Inside the drum was an unknown substance, believed to be some form of chlorine, that caught fire.

Jones says City workers tried to put the fire out with water, but that only made it worse.

Read More From WTVR

UPDATE 5:22 PM - WTVR reports that a parks department employee was carrying a container of chlorine and that chemical spilled into another product causing fumes. Workers tried using water to extinguish the reaction and that caused the concoction to catch fire.

Representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality and EPA are now on scene to determine how to proceed with this dangerous situation. WTVR speculates that an evacuation of nearby homes may be necessary. Several roads around and through Byrd Park remain closed at this time.

UPDATE 4:35 PM - Fire Department spokesperson Shawn Jones tells 10SBoulevard.com that a chemical product inside the facility is creating fumes. No details on injuries or the specific chemical release are available at this time.

More good news from the Richmond Police today as the department reports a criminal is behind bars after trying to flee from officers.

Sector 313 Officers Joseph Ronan and Steven Fields recently stopped a driver for a traffic violation. Through he tried to flee, the officers caught and arrested him, charging him with numerous offenses. He also was wanted in New York.

Get your daily crime report from the RPD