WOODBRIDGE—Jason Michael Hamilton was involved with the Air Force ROTC and always knew what he wanted to do with his life, said Hamilton’s former track coach at C.D. Hylton Senior High School. Now Hamilton is jailed without bond on charges of attempted murder of his math professor, Tatyana Kravchuk, on Tuesday at the Woodbridge campus of Northern Virginia Community College.

With the black controller in his hands, D’Montae McWillie was ready to drive the robot, make it shoot some balls and score some points. But as soon as the match began, the Hopewell High School freshman found out his team had forgotten to turn the robot’s switch on. “We didn’t check to see if our robot was on,“ the 15-year-old said, with a tone of disappointment.

You could call it the first wave of bad news. Hanover County’s School Board was presented with its proposed 2010-20 capital-improvements plan last week, and several projects that were slated to begin within the next year have been pushed back a few more. It’s the first presentation of what will be a daunting budget year for Hanover schools, Superintendent Stewart D. Roberson told the board. He will present his proposed 2010-11 budget at the School Board’s Jan. 12 meeting. Already the division is projecting a shortfall of upward of $20 million, he said.

Ashland The Town Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers at Ashland Town Hall, 101 Thompson St. Colonial Heights Holiday caroling by Lakeview Elementary School pupils led by Molly Slack takes place at Violet Bank Museum, 303 Virginia Ave., today beginning at 3:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served after the performance. Admission is free. For information, call (804) 520-9395.

The Richmond Coliseum needs millions of dollars of work soon to continue operating safely while the city decides whether to replace it. Richmond plans to spend about $300,000 from this year’s budget to make the most critical repairs to the 38-year-old downtown building to avoid losing major users, such as the Colonial Athletic Association, that are unhappy with the Coliseum’s condition.

Deb Butterworth looks at the cozy, circular nook in the basement of the former Patrick Henry Elementary School and envisions a wonderful library area where students can curl up with a good read. By this time next year, she’s hoping students will see what she sees. The folks involved in creating Richmond’s first elementary charter school are optimistic that the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts will open next July.

Larry Walters and two fellow motorcycle riders made a quick stop at City Hall yesterday morning, as dozens of other riders dressed in weather-appropriate black leather continued in convoy to Richmond National Cemetery. Walters had a special Christmas wreath for the city, one honoring the service of U.S. military veterans who have died.