-2Mayor Wilder asks the regional authority that owns the baseball stadium for the deed to The Diamond, the T-D reports, but then is said to have backed off the demand. He meant to ask for the secret decoder ring that will help him locate his sanity.

-3State lawmakers continue to banter about whether Virginia should "atone," show "contrition" or "express profound regret" over slavery. Meanwhile, there are still Virginians who can't afford "food," "health insurance" or "good schools."

+1Flavor Flav hits town with his oversized clock and high-energy outbursts as host of Virginia Commonwealth University's homecoming weekend talent show. Message to college students: Drugs, arrests and multiple divorces can take you places!

-2Cameras are snapping away at toll lanes on Powhite Parkway, taking pictures of people who go through without paying and triggering a ticket by mail. People not wearing pants, on the other hand, get spankings. Drive-thru spankings.

+4The liquidation's over and the venerable Schwarzschild Jewelers is back in business, saved from bankruptcy by new owners Schiffman's Jewelers. Coming soon: the Marriage of Convenience Sale. Remind your old lady why she sticks around! S

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+2

At a local YMCA, 87-year-old Bob Armour swims his 4,000th mile. But he still hasn't reached his lifelong goal: figuring out how to shake that last little bit of water out of his ears.

+1

CarMax splits from its parent corporation, Richmond-based Circuit City, becoming its own publicly traded company. CarMax executives inform Wall Street brokers that there will be no haggling over the stock price.

+4

Richmond firefighters save a 3-year-old girl after she accidentally eats enough anti-depressants to kill her. She is alive. And, we suspect, happy.

-1The T-D reports that Sen. George Allen, praised by Rudy Giuliani, is starting a television ad blitz about his re-election campaign. But then he adds fuel to the macaca fire, blurting out: "Giuliani's a cinch to help me secure Virginia's 'meatball vote.'"

+2Speaking of fatty seasoned meat, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling declares in the Times-Dispatch that he's going to lose 30 pounds by the end of the year. Don't despair, lobbyists: His diet will still permit free meals.

+1Mayor Wilder proposes an emergency plan that would send Hampton Roads evacuees to the Richmond International Raceway and Paramount's Kings Dominion. What better way to forget about the home you left behind than a ride on the Rebel Yell!

+4Richmond heads into the holiday weekend with a break in drought conditions, a drop in gas prices and a final rest before school starts. But we'll certainly find something to complain about.

+1The Richmond Renegades hockey team announces that it will play host to a "Battle of the High School Bands," with the finale playoff at a game in March. Red ice, baby!



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-4Sen. George Allen finds himself considering a resolution apologizing for slavery after it's revealed he wore a Confederate flag pin in a high-school yearbook photo. Luckily, Susan's destroyed the "South Will Rise Again" bikini briefs he picked up on vacation.

+3Finally, there's good bear news at Maymont: Mayor L. Douglas Wilder announces that the park will get a young bear from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. It's part of a special "Kill Two, Get One Free" offer.

+3Richmonders climb aboard the Elliott Yamin bandwagon, posting signs, stickers and messages on cars, and joining such Web sites as EverythingElliott.com and Yaminions.com. Coming soon: the Burn Taylor in Effigy Festival at Monroe Park.

+2Parents and students in Henrico County ask the School Board to offer lacrosse programs as a varsity sport. Because, after all, it's a good time to consider the wholesome image lacrosse brings to mind.

-1A group of about 100 muckety-mucks from the region go visit Nashville to see what they can learn and bring back to Richmond. It's a success — they find scads of ideas to fuel committees, conference agendas and meaningless debates for years to come.

-2Residents in some parts of the Brandermill Woods Retirement Community are quarantined after a 72-person outbreak of respiratory chlamydia, the Times-Dispatch reports. Just what exactly goes on in that place?

+3A former football star at the University of Richmond, NASA astronaut Leland Melvin, is assigned to head skyward on a space-shuttle mission some time after September 2007. In celebration, we dump a cooler of Tang over his head!

-1How hot is it? Climate change at work? Just wait till the monkeys start living in the dogwoods.

+1Richmond Police introduce their House Watch Program, in which officers on patrol keep tabs on the empty homes of vacationing families. The whole thing's clearly ripped off from the Richmond Burglars Association.

+3After a historic trip to Britain to boost cultural awareness, a group of Indians from Virginia return home. Now that they've had their fun, it's time to bring on 2007: The Year of Celebrating the White Guys Who Discovered

What's happening in Richmond this week that you would like to see scored? Send an e-mail to thescore@styleweekly.com

What's happening in Richmond this week that you would like to see scored? Send an e-mail to thescore@styleweekly.com

Democrats file a complaint with the Project on Campaign Conduct, citing a negative ad by Congressman Eric Cantor against his opponent, Ben "Cooter" Jones. Where's the calm, wise mediator Uncle Jesse when you need him?



score: -1



The Virginia State Bar says it wants to revoke the license of suspended attorney Joseph D. Morrissey. On the upside, the bar intends to induct him into the "Hall of Attorneys Everybody's Tired of Hearing About."



score: +1



Richmond company iPaper signs an exclusive contract with a national manufacturer that plans to market the company's electronic voting machines. A special feature available in the Florida market will have the machines do the voting for you.



score: +1



Richmond celebrates Halloween. But trick-or-treaters all seem to look alike: a big bundle of layers, thick gloves and little blue lips.



score: +1



this week's score: +4