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

+1On the city-rankings beat: Richmond drops from No. 5 to No. 15 on a dangerous-cities report from Morgan Quitno Press. We did, however, rise from 35 to 14 on the listing of corns-dog-per-capita.

+5Tuesday is Election Day in Richmond. But since we go to press Monday, about the only thing we can predict about the outcome is that voting just wasn't as exciting without the "Yamin Factor."

+2Oh, there's one more thing we can predict: We'll all have a lot more time on our hands without robo-calls during dinner and trashy commercials avoiding the issues. But we can only hope that George Allen becomes a recurring character on "SNL."

-2Richmond's tacky-lawn lovers are crushed to learn about the closure of Union Products, which makes pink flamingos. To restore the balance of kitsch in the universe, we implore all Richmond artists to drop their brushes and start painting velvet Elvises.

-3With winter looming, city residents are warned to expect an increase in natural gas prices this winter. On the plus side, it will be much cheaper to keep your fridge cold.

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

+1To raise money for his United States National Slavery Museum in Fredericksburg, Mayor L. Douglas Wilder holds a Washington, D.C., gala — with such glitzy guests as his pal Bill Cosby. Auctioning just one of Cosby's ugly sweaters could build an entire wing.

-1Police truck away hundreds of boxes of fake brand-name sports clothes and shoes from what they say is a counterfeit operation in Chesterfield County, the Times-Dispatch reports. So that's why our new shoes say "Pimberland."

+1 Richmond seventh-grader Lizzie Barnett is knocked out at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, but is praised on Media General's "Bee Blog" for being one of the contest's most laid-back, bubbly contestants. But will she use her powers to unite cool kids and nerds?

-2The Virginia Department of Health says it will continue to monitor bacteria levels at Virginia Beach after it had to issue two no-swim advisories before Memorial Day weekend even started. They recommend slathering on sunscreen with Lysol.

-2Mayor L. Douglas Wilder taps Linwood Norman Jr. as his new press secretary. Norman did not return a call seeking comment.



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+5There's resolution in the Ben Fawley trial as the Richmonder enters a guilty plea to second-degree murder of Taylor Behl and receives a 30-year prison sentence. Do prison jumpsuits come in Goth Black?

-7As in airports around the world, traveling at Richmond International Airport becomes ensnared in delays and shampooless hassles after a terror plot is thwarted by authorities in England. Is it us, or have airport security guards never looked better?

-1Mayor Wilder warns that city trash pickup could be disrupted because of City Council's 1 percent cut to departmental operating budgets. It's called trash rearrangement, meaning they'll throw your trash into the neighbor's yard and vice versa.

0On the heels of the Carytown Watermelon Festival, a technical snag briefly transfers Carytown's Web site, carytown.org, into the hands of Cary, N.C., and back again, reports the blog River City Rapids. Next year, watch for the Carytown Pulled Pork Festival.

+3Bald baseball fans get in free to a Richmond Braves game for a night honoring the team's bald catcher, Dax Norris. Tragically, all of the assembled bald heads cast a glare so powerful that several astronauts are blinded.

+1After penning lyrics to "Seize The Mac 'n Cheese," Midlothian 7-year-old Danny McLaughlin becomes one of Kraft's "Cheesiest Kids in America" and gets his face on 30 million boxes of mac and cheese. But what child's face will appear on packets of Philip Morris's new Taboka?

+1Fightin' Joe Morrissey is back in town after a judge in Sydney, Australia, denies his law application. His next mission: hunting the killer alligators in Florida.

+3Graduation season sweeps across local campuses — including Virginia Union, J. Sargeant Reynolds, John Tyler and the University of Richmond. Welcome to the real world, suckers.

+5And, oh yeah, Elliott Yamin visits Richmond. The Braves glumly realize that to fill a stadium, they need a) an "Idol" finalist, b) fireworks, or c) free beer.

0Elliott Yamin's interview with Fox's Curt Autry, airing on NBC 12, earns the station an 18 share in the ratings for the quarter-hour, more than three times as high as rivals Channel 6 (5.9) and Channel 8 (5). Or, about double the president's approval rating.



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0Henrico County Public School's laptop computer initiative counts riots and porn investigations among memorable moments, but according to a two-year independent study there's still no direct correlation between laptops and student achievement.

-1The city wins a legal battle with Richmond Marriott owner James A. Procaccianti, who claimed he needn't pay a special property assessment because promised sidewalks weren't completed. Thankfully, Mayor Doug Wilder protects taxpayers from the only businessman to actually plop his own millions into East Broad Street.

-2Dress-code infractions are taken seriously at Richbrau, as evidenced by their turning away of turban-clad Hansdip Singh Bindra, a practicing Sihk who fancied a pint of barley soda while visiting family here. Does the Richmond brewpub's "no headgear" policy include headgear of the orthodontic variety?

0Richmond-based Philip Morris dodges another bullet after a Supreme Court decision overrules a $10.1 billion judgment that found its light cigarette advertising campaign misled customers. C'mon, everyone knows "light" means less filling.

0We get to keep Police Chief Rodney Monroe, suddenly a hot commodity in the police chief market, after reports break that Washington, D.C., was considering hiring Monroe as its police chief — but then didn't. D.C. decides against low morale, minimal decreases in the homicide rate and a penchant for mayoral butt-kissing. S



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