Nine months into the position, Commander Paul Ronca of the First Precinct has retired to take a chief of police position in Pennsylvania. Jack King, known to many from his time as the Lieutenant for Sector 111, will cover the Precinct until a decision is made, first about the Chief and then about promotions. Commander Paul Ronca made a very good impression in his time atop the Precinct and will be missed in the community.

A message from James N. Pitts, RPD Neighborhood Assistance Officer: “Attached you will find a copy of the September 2008 Neighborhood Watch Newsletter for your members. Again, if there is anything any Watch group wishes to include in the next Neighborhood Watch Newsletter get it to me before the next issue. Looking for Neighborhood Watch events, social functions, community events, etc. Let the entire City know about what you are doing.” Download the August 2008 Neighborhood Watch newsletter.

LOST A CAT? - From a reader: “A friendly pregnant silver/gray tabby was found near 23rd and T streets on Friday. Call 937-9375 if she is yours.” // CAT RESCUE? - From a reader: “Does anyone do cat rescue? There are homeless kittens in the yard of the vacant house at 425 North 31st.” // FOUND A CAT? - From craig’s list: “Last seen Tuesday evening, September 2 in the Pohlig Box Factory parking lot.”

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From the CHDP folks: “Everyone seemed to enjoy and learn alot last week so we will meet again on Saturday, September 6th at 10AM. Please attend to learn about behaviors to watch for that can lead to aggresssion, appropriate greetings and how to keep yourself and your dog safe at the dog park.”

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Let us know if anything gets crazy in your area over the next day or so…

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Mark Robinson ran for 180 yards and scored three touchdowns, Tyree Williams made four catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, and DeAngelo Wilson and Xavier Gary each caught a touchdown pass in a 52-0 drubbing of TJ. The Wildcats (1-1) host Benedictine (2-2) next Friday.

Friday’s Armstrong at Thomas Jefferson game has been rescheduled for today @3:30PM to get ahead of Tropical Storm Hanna.

The Historic Richmond Foundation and the Commonwealth Girl Scout Council have put together a series of scavenger hunts built around learning about and identifying historic architectural details in Church Hill, Monroe Ward, Capital Square, and along Monument Avenue.

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East End Fellowship block party ; Beginning Computer Classes for Adults; first day of school; open mic @ Poe’s Pub; Habitat for Humanity info meeting; MORE…

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Daniel has the bird’s-eye take on the aftermath of a shooting last night near M & 31st Streets:

It seems that the shooting took place about a block from our house and then the guy rode his bike over to our block and collapsed. The police showed up and quickly got him away in an ambulance. They then proceeded to block off a HUGE area and do a lot of talking. We got to talk to some neighbors, police officers and reporters.

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Four apartments in the 2000 block of Accommodation Street in Mosby Court were destroyed in a fire at around 9PM last night. [via]

The Armstrong Wildcats (0-1) lost 13-6 to the John Marshall Justices in a non-district home game this evening. [via]

Fall registration for the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ After School Programs will take place Sept. 2 through Sept. 5 from school closing to 5:30 p.m. each day. Registration is held in the school cafeterias of the 21 Richmond elementary schools where the program is offered.

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East End Fellowship is hosting a neighborhood block party on August 31 at 4PM at the intersection of Oakwood Ave., Chimborazo Blvd. and Q St (adjacent to Mari’s Mini Mart). There’s going to be great music from some local bands, lots of good food and a moon bounce for kids. Come out and get to know your neighbors and celebrate the diversity of our community on Labor Day weekend.

WikiMapia is “is a Web 2.0 project to describe the whole planet Earth”, as a map to which you can add your own information. [via]

All of the East End schools met the adequate yearly progress (AYP) standards of No Child Left Behind this year, in contrast to 75% statewide and 85% across the city. [via]

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In the most recent edition of richmond.com’s Ask the Mayor, Mayor Wilder essentially explains that, short of the $50 Adopt-a-Tree program, the city does not have a plan for replacing the trees that it removes from our urban forest.

Get a great tree for $50! The deadline to participate in the Adopt-A-Tree Program for this year is October 1, with trees adopted this year to be planted late November through the end of February. Visit the city’s Urban Forrestry site to learn more or download the application (.doc) to get started.

Jennifer Kyzer, a trainer with Pets at Play, will hold a 30-45 min class on Dog Park Etiquette 101 on Saturday, August 30th, at 10AM in the large dog section of the new Church Hill Dog Park. The class meant to address and instruct dog gaurdians on how to react to signs of dominance/aggression, how to control said behaviors when they do happen and how to tell when your dog becomes over-stimulated or simply needs to leave. The introductory rate is $5 with additional classes to come if/when needed.