Homeowners, public officials and community groups are fighting blight in Church Hill North — one of Richmond’s historic gems but a neighborhood known for high crime rates and vacant buildings. A new law will give the city another tool to fix decrepit homes that stick out like crooked teeth.

Greg Bristow was working as a heating and air conditioning technician in 2008. But when the economy gave way, so did the job market. Since then, he’s been renovating a 121 year old home in Church Hill.

Gov. Bob McDonnell has announced the revival of the Virginia is for Lovers television crusade, which has been dormant for almost five years. The slogan, which originated 42 years ago, has been one of the nation’s most successful tourism campaigns.

Here are the stories we distributed over the past week. Headlines include: “Bicycle Safety Bill to Come ‘Round Again” … “Embrace Multitasking, Journalist Tells Students” … “Nat Turner Trail Hits Roadblock” … “HOV Ramps Relieve Traffic Congestion.”

Several hundred Virginians rallied on the Capitol lawn in support of public employees in Wisconsin, who may lose their collective bargaining rights under legislation proposed by that state’s governor, Scott Walker.

The Virginia General Assembly usually focuses on state issues. But last week, some of the attention at the statehouse was on international visitors – a delegation of Russian officials learning about American government.