According to Richmond Sports Backers one of the greatest road races in the nation is nearing capacity with more than 35,000 runners already registered and registration will end much earlier than expected. Registration for the Monument Ave 10k race on March 27th costs $35 and includes a collectable Ukrops sponsored t-shirt commemorating the race.

Interested in participating in this year's race? You can register online at Sports Backers website.

When you stir the spirits in Richmond only bad things are bound to happen. Such was the case this sunny Saturday morning when one guest arrived for the Foundation For Paranormal research's event to "capture and contain" real ghosts at Byrd Park's Pump House building.

The guest parked his car on the curb of Pump House Drive adjacent to the canal and Pump House building when he felt a sudden jolt as the asphalt gave way beneath him. Upon closer inspection he realized the nature of his dilemma, a sink hole was swallowing his car!

Police arrived on the scene around 12:30 to investigate the failing road surface and discovered significant erosion of the hillside next to Pump House Drive and a hole almost 8 feet deep enveloping the rear of the vehicle.

The threat of the expanding hole forced authorities to close down the roadway just before the Pump House complex. It remains unclear when the road will reopen and the city's plan to restore the stability of the road surface.

It also remains unclear what, if any additional vengeance Richmonders can expect from the supernatural after this morning's attempts to capture and contain the poltergeists.

UPDATE 3 PM: Pump House Drive now has Road Closed signs posted. The large hole still remains on the shoulder of the road and a close up inspection reveals a 8-10 foot deep cavern beneath the road surface.

The Department of Public Utilities tells us that all lanes of the Boulevard will be open tonight and through the weekend as the planned construction project has now been postponed. The construction related lane closings are now scheduled for the weekend of March 12-14.

This post references our earlier story about the closings are suggested detour.

This April is going to be a very colorful month for the sidewalks of Carytown when thousands of artists both amateur and professional join forces to decorate the mile of style with sidewalk chalk art.

The Carytown Merchants Association tells us that they will give away 30,000 pieces of chalk for the Saturday April 17th event. Says the CMA, "To anyone who wants it to draw on the sidewalks in Carytown. So that means you...whomever you are...you can draw something on a square of the sidewalk in Carytown."

According to the merchant association's Facebook event page there are a few ground rules for the event:

1) Only sidewalk chalk! No sidewalk paint, or spray paint, anything that doesn't come off with water.
2) No drawing on private property, only on the sidewalk.
3) No religious, political, or drawings that could be offensive. This isn’t about someone’s individual personal beliefs about a bunch of people coming together to make something great!

Rain is of course the mortal enemy of sidewalk chalk and should precipitation prevail on April 17th then the event will be rescheduled for May 1st.

Where: Carytown

When: April 17 12-5 PM

RSVP On Facebook!