Are you looking to be a victim of crime? Richmond Police report that the best way to experience crime first hand in the Boulevard area is to leave your valuables in plain view within an automobile.

According to the latest newsletter from Sector 311 (neighborhoods west of the Boulevard: Carytown, Museum District) the statistics show decreases in crime across the board except in the area of Theft From Automobiles. According to the report thefts from vehicles jumped up an astounding 217% over February of last year with 19 break-ins reported.

Says Lt. Michael Stith in the report:

Theft from motor vehicles continues to be the primary reason for the increase in property crimes. Nineteen thefts from motor vehicles were reported. Eighteen of the thefts involved property left in plain view. Please spread the word with family members, neighbors, and co-workers to remove property from their vehicles such as purses, loose change, GPS systems, cameras, and carrying bags to decrease the likelihood of someone breaking into their car.

Check out the Sector 311 Newsletter for more law enforcement statistics in your neighborhood and additional tips for preventing crime.

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.

SPOOKY! The Hills & Heights blog tips us that the Foundation for Paranormal Research will "capture and contain" real ghosts this Saturday at the Pump House near the Boulevard Bridge.

The 3 Mile Lock Experiment – Conquest event will take place from 10:30 AM - 12 PM on March 6th.

The organization says about the event:

The foundation’s founder Robert Bess, along with his technical containment team, will demonstrate the real existence of ghosts and other worldly entities by actual capture and containment of real ghosts using the foundation’s inventions and techniques. An explanation of the equipment, the theories, and practical applications etc will be given before the event. The environment will be fully lit and fully visible. This is a rare opportunity for skeptics and non-committed believers, etc.

The paranormal professionals tell us there will be a bonus metaphysical display of at this event:

An added attraction will be the “Parabot,”..... Parabot will be capturing and containing ghosts and showing off its abilities. The foundation will also be demonstrating how its latest invention, “The Tesla Tower,” works. There will be two fully active Tesla coils firing during the demonstration. The coils will be producing over .2.6 million volts of raw uncontrolled energy – wild and attractive arcs from the coils.

Read More About The Biggest Ghost Hunting Event of the Year At Hills & Heights

Traveling south on Boulevard this weekend is going to get dicey if your route takes you through the intersections of Kensington Ave. and Grove Ave. The Department of Public Utilities will shutdown all southbound lanes of the heavily travelled thoroughfare from 7 PM on Friday night through 6 PM on Sunday.

The lane closure is necessary for DPU workers to install a 43 inch water transmission main below the road surface.

Says DPU on the recommended detour around this construction effort:

Motorists traveling south along N. Boulevard will be detoured right onto Kensington Ave; left onto N. Belmont Ave; left onto Grove Ave. and a right back onto N. Boulevard.  Motorists traveling west toward N. Boulevard on Stuart Ave and Hanover Ave will be advised at N. Mulberry St. that there will be no left turns at N. Boulevard.

Are you headed North on Boulevard? DPU says it will be smooth sailing through this entire area.

It was a scary Saturday night in Scott's Addition after gunshots rang out at the intersection of West Clay Street and High Point Avenue. Richmond police report that around 10:30 PM a teenage female received a graze wound from shots fired by an unknown suspect. In a Monday morning statement Richmond police say the woman's injuries are not life threatening.

CBS 6 investigates the startling shooting in this otherwise quiet neighborhood:

Today police sources telling us Saturday night's shooting involved a party where teenagers where hanging out. Police say the shooting happened in the 3200 block of W. Clay Street, which is a few blocks off Broad Street and a few blocks from the Boulevard....

.... Neighbors from several blocks away tell CBS 6 they heard multiple gun shots and when they came out to Broad Street, they saw big crowds of teenagers walking East toward The Fan.

Get more on this developing story from CBS 6

Two Thumbs Up! One year after opening on North Boulevard the Bow-Tie Cinemas Movieland at Boulevard Square continues to earn rave reviews from moviegoers.

CBS 6 reports on how this business is driving positive developments in the North Boulevard neighborhood:

High attendance at the theater has also spurred a sort of renaissance among businesses in the surrounding community.

Stronghill Dining Company owner Robert Weaver described the Boulevard Corridor as an "up-and-coming" area that has benefited hugely from the cinema's arrival.

"It's kind of what a business neighborhood wants," explained Weaver. "You don't want a single destination for people to go to, so it makes the Boulevard and coming downtown itself more enticing."

Visit CBS 6 and read more about Movieland's successful first year

NBC 12 revisits the story of last November's terrible hit and run on North Boulevard and Kensington:

Nearly four months have passed since Sarah Herbert was struck and nearly killed while walking in the Museum District. She's one of more than 50 pedestrians involved in hit and runs in Richmond last year. Over half of those cases remain unsolved including Sarah's.

When we first met Herbert, she was broken and bruised and her leg was in a brace.

"Putting my hand out and that's the last thing I remember," said Herbert last November.

As she was on the ground bleeding, the man who hit her sped off. It was about 2 a.m. last November 7 at Kensington and North Boulevard. Police have few clues and no leads.

Read more about this unsolved crime at NBC 12

Carytown and select streets in the Museum District will be a lot more cheery this spring if the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has their way at tonight's city council meeting. The world renowned art museum is asking the city for permission to post banners throughout the Carytown to celebrate the grand reopening of their facility.

Documents filed with the legislation before city council indicates that the museum will sponsor 32 banners for placement on W. Cary St., Sheppard St., Belmont Ave, and Grove Ave. The proposed ordinance (No. 2010-42) will allow promotional banners to be displayed on utility poles in the residential areas of the Museum District between Carytown and the VMFA.

According to Suzanne Hall with the VMFA the Museum District Association board recently voted unanimously in support of the proposed promotional banners.

Hall says the VMFA will assume the cost of creating and installing the banners this spring and promises that residents can look forward to more banners celebrating exhibits at the facility.

Concerned about crime trends in neighborhoods west of the Boulevard? Lt. Michael Stith with the Richmond Police Department has the latest news from Sector 311 (Carytown, Museum District neighborhoods) in his February newsletter:

Noteworthy incidents from January 2010:

Kidnapping/Abduction

Jan. 28: 3400 Block of W. Grace Street-Arrest made

Burglary/B&E/Commercial

Jan. 02: 5600 Block of Patterson Ave., 0240 am

Burglary/B&E/Outbuilding

Jan. 18: 4400 Block of Hanover Av., 0000-0700 am

Theft from Motor Vehicle

Jan. 07: 4000 Block of Kensington Ave., (6:10 pm)
Jan. 07: 30 Block of Willway Ave., (5:00-5:25 pm)
Jan. 10: 100 Block of S. Blvd., (11:10-11:30 am)
Jan. 11: 5500 Block of Grove Ave., (10:10-10:35 am)
Jan. 11: 100 Block of N. Auburn Ave., (11:00 am-1214 pm)
Jan: 11: 200 Block of Roseneath Rd., (12:30 am– 12:00 pm)
Jan. 12: 300 Block of Lexington Rd., (7:00 pm-9:00 pm)
Jan. 12: 0 Block of Patterson Ave/Sauer Ave., (7:45 pm-9:00 pm)
Jan. 12: 0 Block of Patterson Ave/Sauer Ave., (7:45 pm-9:00 pm)
Jan. 13: 4500 Block of Wythe Ave., (9:00 am-2:00 pm)
Jan. 14: 3200 Block of Stuart Ave., (8:28 pm)
Jan. 14: 3900 Block of Patterson Ave., (8:15 pm-8:30 pm)
Jan. 15: 3100 Block of Hanover Ave., (9:20 pm-9:45 pm)
Jan. 15: 6700 Block of Kensington Ave., (8:00 pm-1159 pm)
Jan. 19: 900 Block of Maple Ave., (9:35 pm-1048 pm)
Jan. 19: 800 Block of Maple Ave., (10:00 pm-11:15 pm)
Jan. 21: 500 Block of Matoaka Rd., (11:00 am-2:21pm)
Jan. 22: 100 Block of Westmoreland St., (1:30 pm-1:45 pm)
Jan. 24: 3500 Block of Stuart Ave., (6:00 pm-11:00 am)
Jan. 25: 5700 Block of Grove Ave., (9:45 am-10:25 am)

Read More From Lt. Stith's February Newsletter and Check Out Some of Our Area's 2009 Crime Trends

The famous Connecticut sculpture at the Diamond is on the move! The Richmond Metropolitan Authority voted earlier today to approve a sale of the giant Native American sculpture to the owners of the Lucky Strike building at 2700 East Cary Street. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports:

The American Indian sculpture at The Diamond appears headed to the Lucky Strike power plant building on Richmond's Tobacco Row.

The [RMA] voted today to accept a proposal from Odell Associates for the sculpture, which is known as "Connecticut." The four-story Lucky Strike building is at 2700 E. Cary St., near Pear Street in Shockoe Bottom, and it overlooks the James River. The deal is pending a sales contract by both parties.

Read more about the pending relocation at the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Come out to the Byrd on Saturday, February 28, 2010 for the Virginia Independent Film Festival which features the work of Virginia's finest filmmakers.

There will be three sessions for documentaries, short films and feature length films. At the end of each session there will be Q&A time with the filmmakers. Session winners and audience favorites will be announced.

Tickets are $5 for each session with $2 student tickets with ID.

Three documentaries will be shown - The Color of the Veil, Meet Me at the Bottom: The Struggle to Reclaim Richmond's African Burial Grounds, and Death.

The short films featured are Squashing Ticks, Posting, Any Sense in Cents, Plink, Santo Diablo!, and Paperwise.

The feature length films will be Blue Ridge, Trenches, and Mantra.

For the schedule and descriptions of the films, visit the Virginia Film Office website.

A trip to Richard's Restaurant & Gentleman's club on North Boulevard ended terribly for one patron after he was shot in the hand by his friend. The Richmond Times-Dispatch Reports on the Wednesday afternoon incident:

Police said the two men had come to Richmond to visit a topless bar on Altamont Avenue near The Diamond, and after they left the club, they were driving along North Boulevard when Murdock's handgun accidentally fired, striking his friend in one hand.

Police said the two decided to get the hand treated at the [McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center] hospital's emergency room, mistakenly thinking that if they went to the federal facility instead of a private or state-run hospital, authorities would not be required to report the gunshot wound to police.

Read more about this bizarre incident at the Richmond Times-Dispatch

H/T - John Murden at Church Hill People's News for pointing this out.

The polls are open over at RVANews for Richmond's Best Community News site and Boulevardizen.com needs your vote! This year we face some very talented competitors for this RVA honor:

Hills & Heights - Our friends on the south side of Rt. 161 truly have one of the best blogs in town with Hills & Heights. H&H taps into the culturally rich neighborhoods of south Richmond to produce high quality, engaging and visually appealing news with great frequency. The community of participants in the blog's discussions offer thoughtful and constructive comments that help make this site one of Richmond's best online news sources.

Downtown Short Pump - Short Pump deserves a classy hyper-local news outlet and they sure have got one in the Downtown Short Pump blog. This blog is consistently filled with fresh content and is presented in a very visually appealing format with plenty of extra visuals to communicate their stories. The endeavors of this blog's contributors have aided in bringing a dispersed community much closer together.

North Richmond News - Our neighbors to the north of I-95 have a fantastic news resource in North Richmond News. The blog is on top of every breaking news story in the north side community and has a very loyal audience thanks to the consistent high quality posts and the thoughtful comments offered by readers.

Church Hill People's News - Church Hill People's News is by far the leader in Richmond when it comes to hyper-local community news. The blog's editor, John Murden has worked tirelessly on this great site since 2004 and his labors have produced a hyper-local news enterprise that informs readers and makes Church Hill neighborhoods a better place to call home.

Facing talented competition like these guys for Best Community News Site in RVA means we are definitely going to need your help to bring this recognition home to the Boulevard. Please take a few seconds to cast your vote for Boulevardizen.com on the RVANews Internet Awards Survey. Maybe you have more than a few seconds? Maybe you're off from work or school due to the snow? With the high caliber competition for this distinction we may need several votes from you to win!

Whipping wintry winds are kicking up along the Boulevard corridor and with these mighty gusts comes the threat of falling ice and flying debris.

Through the morning hours large clouds of wind blown snow were the primary threat but these benign mists of ice are giving way to falling icicles and tree branches. The 30-40 mph gusts in the area have already sent several avalanches of ice crashing down off of Boulevard homes and small branches down onto the sidewalks below.

Tips To Avoid Being Impaled By Icicles or Branches:

• Construction Hardhat - Surely the construction crews at VMFA can spare a few.
• Walk On The Street - You will have plenty of room to dodge debris. Downside is you will likely face oncoming vehicular traffic.
• Snow Shield - A trash can lid or saucer shaped sled makes a perfect defensive tool to fend off blowing wintry debris.
• Stay Indoors - Chances are you will be safe from falling and flying debris indoors (barring Final Destinationesque catastrophe)