ROANOKE, Va. (Video above: WDBJ via CNN) —

Firefighters who put out the blaze at a home in Virginia recently got to reunite with a four-legged family member they were able to save from the fire.

Dana Glenn and Marty Dickens told WDBJ that the firefighters are heroes for saving their dog Gracie, who means so much to them.

"She's been a part of our lives for over five years. She's helped me get over the death of just about all my family," Glenn said.

When Dickens and an electrician first noticed smoke coming from upstairs on May 30, everyone was able to run outside except for Gracie, even after the couple tried repeatedly to save her.

As Roanoke fire crews arrived, the word got out to search and save Gracie.

Lt. Chris White was the one who located Gracie and handed the 90-lb dog to another firefighter.

Crews treated Gracie and transported her in an ambulance to a vet to save her life.

Now that Gracie is on the mend, her family took her to meet her rescuers.

Watch the video above to see their reunion.

"It means a lot for us to, you know, just do our jobs and have them come back and show their appreciation," White said.

Glenn and Dickens also made a $1,000 donation to the Roanoke Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in honor of the firefighters.

RICHMOND, Va. —

A gunman opened fire as hundreds of people stood outside after a high school graduation ceremony Tuesday evening in Richmond, Virginia, killing two people and wounding five others, the city’s interim police chief said.

As merriment turned to terror around Richmond’s Monroe Park, other people were hurt as they tried to escape the gunfire, including a 9-year-old girl who was hit by a car, Richmond Interim Police Chief Rick Edwards told reporters Tuesday night.

Video above: Interim Police Chief Rick Edwards describes shooting scene

Police initially detained two people but later said one was not involved. The other – a 19-year-old who investigators think may have known one of the victims and had four handguns – was held Tuesday night and police will recommend two counts of second-degree murder against him, Edwards said.

Killed were an 18-year-old student who graduated Tuesday and a 36-year-old man who had attended the ceremony at a theater near the park. They were not identified.

The shooting happened at Monroe Park after Huguenot High School’s ceremony in the Altria Theater, Richmond Public Schools official Matthew Stanley said. The park is on Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus, across the street from the theater.

Besides the two killed, five others – a 14-year-old boy and four men ranging in age from 31 to 58 – suffered gunshot wounds. Four of those injured had non-life-threatening injuries, according to Edwards.

The 9-year-old struck by a car was being treated at a hospital Tuesday night with non-life-threatening injuries, Edwards said.

Three off-duty officers were working security at the ceremony and heard gunshots outside just before 5:15 p.m. ET. They radioed a call of shots fired and other officers who were working traffic duty responded, the interim police chief said at an earlier news conference.

The suspect fled the scene but was stopped and detained by VCU police.

“Is nothing sacred any longer? Is nothing sacred any longer?” Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney said at the first news conference.

The mayor promised whoever was involved would be brought to justice, “not just for the families involved but for the city.”

A different high school’s graduation ceremony that was scheduled for the theater after the Huguenot High ceremony was canceled, Stanley said. Graduation ceremonies for three schools were scheduled at Altria Theater on Tuesday, according to the school system’s website.

The graduation ceremony had ended, and graduates were outside taking photos with their families when the shooting happened, Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras said. Hundreds of people were in the park at the time, Edwards said.

“I don’t have any more words on this,” Kamras said. “I’m just tired of seeing people get shot, our kids get shot. And I beg of the entire community to stop.”

An alert sent at 5:15 p.m. by Virginia Commonwealth University says a shooting happened at Monroe Park. About an hour later, the alert page said there was no ongoing threat.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. —

Concerned staff warned administrators at a Virginia elementary school three times that a 6-year-old boy had a gun and was threatening other students in the hours before he shot and wounded a teacher, but the administration "was paralyzed by apathy" and didn't call police, remove the boy from class or lock down the school, the wounded teacher's lawyer said Wednesday.

Later in the day, the school board voted to relieve district superintendent George Parker III of his duties effective Feb. 1 as part of a separation agreement and severance package.

Diane Toscano, an attorney for Abigail Zwerner, said during a news conference that she has notified the school board in Newport News that the 25-year-old teacher at Richneck Elementary School plans to sue the school district over the Jan. 6 shooting, which left Zwerner with serious injuries.

"On that day, over the course of a few hours, three different times — three times — school administration was warned by concerned teachers and employees that the boy had a gun on him at the school and was threatening people. But the administration could not be bothered," Toscano said.

She said that Zwerner first went to an administrator at around 11:15 a.m. on the day of the shooting and said the boy had threatened to beat up another child, but no action was taken.

About an hour later, another teacher went to an administrator and said she had taken it upon herself to search the boy's bookbag, but warned that she thought the boy had put the gun in his pocket before going outside for recess, Toscano said.

"The administrator downplayed the report from the teacher and the possibility of a gun, saying — and I quote — 'Well, he has little pockets,' " Toscano said.

Shortly after 1 p.m., another teacher told an administrator that a different student who was "crying and fearful" said the boy showed him the gun during recess and threatened to shoot him if he told anyone. Again, no action was taken, she said.

When another employee who had heard the boy might have a gun asked an administrator to search the boy, he was turned down, Toscano said.

"He was told to wait the situation out because the school day was almost over," she said.

About an hour later, "Abby Zwerner was shot in front of those horrified kids, and the school and community are living the nightmare, all because the school administration failed to act," Toscano said.

"Were they not so paralyzed by apathy, they could have prevented this tragedy," she said.

School district spokesperson Michelle Price declined to comment.

"Since the school division's investigation is ongoing, I cannot comment on the statements presented by Ms. Zwerner's lawyer at this time," Price wrote in an email.

The shooting raised questions over security at the school and stunned Newport News, a city of about 185,000 people roughly 70 miles (113 kilometers) southeast of Richmond.

Parker's departure had been expected since a school board agenda was posted Tuesday showing that the panel was set to vote on his separation package. The school board announced his departure following a closed-door special meeting Wednesday evening.

The board voted 5-1 in favor of the separation agreement and severance package. Effective Feb. 1, Parker will be "relieved of his duties" as superintendent. Surles-Law said the decision was made "without cause," and said Parker has been a "capable division leader" who has served Newport News for nearly five years through challenging times.

Parker, who has been sharply criticized by parents and teachers in the wake of the shooting, has said that at least one administrator was told on the day of the shooting that the boy might have a weapon, but no weapon was found when his backpack was searched. Police have said that school officials did not tell them about that tip before the shooting, which happened hours later.

Cindy Connell, a middle school teacher in Newport News, called the events described by Toscano "beyond horrifying."

"This is just another example of administrators not listening to the concerns of teachers, and the only reason we're talking about this one is because Abby Zwerner got shot," Connell said.

"I think any administrator that was told repeatedly that this child has a weapon, we think this child has a weapon — anyone who knew about this situation and did nothing should lose their job."

Police Chief Steve Drew has repeatedly characterized the shooting as "intentional," saying the boy aimed at Zwerner and fired one round, striking her in the hand and chest. Zwerner was hospitalized for nearly two weeks but is now recovering at home, Toscano said.

"The road to full recovery will be long ... and the psychological scars will be lasting," Toscano said.

The boy's mother legally purchased the gun used in the shooting, police said. The boy's family said in a statement last week that the gun was "secured." The family's attorney, James Ellenson, told The Associated Press that his understanding was that the gun was in the woman's closet on a shelf well over 6 feet (1.8 meters) high and had a trigger lock that required a key.

The family also said in its statement that the boy has an "acute disability" and was under a care plan "that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day." The week of the shooting was the first when a parent was not in class with him, the family said.

James Ellenson, an attorney for the boy's family, released a statement Wednesday saying they "continue to pray for Ms. Zwerner and wish her a complete and full recovery."

"Our hearts go out to all involved," Ellenson said.

The school, which has been closed since the shooting, is scheduled to reopen next week. Karen Lynch, a longtime principal in the Newport News school district, has been named as an "administrator on special assignment" at Richneck, Lynch said in a note to parents on Monday.

Ahead of the reopening, administrators and teachers held an Open House at the school Wednesday for students and their families to visit staff and participate in activities. Signs along the sidewalks in front of the school offered reassuring messages to the students: "You've got this," "We are Praying for You" and "You are Loved."

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Associated Press reporter Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland, contributed to this report.

PETERSBURG, Va. — Shawn Wise was walking to his small encampment underneath the Martin Luther Bridge on Friday evening when he was surprised by police and what they had to tell him.

"They were here to tell me about this center, this warming station," Wise said.

Like many homeless in the Tri-Cities, Wise found themselves living outside in severe winter conditions. No shelters were open, with lows in the low double and single digits.

Marlow Jones, who was just elected to Petersburg's City Council, knew the weekend's cold temperatures could be deadly, so he reached out online to see if anyone would open up a building.

"He called me up, he said, man, you can use my building to do the warming station. And we took it from there," Jones said.

Corey Wesson saw Marlow's plea and spoke with his family.

"She was like, use the studio. You aren't doing anything else with it right now. Go ahead and let people stay there," Wesson said.

Within hours of the decision, homeless residents like Wise were out of the cold.

"It provided me with warmth. It provided me with food. Loving, caring people," Wise said.

Soon, others from the community and Central Virginia were lending a hand.

"Blankets and sleeping bags," Jones said. "It's not permanent, so we want to make sure we understand that, but it's here to keep people out of the cold," Jones said.

"We can try as long as we can, but you know, the business has to go back and just, next step is, where are they going to go?" Wesson said.

The private warming shelter did exactly what the people who opened it intended to do. It got about a dozen people who would have been outside in the cold and wind inside a warm building.

Wayne Covil at WTVR first reported this story.

ARLINGTON, Va. — A substitute teacher is suspended after he reportedly expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the classroom.

The Washington Post reports that John Stanton was substitute teaching a Spanish class in Virginia on Friday when he said he backed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urged students to read Russian state propaganda outlets.

Stanton said he was offering students an opposing viewpoint, by telling them to read Sputnik News, which has been declared a “state-run propaganda machine” by the FBI, CIA and NSA.

According to the Washington Post, Stanton said, “I think that got me was I said, ‘I personally support the logic of Putin,’ and what I meant by that is, he made a rational decision from his perception.”

Parents wrote an email to the Arlington Public School Board detailing what the substitute teacher said, and adding there was a Ukrainian student in the class.

A spokesperson for Arlington Public Schools has declined to comment on Stanton’s employment status, calling it a personnel matter.

Stanton said he doesn’t plan to petition for reinstatement.

A Virginia woman recently decided to play the lottery "on a whim." She was up, while others were in bed, and purchased a ticket.

Then, when Robin Meador realized how much she had just won, she wasn't able to celebrate with anyone. Any human that is.

“Everyone else was asleep,” she told lottery officials. “So I had no one to share it with except my cat!”

Meador had reason to celebrate as she won over $386,239, lottery officials say. She didn't even leave her house or choose numbers. She decided that night to go with the state's "Easy Pick" option which chose numbers for her in an online ticket purchase option.

Meador was able to match all five numbers in the game for the Feb. 21 drawing, with her winning numbers being 6-9-15-23-33, according to officials.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 749,398.

HOPEWELL, Va. — A group of Starbucks baristas in Hopewell, Virginia served a hot cup of compassion to a grieving daughter.

Jackie Dean's mother died in January. In the days and weeks since her mother's death, Jackie and her sisters have attempted to plan a memorial for their mom.

“So it’s just been hard," Dean said.

"We've had to move her services three times due to COVID.”

Mildred Burnham loved Starbucks.

She particularly enjoyed sipping a caramel macchiato.

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While planning her mom's rescheduled service over the weekend, Jackie needed a coffee break. So she drove to her neighborhood Starbucks and placed her familiar order.

"I was going to order what I always order and I inadvertently ordered two," she said. "I was so used to getting one for mom.”

Realizing her mistake, Jackie became overcome with grief.

"I started crying and I tried to get my words," she said.

What happened next brought Jackie some joy during an otherwise difficult day.

“They came up to the window and said, 'ma'am, there’s not going to be any charge for your coffee today," she said.“[The barista said] 'I noticed you were upset and when you said you ordered two and then one, I said I knew something was going on.'”

In addition to the free coffee, the barista drew a small heart on Jackie's cup.

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“It just made such an impact, it made my day, my day had been terrible, I had been crying all day," she said.

The small Starbucks gesture helped warm her broken heart.

This story was first reported by Wayne Covil at WTVR in Richmond, Virginia.

NORFOLK, Va. — When Graham McCormick's family asked Rand Hooper to speak at his funeral, Graham's father Burke McCormick said, "We never dreamed he was somehow involved in Graham's death."

For weeks after Graham's body was found floating in the water where Carter's Creek meets the Rappahannock River, Rand told investigators that he, Graham, and another man played cards and drank on his parents' river house dock, and then they all went to bed.

When Rand woke up, Graham was nowhere to be found, and Rand speculated he had gone out on the dock to call his girlfriend and fallen into the water.

He also suggested Graham might have had a panic attack and went to the emergency room because Rand said Graham told him he had a panic attack after his brother Will's death from brain cancer.

Rand even watched as Graham's mother used an oar to search the water by the dock for her son.

"We thought Rand Hooper was a close family friend," Burke McCormick said.

But, 25 days after detectives recovered Graham's body, his family received some shocking news.

Rand had just told detectives in the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office that he and Graham took a boat ride in the early morning hours of Aug. 11 in 2017, the same day Graham's body was found.

Hooper said he could not remember who was driving the boat, but he remembered the boat hitting something hard, turning the boat's engine off, calling out for Graham, and when he did not see or hear him, he figured his friend was a good swimmer and could make it to shore.

He then got his bearings straight to the Tides Inn and told detectives he remembered nothing after that.

"They've never expressed any remorse or said they were sorry or anything. It's just such a sense of betrayal that my family feels," Burke McCormick said about Rand and the Hooper family.

The revelation came after Lancaster detectives discovered a Boston Whaler boat at the Hooper home with a large amount of damage that matched damage on the bulkhead where they found Graham's body.

But when detectives charged Rand in connection with Graham's death, that was only the beginning in the McCormick family's four-and-a-half-year fight for justice.

"Two-and-a-half years ago when things went sideways, I felt alone, I felt abandoned, I felt like my family was left out in the cold, and I prayed and asked for warriors," Gordon McCormick, Graham's younger brother, said.

"This case has had more twists and turns than a bobsled run," Burke McCormick said.

From 2017 until now, the McCormick family endured a plea deal thrown out by a judge, a prosecutor who had his law license suspended, another prosecutor who was removed from the case, new more serious charges and COVID delays.

"I've spent the majority of my 20s waiting for justice for my brother," Catherine McCormick, Graham's sister, said.

On Thursday, their long wait finally came to an end when a Norfolk jury found Rand Hooper guilty of involuntary manslaughter and failure to stop and render assistance in a boating crash.

Rand faces a maximum sentence of 15 years, and the judge revoked his bond.

"My life has been on hold and for the first time, I really feel like I am going to be able to move forward," Catherine McCormick said.

"Once I saw the handcuffs go on, that's when it became real, that's when I felt like it was time to turn the page, and I got my life back," Gordon McCormick said.

Next up in the case, the judge will determine Rand Hooper's sentence.

During the trial, prosecutors could not bring up Hooper's prior record of DUIs, and the time he shot his friend while drunk in the Fan neighborhood.

However, during sentencing, the judge will be able to consider those.

"It has been a long four and a half years, and finally, justice has been served. When the judge read the verdict yesterday, the sense of relief was palpable," Winston Blair, whose sister is married to Rand and was at the River house that night, said in a statement. "Identifying Graham’s body and listening to Rand read scripture at Graham’s funeral knowing the suspicions had already been placed were the two most difficult things I have ever experienced. The lies and deception surrounding the death of Graham McCormick have strained nearly every relationship that I have within my own family. I know yesterday brought a long-awaited closure to the McCormick family, and for that, I am grateful. I have renewed faith in our justice system. Prosecutors Matt Kite and Tiffany Webb brought that justice. I look forward to putting this behind me. I am confident the judge will serve the defendant a proper jail sentence to fit the heinous crime and cover-up. The cover-up was worse than the crime itself."

Melissa Hipolit at WTVR first reported this story.

RICHMOND, Va. — Two police officers in Richmond, Virginia, are being considered for a lifesaving award following their heroic actions during a motel fire.

On Jan. 7, around 5:30 p.m., Officers Ben Frazer and Steve Gibson were seeking a wanted individual near the Richmond Inn and came upon a fire in the back of the motel.

“I went upstairs and started beating on the doors. No one was answering the doors, so we had to manually open the doors,” Frazer recalled.

The partners used a battering ram to enter some of the rooms as they rushed to warn guests of the flames.

Upstairs, Officer Frazer would become engulfed in smoke as the flames rose.

“As soon as the fire extinguisher ran out, I heard a poof, and the curtains went up. It hit the balcony area and went up and over that. Of course, he was basically right there,” Gibson explained.

Richmond Police Third Precinct Capt. Faith Flippo described the moment as smoke-covered Officer Frazer.

“All of a sudden, smoke took over, and he lost sight. He had to hold on to a railing to walk himself out when he already got in the mix of trying to save somebody and helping people,” Flippo said.

Flippo said their efforts deserve a lifesaving award.

“They put themselves in danger to save others. Our Richmond officers do every day, and in this situation, it’s nice of the two officers involved got recognized for it,” she stated.

Nearly a dozen guests were saved due to the officers' quick reactions.

Officer Frazer’s injuries required oxygen in the back of an ambulance, but the pair quickly returned to duty.

“In a situation like that, I don’t think it matters if you’re a police officer or firefighter or whatever - the average human being would have done the same thing we did,” he said.

These officers believed there was a lesson to learn from a potentially devastating fire.

Officer Gibson discovered some guests were worried about their belongings in their room rather than escaping the danger.

“We are not there to watch your stuff burn,” Frazer explained. “We are there to protect the people out there. Just do us a favor, listen to us, and we will get you in your room.”

No one else was injured.

Richmond Police apprehended the wanted individual on Wednesday.

Brendan King at WRTV first reported this story.

RICHMOND, Va. — Sports typically aren't at the top of mind when one thinks of science. But don't tell that to the students on Team Clueless at Saint Bridget Middle School.

"The sports environment, working together as a team. The competition, that thrill, that adrenaline, to a STEM-minded kid," said Eric De Boer, an instructional technology specialist and one of the leaders of Team Clueless.

The squad is the only team from the Virginia and D.C. area to advance to the First Lego League World Championships, which will take place in Houston, Texas, this spring.

The 10-member team earned the highest robot score out of all 72 squads competing at the regional championships in December.

"The competition involves robots, where they have to build them out of Lego pieces entirely," De Boer said. "They have to build a robot to solve various missions on the board. They have two and half minutes to get as many points as possible."

"They can't touch the robot once it leaves home," he added. "They have to go and have it programmed to use different sensors, like a light sensor to follow a line or maybe it's going to use a touch sensor or an ultrasonic sensor to see how far away it is from an object."

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The competition combines creative thinking with hands-on learning. It's a team effort for STEM vets and rookies.

"I get to create basically anything I want and do different types of projects with it, and it allows me to pursue different ideas I have and have the resources I need to get these ideas into action," said eighth-grader Langdon Tollet, a member of Team Clueless.

"I'm a coach and we're problem solving this together," De Boer said. "And we can work as a team to help solve the problem."

This story was originally published by Rob Cardwell on Scripps station WTVR in Richmond, Virginia.

NEW YORK — Phish announced Thursday the band would postpone its annual run of New Year's Eve concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City due to the COVID-19 omicron variant.

The sold-out concerts will be moved to April, according to a statement from the band.

"With the Omicron variant of Covid-19 surging in New York City, we have made the very difficult decision to reschedule next week’s run of shows at Madison Square Garden," the statement says. "We’re fortunate to have found a four-night window in The Garden’s schedule, and the shows will now take place April 20-23, 2022, including a three-set show (as originally planned for New Year’s Eve) on April 22."

After postponing its 2020 summer tour and New Year's Eve run, Phish returned to the road in 2021. The group played 35 shows between the end of July and the end of October.

Beginning in late September 2021, Phish started to require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within 48 hours prior to each show.

While the virus did not cancel any Phish concerts prior to Thursday's announcement, summer wildfires prompted the band to move two concerts from the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena in Stateline, Nevada to the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California.

COVID did alter Phish lead guitarist Trey Anastasio's September 2021 tour with his side project — the Trey Anastasio Band.

After several band members tested positive for the virus, some shows were played without his three-person horn section. At one point in the tour, Anastasio's eight-person band was reduced to just him on stage for a solo performance. Phish drummer Jon Fishman eventually joined the Trey Anastasio Band to finish the tour when drummer Russ Lawton tested positive for COVID-19.

This story was originally reported by Scott Wise on wtvr.com.

RICHMOND, Va. -- Crews that have been working to dismantle the pedestal on Monument Avenue that once held a statue of Robert E. Lee believe they have discovered the 134-year-old time capsule said to contain historic artifacts.

According to Governor Ralph Northam's office, workers noticed something that looked “different” Friday morning, so they chiseled down with a hammer and found the top of what appears to be the time capsule — located inside a large block, under one inch of cement.

It was found approximately 20 feet in the tower portion of the pedestal, not in the pedestal’s base where crews spent nearly 12 hours searching for it back in September.

Northam's office said it appears to be largely undamaged.

The stone must be removed and lowered to the ground before historic preservation teams can confirm whether this is, in fact, the actual time capsule — which could take a while.

Historians believe a time capsule was placed in the cornerstone of the Lee pedestal on October 27, 1887. But an attempt to find uncover it after the Lee statue was removed from the pedestal was called off when no discoveries were made.

Records from the Library of Virginia suggest that 37 Richmond residents, organizations and businesses contributed about 60 objects to the capsule, many of which are believed to be related to the Confederacy.

Some reports claim the capsule contains things like coins and pamphlets and possibly a rare photo of President Abraham Lincoln in his coffin.

If this is confirmed to be the time capsule, Northam said it will be transported to the Department of Historic Resources, so it can be opened using best practices for historic preservation to maintain the integrity of the artifacts.

Officials created a new time capsule to replace the one from 1887, even though it was not discovered at the time. The new capsule contained things like a COVID vaccination card and a Black Lives Matter sticker.

The items in the new time capsule were chosen by officials from 150 submissions that the public participated in.

It is unclear where the new time capsule will lie once the pedestal is completely removed.

This story was originally published by Taylor O'Bier at WTVR.com.

RICHMOND, Va. — Bill McKelway is chopping his way through retirement. The local man has an ax to grind with cold temperatures.

The former Richmond Times-Dispatch journalist volunteers with Project W.A.R.M. — Wood Association of Richmond Metro.

"I look forward to it every Saturday. I come out here every week and whack away," McKelway said. "It keeps you off the couch."

The nonprofit helps the less fortunate by delivering free firewood during the winter months.

"You feel like you're doing a little something to help. Most of our customers are retired. A lot of war veterans. Some injured," McKelway said.

Kay Faries, an elementary school teacher in nearby Henrico, has been volunteering with Project W.A.R.M. since 1995.

"It doesn't matter how hard things get for me. There is someone out there that needs something, and I can fulfill that need," Faries said. "Oh my goodness. The volunteers here come from all walks of life. You know we have a really good camaraderie here."

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Volunteers collect and cut donated hardwood at their wood lot on Richmond's north side year-round.

George England said the group is dedicated not only to strangers but to each other.

"The people here mostly want to give back to the community. There are at least 10 people here that I could call 24/7 and they'd say, 'What do you need?'" England said.

Since its founding 45 years ago, the organization has heated the homes and hearts of hundreds of customers.

"You certainly get a warm feeling just helping these families out," McKelway said. "They wouldn't be asking for it if they didn't need it."

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The program was the vision of the late Lou Wilson. In 1976, Wilson learned of a woman who was burning her clothes to fight the cold.

"You know, Lou always said the families that we serve are going to get the best that we have to give," said Lou Wilson's widow, Mary Ann Wilson.

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Wilson said her husband acted, and Project W.A.R.M. was born.

"In giving, you really receive a whole lot more than what you're giving," she said.

After Wilson's death in 2014, volunteers vowed to carry on his mission.

"This is his legacy," Mary Ann Wilson said. "There is no question about it. I feel his spirit everywhere here."

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On this day, Project W.A.R.M. is replenishing the wood supply of Mark McQuinn. The Vietnam veteran lives on Richmond's north side and has been a customer for years. The 76-year-old who lives alone relies on the group's kindness to feed his hungry wood stove.

"It was a gift from above because I didn't know where I was going to get some from that point. But it came," McQuinn said.

McQuinn said he doesn't know what he would do without the volunteers who have a burning desire to help.

"What they are doing really says a lot for what people should be doing all over the world. Being there for one another," he said.

This story was originally published by Greg McQuade on Scripps station WTVR in Richmond, Virginia.

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Standing 6'5", Chesterfield County Police Officer Sgt. John Kimenhour is as tall as he is humble.

The school resource officer would tell you what he did recently for a Chesterfield driver was something any other officer would do.

"I went up to the car, and there was a pretty decent language barrier," Kimenhour said."So, I called into the language line."

Once they could communicate, he knew there was only one way to fix the flat.

"She was stranded and had no idea what she was going to do," he said. "My grandson turned one yesterday, and she had a little boy sleeping in the car seat about that age. She ended up feeding him. I mean, how can you leave a mom and little boy on the side of the road, right?"

Kimenhour's grandpa instincts kicked in.

He purchased a replacement tire, changed it for her, and sent her on her way.

His kind act was captured in a photo and praised by his boss, Chesterfield Police Chief Col. Jeffrey S. Katz, on social media.

"When we talk about a heart for service, we are talking about behavior like this! Non-'newsworthy' deeds that make a big impact on the lives of those who entrust us to serve and protect them," Katz wrote in a social media post.

Kimenhour said he was in the right place at the right time to help.

"I left early for work. I had a pretty important meeting with Parks and Recreation that I was preparing for with my role in the Police Athletic League, and there she goes right off the road in front of me," he said.

Kimenhour said other officers have been asking him if he does oil changes and tire rotations.

Col. Katz said Kimenhour would be reimbursed for the tire thanks to a cash award he'll receive for his action.

Jon Burkett at WTVR first reported this story.

LOUISA COUNTY, Va. — There is a teacher with four legs helping students in Virginia.

Louisa County Sheriff's Office Lt. Patrick Sheridan will tell you a K-9 like Allie can teach students valuable lessons.

At Revillians Elementary School, she’s teaching children with special needs.

"If there is a situation where they become lost, we explain to them about what they should do in the woods,” Lt. Sheridan said. "We explain to them what would happen if a police K-9 gets close to them and finds them. They don't have to be scared. They are their friends."

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Allie is a 3-year-old bloodhound who has already been on 250 calls for service.

She recently helped save the life of a child on the autism spectrum.

Allie found the child alone in the woods and hugging a tree.

"What I did was let the child spend time with Allie. And I said, 'Hey, do you want to walk Allie out?' And the child said, ‘Yes,' and he got the lead. I was behind them, and Allie walked us out of the woods."

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These kinds of visits can also help students be calm, help them focus, and increase their ability to concentrate and learn.

People often turn to pets in times of emotional stress as a source of comfort.

Lt. Sheridan is just happy to teach the kids how important Allie can be for them.

"We did a grid search, a crime scene. They found an article of clothing for a missing student and then Allie was given that article. And she got to do a demonstration and show them how she works. And she found the student," he said.

This story was originally published by Rob Cardwell at WTVR.