Benefit throughout Hampton Roads Wed. for slain Norfolk officer Victor Decker...

There's an all day benefit in the middle of next week for the wife and daughter of slain Norfolk officer Victor Decker.

There have already been a handful of events for Decker's wife, Dawn, and the couple's young daughter Charlotte since the 25-year-old Decker was found shot in Virginia Beach in late October. This time around all nine of the A.J. Gators in Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake are pledging a cut of sales to go to Decker's family.

The focal point is the downtown Granby Street location - 244 Granby Street - which is a bar along where Decker used to walk a beat. That Gators location will be holding raffles and auctioning off gift certificates in honor of Decker, who made a host of friends in the various waterholes in Norfolk's nightlife district.

My wife works at the downtown location a couple nights a week, and Decker was a consistent, friendly face. He would walk workers to their cars if they worked the late shift just to be safe - gave out his cell phone number to folks just in case they saw anything or needed any help. He embodied the "protect and serve" spirit - always watching out for others, always willing to lend a hand.

The benefit starts at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday and runs until the bars close down at 2:00 a.m.   

Here are the locations - Norfolk - 244 Granby Street, 7544 Granby Street.

Chesapeake - 1245 F. Cedar Road, 1464 Mt. Pleasant Road, 4300 Portsmouth Boulevard.

Virginia Beach - 3908 Holand Road, 5218 Fairfield Shopping Center, 1637 Hilltop West Shopping Center, 2947 Shore Drive.  

Virginia tax commissioner Janie Bowen dies unexpectedly...

Last week Virginia Tax Commissioner Janie Bowen was elected the president of a national trade organization. Tuesday morning Bowen died unexpectedly.

Here's a full release from the Virginia Tax Department:

Virginia Tax Commissioner Janie Bowen, who devoted her entire working life to the Department of Taxation, died unexpectedly Tuesday morning.

Bowen was a classic example of an employee who steadily worked her way up through the ranks, from taking phone calls to leading one of the largest revenue departments in the nation.

During her term as Tax Commissioner she was the driving force behind many accomplishments that helped the agency better serve employees and the citizens of Virginia. These included developing the Commonwealth’s model telework program, developing an Intranet so agency staff could communicate more efficiently, beginning a program called Tax Academy where new hires were trained in a variety of jobs so they could work in several roles as needed, and spearheading a visioning process that helped focus the agency on the future.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and government at the University of Georgia before returning to Charlottesville, where she was born and raised, to complete her master’s degree at the University of Virginia.

She went to work at the agency in 1978 as a Tax Examiner handling sales tax phone calls and correspondence. She also served as Director of Tax Policy, Assistant Commissioner for Customer Service, and then as Executive Commissioner for Policy and Administration. She also served briefly as Deputy Secretary of Finance before then Governor Tim Kaine appointed her Tax Commissioner in May of 2005.

Last week, Bowen was elected president of the Federation of Tax Administrators, which helps all 50 states with training, research and keeps a close eye on federal legislation affecting state tax revenues. Last week she also earned an award from the Telework Exchange organization for being the “driver” behind the Tax Department’s telework program.

UPDATE: Gov. Bob McDonnell issues statement on Bowen's passing.

“It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Virginia Tax Commissioner Janie Bowen. Janie was a true public servant. She began her career at the Department of Taxation in 1978, responding to calls and correspondence. Twenty-eight years later, Governor Tim Kaine appointed Janie as Virginia’s Tax Commissioner. Throughout her time in state government, Janie was always looking to find new and better ways of serving the citizens of Virginia. She combined a passion for service with a commitment to innovation. Her accomplishments were widely noted and applauded. Just last week she was elected President of the Federation of Tax Administrators. Janie loved what she did, she loved public service and she loved Virginia. She leaves behind a Commonwealth grateful for her service, and friends and family who will miss her dearly.”