News to Know for Aug. 25: Hazing allegations; Police chief fired; RFD shortens hiring process

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Here’s a look at our top headlines for this Thursday:

Mechanicsville HS Suspends Football Program

A concerned parent is speaking out amid allegations of hazing within the Mechanicsville High School football program.

The team’s season is now suspended as the school division and sheriff’s office investigates.

The sheriff’s office says it received an anonymous tip that upperclassmen were allegedly assaulting other players.

A concerned parent, who wants to stay anonymous, says he and other parents feel they have been somewhat kept in the dark.

In a statement - a spokesperson for Hanover County Schools says “we take these claims seriously, and we have been fully cooperating with the Sheriff’s Office from the outset of its investigation.”

Mechanicsville was supposed to start its season today against Deep Run.

School Board Votes to Fire Uvalde Police Chief

In a unanimous vote, the school board voted to terminate the school district’s police chief Pete Arredondo.

Many people in the community have been pushing for this decision for months.

Arredondo was placed on unpaid leave following his highly criticized handling of the shooting at Robb Elementary School back in May.

Texas Department of Public Safety officials called the police response careless and an object failure that day.

Arredondo says he didn’t consider himself to be in charge.

Richmond Fire Department Shortens Hiring Process

The Richmond Fire Department is making changes to its hiring process - in an effort to get new firefighters on the job quicker.

The process has been significantly shortened from 9 to 12 months to 3 to 5 months.

The department has been struggling with a staffing shortage that raised safety concerns.

City leaders also recently increased the starting salary for a fire recruit to roughly $50,000.

Attention Chick-Fil-A Fans!

The fast food chain’s grilled nuggets and grilled filets now have a dairy allergen.

The company says there was accidental contamination at its supplier. This has impacted restaurants nationwide.

Chick-Fil-A says it’s working with the supplier to make sure this does not happen again and ensure the allergen is removed.

Slightly Hot Thursday

Today will be partly sunny and slightly more humid with a spotty shower possible.

The high will be near 90.

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