Daniel Petty

RICHMOND, Va. — A cluster of six pristine blue lakes tucked into the mountains of Afghanistan’s remote center has tentatively become the war-torn country’s first national park, thanks largely to the work of Peter Smallwood, a University of Richmond biology professor.

Three decades of fighting had stalled previous efforts to protect the area from resource decimation. But at a small ceremony in Kabul on Wednesday, in conjunction with Earth Day celebrations, the head official for the National Environmental Protection Agency signed an executive order establishing the park, pending the expected approval from the country’s parliament.

The creation of the park — named Band-e-Amir for “Lake of the Ruler” — is a burst of good news in a country that has slowly slipped back into the grips of a rising insurgency and faces an increase in American troop presence to quell the resulting violence.

The project is more than a year in the making for Smallwood, who has been on leave from Richmond since January 2008 to serve as the country director for the Wildlife Conservation Society, a non-governmental organization that aims to preserve biodiversity worldwide.

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RICHMOND, Va. — Sue Murphy was asked to resign as University of Richmond women’s lacrosse coach after athletic department officials discovered a parent-operated fund was supporting the team’s budget, including travel expenses and senior gifts.

In an interview at her home on Thursday, Murphy said she knew the fund was against department policy and that using it meant she risked losing her job. She was working without a contract while at Richmond.

“My commitment to making sure my student-athletes had a positive experience was a high priority for me,” said Murphy, who has 4- and 13-year-old daughters.

The athletic department forbids the use of outside accounts to fund an athletic team, said Jim Miller, director of athletics. Employees found violating the rule are subject to termination.

“The problem with an outside account is that completely innocent purchases appear to be improper because you can’t account for the funds,” Miller said. “If you can’t account for funds, it creates the impression that there were no receipts and no checks. We need to make sure athletes receive no extra benefits. We need to know what athletic funds are used for.”

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