Sets virtual meetings to engage public on changes caused by pandemic As Chesterfield County navigates the economic uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, county leaders have revised the FY2021 proposed budget and announced plans to continue engaging virtually with the public on the spending plan in accordance with health precautions aimed at preventing the spread of illness. The revised budget is available for review at blueprint.chesterfield.gov. The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors has rescheduled its vote on the budget from April 8 to April 22. The board will still meet virtually April 8 to vote on the proposed tax rate…
Browsing: Community
Funds will support those experiencing food insecurity in the county On Friday, March 27, several local Chesterfield organizations partnered to launch the Standing Together – Six Feet Apart T-shirt fundraiser in support of the Chesterfield Food Bank and those experiencing “food insecurity,” during the COVID-19 outbreak. The shirts, available in both adult and youth sizes, may be purchased on Bonfire.com in a variety of colors. Adult-sized shirts cost $21.99 and youth-sized shirts cost 18.99, plus shipping. Partner organizations for the campaign include the Chesterfield Food Bank, Chesterfield County Public Schools, CCPS Office of Family and Community Engagement, Communities in Schools…
(Left to right) Rebecca Wheatley, Reagan Wheatley and Jesse Wheatley volunteered at the Chesterfield Food Bank during children’s food distribution.
The Chesterfield Food Bank is supporting families hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis that has developed with massive store closings and layoffs. Already feeding more than 16,000 Chesterfield residents in need; the food bank has registered nearly 5,000 new clients in the last six weeks. “It was a bit overwhelming at first,” executive director Kim Hill said. “But my team was quick to respond to the challenge and set new procedures and programs in place.” She said that with safety in mind, the food bank “immediately” began a “protocol” involving hand sanitizer, gloves, and masks. “We…
Chesterfield County supervisors held a restricted-access meeting March 25 that included a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget. Only two persons spoke during public comment at the meeting, likely due to the restrictions imposed because of fallout from the coronavirus. Among the items approved as part of the consent agenda was hiring Jessica Robison at the new Emergency Management Coordinator. She had been in place on an interim basis from March 7. The supervisors also approved a resolution recognizing county planner Darla Orr for 23 years of service. A lease for pad site No. 4 at the…
The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation is committing $1 million to aid COVID-19 relief efforts across the United States. The funds will support national organizations, like the American Red Cross, and address local needs. “The health and well-being of customers and employees is Dominion Energy’s top priority. We are helping customers and communities we serve during this difficult time by maintaining reliable service and providing support and relief to those affected,” said Dominion Energy Chairman, President and CEO Thomas F. Farrell II. “Our contributions to these organizations will help provide the means to lessen the impact of this outbreak.” Dominion Energy is committing $750,000…
Don Kappel
Retired Marine, former director Chesterfield County Department of Public Affairs, releases debut novel Don Kappel If social distancing as a result of the current coronavirus pandemic has you down, Don J. Kappel has a suggestion to help mitigate the possible boredom: Buy his new book, Lifetime Benefits, and escape to a world where a former Marine officer returns home to Richmond, to begin a second career as an insurance agent. Kappel explained his book’s plot: “The unexplained death of a client and friend starts [the protagonist] and his girlfriend on the search for answers. The trail leads to corruption in…
Call center will focus on general county operations and services during COVID-19 response The Chesterfield County Emergency Operations Center has announced the opening of a call center for Chesterfield residents who have general questions about county operations and services during the COVID-19 response. The call center will be open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The call center phone number is (804) 751-2362. The call center will be staffed by county employees from multiple departments. Updated information regarding county resources will be made available to call center staff to assist residents who may not have Internet access…
In Gov. Northam’s Saturday’s press conference, the governor doubled down on his mandate of having no more than 10 patrons in a business due to the COVID-19 coronavisrus. The Village News office has received phone calls wanting to know what local restaurants are doing to stay open and how they can patronized them. Monday morning in a news conference the governor stated that all restaurants closed their dining rooms and to only have take-out or delivery. Following is a list of information received from restaurants as of Monday morning. If you are a restaurant and would like to be listed…
Trey & Ashley Grant
Trey & Ashley Grant Grant Coffee Company opens in Chester When Trey and Ashley Grant were brainstorming ideas on what type of business they wanted to open, their options were restaurant, gym and coffee shop. The couple chose the latter and opened Grant Coffee Company in the village of Chester last month. Ashley said when they were discussing things they couldn’t live without the most and broke it down further to where their two children will be successful in the future, they learned coffee has specific steps. This plays into the field she’s currently working in (she is the Intellectual…
The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors last week approved a contract for up to $1.01 million for a company to update the zoning ordinance. On March 11, the supervisors hired White and Smith LLC to develop a new ordinance and implement an online ordinance tool. That part of the contract totals $794,628. However, the company can earn an additional $216,280 to produce an in-house charrette, a public charrette and upgrades to the online ordinance tool. A charrette is a collaborative planning and design session. According to the staff report, much of the county’s current zoning ordinance is from 1997 and…