Community

Appraisers do their thing at annual event

By Ellie Browning on March 19, 2019 Community, History

Joel Birkitt from the Buckingham Antique Mall talks to a customer. The Chesterfield Historical Society held its 11th annual Antiques Evaluation Saturday, March 16 at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds. “I have been appraising for about 30 years,” local appraiser Joe Lipscombe said. “If you’re in this business, you do an appraising every day because we buy and sell. We [have got to] know how much to pay so we can make a profit when we sell,” he said. “There’s so much stuff out here, and it’s such a broad field, you can’t just go take a six-month course and become…

Dear Abishag: Damon writes second book about Biblical women

By Ellie Browning on March 19, 2019 Community, Features

Roberta M. Damon, an 84-year-old Chester resident, recently debuted her second book in a series, “Dear Abishag: Letters to Little Known Women of the Bible.” The book, which was released in December, is a sequel to Damon’s first book: “Dear Mrs. Noah: Letters to Unnamed Women of the Bible.” Similar to her previous book, Dear Abishag is accompanied by the illustrations of her granddaughter, Melissa Damon. The book contains 30 chapters. Each is embodied with a descriptive letter to or from somewhat unknown women, such as Abishag, Jael, Keturah, Susanna and Zipporah. “So often we think of all things Biblical…

JTCC Day at the capitol

By Press release on March 12, 2019 Community, Politics, Schools

Five John Tyler Community College students visited area state legislators Jan. 29 and Feb. 11 during the general session. Above, from left, Matthew Holmes, Llana Sidbury, Luis Colon, college president Edward “Ted” Raspiller (back), Del. Lashrecse Aird, Jordan Nurney and Alicia Alvarez.

County proposes FY2020 budget

By Caleb M Soptelean on March 12, 2019 Board of Supervisors, Chesterfield Government

County administrator Joe Casey presented a Fiscal Year 2020 budget on Friday, which the supervisors were scheduled to consider during their March 13 afternoon work session. The $733.5 million budget represents a $22 million increase, or 3 percent, over the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. It would leave the real estate property tax at 95 cents per $100 of assessed value, although property assessments are rising an average of 3 percent. Schools represent 40.8 percent of the budget, with public safety the second largest area at 26.6 percent. Other areas include: capital, 8.2; health and welfare, 6.9; general government, 6.8; community…

Tannerite explosions rattle community: Women, children, dogs and horses react to shootings

By Caleb M Soptelean on March 12, 2019 Chesterfield Government, Outdoors, Police

A horse runs on property next to Hickory Road. A group of five neighbors came to a Chesterfield Board of Supervisors meeting last month after having heard some rather loud explosions in their neighborhood near Hickory and Matoaca roads. Two of the five spoke during public comment at the Feb. 27 meeting. Kathleen Jones, a Chesterfield school teacher, said that a home she shares with Mary McKinley has suffered from loud and frightening explosions that have gone on as late as midnight. Jones, who lives on 14.6 acres at 6230 Hickory Road, is adjacent to a home at 6217 Matoaca…

Rift in Chesterfield’s NAACP chapter followed November election

By Caleb M Soptelean on March 12, 2019 Clubs

A rift in the Chesterfield chapter of the NAACP became evident in December and culminated with the organization’s president calling the police during a meeting. Tavorise Marks said the organization’s president, L.J. McCoy Jr., called the police shortly after the Dec. 18 meeting at Second Baptist Church of Chester started. Two officers responded, and the meeting ended after McCoy called the church’s pastor, Johnny Fleming, and he came to the church. “We were asked not to utilize the church,” Marks said. No arrests were made, according to police spokeswoman Liz Caroon. Last week, McCoy said he called the police because…

HD62: NAACP official, newcomer vying for Democratic nod

By Caleb M Soptelean on March 12, 2019 Politics, State News

Those who want to vote in the Democratic Party’s House District 62 primary June 11 will have a choice. Local NAACP official Tavorise Marks and Chesterfield County budget official Lindsey Dougherty are running. Marks has worked for the state Department of Health for six-plus years, he said, noting that he began as regional coordinator of the Virginia Family Fatherhood Initiative in January. The program is geared toward men ages 16 to 24. Marks is also a member of the Army Reserve and is pursuing a doctorate in organizational leadership from Regent University of Virginia Beach. “I don’t want to be…

County proposes FY2020 budget

By Caleb M Soptelean on March 12, 2019 Chesterfield Government

Cox named Kiwanis Club’s ‘Person of the Year’

By Caleb M Soptelean on March 12, 2019 Clubs, Community, Politics

House Speaker Kirk Cox holds a plaque that he was given last week. State Del. Kirk Cox thinks it’s “pretty cool” being House Speaker. Cox – who’s in his 30th year serving in the General Assembly – was honored last week as the Chester Kiwanis Club’s “Person of the Year.” The Colonial Heights native said that, despite being tentatively redistricted into a district that favors Democratic voters by 6.5 percentage points, he plans on running for re-election in November. He spoke March 4 before the club about the recently-concluded legislative session. He noted that because of a U.S. District Court…

Dog park to open in mid-April

By Caleb M Soptelean on March 12, 2019 Outdoors, Planning & Zoning

http://data.richmond.com/salaries/ County employee, Joe Stovall, on right, talks with local contractor Simon Green last week at Goyne Park. The first phase of a dog park at Goyne Park is almost finished. The first phase will feature a small dog run, said Joe Stovall, construction services manager at county parks and recreation. The first phase will also have an 8-foot-wide, 220-foot long walking path and an 80-foot-long release foyer area, he said. The second and third phases will include an agility course and large dog run. Work on the dog park began in February and has involved clearing diseased and dying…

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