— A 73-year-old Henrico man who was last seen going for a walk 10 days ago has been found dead Police said that Brown was in need of medication and that his family was worried about his safety Brown was found deceased on the back deck of a home in the 100 block of Seven Pines Avenue "There are no signs of foul play," officers said "Henrico Police will work with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine a cause and manner of death." Thanks to all who SHARED on social media to SPREAD the WORD Already have an account? Sign in Already have an account? Sign In — Bobby Haller says he is patiently waiting for an arrest after his Sandston vape business was broken into in September but now he’s speaking out for several others after a rash of more recent crimes in the Sandston region  Henrico business owner out 'almost $5,000' after caught-on-camera thieves break into vape shop Haller says Sandston residents took to social media regarding car and garage break-ins over the past week after he posted a video saying teens were seen running near the scene of a break-in near Williamsburg Road He says the reports come on the heels of several homes and close to 30 vehicles being damaged two weeks ago when someone shot out the windows “I fielded quite a few messages on Friday night and Saturday,” Haller said “People who’ve lost faith in the police department and now they’re going to start turning to protecting their own property and doing it themselves Henrico County Board of Supervisors Chairman Tyrone Nelson who represents the county's Varina district urged citizens to be patient when it comes to increasing patrols at night as he said the police department was down 80 officers "I got a message today that people are getting frustrated They going to start taking stuff into their own hands do not start taking stuff into your own hands," Nelson said Nelson said that he talked with the county manager and the Chief of Police about holding a community meeting on November 19 Nelson said the time and location would likely be finalized in the next few days "We're going to have a meeting set up in Sandston with the community and police," Nelson said "That's the whole agenda of the whole meeting so that they can update y'all on where they are with the work that they've been doing." "But I did get a promise that you are going to start seeing police officers in the evening driving through the community," Nelson said "I'm getting messages with people saying police are not doing anything Maybe it's not moving quickly enough for you "It wasn't too long ago somebody tried to steal my car So I know how it feels when you're violated." If you have information that could help detectives call Henrico Police at 804-501-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 If you were in the area and saw something, you can submit an anonymous tip, here. All tips submitted on P3Tips or Crime Stoppers are anonymous CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom Facebook|Instagram|X|Threads|TikTok — The Postal Service's top watchdog uncovered that the hub for mail service in Central Virginia has been without consistent leadership for over a year and planning that cost the Postal Service $2.3 million in "questioned" costs An audit released Jan. 27 says Richmond's Regional Processing and Distribution Center in Sandston has gone without permanent leadership for 14 months following its launch and three of its four senior leadership positions remain vacant after seeing high turnover among temporary managers "These positions are essential to effective operations who is responsible for setting the operational tone and communicating expectations to staff," the audit says Though Postal Service management told investigators that there is a plan to fill the positions by March 30 auditors say the lack of leadership creates a trickle-down effect of trouble for mail delivery Local management told investigators that "poor work culture" and "lack of discipline" lead to high absenteeism about 19% of people scheduled to work at the facility do not show up The investigation suggested employees "were not concerned about the consequences as managers were not following policy in implementing actions for unscheduled absenteeism." absence without leave and sick leave led to insufficient staff available for processing operations and extensive use of overtime Investigators said the lack of leadership supervision caused the mail to not be correctly sorted in a timely manner The audit found that about 43% of issues in "Plant Arrival Quality" were not addressed by management and sorting operations were completed by scheduled clearance times only about 72% of the time well below the standard of around 80% of the time While the redeveloped regional facility is on track to cut costs for the Postal Service lack of clear communication and expectations from leadership on transportation plans may have resulted in over $2.3 million dollars in additional transportation expenses Lawmakers say their offices continue to receive customer complaints but there are also serious problems in the Blacksburg area," Sen "It's not uncommon that there might be a spike in a problem in Charlottesville and then it gets solved but we're seeing a persistent pattern in Blacksburg is an indication that we still have major problems there." Related coverage | Bills, cards, tax documents: Dumped mail discovered behind Richmond church (Jan. 28) so we’re continuing to keep that pressure on until we are back at delivery levels where they should be," said Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan Mail service has improved since January 2024 but still remains below target Senator Kaine and other lawmakers met with USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in October to discuss challenges and maintained they would continue to meet with USPS officials until mail service becomes more stable and the whole Congressional delegation sits down with him and he's been good about doing those meetings but I don't have that date to report to you right now," Kaine said Brown was found deceased in the 100 block of Seven Pines Avenue — Deputies are searching for suspects they said caused a deadly wreck along Airport Road near Richmond International Airport early Saturday morning A deputy clocked a driver headed west on Interstate 64 just before 2:10 a.m. at speeds topping 110 mph, officials with the New Kent County Sheriff's Office wrote in a post on social media. The vehicle exited the interstate at Airport Road "disregarding multiple traffic signals before ultimately colliding with another vehicle," according to deputies they found a man who was pronounced deceased at the scene A woman suffering from life-threatening injuries was taken to an area hospital Deputies said the suspects ran from the crash scene and were last seen headed toward Sandston Officials have not provided a description of the car they say caused the crash — or exactly how many people were in that vehicle woman critically injured in crash near Richmond International Airport Virginia State Police and the New Kent County Sheriff’s Office conducted an extensive search for the suspects "The New Kent County Sheriff’s Office is working closely with the Henrico Police Department and the Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office to collect and process critical evidence to aid in identifying those responsible," deputies said The crash closed Airport Drive between Interstate 64 and Route 60 for several hours Airport Drive was back open in both directions as of about 10 a.m Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation was asked to contact Henrico County Police at 804-501-5000 the New Kent County Sheriff’s Office at 804-966-9500 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 P3Tips mobile app tips can also be submitted anonymously This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share. — A member of the Henrico Board of Supervisors said a community meeting is planned with police to address a recent spate of vandalism and break-ins in Sandston said in a video posted to social media Saturday afternoon that neighbors reported several break-ins a "couple of weeks ago." "A couple dozen of them — up to 30 or more," Nelson said "Somebody was riding through the community had an air gun breaking into people's vehicles in Sandston." Nelson said police may have persons of interest but that he could not elaborate because of the ongoing investigation "One person or maybe two in a vehicle riding around shooting our windows And we're trying to get to the bottom of it." Nelson praised neighbors who called 911 and said that police had canvassed neighborhoods but said some people's homes may have been missed Nelson urged citizens to be patient when it comes to increasing patrols at night as he said the police department was down 80 officers Nelson said that he talked with the county manager and the chief of police about having a community meeting on Monday Nelson urged citizens to be patient when it comes to increased patrols at night as he said the police department was down 80 officers "But I did get a promise that you going to start seeing police officers in the evening The board of supervisors chairman acknowledged that neighbors are frustrated "I wasn't too long ago somebody tried to steal my car call Henrico Police at 804-501-5000 or Crime Stoppers 804-780-1000 submit an anonymous tip via www.P3tips.com All tips submitted on P3Tips or Crime Stoppers are anonymous — A young woman was killed in a wreck along Nine Mile Road in Sandston early Saturday morning Henrico Police were called to the single-vehicle crash in the 2100 block of E after sources told Burkett a driver overturned their pickup truck "Officers located an adult female with obvious signs of trauma," police said "The sole occupant of the vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene." The victim’s name has not yet been released Henrico's Crash Team was dispatched to the scene but there has been no word on what caused that crash Facebook|Instagram|X|Threads|TikTok — A string of car break-ins has some residents in Henrico's Sandston community frustrated wondering if anyone will be held accountable Bobby Haller, the owner of a vape business broken into back in September, told CBS 6 earlier this week that he's still waiting on an arrest in that case WATCH: Sandston residents 'on edge' after vandals break into over 30 cars, homes: 'It's pretty disheartening' Haller said he shared his concerns on social media seeing a number of car and home break-ins week after week "People who've lost faith in the police department and now they're going to start turning to protecting their own property and doing it themselves," Haller told CBS 6 Henrico County Board of Supervisors Chairman Tyrone Nelson said there will be increased police presence in the evening hours noting that police are down about 80 officers "I'm getting messages with people saying the police are not doing anything After seeing Haller and Nelson's interviews on CBS 6 a Highland Springs resident who was also a victim of a string of car break-ins earlier this year The professional photographer had about $8,000 worth of equipment stolen out of her car the night before she had an early morning shoot back in May “It is discouraging to even start," Kidwell said I had resigned from a job that I thought was going to be a lifelong career because of some medical issues I’ll go back to photography until I’m better and then I’ll try again she shared as much information as she could with investigators and even took to social media to see if her camera was being resold online She says her diligence in staying on the case “Thankfully I was able to get a conviction and restitution in my case and the next street would continue to be getting hit," Kidwell said “It’s kind of stopped in our area after the conviction Kidwell said she's encouraging communities to try to work in partnership with law enforcement "We really need to go ahead and assist the law enforcement that is understaffed it sucks for us just as much as it sucks for them," Kidwell said we have a great neighborhood watch where I live I would love for every neighborhood here to have a neighborhood watch.” Kidwell said she and another neighbor were able to get results and by continuing to push forward with their case Create neighborhood watches," Kidwell said Nelson shareda post on X saying there will be a town hall meeting on Tuesday "The Police Department will be with us discussing past and current issues in the community," the post read — Henrico Police are sharing updates following a number of break-ins and incidents of vandalism in the county's East End over the last month Henrico Board of Supervisors member Tyrone Nelson held a Sandston community meeting Tuesday to address concerns Police started the meeting by breaking down crime numbers and shared that crime is overall up in Henrico’s East End Police Chief Eric English said they are seeing an increase in car break-ins He said there were 34 vandalism incidents that took place in one night recently He said someone went around town shooting an airsoft gun They are finding that their investigation is leading them to believe this may not be an isolated event and we're developing some leads that we can follow up on So hopefully I'll have some better news in the coming weeks,” said one officer Police described how they are using technology and license plate readers to work the cases That’s in addition to increasing their presence in the area Community members weighed in on changes they want to see Some want to see more lights to increase visibility while others want community members to be more vigilant and open up my windows to look out because I want to see what's going on These kids and young adults are looking for an opportunity Police are asking people to send in any suspicious pictures or videos and apply to be a part of the department to fill vacancies They are also asking for the community’s patience as they piece together who is committing these crimes "I know you all want immediate satisfaction in terms of in terms of arrest," said Chief English very diligent about how we go about solving this." Henrico planners want large data center development in Henrico County's future to occur where it has been occurring already – within the Technology Boulevard/White Oak Technology Park corridor in Sandston – and in an 18-page analysis they released May 1 they’ve proposed several ways to ensure that happens -- Car break-ins and business break-ins are becoming more frequent in Sandston with over two dozen victims in just a month Surveillance cameras captured one of these break-ins as suspects used a broken piece of a cinderblock to smash in the door at a vape shop on Williamsburg Road The break-in and subsequent theft only took 42 seconds "Stole a bunch of vapes and adult-use products,” said Bobby Haller whose shop was broken into just a couple of weeks ago Those same adult-use products stolen from Haller’s shop now have the DEA involved Haller says he is still trying to repair and replace the CBD gummies and vapes that were stolen And Haller was not the only break-in victim as just this past weekend there were more thefts in the area including that of over 20 cars in the vicinity of his small business "I know times are tight for everybody but if you didn't do it yourself or build it yourself “I've got 10 years invested here and in this community just kids being kids but it's a small community What is concerning for Haller is that his shop was broken into around 9 p.m. when there was plenty of traffic in Sandston Haller also says what adds insult to the heist is that the thieves ran out and sat on nearby picnic tables for a moment waiting for traffic to ease before making a run for it It’s $5,000 Haller says will take about a month for him to recoup He is now urging anyone who recognizes the suspects to make a call to police This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have information to share. -- The process of changing Richmond's USPS facility in Sandston into a Regional Processing and Distribution Center called a "disaster" by Virginia lawmakers and United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is now prompting USPS's top official to put a pause on similar transitions across the country Postal Service's processing and delivery network under the 'Delivering for America' plan until you [DeJoy] request and receive a comprehensive Advisory Opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission to fully study the potential impacts of these changes." The letter cites issues found at Central Virginia's Regional Processing and Distribution Center Postal Service Office of the Inspector General called "Effectiveness of the New Regional Processing and Distribution Center in Richmond The letter reads: "USPS has begun to implement this change without notifying the public causing critical delays for mail that requires overnight delivery." DeJoy responded in his own letter a day later promising a pause until after January 2025 he defended consolidation efforts to cut costs "We do not see these planned actions as at all consequential to service; rather they are important elements of achieving a network that can provide greater service reliability in a cost-effective manner," DeJoy wrote "The career workforce will not see layoffs and working conditions will be substantially improved." "I acknowledge that we have not been able to convince Congress of this even though these efforts will have both improved the facilities and facilitate the significant cost reductions that we absolutely must achieve to have any hope of financial sustainability," DeJoy continued Senator Tim Kaine said DeJoy was "apologetic" about the roll-out at the Richmond facility "This instead seems like it was a plan that while well-meaning and potentially might have some merits in theory it was not really worked on with management in a way to bring people into it," Kaine said "Don't roll out and continue down a path where the opening move has been such a failure we can determine what's the right path for the rest of the nation." Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, one of the several Virginia representatives who met with DeJoy to discuss what the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General found in its audit of the facility said her office continues to get complaints from constituents "They have implemented or are in the process of implementing most of the recommendations from the report," McClellan said "The one that we encouraged them to implement that so far is to be more communicative and transparent with their customers." DeJoy told lawmakers that after January 2025 consolidation efforts would not happen without talking to Congress first and that the implementation process would be much slower than before Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip Henrico County’s testing of private wells near White Oak Swamp Creek found 88% had no detectable presence of potentially harmful chemicals known as PFAS Among the samples taken from 259 residential wells in December 2021 with two exceeding the Environmental Prote… a water utility in Newport News came to state environmental regulators with worrying news Sample tests done on water trickling down into the Chesapeake Bay had turned up the so-called “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. Further sleuthing found the chemicals in creeks and waterways upriver, extending to the White Oak Swamp neighborhood of Sandston which wraps around Richmond International Airport in eastern Henrico County Trees are reflected in the creek off Portugee Road in Sandston on Thursday No definitive source has been identified but regulators are tightening an investigative net around the airport Virginia Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Irina Calos said the airport a base used by the Virginia Air National Guard and a former Army National Guard base could be potential sources for the chemicals The culprit is believed to be a type of firefighting foam known as aqueous film forming foam “There are a lot of potential sources and that investigation is still ongoing,” Calos said The airport’s website acknowledges the presence of PFAS in firefighting foam. The airport says it is committed to using the foams only in response to emergencies said the foam’s use has been strictly monitored for at least the past five years and that it was actually required to have the foam on hand by the Federal Aviation Administration since the 1970s It’s not clear whether it remains required the FAA sent out a directive stating that airports could use an alternative that does not contain PFAS Bell said that transitioning is more complicated than the directive appears and that the airport also needs to consider passenger safety “We would love to have an environmentally friendly solution,” Bell said “PFAS has been something the whole industry has been trying to wrap its arms around to find the best way to manage it from where we are right now.” A Richmond firefighter performing a drill is seen through the window of the Richmond Fire Academy training building in Sandston on Thursday a battalion chief for the Richmond Fire Academy at 5600 Beulah Road said its site has already been ruled out from further investigation by a former DEQ official who no longer works with the department The facility would not have used PFAS-containing foams at its Sandston facility — a dummy home used for training exercises Richmond city firefighters used a PFAS-containing foam when called out to what are known as Class B fires which refer to when a fire is at risk of spreading to a fuel source King says Richmond firefighters switched to PFAS-free foam in 2023 News of PFAS in White Oak caused a small panic and sent Henrico officials into action The effort was spearheaded by Bentley Chan director of the county’s Department of Utilities Trees surround the creek off Portugee Road in Sandston on Thursday The acronym stands for “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances,” a descriptor for the nearly unbreakable chemical bonds that made PFAS a promising material with which to make waterproof clothing frying pans and even shampoo and make-up products Exposure to PFAS has been linked with decreased fertility Chemours and Corteva — agreed to pay a collective $1.2 billion to settle PFAS contamination claims made by water utilities that represented most Americans drinking water Chan’s team has tested about 300 wells in Henrico Most of the homes did not have PFAS in their drinking wells and two wells had levels of PFAS that were above health advisory levels in use at the time A fire burns as part of a full-scale emergency exercise drill at Richmond International Airport on May 12 Members of the airport’s Fire Rescue Department and Richmond-area emergency responders took part in the exercise Chan said a few more homes qualified since the Environmental Protection Agency created new guidelines for PFAS in drinking water this spring The new rules dramatically lowered what the EPA said was an acceptable level of PFAS Where it had previously recommended 70 parts per trillion The county is less concerned with identifying the source of the PFAS emissions and more concerned with making sure residents are not consuming it Conversations with the airport and other agencies were not productive the county is aiming to give every resident in the White Oak Swamp neighborhood a connection to Henrico’s main water system It’s a project that will probably take years and will require grant money to see it completed Chan estimates it will take $80 million and between five and 10 years to finish connecting the neighborhood to a PFAS-free water supply but that will fund only 1,000 linear feet of water main extensions to the neighborhood The Board has approved a resolution accepting a $2.5M grant from the Virginia Department of Health for the installation of more than 1,000 linear feet of water main and other services along 4000 Williamsburg Road and residential properties in the 4900 block of Chapman Road a battalion chief for the Richmond Fire Academy said firefighters would not have employed PFAS-containing foams at the dummy home used for training exercises The highest concentrations of PFAS were found in a creek south of the airport that runs into the Chickahominy River One strain of the chemicals called PFOA was identified there at 61 parts per trillion a concentration more than 15 times the EPA’s health advisory threshold The tests show that the chemicals become less concentrated farther downstream as the small tributaries from White Oak Swamp connect to the Chickahominy and eventually the Chesapeake Bay a battalion chief for the Richmond Fire Academy at 5600 Beulah Road in Sandston said the academy has been ruled out from further investigation into the use of so-called “forever chemicals.” King said firefighters would not have employed PFAS-containing foams at the dummy home used for training exercises a lawyer for the Southern Environmental Law Center but believes regulators should be taking a closer look at operations at the airport “Virginia has tools under current law to require the airport to monitor the chemicals that are coming out,” Courtenay said Because PFAS do not break down easily in nature actually removing all the chemicals could become an expensive endeavor to make sure the problem remains contained and the other is the ongoing use where the airport continues to use these foams,” Courtenay said lpowell@timesdispatch.com Investigations and Criminal Justice Reporter Email notifications are only sent once a day Henrico County’s testing of private wells near White Oak Swamp Creek found 88% had no detectable presence of potentially harmful chemicals kno… Officials said that the reservoir would secure safe drinking water for decades to come 14 Henrico firefighters shipped out to Page County Test results identify public drinking utilities in Fairfax Roanoke and Charlottesville as exceeding the threshold Henrico acted swiftly when it learned that harmful “forever chemicals” were likely in the waterways of White Oak Swamp Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account The potential move would boost the specialty flooring retailer’s liquidity amid a poor stretch of financial results A sale-leaseback deal for LL Flooring's major supply chain asset — its two other primary distribution facilities are leased — would provide additional liquidity for the company amid a poor stretch of financial results LL Flooring's Q1 net sales fell 21.7% year over year as weaker existing home sales heightened interest rates and inflationary pressures have tamped down demand "These challenging macro factors have pushed home improvement spend per housing unit below its 50-year average, impacting the remodel industry," President and CEO Charles Tyson said on a Q1 earnings call last week "The leading indicators continue to predict that spending on remodel activity will remain challenged through 2024." The company's credit agreement is secured by collateral that includes the Virginia distribution center the company can release that facility from the collateral "under certain conditions" that weren't specified in the report LL Flooring doesn't expect its projected liquidity levels to be sufficient enough to maintain compliance with the credit agreement in Q4 of 2024 That would complicate LL Flooring's future as it would raise doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern for at least a year LL Flooring announced its plans to build the distribution center in 2013 which aimed to boost its efficiency and product availability at stores The company had been relying on leased space across four separate buildings in Virginia to serve its East Coast operations prior to its opening LL Flooring isn't the only company to pursue sale-leaseback deals involving its supply chain assets. Earlier this year, health and wellness business The Beachbody Company, Inc., sold a production facility in Van Nuys, California, for $6.2 million before entering into a five-year lease, according to its Q1 financial report It used the sale proceeds to make a payment of $5.5 million on a loan Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts Added fees from the delivery giants are clashing with heightened shipping discounts but customers have options to limit the impact Companies looking to avoid tariffs on imports from China will likely shake up their sourcing Subscribe to Supply Chain Dive for top news The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines the Varina District's first new community park since 1982 bringing a one-of-a-kind recreational area to Sandston and Varina Supervisor Tyrone Nelson shake hands after cutting the ribbon on Landmark’s first phase during a ceremony Thursday Ceremonies Thursday on opposite ends of Henrico marked the start of home sales at a massive development near Sandston and construction of a solar-powered apartment complex near Northside County Manager John Vithoulkas and Varina District Supervisor and Board Chairman Tyrone Nelson were on hand for a ribbon-cutting for Landmark 400-home development by Varina-based Godsey Properties along Williamsburg Road between Sandston and Interstate 295 Reston-based Ryan Homes is building those homes, as well as nearly 500 more planned next door at Gateway at Landmark, an extension project that Godsey also is developing on about 50 acres beside the interstate First batches of townhomes have been built at Landmark’s initial phases Development has wrapped up for Landmark’s initial two phases and Ryan has built the first batches of townhomes that are priced starting in the upper $200,000s and representatives said the company has sold 38 of the townhomes so far Godsey said development is getting underway for Landmark’s third phase and the first section of Gateway which is planned for 484 condos and about a dozen detached homes Landmark is planned for 355 townhomes and 41 detached homes along with amenities including an amphitheater pavilion and pickleball and tennis courts that will also be open to Gateway residents Landmark is to include commercial development fast-food restaurants and potentially a hotel Godsey said he’s aiming to land a grocery store and he’s seeking county approval for about 360 apartments for so-called “active adult” residents aged 55 and up Of the additional housing in Henrico’s eastern end Godsey said Thursday: “It’s a huge need out here Officials toss the dirt in Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony for Helios Apartments Earlier in the day, in the county’s Azalea area, officials joined Spy Rock Real Estate Group’s Andrew Basham and Taylor Williams and Crescent Development’s Zac Frederick for a groundbreaking ceremony for Helios Apartments a 186-unit solar-powered complex set to rise at the former Days Inn of Richmond site at 5701 Chamberlayne Road Construction on the income-restricted apartments is scheduled to wrap up in mid- to late-2025 The apartments will be fully powered by adjacent solar field panels included in the project which Frederick has described as rare for the Richmond market The project also involves low-income housing tax credits and will consist of one- two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging in size from about 650 to 1,200 square feet targeted to households earning 60 percent of the area median income and Fairfield District Supervisor Roscoe Cooper were among those in attendance for the ceremony Henrico officials rounded out the day with a ribbon-cutting for a public restroom facility at Four Mile Creek Park along the Virginia Capital Trail The new-construction building also includes a drinking fountain and bike racks for VCT riders The restroom facility was approved in March 2023 at the park at 3256 New Market Road which acts as a trailhead for the 51.7-mile VCT This story is for our paid subscribers only Please become one of the thousands of BizSense Pro readers today Renew now by choosing a subscription below YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR A 1 YEAR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL AT THE RATE IN EFFECT AT THAT TIME UNLESS YOU CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP BY LOGGING IN OR BY CONTACTING SUPPORT@BUSINESSDEN.COM ALL CHARGES FOR MONTHLY OR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS ARE NONREFUNDABLE EACH MEMBERSHIP WILL ONLY FUNCTION ON UP TO 3 MACHINES ACCOUNTS ABUSING THAT LIMIT WILL BE DISCONTINUED FOR ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP PLEASE EMAIL SUPPORT@BUSINESSDEN.COM Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" © 2025 Richmond BizSense - All Rights Reserved Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now × People play at Taylor Farm Park in Henrico County Dozens of kids climbed on playground rocks placed around water jets spouting water into the air at Taylor Farm Park on Wednesday Off to the side is another water attraction small grass mounds with poles spraying mist giving a cooling touch to the 90-degree heat on the last day of July Francine Roberts brought her two young grandchildren and niece to the park in Henrico County for the first time on Wednesday they gravitated toward the “splash pad” and the rocks at the center uses the playground equipment at Taylor Farm Park on Wednesday WHAT: Taylor Farm Park “There was nothing like this when I was growing up,” said Roberts who now lives in eastern Henrico but grew up in Richmond and I would tell anyone else with children to come here.” The splash pad is one of the features at the newly opened Taylor Farm Park in Sandston. The 99-acre park at 200 Whiteside Road has a range of structures and playgrounds that accommodate kids across age ranges: a nature play area mile-long multi-use trail and state-of-the-art playgrounds goes down the slide at the park on Wednesday Henrico staff said the park would be a destination and a “beacon” for the community a one-of-a-kind place for families across the entire county Some of the families using the public park on Wednesday came from as far away as Amelia County The property was sold to the county by the Taylor family in 2016 for $1.4 million. The Taylor family had owned the parcel since 1857. The property is one of the best-preserved farms established shortly after the Civil War. The grounds were once part of the Battle at Savage’s Station. fastens his helmet at Taylor Farm Park in Henrico County on Wednesday The 99-acre park at 200 Whiteside Road in Sandston has a range of structures and playgrounds that accommodate kids across age ranges: a skate park a mile-long multiuse trail and state-of-the-art playgrounds which cost about $26 million to complete and was one of several projects approved by its 2016 bond referendum The county Division of Recreation and Parks operates 55 parks said it had been designed to seamlessly complement and blend with nature but it is well worth the wait,” Nelson said “It is a place like no other where kids and their imagination can go wild.” they eventually settled into a small rock-lined creek and had been playing there for a couple of hours “My kids haven’t come over once to say they’re ready to go or that they’re bored,” Rice said “There are so many areas for them to play in that they’re really playing and making new friends.” Rice said this type of outdoor activity is important for children “The fact that there are also teenagers here is important because kids spend so much time on their phones,” Rice said “It’s bad for their development and brain development Just being able to be outside in the air decreases anxiety and mental health issues.” She said it also increases social skills for younger kids who get to interact with other children their age that they might not usually see for younger kids learning to communicate and make friends People skate at Taylor Farm Park on Wednesday A skate area at the park is separated from another area of ramps that are popular with bikers had been working on a trick for about 30 minutes He was drenched in sweat during the sunny heat but kept skating “When one of your friends hits a trick they’ve been working on it motivates you to push yourself to also hit that trick you’ve been working on,” Gary said Gary and a friend took the day off work to come to the park with their families They worked the skate park while their wives and children were at the splash pad across the parking lot They drove from the far end of Caroline County Gary said there aren’t a lot of skate parks like the one built at Taylor Farm Elijah Locklear flips on his scooter at Taylor Farm Park on Wednesday Henrico County staff said the park would be a destination and a “beacon” for the community He said “flow” is an important component of a skate park Flow refers to the time it takes to go from obstacle to obstacle “You can get from point A to point B without too much to think about “It’s also organized in a way that the obstacles are perfect for basically any skill level.” A skate area is separated from another area of ramps that are popular with bikers Gary said that type of separation is nice because skaters and bikers can often get in each other’s way There is also a BMX biking course behind the skate park that has yet to open A group of several parents with a home-school cooperative had kids using things all over the park They came from as far away as Chesterfield and Amelia counties and our friends with younger kids are at the splash pad and zipline,” said Erika Taylor one of the parents with the home-school cooperative Children play on the playground at Taylor Farm Park on July 31 Qazir Harnett skates at Taylor Farm Park on July 31 Children play on the splash pad at Taylor Farm Park on July 31 and Qazir Harnett talk to eat other while taking a break from skateboarding at Taylor Farm Park on July 31 this is probably the best park by far,” Harnett said “I don’t just say that because I’ve been landing a lot of tricks here I say that because the community that surrounds the area is amazing.” plays on the zipline at Taylor Farm Park on July 31 sjones@timesdispatch.com but festivalgoers lounged in the shade beneath the park’s fir trees and fought back with ice-cold water 804 Day is a hometown celebration of all things 804 from music and art to Richmond-area organizations and nonpro… The company behind the redevelopment hopes it will be open in time to host Tiger Woods in 2026 but Richmond artists say there’s a lack of support for street art locally The master plan includes a decade of work for Parks and Recreation It identified shortfalls in amenities such as trails but when you go to Sandston … there haven’t been a lot of tear downs.” have said the USPS’ marginal improvements will not suffice far better than the fourth-worst mail delivery in the nation,” Spanberger said Postal Service outside the Sandston Distribution Center on March 22 McClellan likened the USPS’ recent marginal improvements to going from an “F” to an “F-plus.” Wittman echoed that sentiment Richmond’s new Sandston post office is moving up the ladder Once the worst in the nation for delivering First-Class Mail, the Virginia postal region is now only fourth-worst. That’s according to performance data updated this week by a watchdog agency that monitors the U.S. Postal Service The numbers suggest that Richmond’s mail service is rebounding even while other postal regions across the U.S the Postal Service in Virginia had a 66% on-time delivery rate for First-Class Mail indicating the percentage of that category of mail delivered within a two-day window This week’s data charts Virginia’s rating at 78%. That’s the score for two-day delivery of First-Class Mail sent through Virginia between April and June of this year The Postal Service is in the throes of a nationwide transformation The agency is a year into its plan to make the agency financially solvent an initiative spearheaded by Postmaster Louis DeJoy The plan focuses on consolidating the agency’s network of post offices The makeover was initially calculated to save USPS’ Virginia operations $186 million over 10 years Virginia was the first postal region in the country to be revamped under the plan the region’s on-time delivery rate dropped from 85% to the 66% figure The tracking numbers come from the Office of the Inspector General for the Postal Service one of two watchdog agencies that monitors the Postal Service Virginia lawmakers have previously said the marginal improvements will not suffice far better than the fourth-worst mail delivery in the nation,” said Rep “I continue to hear from Virginians who are experiencing unacceptable mail service and delivery issues packages getting stuck in an endless loop of trips in and out of the Richmond RPDC Spanberger said mail delivery continues to be “indefensible.” The agency has set a target goal of 93% on-time delivery for First-Class Mail McClellan likened the marginal improvements to going from an “F” to an “F-plus.” but they’re not where they need to be,” Wittman said but the metric that matters is what customers see.” but now they’re talking like they’re going to do it,” he added Tim Kaine said that when he and others from the congressional delegation sat down with Postmaster General DeJoy in early July but we can see the gap closing,” Kaine said “One other thing I’ve been noticing is because people call our office with complaints how many people complain about the post office this month We’re seeing the number of complaints dramatically down although they are staying high in and around Charlottesville.” The Postal Service has repeatedly declined to make Richmond postal managers or administrators available for interviews to talk about the transition occurring in Sandston an audit from the same inspector general’s office dove into detail on problems occurring at the Sandston facility The auditors found operational failures and millions in unexpected costs In response to questions on the Postal Service’s performance standards in Virginia, a spokesperson for the agency directed The Times-Dispatch to comments made in response to that audit which were fielded on March 22 of this year a group of USPS vice presidents wrote that Sandston’s growing pains were temporary but necessary given that business as usual prior to the Delivering for America plan “persistently failed to meet our service performance targets.” particularly when considering an organization that is the size of the Postal Service and whose current network and operating practices are so misaligned,” wrote USPS executives Dane Coleman Both auditors and the executives agreed on the wisdom of using the avoidable mistakes made in Richmond as a template for future states many of which will or are currently undergoing similar overhauls The Atlanta mail region was overhauled according to the Delivering for America plan shortly after Richmond Atlanta is currently worst in the country for on-time delivery of First-Class Mail The on-time delivery rate nationwide also dropped within the same most recent period USPS’ nationwide score for First-Class Mail was 91.8% Many legislators have viewed those low scores as a mark of little confidence in Postmaster DeJoy Spanberger wrote a letter to President Joe Biden requesting he fill a final vacancy on the USPS Board of Governors which has the authority to appoint or remove the USPS Postmaster “Under the tenure of the current Postmaster General the American people have seen our most beloved federal agency grossly mismanaged Virginians have suffered some of the worst consequences of Postmaster General DeJoy’s detrimental policy changes in the past year,” Spanberger wrote a retired New York University professor who now chronicles USPS issues on his “Save the Post Office” website previously told The Times-Dispatch that spotty unreliable mail delivery has become a national issue as DeJoy rolls out big changes They’re making big changes faster than the network can keep up with it and it’s not even clear how long this will go on and what the outcome will be when it’s all over,” Hutkins told The Times-Dispatch in March EDA reach agreement; Cole Swindell at SERVPRO Pavilion letter carriers and more about the postal service a carrier in Fredericksburg asked to use a resident’s bathroom and then his recycling can United States Postmaster Louis DeJoy laid out what he called a “splendid vision” for the future of the Postal Service Postal Service Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center i… Saturday’s presentation at the Henrico Theater came from Katie Lee a programming assistant with Henrico County’s Recreation and Parks Departm… and still tracks below its performance rate before a nationwide overhaul A number of events are taking place across Central Virginia to commemorate Memorial Day We've also included some weekend events taking place as well Big Tent: A Celebration of Heroes with the Richmond Symphony honoring our military heroes for Memorial DayHickory Hill Community Center300 East Belt Boulevard in RichmondSaturday at 5 p.m The pre-show for the free concert begins at 5 p.m with the Youth Community Strings ensemble and Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Then Valentina Peleggi leads the Richmond Symphony performance at 7 p.m Details: https://www.richmondsymphony.com/event/big-tent/ Sandston Memorial Day ParadeSandston Memorial Recreation Center11 J B Finley Road in SandstonMonday from 1 – 4 p.m from Beulah Road to Williamsburg Road to JB Finley Street.2 - 4 p.m Details: https://henrico.us/calendar/sandston-parade-2024/ Seven Pines National Cemetery400 E Williamsburg Road in Sandston The public is invited to help place American flags on the 1,144 graves at Seven Pines National Cemetery on Saturday at 10 a.m Then on Memorial Day there will be a special service to honor those soldiers at noon Details: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seven%20Pines%20National%20Cemetery/676369622755153/ WATCH: 2023 Commonwealth's Memorial Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial 68th annual Commonwealth of Virginia’s Annual Memorial Day CeremonyE Bruce Heilman Amphitheater at Virginia War MemorialMonday The live ceremony will be broadcast on CBS 6, at WTVR.com/Live2and the CBS 6 Streaming App on Roku Just search "CBS 6 Richmond" in your app store Details: http://vawarmemorial.org/events/ Memorial Day Ceremony at Fort Harrison National Cemetery8620 Varina Road in RichmondMonday Details: https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftharrison.asp Memorial Day Ceremony at Glendale National Cemetery8301 Willis Church Road in RichmondMonday at 9 a.m Henrico County Police and Fire and members of the community in placing flags on the gravesites of the fallen on Saturday at 11:30 a.m https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/glendale.asp Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier6125 Boydton Plank Road in Petersburg The park will be open Memorial Day weekend with special activities and will honor fallen military members on Memorial Day from 9 a.m Call 804-861-2408 for details or visit www.pamplinpark.org. Woody/Nelsen Funeral Home Flag ExchangeExchange old or soiled American flag for a free new 3 feet by 5 feet flag retired flag will be given proper disposal in accordance with the U.S Flag Code under the auspices of The Virginia War Memorial Woody Funeral Homes are located at:• 1771 North Parham Road in Henrico County• 1020 Huguenot Road in Midlothian• 9271 Shady Grove Road in Mechanicsville • 4650 South Laburnum Avenue in Richmond• 412 South Washington Hwy in Ashland 35th Annual Pow Wow Upper Mattaponi Pow WowTribal Grounds at 13476 King William Road in King William (Route 30 near Central Garage)Grounds open at 10 a.m The grand entry will take place at noon on Saturday and at 1 p.m Details: https://umitribe.org/ or https://umitribe.org/2024/02/27/2024-pow-wow/ Ashland Fourth FridaysEvery fourth Friday through September in Downtown Ashland starting Friday and free live concerts every fourth Friday from May to September in Downtown Ashland Details https://www.ashlandvirginia.com/fourthfridays BODY WORLDS: The Anatomy of Happiness Discover what lies beneath the skin at the Science Museum of Virginia with extended hours Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m Details: https://smv.org/explore/things-to-do/body-worlds-anatomy-of-happiness 67th annual Festival of Arts at Dogwood DellDon't miss free concerts For a complete list of concerts and events, click here. Virginia boy who loves John Deere tractors finishes cancer treatment but he's been a trooper from the very beginning." The award-winning WTVR CBS 6 journalists are giving a voice to your story Discover the incredible places and meet the exceptional people who call Central Virginia home This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page a 100-acre development straddling Dry Bridge Road at its intersection with Williamsburg Road While their interchange at the western end of Henrico has been a center of development activity for decades the crossroads of interstates 64 and 295 on the east side of the county is about to get an influx of growth of its own More than 1,000 new homes are in the pipeline for the area southwest of the I-64-295 interchange in Varina along with commercial development including a Wawa Driving the bulk of the new development is Varina-based Godsey Properties which in recent years has been assembling more than 150 acres along the Williamsburg Road corridor between I-295 and Sandston It’s also been securing county approvals for multiple projects that between them will add more than 900 rooftops to the area most of those on the north side of Williamsburg Road west of its interchange with I-295 And Godsey isn’t the only one making moves in the area HHHunt is planning a 118-unit townhome development on land beside the Chickahominy Family YMCA who leads Godsey Properties and its contracting arm said such activity has been a long time coming for eastern Henrico where he grew up and where his business has dug in its heels with a new headquarters building on Charles City Road “You’re going to see a lot more development in that area,” Godsey said “The east end has been neglected from development for quite a while now and grow in the right way with the right developments,” he said “The developments that we’re bringing down here they’re west end amenities and subdivisions that are coming to the east end and it’s showing in the sales and the interest of all of these.” “When they opened up the first section of Oakley’s That told us then there is a pent-up demand planned to consist of about 400 homes on 100 acres at Dry Bridge and Williamsburg roads Godsey has started site work on one of the largest of the Williamsburg Road projects: its Landmark development which is set to fill about 100 acres straddling Dry Bridge Road with 355 for-sale townhomes and 41 detached homes The project includes a 40-acre commercial section where a Wawa is in the works and other commercial uses including three fast-food restaurants an extension project called Gateway at Landmark is approved to fill 52 acres beside the interstate with 484 condos and about a dozen detached homes with connections with Landmark’s eastern edge Part of the Landmark site is visible at the bottom Godsey has wrapped up site prep for Taylor Green a 46-unit townhome development just west of the Chickahominy Family YMCA And farther east, across Williamsburg from Dry Bridge Road, Godsey said he is planning a hotel and a restaurant on a parcel he purchased with the Landmark acreage. Godsey said he envisions the hotel serving out-of-town visitors to the forthcoming Taylor Farm Park a 100-acre county park that recently broke ground and is being touted as the largest known “all-wheel” park in the state Godsey is working with Reston-based Ryan Homes which he said alerted him to each of the development sites Godsey worked on those deals with Brian Bowe land market manager with Ryan parent company NVR A sign posted on the Landmark site from when the land was marketed as Drybridge Commons Getting the ball rolling, Godsey bought the 100-acre Landmark site in 2018 from developer Salvatore Cangiano who secured initial zoning for the project that Godsey updated with the county in 2020 Property records show Godsey paid $3.25 million for the assemblage which includes the planned hotel site across Williamsburg Road Previously referred to as Drybridge Commons, the acreage had been floated for development in the late 2000s, when Virginia Beach-based Tetra Cos. planned a retail center and other development there before dissolving in the wake of the real estate market downturn A sign still posted along Williamsburg Road marketed the retail center as “coming soon” in spring 2009 Godsey said Landmark will be a $30 million project with Primis Bank providing financing for construction The rest of Landmark has so far been self-financed which Godsey said has been a rule of thumb for most of the company’s projects The townhomes at Landmark are planned to vary between three sizes from 20-to-37-foot footprints to 24-to-60s The detached bungalow-style houses would range upward from 1,400 square feet and be priced in the $400,000s Most of Landmark’s homes are planned on the east side of Dry Bridge Road while 50 of the townhomes would be on the west side with the bulk of the commercial section at its intersection with Williamsburg Godsey said construction on the first section of townhomes is planned to start in late summer or early fall with full buildout on Landmark expected to take six years A rendering of the planned Wawa at Landmark Wawa has signed on for the northeast corner of Williamsburg and Dry Bridge Godsey said the convenience store chain is also bringing an unnamed fast-food restaurant with it County planners are currently reviewing a development plan for that project Godsey said he’s been trying to get a grocery store at Landmark He said a self-storage use could replace a retail strip center that was previously planned He said he’s also been fielding calls from car wash chains which Godsey said would be a $25 million project the stacked condos are planned to range from about 950 to 1,140 square feet in size and be priced from $200,000 to $250,000 An initial phase would consist of 72 condos in seven two-story buildings Godsey said Landmark would likewise be developed in phases with the first three phases needing to be completed before work can start on Gateway which will rely on sewer connections from Landmark He said he hopes to break ground on Gateway later this year The two developments will effectively wrap around an existing subdivision and apartment complex in the area Godsey said sewer extensions for the developments would connect with the apartment complex The sewer upgrades were coordinated with the county in the planning of Taylor Farm Park The 54-acre Gateway site remains owned by Henrico County Vocational/Technical Education Foundation a housebuilding nonprofit that Godsey said will build on 10 of the detached home lots to train participants Godsey said he expects to close on the Gateway site in the next couple months The county has assessed the land at over $1.6 million The Taylor Green townhomes site is adjacent to the park Taylor Green has cost $3 million in land and development costs Townhomes there are planned to be 1,500 square feet in size and priced at about $250,000 Godsey has yet to file plans with the county but said development there would depend on a new traffic signal and pedestrian crossings that are in the works for Williamsburg Road at the intersection with Dry Bridge He said those improvements would cost $750,000 Workload includes Glenwood Golf Course project As Godsey gets going on his Williamsburg Road projects he’s also starting initial work on a pair of subdivisions he’s calling Fairways which would replace the shuttered Glenwood Golf Course Approved in 2021 the project is planned to fill the 120-acre former golf course with 290 detached homes The project also involves upgrades to Creighton Road with a $4 million investment from Godsey to widen and improve the road along the length of the property A site plan shows how the 290 homes planned for the former Glenwood Golf Course property Homes at the Fairways are planned to range from 1,350 to 3,000 square feet in size with prices starting in the $300,000s for single-story homes and in the $400,000s for two-story homes Planned amenities include lighted trails through the property and a park along a creek that bisects the site Godsey has not closed on the Glenwood property but said its current owners have allowed him to start initial roadwork on the site He said the closing has been pushed back due to negotiations over a cell tower lease on the property The county has assessed the property at just under $3 million Godsey projects the Fairways to cost $25 million He said it would be 10 months before the first section can be turned over to Ryan Homes Godsey said his company is in a good position to see the projects through due to its self-financing approach and debt avoidance over the years He said Landmark is his biggest project to date “My worst-case scenario is we go into a bad recession and I’ve got to carry it,” he said “We’re in a position right now where we could carry these for 10 years if we needed to.” A graduate of Highland Springs High School said he left Virginia Tech to start working for his father’s construction company The company two years ago built a new headquarters on Charles City Road which Godsey said was a $3.5 million investment Godsey’s new headquarters building on Charles City Road He described Godsey & Son as a full-service contractor that only subs out on concrete and asphalt. Godsey also co-owns NK Homes, a homebuilding firm whose work with Godsey Properties has included Timberlake Commons in Mechanicsville With Taylor Farm Park and other county projects in the pipeline Godsey said he’s glad to see the investments coming to eastern Henrico on both the public and private side He credited the county’s work to improve services in the area for driving his own investment there lauding the efforts of Varina Supervisor Tyrone Nelson in particular “The east end has needed something to happen down here for a long time and they’ve just always gotten the new parks and Tyrone has done a fabulous job with bringing the east end to where it needs to be,” Godsey said I love the fact that the east end is finally seeing development why does it have to be suburban development with cul de sacs If we started to build grid like streets in the suburbs we could possibly make them transit and walking friendly It’s unfortunate how unwalkable a lot of these places are and lack of transit access it would be so easy to make it so much more connected to the existing community – even with pedestrian access at the least from the cul de sacs I think a large overhaul of the area pedestrian-wise would really help to make it more walkable and area amenities (e.g the YMCA) accessible by walking to it instead of relying on car dependency They need to build sidewalks and bike paths along the major roads in this area I wish they would build grid streets or streets that would follow Route 60 so all the traffic doesn’t have to get funneled on to it and then they have to have a million stoplights so every driveway can have stoplight I love that these are all single family homes and not apartments We need more density and walkability for future developments if we want to avoid becoming congested like NOVA This development only makes our traffic situation worse and traffic is something you always bring up Why aren’t you requesting new/wider roads with this development How this project will make traffic worse it is will funnel it all on to Route 60 vs having local streets to take pressure off of Route 60 I also find it anoying how a place can only be a quater of a mile away and you need a big SUV to get to it but prefer high density condo’s not apartments also I prefer to put high density condos near similar structures and let the current public transportation system expand it’s current stops; rather than try to tie in bus transportation 5 miles away or 20 miles away from the nearest rail stop has 1/10 (guessing) the volume of vehicles Short Pump & 360 have And adding a few hundred homes to this area will not impact but one intersection I would support bulldozing existing shopping centers and replacing single family homes with denser projects to avoid cutting down trees They need more muti family homes and town homes in that these single family homes are chartoonisy out of reach for a lot of people I have a map at home that tells what places I’m never going to even imagine myself living at unless I’m at a street corner stoplight begging for change -- Virginia State Police say they are now investigating a crash that killed a motorcyclist in Caroline County Sunday they were called to the intersection of Route 301 and East Broddus Avenue That's in the northern part of the town of Bowling Green State Police say that a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe was driving on the wrong side of Route 301 going northbound in the southbound lanes While the Tahoe was turning troopers say a 2021 Harley Davidson driven by 56-year-old Joseph Terrell France of Sandston France died from his injuries at a hospital This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip -- It's the latest update in a months-long saga to find out why some mail that goes through Richmond doesn't make it to its final destination: the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center is under investigation and lawmakers expect the report to be released soon The Sandston-based facility was at the center of reform within the United States Postal Service (USPS) as one of the first implemented "consolidation" projects as part of the Delivering for America initiative. According to a logistics expert who spoke with CBS 6 in February the plan would "make postal deliveries more efficient by cutting out the number of trips it takes to get packages and letters from the processing centers to mailboxes." A letter sent to the Inspector General signed by multiple Virginia representatives on both sides of the aisle said: "While we are always open to changes to longstanding practices to improve efficiency the ongoing stream of reports we get suggest that the opposite is happening." The letter details multiple examples of people from Mechanicsville to the Northern Neck who've been personally impacted by postal issues One story highlighted a veteran who ordered medicine through the Department of Veterans Affairs and was told to expect a 7–10-day delivery time "It's just been a very discouraging situation," Senator Tim Kaine (D - Virginia) said in a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday morning "The fact that it has been so plagued with problems poses a lot of questions about the future of postal service for the people who rely on the postal service every day," Kaine said Though it's unclear when the Inspector General's report will be released Kaine said he's watching for it "like a hawk." After weeks of Kaine and other lawmakers pushing for a facility tour "I think it was delayed because they knew they need to clean up their act," Kaine said Staffing shortages play a role in the delays "The Postal Service is woefully understaffed the number of investigators within USPS to examine postal threats is shockingly small when they have to cover an entire country," Kaine said Former staff stealing from the mail may have something to do with it So far, at least four former USPS employees have been charged with mail theft or obstruction of mail. Though Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Colette McEachin cannot comment on pending cases "It certainly would not surprise me if there is institutional malfeasance at both the individual level or the executive level at the Postal Service," McEachin said McEachin also expressed concerns with mail-in ballots encouraging people to try to deliver their ballots to a local post office in person According to the Office of the Inspector General for the USPS the audit was projected to be released in February but the website also said audit timelines could change Postal Service's Office of the Inspector General sheds some light on why mail delivery has caused headaches across Central Virginia for months CBS 6 first reported on the Richmond Processing and Distribution Center becoming the Postal Service's first Regional Processing and Distribution Center back in February It is part of USPS's 10-year "Delivering for America" plan meant to consolidate operations from nearby facilities to "reduce transportation costs and improve service reliability." suggests the $25.4 million change did the opposite decreasing service performance for the Richmond region that continued for four months after the launch and incurring additional labor and transportation costs totaling more than $8 million in questioned costs over the first four months of operation The audit says the Postal Service did not adequately prepare for the change local management was "deficient in operational execution" and management did not train all employees on standard work instructions for new mailing processes the audit suggests problems persisted before the change and the Postal Service "did not take actions to address known weaknesses before converting the Richmond Virginia facility into a Regional Processing and Distribution Center." Auditors say they observed "multiple instances of personnel throughout the facility not engaged in work we witnessed idle terminal handling service waiting for mail a mail handler sleeping on a parked forklift." The report also says the auditor observed a "general inattention to detail that resulted in mail left around machines," as well as "mail over two months old left in a container in a truck yard." The report said within the first four months of the change and the management turnover rate at the facility was higher than the nationwide average Inadequate transportation planning also impacted performance The audit says lack of planning caused the number of extra trips to be increased from 959 trips to 7,730 trips It also found the Postal Service conducted no "formal public outreach" before changing mail operations signed a joint statement in response to the audit The Office of the Inspector General shared 10 different recommendations with the facility Management did respond to the findings and recommendations pushing to close almost all of the recommendations The OIG responded saying only one recommendation would be closed You can read the full audit as well as management's responses here a little barn nestled behind a big building in Sandston "I come here at least once a week," she said The mother of two said she first heard about the Blessings Barn a place moms or dads can take whatever they need for free from her sister when she needed a breast pump he knows like the Blessing Room and goes straight for the toys," she said The space stemmed from an idea Victoria Starr "I don't ask their situations; I just know that in life you're always given things that you didn't expect," Starr said I quit my job and took this leap of faith and started Mom 2 Mom in November of 2010." Mom 2 Mom is a place where mothers can sell children's items they no longer use or buy gently used items for their children at a discounted price Originally any items that could not be sold were donated to a non-profit "But then when COVID happened a lot of the nonprofits either shut down or couldn't accept donations what am I supposed to do with this stuff?' I don't want to trash it and I know that it has a purpose," Starr said The lead to the creation of the Blessings Room "So I picked one room in the store and called it the Blessings Room Eventually the Blessings Room became too small for all of the donations and the Blessing Barn was born "I thought what can I do to be able to give more 'I want to buy you a new washer and dryer.' And I said But I would rather you put that money towards the Blessings Barn.'" She said she knew it was a resource the community could use but didn't realize just how many people it would help "I had no idea how popular it would be," Starr explained the Blessings Barn is a space that truly lives up to its name You’ve helped bless a friend...' It’s really not me it’s other moms that are giving to other moms," Starr said She said helping other parents is her life's passion and credits God for all the help she's able to give "Whether it's you or someone you know that’s in a bad season and just needs help right now We’re called to give back and give generously," she said.  Click here to find details on when The Blessings Barn is open Do you know about a good news story happening in your community? Click hereto email WTVR.com and the CBS 6 News team.