Billy Shields

Richmond

Multimedia Journalist at VPM

Multimedia journalist for VPM News. As a newspaper reporter, reported in Mexico, the Caribbean and Miami. RTs are not endorsements.

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Articles

Murders highlight Chesterfield's need for intimate partner violence shelter

3 weeks ago | vpm.org | Billy Shields

This story contains references to intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence. Lisette Johnson remembers telling her husband she was leaving him in July of 2009. “He said he was going to kill me if I ever leave him,” she told VPM News. “Your rational mind says, ‘How likely is that to happen? I don’t have broken bones or anything.’”He shot her several times, with their children around, before killing himself.
Planned Route 10 revamp in Chesterfield to prioritize pedestrians

1 month ago | vpm.org | Billy Shields

Plans to revamp the northern corridor along State Route 10 in Chesterfield County are moving forward, with county officials soliciting feedback from nearby residents at a meeting Tuesday night at the Beulah Recreational Center. The plan — which covers a 3.5-mile stretch of Iron Bridge Road from just north of Cogbill Road, near Fire Station 11, to State Route 288 — is still in its earliest stages, with no current estimates for the cost or when development would begin.
Avula budget presentation, Richmond combined sewer update and Henrico real estate tax rates

2 months ago | vpm.org | Dean Mirshahi |Lyndon German |Billy Shields

Below are details on upcoming public meetings in Richmond, and Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties. City Council1 p.m. MondayCouncil chambers, 2nd floor, Richmond City Hall301 N. 9th St.The council is set to hold a budget work session to review Mayor Danny Avula’s proposed $3 billion spending plan for fiscal year 2026, which begins in July and ends June 30, 2026. Organizational Development Standing Committee4 p.m. MondayCouncil chambers, 2nd floor, Richmond City Hall301 N.
Curious Commonwealth asks: What happened to the school German School Road is named for?

2 months ago | vpm.org | Billy Shields

For more than 100 years, German School Road has been a Southside curiosity, running from north to south between Jahnke Road and Midlothian Turnpike in a part of Richmond annexed from Chesterfield County in 1970. Kristen Donovan, who works in the area, contacted VPM News with a simple question: “I wanted to know where the German school was that German School Road was named for.”“Every time I drive by German School Road, I wonder, ‘Where is it?’” Donovan said.
Chesterfield unveils 'austere' $2.4B budget proposal

2 months ago | vpm.org | Billy Shields

Chesterfield County could be getting another water treatment plant as part of its proposed $2.4 billion budget for fiscal 2026. The $426 million plant, which would be located in the Appomattox Tidal Basin, could become the county’s fourth water source by 2033 if approved.
Racing to return to Chesterfield’s Southside Speedway

2 months ago | vpm.org | Billy Shields

Chesterfield County officials announced an agreement Tuesday to refurbish the aging Southside Speedway in an effort to bring racing back to the southside Richmond area for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was definitely a hidden gem in this county,” said Lin O’Neill from the racetrack oval. He’s the head of racetrack operations at Competitive Racing Investments, the company planning to operate the track.
Questions remain around data centers in Chesterfield County

Mar 6, 2025 | vpm.org | Billy Shields

Chesterfield County officials unveiled two sites recently slated to house data centers, but residents' questions persist: What will those centers look like, what resources will they require — and what company will even operate them? “This is in no way a done deal,” Midlothian District Supervisor Mark Miller told residents in late February.
Local law enforcement’s plans for cooperating with ICE vary

Feb 28, 2025 | vpm.org | Billy Shields

Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Thursday executive order directing state public safety agencies to cooperate with federal immigration officials begins by linking specific crimes — including two outside of Virginia — to people in the country illegally. But few details as to what that cooperation will look like have been made available.
Chesterfield County acquires 30 acres for Appomattox River park

Feb 25, 2025 | vpm.org | Billy Shields

Chesterfield County recently unveiled plans to turn 30 acres of land along the Appomattox River into a riverfront park complete with picnic shelter, walking trails and boat launch. “Acquiring this property will provide opportunities for our growing, active community to enjoy the water, accommodate the park we’ve planned there and preserve both the beauty and historical significance of an important gateway area,” Matoaca Supervisor Kevin Carroll said in a prepared statement.
Goochland craft shop hangs it up after years of lasting impressions

Feb 10, 2025 | vpm.org | Billy Shields

After about 25 years of creativity, Mitra Palmer is stepping away from an artistic rubber stamp business that she started from scratch while teaching high school in Williamsburg. “I founded this business in a super naive way,” she said. During the late ’90s, “there was no direct-to-consumer sales on the internet.”Using a rubber-setting machine called a “vulcanizer,” Palmer began creating rubber stamps needed for crafting projects — like homemade greeting cards, posters and invitations.