HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — There are currently 1,700 Dominion Virginia Power customers without power in Hanover County and surrounding areas. There was up to 5,000 at one point Monday night.

Currently there is an estimated restoration time for 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., but areas west of Route 301 have an estimated restoration time of 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm intensified rapidly over Goochland, Henrico, and western Hanover county this evening, and then moved east through the north side of Richmond and southern Hanover county.  The hardest hit area was near Mechanicsville, along Kings Charter Drive and New Ashcake Road.

The storm also produced large hail, which was estimated at over 2″ in diameter at the height of the storm.

Dominion customers who lost power should report their outage by calling 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357).

HENRICO COUNTY, Va — Henrico police have arrested the suspect in Monday’s robbery of a Sunoco along the 6700 block of Staples Mill Road in Henrico.

Herbert Thomas Joyner, 19, of Henrico was charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

The victim reported that a white male wearing a green shirt and dark jeans entered the business, displayed a firearm, and demanded money.  The victim complied and the suspect left the business on foot.

According to police, officers Joyner on Bethlehem Road near Glenside Drive. The suspect fled, but was quickly apprehended along with evidence of the robbery recovered.

The investigation also revealed that Joyner was also responsible for a commercial robbery which occurred on July 25 in the 7200 block of West Broad Street.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Fire investigators are working to determine what started a fire inside a foam-filled warehouse on Klockner Drive in eastern Henrico. Fire crews arrived at Hudson Industries Inc. after a fire alarm sounded at about 1:55 a.m. Tuesday.

“First arriving units initially reported no fire visible and started investigating the large single story warehouse. After several minutes the crews located a fire inside the warehouse,” Henrico Fire spokesman Capt. Danny Rosenbaum said. “Shortly after that the assignment was upgraded to a second alarm assignment with 16 fire units assigned to the call.”

Sprinklers inside the warehouse helped prevent the fire from spreading. The foam stored in the warehouse is used in medical cushions for hospital beds and wheelchairs.

“It’s always shocking to know that your business, that you’ve built over 40 years, is up in flames,” business owner Gary Hudson said. “I was anxious to get here and see what could be salvaged.”

No one was working inside the warehouse when the fire started and no injuries were reported, Capt. Rosenbaum said. Firefighters said the sprinklers were so effective, the business should be able to resume activities shortly.

“The sprinklers are what kept the fire under control,” Henrico Fire Capt. Doug Reynolds said. “If those sprinklers were not in this building, we would have been looking at a parking lot. Especially this foam, it would’ve burned quickly. It would’ve been a dangerous fire.”

The fire was marked under control at 3:20 a.m.

RICHMOND, Va – Lt. Jim Price and Capt. Linda Toney, of the Henrico County Police Department, visited the studio to invite friends and neighbors to celebrate the 2nd Annual Henrico County Community Day. The event is part of Operation Summer Heat, a crime prevention and deterrence initiative to help keep Henrico safe for its residents and visitors. The 2nd Annual Henrico County Community Day is Saturday, August 1st from 10am to 2pm at the Western Government Complex, located at 4301 E. Parham Road. For more information call 804-501-4838 or visit www.henricopolice.org.

RICHMOND, Va — Poppy Shaaban is back in the mix at the One Stop Mart on the city’s Northside.

The clerk is a Northside favorite, and was met with handshakes, hugs and a little humor Tuesday. “I think you’re Ironman,” said one customer. “No, I’m Superman,” said Poppy.

Customer and clerk were clearly happy to see each other again.  “No if you were Superman, you’d be faster than a speeding bullet and that didn’t work out,” said the customer.

They were catching up after a few weeks of lost time behind the counter.

“Yesterday was so emotional for me: everyone hug me and kiss me and so happy to see me,” said Poppy, who was shot twice by a robber that stormed in the store, demanding cash back on July 7.

“I see the guy.  He’s so scared, he don’t ask for nothing except the money,” Poppy said.  “So I put my hands up.  I said, ‘what about the money?’ and he started to shoot.”

Poppy was hit once in the chest and once in the backside.  It’s taken him three weeks to recover.

Poppy Shaaban

“Emotionally I’m not so good, but physically I’m alright.”

The man that attempted to rob the market is still at large, but Poppy is alive, defying the odds.

“Thank god for a second chance at life,” he said.

Poppy is back at work and making a living. Being shot isn’t he long-time clerk’s only battle: Poppy has throat cancer, COPD, a respiratory illness, and suffers from severe hearing loss.

He said he can’t quit because the people that shop at his store, are like family.  “They make me feel like I grew up in Highland Park and that’s for real,” said Poppy.

But the realness is in the way Shaaban bravely stands behind the counter, staring at the bullet holes in the store wall, ready to work without reservation.

“I am real happy to see him back,” said Yane Scott, a long-time regular customer.

Poppy said he’s still not ready to work a shift by himself.  If you recognize the man in the surveillance photo, call police.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A man was stabbed outside the 7-Eleven at the intersection of Woodman Road and Hungary Road in Glen Allen early Wednesday morning. Henrico Police officers were dispatched to the store around midnight, and upon arrival, found an adult male with a stab wound.

The victim was taken to VCU Medical Center with serious, but non-life threatening injuries, police said.

Multiple people were handcuffed by officers on scene; however, investigators said no one has been charged. Police continue to search for the stabbing suspect.

The victim emphasized he was stabbed outside the store. Police have not released what led up to the stabbing. The incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information that could be useful to investigators can leave anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers 804-780-1000.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A family’s dog was put on home quarantine after the pet was attacked by a rabid raccoon outside a home on Crowncrest Drive, off Pump Road, in Henrico’s Far West End. Henrico Animal Control was called to the home Monday afternoon after someone reported the fighting animals.

“When officers arrived they discovered a dog and a raccoon actively fighting beneath the back porch of the dog owner’s residence. Officers were able to get the raccoon off of the dog,” Henrico Police spokesman Lt. Chris Eley said. “The raccoon was submitted to the Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services for rabies testing.”

The positive rabies test results came back Wednesday.

“The dog involved in the incident had a current rabies vaccination and will be quarantined at its owner’s home. There were no further reports of any additional human or animal exposures,” Lt. Eley said.

There have been eight positive rabies case in Henrico this year. Please urged residents to report abnormal wildlife behavior to the Henrico Police Non-Emergency Communications Center at (804) 501-5000.

HENRICO, Va. — The Henrico woman accused of arson has had her charge dropped.

County prosecutors told CBS 6 that cell phone information suggests Michelle Brisson may have been in Chesterfield when the fire started in March.
The fire at Hickory Creek Apartments in Henrico could be seen from miles away and it put 19 people out of their homes.

Fire at Hickory Creek Apartments (SOURCE: Sierra Yasmin)

Brisson’s lawyer tells us the charges could be brought back at some point.

Brisson was arrested three weeks after the fire. She was denied bond too.

The apartment complex is in a high-density area, just off Mayland Drive behind the Tuckernuck Shopping Center — not far from J.R. Tucker High School. Smoke from the massive blaze was seen from miles away.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Thousands of people lost power Thursday morning when a car hit a power pole near the intersection of Dumbarton Road and Lakeside Avenue. The intersection is closed and the condition of the driver has not yet been released.

“Henrico Officers are on scene of a single vehicle traffic crash at Dumbarton and Bloomingdale Avenue. The traffic crash has caused a road closure on Dumbarton Road between Brook Road and Lakeside Avenue,” Henrico Police spokesman Lieutenant Salvatore Mulé said. “Motorists should expect heavy delays in the area for the next several hours.”

The power outage impacted more than 4,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers. There has been no indicated as to when power would be restored. This is a developing story.

HENRICO, Va. — Prostitution along West Broad Street is no surprise to some folks.

But folks like Diane Parker are surprised about a recent prostitution arrest that was “pretty unusual.”

Henrico police said 23-year-old Uniquia Barksdale of Farmville was arrested at a business in the 7200 block of West Broad Street.

Not only did she allegedly break the law by engaging in prostitution, police say she had drugs in the room while her child was present.

Court documents obtained by CBS 6 News outline a felony child neglect charge she is now facing, along with two misdemeanors. One, for a first time marijuana possession and the other for prostitution.

Neighbors in the area were stunned to hear about the case.

“It makes you think of the welfare of the child. Like, that child might have been in danger if the mom is taking him or her to an environment with drugs, illicit sex acts and all these other things, ” Imani Anderson said.

Others said the arrest is sad and they hope the woman can get some help.

“You don’t know what a person faces. I definitely think it’s wrong,” said Asia Moore. “Once again you can’t judge anyone.”

Barksdale has been released on bond but has to follow some rules laid down by a judge.

The child is now with family members and Barksdale is not allowed to have any contact with the child.

Any contact would have to be approved by Social Services. She must also undergo mental health and substance abuse evaluations.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Police are asking for the public’s help to identify three teenagers connected to an armed robbery at a store in Henrico County Tuesday afternoon.

It happened at the Rose’s in the 3000 block of Mechanicsville Turnpike around 3:45 p.m. when three teens entered the store together.

Officials said one of those teens walked up to the counter, pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and demanded money.

The trio, who made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, were last seen headed toward Doron Lane.

The suspects are described as black males between the ages of 16 and 18 years old. They’re between five feet four and five feet ten inches tall and weigh between 140-160 pounds. The gunman was wearing an American Eagle sweatshirt and blue jeans.

If you have information that could help investigators, call Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

Armed robbery at Rose’s on Mechanicsville Turnpike

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Police are searching for a teenager who pulled a gun on a woman in a gas station parking lot, stole her purse and then sped away on his bike last week.

“It was unbelievable, I was in shock,” said the victim.

WTVR CBS 6 spoke with the woman who said she was robbed at gunpoint. She said she was sitting in her car at the Shell gas station on Mechanicsville Tpke. last Wednesday night.

“Someone ran into the back of my car, and I turned around to see what that bump was,” she said.

The woman said she then saw a man wearing neon walking toward her.

CBS 6 reporter Chelsea Rarrick talks to the victim.

“When he got closer to me there was a gun pointed to me and he said, ‘Shut the **** up. Don’t you say ****,’ snatched my pocket book and went off,” she said.

The victim said since the terrifying crime, she’s been having nightmares, especially because the man who did this to her is still walking the streets.

“I was just saying don’t let this gun go off accidentally, please don’t shoot me, take whatever you need to take just don’t kill me,” she said

It happened on July 22 around 9:45 p.m. in the Shell parking lot in the 2600 block of Mechanicsville Turnpike.

That’s when police said the suspect approached the victim, pulled out a handgun and grabbed her purse. The suspect then took off on his bike behind the gas station on St. Clair Lane.

The Shell parking lot

The suspect is described as a black male, between 16 to 18 years old. He was between five feet four to five feet ten inches tall and weighed between 140-160 pounds.

The victim told CBS 6 reporter Chelsea Rarrick that she hopes someone out there knows something.

If you have information that could help investigators, call Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

2600 block Mechanicsville Turnpike Robbery Suspect (SOURCE: Henrico Police)

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A Henrico man was charged with two counts of bigamy after his wife found out her husband had not divorced his previous wife before they got married. In fact, Frank Ernest Blake, Jr., 32, has been married three times without ever legally divorcing the women he married, police said.

Blake was charged with two counts of bigamy and two counts of forgery. Police said Blake forged two marriage licenses.

From behind bars, Blake explained that he has had three different marriages. The first one in 2001 lasted several years. He said his wife then filed for divorce.

“I got papers in the mail saying we were divorced, but evidently you get two sets of papers. I signed my name and everything on it” Blake said.

He said he didn’t think he had to get something annulled if it “wasn’t even real.”

“I thought the marriage wasn’t real and that’s why I got married to Jessica,” Blake said. “I still love her and that’s who I want to be with.”

He and his current wife Jessica believe his second marriage of  two weeks wasn’t valid, and theirs is — which took place in 2014. He’s convinced the charges are being levied against him out of revenge.

Henrico Police said they began looking into this case when a victim contacted them, saying her husband married her knowing his previous marriage hadn’t ended.

“It’s embarrassing and I don’t see how it even got to this,” Blake said. “I really did not know I was breaking the law.”

We asked how often police see these cases. A Henrico Police department spokesperson tells us they made two bigamy arrests in the past 10 years. He adds, three citizens also swore out warrants with a magistrate in that same time period.

If convicted on these felony charges, Blake Jr. faces 2 to 10 years behind bars.

Blake Jr. is due back in court on these charges in October

Anyone with information about Blake or the arrest can submit a news tip here.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — What started out as a class project in Henrico has turned into a worldwide company and movement to stamp out bullying. Jordan Nance, 11, is making a big impact in the lives of children by improving their self-esteem one kind act at a time through his Amazingly Awesome Kids Club. Nance started the on-line club last year.

“Jordan has always had a big heart, he has always been the kid who looked out for the little guy,” Jordan’s mother Tina said.

While most CEO’s worry about shareholders, Jordan is concerned with holding mom’s hand in public. He does not have a business degree, in fact, he has not even finished with middle school.

Jordan Nance

“I want to make it really huge. Who wouldn’t feel good with their hard work paying off,” Jordan said about his web-based company designed to empower young people targeted by bullies.

Living with autism and ADHD, Jordan found himself taunted in school.

“It hasn’t been easy for him,” his mother said. “This has given him a purpose. He really thrives on the fact that he inspires kids.”

Jordan has organized back to school drives and fed the homeless in Richmond’s Monroe Park. He said he wanted to spread the word that by doing positive things, you become Amazingly Awesome.

“You have to treat people the way you want to be treated,” Jordan said.

“Bullying is NEVER ok!”

Jordan’s Impact

Terry Cavet’s son, Carlos, is a card carrying member of Jordan’s club. Carlos’ left arm was severely burned as an infant. When he was younger playground bullies launched hurtful, verbal assaults that left Carlos isolated. But since he discovered Jordan’s club, Carlos’ self-esteem has soared.

“Jordan is a super kid. Amazingly Awesome,” Terry Cavet said. “I think Carlos recognized the good Jordan does and what he stands for.”

Carlos Cavet

Most businesses focus on profitability, but making sure children reach the top is Jordan’s bottom line.

“I am very, very, very happy,” Jordan said. “I just want to keep my company running and keep helping kids.”

Joining the Amazingly Awesome Kids Club is free, all you do is log on and take the pledge and print out your membership card. At last check there are hundreds of members in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Greg McQuade and CBS 6 News are featuring local heroes in a weekly “Heroes Among Us” segment. Watch Greg’s reports Thursdays on CBS News at 6 or here on WTVR.com. If you would like to nominate someone to be featured on “Heroes Among Us,” click here to email heroes@wtvr.com.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — If you spend a few minutes with Alyvia Hathaway, you realize you are sitting with someone wise beyond her years. While the eight-year-old Carver Elementary School student likes to have fun, she also thrives on paying it forward. In 2013, instead of a birthday bash, Alyvia requested a fashion show fundraiser. She spent hundreds of dollars in proceeds on the homeless in Richmond’s Monroe Park.

“I felt bad for them. I wanted to help people that didn’t have a home or any toys,” Alyvia said. “I bought toys and lunches and shoes for them and clothes and I bought all of that.

Alyvia’s mother Angela called her daughter a giver who never asked for anything in return. A point the child helped prove one year later when she recruited walkers and donors for the Central Virginia Kidney Walk in October 2014.

Alyvia Hathaway

“I had to walk a mile and I raised $1,000,” Alyvia said. “It was awesome that all of those people wanted to help me.”

The Kidney Walk was an issue close to Alyvia’s heart. From the day she was born Alyvia has battled her own serious kidney disease. When she turned three and a half, doctors decided to was time she had surgery.

“In the middle of the night my stomach hurt all of the time. It felt horrible I couldn’t take it,” Alyvia recalled.

Countless hospital stays and surgeries changed Alyvia’s perspective on life. Alyvia said it pains her to see people who are less fortunate.

“I think her receiving that love from others allowed her to give love out and don’t need anything in return,” Alyvia’s mother said. “We’ll drive down the street in Richmond and see an empty house and say, ‘Why can’t we build a building for the homeless. Or why can’t we make this a hospital for the sick.'”

Alyvia has made it her mission in life to bring joy to others.

“You should think of others. Don’t think of yourself because that is being selfish. I wasn’t selfish,” Alyvia said.

Alyvia’s aunt Tamika Hathaway said other children, and even adults, could learn a big lesson from this little girl.

She doesn’t realize how special she really is.“It is a lifestyle for her,” Tamika said. “She is humble. She doesn’t realize how special she really is and what she is doing. This is not for show.”

Alyvia’s mother said despite her daughter’s physical hardships, she has never failed to make her mom beam with pride by putting others first.

“That is who that little girl is,” Angela said. “I don’t ever want her to change that. Ever. Ever. Ever.”

One of Alyvia’s next kind acts will be organizing a team to walk in a November fundraiser to fight prostate cancer. She still sees doctors every six months and is scheduled to undergo additional testing in September.

Greg McQuade and CBS 6 News are featuring local heroes in a weekly “Heroes Among Us” segment. Watch Greg’s reports Thursdays on CBS News at 6 or here on WTVR.com. If you would like to nominate someone to be featured on “Heroes Among Us,” click here to email heroes@wtvr.com.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Beloved track and cross country coach Craig “Mug” Hedley has been a fixture on the sidelines at Hermitage High for 13 years. There he encourages students to stretch and strive to be their best.

“The beauty of track is that it is so measurable. What did you run the mile today? Can you run it faster tomorrow?” Hedley said.

As a coach, Hedley helps teenagers get a leg up on life, but his biggest impact on children may come far away from the track. At the tranquil setting of St. Joseph’s Villa on Brook Road in Henrico County. As director of community partnerships, Hedley works on the front lines aiding families in crisis and children facing neglect or abuse.

“It is an incredible place to work. To help families in need,” Hedley said. “My day is different every day. Imagine a child coming home and no one is home at night. What that is like.”

Craig has shouldered this monumental responsibility for 30 years.

St. Joseph’s Villa on Brook Road in Henrico County

“It has been very rewarding. My former boss said you need a sense of ministry to work here. I don’t know about me being a minister, but it does go beyond the dollar and it does go beyond how we can help people,” Hedley said.

His jovial nature has made big fans out of staff and students alike at St. Joseph’s. David Battiston, 16, said Hedley’s dedication at the Villa is second to none.

“It makes people feel they have a friend here,” Battiston said. “He is someone I’d like to keep in my life. He is a very nice guy.”

Drew Melson witnessed Hedley’s commitment to children years ago. First, as one of his athletes on Hermitige’s track team and now as a colleague at St. Joseph’s.

Craig “Mug” Hedley

“At any time of day Craig is on call,” Melson said. “Craig has a talent for making anyone feel comfortable in any situation.”

At the track, Coach Mug is reaching the finish line. He will retire from coaching at Hermitage at the end of the season and when he leaves, he will leave big running shoes to fill.

Hermitage High school athletes

“It is more than just 24 hours a day that he is putting in, not only to the Villa, but the high school. Again it says a lot about the type of person Mug is,” Hermitage’s Athletic Director Chris Rollison said.

He may be walking away from running, but Hedley will remain at St. Joseph’s helping push children to reach their full potential on the race track of life.

“I feel like I do have a calling to serve people and the Villa is a wonderful place to do that,” Hedley said.

Greg McQuade and CBS 6 News are featuring local heroes in a weekly “Heroes Among Us” segment. Watch Greg’s reports Thursdays on CBS News at 6 or here on WTVR.com. If you would like to nominate someone to be featured on “Heroes Among Us,” click here to email heroes@wtvr.com.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The Henrico Health Department is monitoring a camper taken to the hospital this week with a case of viral meningitis. The camper attended Camp Hilbert in Goochland County. The child has been released from the hospital and returned home, according to camp officials. The camp was closed Friday as a precaution, but will reopen Monday, according to camp operators at the Weinstein JCC.

The Henrico Health Department is not recommending campers seek any treatment at this point.

Camp Hilbert in Goochland

The Henrico Health Department offered the following information to parents, camp staff and the community.

Meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis may develop in response to a number of causes, usually bacteria or viruses, but meningitis can also be caused by physical injury, cancer or certain drugs.

The severity of illness and the treatment for meningitis differ depending on the cause. Thus, it is important to know the specific cause of meningitis. At this time, the specific cause of possible meningitis in the child attending Camp Hilbert is not determined.

Viral meningitis is the most common type of meningitis. It is often less severe than bacterial meningitis, and most people usually get better on their own (without treatment). However, infants younger than 1 month old and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe illness. In most cases, there is no specific treatment for viral meningitis. Most people who get viral meningitis completely recover on their own within 7 to 10 days. Antibiotics do not help viral infections, so they are not useful in the treatment of viral meningitis. However, antibiotics are very important when treating bacterial meningitis.

Camp Hilbert in Goochland

Initial symptoms of viral meningitis include:

• Fever
• Severe headache
• Stiff neck
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sensitivity to light
• General feeling of not being well.

Both the Henrico Health Department and camp leaders advised parents whose children exhibited the symptoms to see their pediatrician.

“The most effective method of preventing infection is to wash your hands thoroughly and often,” the Henrico Health Department advised. “Besides frequent washing of hands, children should be advised not to share drinks and food with friends.”

HENRICO COUNTY, Va — An 82-year-old Henrico woman woke up Sunday thinking her dog Cooper was in bed next to her, she was wrong. Instead, Reba Shook said there was a stranger in the bed of her Crestview neighborhood home.

“I put my hand out for [her dog] to smell, then I realized it was somebody,” Shook said. “I said ‘Well, I don`t know what you`re after but you aren’t gone get nothing here.'”

Shook said she then jumped up and fought for her life, clawing and cursing at the intruder.

Shook said the intruder ran out of her room and out the backdoor. She said she believed the stranger got into her home through a window she left cracked open.

While the incident left Shook shaken, she said moving away from her home of four decades is not an option.

“I`m going shopping for a gun,” Shook said. “If anybody values their life they won’t climb into my window.”

Police confirmed they were investigating the Sunday morning incident and added it was the second such incident the Crestview neighborhood had experienced in the last two weeks.

Anyone with information was asked to call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va — Henrico Police are looking for the man who robbed a Brook Road business Monday morning.  Police said the man entered the business, along the 8100 block of Brook Road before 11:50 a.m., approached the clerk, displayed a handgun and then demanded cash.

The man had the clerk place money from the register into a backpack, police said. He then forced the clerk to the back of the store where he had the clerk give him electronic equipment.

The robber drove off in a  silver Nissan.  No injuries were reported.

Police described the robber as a black male, approximately 6 feet tall, with a medium to heavy build. He wore a baseball hat, a black long sleeve t-shirt, dark jeans and blacked rimmed glasses

Henrico Police asked anyone with information to call 804-501-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 804- 780-1000.

HENRICO, Va. — On Friday July 31, at approximately 9 a.m., Henrico Police Animal Protection received a call for service for a dog fighting a raccoon in the first block of A. P. Hill Avenue, in Highland Springs.

When officers arrived they determined a raccoon had fought with the homeowner’s dog leaving the canine injured.

The raccoon was submitted to the Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services for rabies testing.

On Tuesday, August 3, 2015, positive test results were received.  There were no further reports of any additional human or animal exposures, police said.

This is the ninth confirmed positive rabies case in Henrico County this year, according to officials. There were 11 last year.

Henrico Police Animal Protection reminds everyone to be sure to keep their pets’ rabies vaccinations current to ensure the safety of their pets and our community.

Please report abnormal wildlife behavior to the Henrico Police Non-Emergency Communications Center at (804) 501-5000.