12 INVESTIGATES: Contaminated calls

Friday, May 17th, 2013, 5:01pm

These days practically everyone has a cell phone, and it goes everywhere you do.

But that also means it's picking up every germ you encounter, too.

"I carry my cell phone around," said dermatologist Dr. Laci Theunissen. "It's in my purse, my children are playing with it. I bring it to the bathroom sometimes, multi-tasking."

And that means some nasty little organisms may be hitchhiking from an unsanitary surface to your face.

"A lot of people don't think about it," Theunissen said.

To find out just what is lurking on that surface, cell phones were taken to a lab.

The phones were swabbed and the swabs were incubated for three days at 37 degrees Celsius - roughly body temperature - to see what would grow.

Streptococcus, as in strep throat, and staphylococcus, as in staph infection, along with a few other types of bacteria were found on all the phones we tested.

But there is good news.

View Comments | Post a Comment

State GOP Convention could cause traffic issues downtown

Submitted by NBC12 News Staff

Friday, May 17th, 2013, 7:04am

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- The State GOP Convention is Friday at the Richmond Coliseum, and it may cause traffic issues for people driving in that area around lunch time.

The convention starts around noon and continues into Saturday. On the agenda is nominating a candidate for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.

Governor Bob McDonnell will not be there for balloting Saturday.

View Comments | Post a Comment

12 ON YOUR SIDE: Richmond company reaches out to assist disabled man

Submitted by NBC12 News Staff

Thursday, May 16th, 2013, 8:16pm

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- A shocking story of abuse sparks an instant response - and tonight, a severely disabled man is getting the help he needs.

Josh Wilson tried his luck at winning a national contest for a wheelchair-accessible van. Many of you went online and voted for Josh after we shared his heartbreaking story about caregivers who maxed out his credit card and crashed his van. He lost the contest - but won support from a Richmond company.

Josh had to conquer heartbreak and betrayal by two personal care aids who he says stole nearly $6,000 through unauthorized credit card charges.

"My former aids threatened to not care for me unless I allowed them to use my cards," said Josh. "This put me in a very serious and dangerous position."

View Comments | Post a Comment

Riverrock expected to draw more than 65k people

Submitted by NBC12 News Staff

Thursday, May 16th, 2013, 7:08pm

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- Crews are in motion setting up new obstacles and even more competitions for this year's Dominion Riverrock Festival. Thousands of people will descend on Brown's Island and Historic Tredegar for the fifth annual event.

Last year's weekend brought in a record 65,000 people. That number is expected to be surpassed this year. Riverrock 2013 will showcase trickier bike slopes, a new mountain bike skills course, and an outdoor yoga session.

The event's director, Megan Schultz, says Riverrock is making a bigger impact each season.

"...making us the largest sports and music festival in the country, and we're looking forward to similar success (this year)," said Schultz.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Community Sponsors

Williams and Fogg - HVAC, Plumbing & Electric

Customer Satisfaction is our Number One Concern!

Up to $500 Off

State auditors inspect juvenile detention center

Submitted by NBC12 News Staff

Thursday, May 16th, 2013, 6:00pm

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- Leaders of Richmond's problem-plagued juvenile detention center are now breathing a small sigh of relief. They made it through the state audit required to get their license back. The visit comes just weeks before a June state board approval hearing.

From the moment state auditors walk into the facility, their inspectors' eyes are wide open. They examine what new chief Rodney Baskerville has done to give the center a new life.

"When people talk about well 'what are you doing' it's not like everything needs to be replaced but it's a lot of little things that you have to pay attention to prior to an audit," Baskerville explained. "If you don't, then you won't pass that audit."

The juvenile justice veteran has been taking the center on a road to recovery of sorts. The city voluntarily closed the doors there last year because it was about to lose its state license.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Powerball soars to $550 million

Submitted by NBC12 News Staff

Thursday, May 16th, 2013, 2:10pm

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- The next Powerball drawing will be for over half a billion dollars!

No one bought a ticket matching all the numbers in Wednesday night's drawing: 2, 11, 26, 34, 41 and a Powerball of 32.

Strong sales boosted the new pot to $550 million.

"It usually took a handful of months, if not several months, for a jackpot to reach this large amount," said Mary Neubauer, spokeswoman for the Iowa Lottery. "Now it's achieving that within a handful of weeks. I think the redesign is achieving exactly what we had wanted it to achieve, which is the bigger, faster-growing jackpot."

The most recent major jackpot winning ticket went to a New Jersey man in March - he won $338.3 million, the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in history.

Draw sales cut off at least 59 minutes before the draw, so grab your tickets early!

View Comments | Post a Comment

Richmond schedules hearing on school closures

Submitted by NBC12 News Staff

Thursday, May 16th, 2013, 2:01pm

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- Richmond parents will have a chance to offer their input later this month on the closing of three City schools.

The Richmond School Board scheduled the public hearing for May 28 at 5:30 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson High School. Parents will be able to voice their opinion on the proposed closure of Clark Springs Elementary School, the Adult Career Development Center and Norrell Pre-School Development Center.

There will also be time set aside for discussion of rezoning several other Richmond schools.

View Comments | Post a Comment