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State unveils six year road improvement plan

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- Transportation officials unveiled the state's billion dollar plan for the roads you drive on every day. In the state's six year improvement plan, the Richmond area has dozens of projects on the list.

If you sometimes wish your interstate commute wasn't so congested or that state road wasn't so bumpy, Virginia leaders say they feel your pain and are ready to take action. Drivers say there's no time to wait.

"With the traffic in the evenings and mornings, it gets piled up and built up. You can barely get through there," says driver James Miles.

He is all too familiar with the headaches at I-64 near the Ashland Road exit heading from Goochland to the Short Pump area. That's where state leaders want to widen the interstate from four lanes to six.

"It's a lot easier. Who wants to wait in traffic and sit in traffic?" said Jeff Wise.

He manages an Exxon in that area.

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Mother charged after reports of toddler running alone in road

CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT)- A Chesterfield mother faces abuse and neglect charges after reports that her two-year-old boy running up and down a busy road in Chesterfield County. It happened at the intersection of Westfield Road and Ryanwood Court, where police say Trakeca Williams lives in the Alexandria Station neighborhood.

Neighbors say it was terrifying, fast moving cars breaking and dodging the toddler running in the middle of the road.

"He was running up and down screaming crying. Because he wanted to get on that school bus. But I mean there was no supervision. Where was the mother?"

The neighbor asked us not to reveal her identity, because she still lives nearby. But, she called 911 Friday fearful for the child's safety. "A little tot like that, in traffic with nobody there to supervise them? Why would you let a kid do that? He was in the middle of the street running up and down.

Prince George man arrested after three day search

Victor Starr

PRINCE GEORGE, VA (WWBT)- A three-day police search for a Prince George man came to an end Wednesday morning after he tried to break into an occupied home, police said.

Victor Starr, 35, is now charged with several felonies, including two counts of breaking and entering, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Joyce and Drake Bonner were home when they heard a broom fall on their back porch.

"I came to the back door and saw a guy turn around and start to run away," said Drake Bonner. "I guess he figured the broom would make some noise when it fell."

Bonner then called police. Officers say they found Starr several hours later about an hour away from the Bonner's home.

12 INVESTIGATES: Missing stimulus money?

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- Half a million of your tax dollars was supposed to bring a plant and dozens of new jobs to Richmond's south side. A ground breaking was even held. The mayor was there, but three years later - no business, no jobs. What happened?

Shovel-ready jobs - that's what the U.S. Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was to bring.

"'Shovel-ready' was not as shovel-ready as we expected," said President Obama in 2011, during a press conference.

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PHOTOS: Cicadas invade Central VA

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- Cicadas are beginning to pop up around Central Virginia, and viewers are sending in their pictures to our newsroom.

Click here to see the slideshow on your mobile device

Email your pictures to SendItTo12@nbc12.com and we'll add them to our gallery.

Copyright 2013 WWBT NBC12.  All rights reserved.

Grand jury finds officer justified in Chesterfield shooting death

Frankie Pitt

CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT)- A grand jury has ruled a Chesterfield Police officer was justified in shooting and killing a man in January.

The officer stopped to assist what he believed was a disabled motorist on January 13 on the Hull Street Road onramp to Chippenham Parkway. When the officer saw Frankie Pitt, 45, he realized he was the suspect in the theft of a cash drawer 10 minutes earlier at a nearby Circle K. Chesterfield police revealed say the cash drawer was later found in Pitt's car.

Police say the officer tried to arrest Pitt, leading to a struggle. Pitt tried to grab the officers gun, but the officer was able to shoot and kill Pitt, police said. The officer was treated and released.

12 INVESTIGATES: The dangers of energy drink abuse

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched an investigation this month into the safety - and reported deaths - from energy drinks. They're looking into whether these drinks are linked to 18 deaths and more than a hundred injuries.

Student, Nakai Johnson is very familiar with monster energy drinks, "I have three 8 o'clock classes, so every Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I'm drinking like two a day." She's never had a bad side effect, but there are plenty of people who say they have.

One teen's parents even filed a lawsuit. Anais Fournier died after reportedly drinking two Monsters within a 24-hour span. Her lawyer says the boost of caffeine turned an unknown heart condition deadly.

"You've got drug interactions. You've got genetic predispositions or underlying conditions. And all of that can add up," said Janet Starkey, registered Dietician at Virginia Commonwealth University.