News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | April 23, 2024
News Archives for January, 2008
NK grand jury indicts five
Five individuals, including two men accused of eluding police and assaulting county deputy sheriffs in separate, unrelated incidents, have been indicted by a New Kent Circuit Court grand jury. Convening on Monday, the grand jury indicted: –Garrie Gene Neal, 41, of 9606 Holland Street in Richmond, on one count each of felony eluding police, assaulting a police officer, and grand larceny. The offenses are alleged to have occurred last Oct. 25. Neal allegedly stole a 1999 Ford Escort belonging to Deborah Odell and assaulted New Kent Deputy David Mehalko; –Timothy Stuart Taylor, 22, of 1304 Chipper Court in Highland Springs,…
Read Full Story
Cocaine, not baking powder, in underwear, defendant admits
A Charles City man, who claimed it was baking soda in a small plastic bag he swallowed as deputies tried to restrain him, now admits the white, powdery substance was actually cocaine. Andre Dion Tabb, 41, of 19300 Horseshoe Road, owned up to bag’s contents under questioning from Judge Thomas B. Hoover during the defendant’s sentencing on Jan. 8 on concealed weapon and obstruction of justice convictions in Charles City Circuit Court. Tabb was convicted on both counts following an Oct. 12 trial. The defendant was arrested on Jan. 7, 2007 after a Charles City investigator, working a traffic stop,…
Read Full Story
Judge upholds prison time recommended by NK jury
A New Kent Circuit Court judge has upheld a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence recommended by a jury for a Jamaican national convicted of attempting to possess close to 24 pounds of marijuana valued at over $61,000 that was shipped into the county from California. Judge Thomas B. Hoover abided by the jury’s decision during a Jan. 7 hearing, labeling as reasonable the jury’s recommendation in the case involving Michael G. Thompson. “The major point is this is not just a little over five pounds,” the judge said noting the amount needed to qualify for a felony violation. “This is 24 pounds,…
Read Full Story
Builder handed more prison time for violating jail rules
A once-respected contractor who defrauded three families to the tune of more than $200,000 will serve another six months behind bars after being kicked out of the work release program managed by the jail where he was being held. Bane “Mike” Van Dyke III, 62, was convicted on six counts of felony construction fraud in September 2006 in New Kent Circuit Court. The charges stemmed from money advanced to Van Dyke who was to build houses for Gary and Robin Tate and Melvin and Shirley Matula. The third family, Steve and Judy Harris, won a settlement in civil court and…
Read Full Story
Notorious escape artist indicted in Charles City
Alonzo Erwin Logan, who gained notoriety for escaping twice from law enforcement custody, has been indicted on two felony charges in Charles City County stemming from his latest escapade. A Charles City Circuit Court grand jury, convening on Jan. 8, indicted Logan, 41, on one count each of breaking and entering and abduction. Logan allegedly broke into the Charles City home of Claire Mehalich on Nov. 26, abducted her, and forced her to drive him to Richmond. Several days later, Logan was recaptured after police found him hiding in the attic of an abandoned house in east Richmond. Logan escaped…
Read Full Story
Public delivers final requests for 100-acre NK park offerings
Now that public input sessions are over, New Kent parks and recreation along with county general services staff are assembling a report on the county’s recreational needs. Those needs, particularly sports playing fields and trails for horseback riding and walkers/joggers, are to be incorporated in a 100-acre site destined to become the county’s centrally located park. New Kent’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission held its fourth and final public input session last Wednesday concerning Criss Cross Park, a 100-acre site off Criss Cross Road, just north of the westbound Interstate 64 rest area, that has been donated to the county…
Read Full Story
No easy solution appears on horizon for library dilemma
Despite public sentiment expressed Monday night during New Kent’s Board of Supervisors meeting for rapid restoration of library services, or better yet a new library building, there appears to be no quick fix for Heritage Public Library. And for now there seems to be no going back to the Providence Forge location forced to close a week ago due to deficiencies in the building’s electrical system. Lee Tyson, chairman of the library’s 11-member Board of Trustees, told supervisors Monday night that repairing and upgrading the electrical system would cost an estimated $25,000. “The trustees believe it would not be a…
Read Full Story
New Kent teacher remains jailed on sex crime charges
A veteran New Kent Middle School teacher remains behind bars after being denied bond on felony sex charges in Charles City County. But the situation involving Bruce Flanders, 61, could change as early as today (Wednesday) when he is to appear for another bond hearing in Charles City General District Court. Flanders was arrested at his Charles City residence (19701 The Glebe Lane) on Jan. 4 in connection with charges stemming from an alleged sexual relationship with a 22-year-old female teacher at New Kent Middle School. He is being held at Riverside Regional Jail in Prince George County. In Charles…
Read Full Story
Potential fire hazard closes Heritage Library
The only public library serving New Kent and Charles City counties is closed indefinitely in the wake of inspections that revealed the building’s electrical system could pose a fire hazard. Heritage Public Library’s 11-member Board of Trustees, meeting in emergency session on the evening of Jan. 7, voted to immediately close the Providence Forge location. All library events and activities have been canceled until further notice. Problems with the electrical system surfaced during an inspection just over two weeks ago. The library board had commissioned the inspection as part of a report being compiled on the overall condition of the…
Read Full Story
Death of Maryland man in NK holding cell investigated
State Police are investigating the death of a Maryland man who collapsed while being held in a holding cell at the New Kent Sheriff’s Office, a few hours after officers used pepper spray and a taser gun to subdue him. Three New Kent deputies performed CPR on Yvelt Occean, 31, of Silver Spring, Md., after he collapsed in the holding cell shortly before 10 p.m. last Saturday night. Occean was transported by rescue squad to Richmond Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead, a State Police spokesman said. Around 7:30 p.m. that evening, a State Police trooper responded to a…
Read Full Story
