News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | November 4, 2025
News Archives for 2008
CC supervisors to oppose negative dog study findings
Back in January, deer hunters packed the Charles City County Board of Supervisors meeting room to pressure the board to pass a resolution in support of using dogs to pursue their sport. Supervisors quickly complied. But omitted from the resolution was a sentence saying supervisors would oppose any negative findings toward dog use in results of a study now underway statewide. During their June 24 meeting, board members unanimously agreed to add the passage. County resident H.B. Fitzgerald sent letters to each board member and brought up the issue during last week’s meeting. The study, being conducted by Virginia Tech…
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NK, CC residents having say on Walker’s Dam design
New Kent and Charles City residents, who have a stake in the outcome of rehabilitation work on Walker’s Dam, are providing the dam’s owners, Newport News Waterworks, with input on several design issues that remain unresolved. Waterworks officials hosted a public meeting last Wednesday at the New Kent Forestry Center that attracted residents from both counties who were asked to comment on the dam’s height, boat lock operation, fishing near the dam, and a proposed fishing pier. Repairs to the 65-year-old dam on the Chickahominy River at Lanexa evolved from the structure failing in April 2007 and the boat lock…
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NK law enforcement annex dedicated in sheriff’s honor
New Kent Sheriff F.W. “Wakie” Howard Jr. knew that moving into the county’s new $3.2 million, 13,600 square foot sheriff’s annex building would relieve overcrowding his department has experienced in recent years inside their cramped courthouse quarters. But little did he know that the building would bear his name. The F.W. Howard Jr. Law Enforcement Office Building officially opened its doors to the public during a June 18 dedication ceremony. Howard had planned only on thanking local officials and introducing the event’s featured speaker, state Secretary of Public Safety John Marshall, during the event. But county officials had worked behind…
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Teachers stamp rave reviews on new high school building
Awesome, phenomenal, amazing, and just plain “Wow!” Those are but a few of the descriptive words New Kent High School teachers and administrators employed as they scurried about the hallways, classrooms, gymnasiums, auditorium, media center, and food court inside the county’s new $50 million, 242,000 square foot high school. The date: June 11, the last day of the school year. But teachers delayed departing for summer to spend a few hours touring the complex they will call home in September. “I’m excited. I’m thrilled. I cannot believe it,” librarian Tracey McKinney exclaimed as she gazed about the new school’s media…
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New Kent High School scholarships and awards
Nicolle Sarah Anderson- The National Beta Club Scholarship; Bottom of the Bridge LaSertoma Award. Camille Dawn Ayyush- New Kent/Charles City Retired Teachers Association Scholarship. Jessica Marie Baldwin- Bon Secours Virginia HealthSource Board Scholarship. Laura Anne Bauer- Jenna King Memorial Scholarship. Jeremy Allen Berkley- G.W. Watkins Memorial Scholarship; New Kent NAACP Academic Achievers. Ian Hunter Burnet- New Kent High School Principal’s Academic Award; United States Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award; Virginia Commonwealth University Presidential Scholarship Award; Early College Scholar. Chelsea Janet Christian- New Kent NAACP Academic Achievers. Kaylee Michelle Cossaboon- Virginia Wesleyan College Leadership Scholarship Award; New Kent Ruritan E….
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Two defendants plead guilty, charge against third dropped
A Charles City man has been sentenced to an active term of one year behind bars in connection with an attack on his brother. Calvin Barnes, 45, of 6020 Adkins Road, entered an Alford plea of guilty on June 6 in Charles City Circuit Court to one count of unlawful wounding stemming from an incident last Feb. 12 involving his brother, Jarvis Barnes. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but stipulates evidence in the matter would be sufficient for a conviction. In a summary of evidence, prosecutor Rob Tyler told the court the Barnes brothers were…
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Charles City residents take bicycle route concerns to VDOT
Charles City residents in the Parrish Hill area of the county have concerns about the path the soon to be built Virginia Capital Trails bicycle route is slated to take through the courthouse area. The project parallels Route 5 from Richmond to Williamsburg and is being built in stages. The Charles City Courthouse stage is slated for completion sometime in the next two years. Close to 40 residents, mostly members of Parrish Hill Baptist Church, met June 4 with Virginia Department of Transportation officials at the church on Route 5. Of concern is the church itself, particularly access to its…
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Proposed NK zoning districts draw fire at public hearing
A rewritten section of New Kent’s zoning ordinance is not drawing rave reviews from some county businessmen and landowners who are not shy about leveling criticism. Just over 30 people sat in the dark, literally, after a thunderstorm short-circuited power in the county administration building, only moments before Monday night’s Planning Commission meeting was called to order. On the agenda, a public hearing on the section that features three new proposed zoning districts along with lot requirements, land use definitions, a table of uses, and an amended zoning map of the county. Of the 11 people who spoke, most fired…
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Drive-in damages NK 7-Eleven
The 7-Eleven convenience store on Route 33 in Eltham in New Kent County took on the appearance of an open-air market after a driver plowed his car into the store’s front door, causing damage that could run into the thousands of dollars. The incident occurred shortly before 10 p.m. on June 6 when a Scion sedan, driven by Derek Mathis, 55, of Williamsburg, jumped the sidewalk curb in front of the store and crashed into the front door, taking out both of the double doors along with a large storefront window. Another window to the left of the doors sustained…
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County budget passes amid protests over reassessment
Despite urging from some residents to toss out the county’s recent real estate reassessment and new tax rate that followed, New Kent’s Board of Supervisors passed by a 4-1 vote a $54.5 million ($73.4 million when public utilities are factored in) budget for 2008-09. The action came during the board’s June 9 meeting. District 5 Supervisor Ray Davis cast the lone dissenting vote, saying he could not support the budget since the figure is based on the reassessment. Less than two weeks earlier during a public hearing on the budget, Davis motioned to throw out reassessment results, drawing applause from…
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