News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | April 3, 2026
Local News
Pothole patching rings in year on Interstate 64 in New Kent
Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) has announced a pavement repairing project next week in New Kent. On Jan. 7, Interstate 64 eastbound between mile markers 205 (Bottoms Bridge) and 224 will have alternating lane closures from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. for pothole patching.
Williamsburg man killed in early morning crash in New Kent
A Williamsburg man was killed during an early Dec. 30 morning accident in New Kent. Charles E.S. Garrett, 27, died at the scene after the crash on Interstate 64 eastbound near mile marker 214 (Providence Forge). According to the Virginia State Police report, around 5:19 a.m., a 2006 Honda Civic was traveling east on the Interstate 64 at a high rate of speed when it switched lanes from the right to the left lane. During a subsequent change back into the right lane, the car struck a 2015 Freightliner tractor trailer in the rear, causing the vehicle to be wedged…
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NKSO seeks information on break-in at Patsy’s Diner
New Kent Sheriff’s Office is seeking information on a recent burglary in Providence Forge. On Dec. 21, a burglary occurred in the early morning hours at Patsy’s Diner. Forced entry was made inside the building. The sheriff’s office is asking for information involving the break-in. If you saw a suspicious person or vehicle in Providence Forge during those hours, please call New Kent Sheriff’s Office at 966-9500 or Crime Stoppers at 780-1000.
New Kent couple parlays lessons learned in kitchen into book
In today’s time, interaction among people continues to be at the forefront as tension tends to mount over a variety over factors that include ethnicity, religion, and social standing. For one New Kent couple, lessons learned in the kitchen led them to write a book with the intention to understand all people, no matter the background. Wilma and Tom English are the authors of “Angel in the Kitchen.” The book consists of what the couple deem meaningful and fruitful lessons to learn from each other. “It started when we were young as we both wrote for our old high school…
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Plea deal reached in motorcycle felony eluding case in New Kent
A Richmond man who fled police in a multi-county chase accepted a plea deal during Dec. 21 New Kent Circuit Court proceedings. Nicholas Joseph Ciambor, 30, of the 5800 block of Westover Village Drive, entered Alford pleas of guilty to one count each of felony eluding police, misdemeanor driving without a proper designation, and misdemeanor reckless driving. While Ciambor maintains his innocence with his plea, evidence presented would convict him of the crime. In a summary of events, on July 18, 2015, a be-on-the-lookout was issued for an orange motorcycle traveling at a high rate of speed eastbound on Interstate…
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More support from locality asked in Charles City superintendent’s $10.6 million budget
With a prediction of a $345,000 reduction in state funding due to the local composite index (see related story on website), Charles City superintendent of schools David Gaston is hoping county supervisors will provide funds to compensate that deficit as well as provide additional money to help sustain adequate educational services to students. Gaston presented a proposed $10.6 million operational budget for FY16-17 during the county’s school board meeting Tuesday evening. That figure is up from $10.2 million in the current school budget. “As you all heard at last week’s joint work session [with the board of supervisors], we are…
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Roundabout construction to resume at Route 249/612 intersection in New Kent; new park-and-ride lot now open
Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced construction of a roundabout at a dangerous intersection is to resume this week. VDOT resident engineer Bruce McNabb told supervisors Monday night that a new contractor has hired to complete the work at the intersection of Route 249 (New Kent Highway) and Route 612 (Airport/Tunstall Road). The project was originally scheduled to begin last March, but was abandoned in April over a contract dispute. The project remained untouched for eight months while VDOT took legal action. A timetable for completion of the roundabout has not been set. In other VDOT news, a new park-and-ride…
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New Kent water-skiing issue returns, heads to February public hearing
After six months of concerns and questions about an ordinance that has prevented water-skiing on Chickahominy Lake since 1979, New Kent supervisors have voted to have the issue go to public hearing in February for a possible repeal. Started in July by avid recreational skiers Jonathan Edmonds and Daniel Moore on why the body of water was the only one in the state that prohibited water-skiing, a motion passed 3-2 during the board’s Monday night meeting to address the issue. Edmonds and Moore once again approached the board on the matter during the public comment portion of the meeting, the…
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Love’s Truck Stop gets go-ahead from New Kent supervisors
To the surprise of New Kent supervisors, a public hearing for a Love’s Truck Stop in New Kent received no opposition during Monday night’s meeting. And with one small condition added to the proposed conditional use permit (CUP), county leaders had no problem approving the application. New Kent supervisors unanimously approved the construction of the truck stop by the Love’s corporation. The only condition added to the CUP was that the company must obtain a certificate of occupancy within three years. “We had projects that didn’t have time limits before on them but a few years ago we started to…
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Two sentenced as part of plea deals in unrelated New Kent Circuit Court cases
A Quinton woman who entered an Alford plea of guilty to one count of grand larceny and obtaining money by false pretense in October will serve six months in jail. Samantha Jo Strickland, 26, received the sentence during Monday morning New Kent Circuit proceedings. In her previous trial, Strickland stipulated that evidence would reveal that she pawned stolen jewelry belonging to Shannon Wooten at Gold and Silver Mine in New Kent. Strickland received a 10-year sentence on the grand larceny charge with all but nine years, six months suspended. The obtaining money by false pretenses was reduced from a felony…
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