News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | April 3, 2026
Local News
High-speed Internet for New Kent tops discussion at town hall
A Jan. 22 town hall meeting hosted by New Kent supervisors garnered only 25 attendees with topics ranging from the status of Colonial Downs to economic development in the county. But it was the topic of high-speed Internet access that raised most questions for citizens and local business owners. Two business owners addressed supervisors and county administrator Rodney Hathaway during the open forum format. After a brief presentation by Hathaway on future plans to entice more businesses to the county, questions about access to the World Wide Web emerged. “What can we do about getting high-speed Internet through the county?”…
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Charles City school superintendent proposes $1.1 million CIP for FY15-16
As part of a plan to revamp facilities and technology for Charles City’s school system, superintendent of schools David Gaston presented a $1.1 million proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for FY2015-16. Gaston presented the plan during a Jan. 12 school board work session, with feedback received during the board’s regular monthly meeting Tuesday night. The proposed CIP is part of a recommended $6.1 million overhaul to bring facilities up-to-date by FY2020-21. “This document projects our needs and projects over the next five years,” the superintendent said. “It will be joined with the county’s document to provide everyone with a comprehensive…
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Argument between New Kent restaurant owners leads to felony charges
A New Kent County man faces three felony charges in the aftermath of an alleged assault on a pair of family members Tuesday night outside a local Chinese restaurant. Sheng Jie Jin, 41, of the 2700 block of Patriots Landing Dr., Quinton, is charged with two counts of aggravated malicious wounding and one count of destruction of property stemming from the alleged incident involving the suspect’s estranged wife, Yue Yun Zheng, and the suspect’s brother-in-law, Xue Ying Gao, who is from Wisconsin. The suspect and his wife are the owners of Panda Garden restaurant where the alleged incident took place,…
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New Kent administrator recommending $1.8 million Capital Improvement Plan for next fiscal year
Cost for proposed projects in New Kent County’s Capital Improvement Plan covering the next five years totals almost $29.3 million. But only a small fraction of those projects are being recommended for inclusion in the county’s budget for the next fiscal year. County Administrator Rodney Hathaway unveiled the proposed CIP Tuesday night before county Planning Commission members. For fiscal 2015-16, Hathaway is recommending approval for projects totaling just over $1.8 million. Commission members are charged with reviewing the CIP list and forwarding a recommendation to county supervisors following a public hearing scheduled for planners’ Feb. 17 meeting. The Board of…
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Final two defendants in 2013 Bottoms Bridge McDonald’s robbery sentenced
The alleged mastermind behind several 2013 armed robberies of restaurants in the Richmond metro area, including the Bottoms Bridge McDonald’s in New Kent, will serve 30 years in a federal prison. Shatik U. Jackson, 21, of the 300 block of Shetland Court, Henrico, received the time as part of an October plea deal in federal court, with formal sentencing being announced in December. The driver of the getaway car for the New Kent armed robbery, London Shi-Anne Cotman, 20, of the 200 block of N. Airport Drive, Highland Springs, received a four-year prison sentence during the same proceedings as part…
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New Kent planners recommend annual renewal for Colonial Downs’ event permit
New Kent Planning Commission members favor allowing Colonial Downs to have a county permit for hosting events such as rodeos and the annual county fair. But they also want that permit to expire after one year. Commission members voted 9-1-1 Tuesday night to recommend the county Board of Supervisors amend a conditional use permit (CUP) dating from 2002 that allows the track to stage certain events other than horse racing. The proposed amendment removes language in the CUP that requires track officials to hold a current and valid pari-mutuel horseracing license issued by the Virginia Racing Commission. Last October, Colonial…
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Boards reorganize in Charles City, New Kent
Boards in Charles City and New Kent have named chairmen and vice-chairmen as part of reorganization for meetings in 2015. In Charles City, Gilbert Smith will serve as chairman for the county’s Board of Supervisors, with Floyd Miles Sr. serving as vice-chairman. Helen Payne-Jones and Barbara Crawley were reappointed as chairwoman and vice-chairwoman, respectively, for Charles City’s School Board. District 2 representative Tommy Tiller received the nod as chairman for New Kent’s Board of Supervisors, with Ron Stiers tasked with duties as the board’s vice-chairman. New Kent School Board members named Sarah Grier Barber as chairwoman, with District 5 representative…
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Yorktown duo arrested on burglary and grand larceny charge in New Kent
Two Yorktown teenagers have been arrested on charges of burglary and grand larceny from a residence on Carriage Road in New Kent County. Rachel Nicole Dillon, 18, and Bailey Scott Strickland, 19, both of the 100 block of Brokenbridge Road, were arrested for allegedly entering the residence and stealing more than $200 in valuables. Dillon was taken into custody on Jan. 16, with Strickland arrested the following day. Both defendants were being held in Henrico Jail East without bond pending arraignment in New Kent General District Court.
Quinton woman arrested on alleged domestic assault, threatening charges
A Quinton woman has been arrested on one felony charge each of allegedly threatening to burn down an occupied dwelling and being involved in an alleged domestic assault. Alison Aurelia Henderson, 28, of the 7000 block of N. Franklin Way, was taken into custody on Jan. 9 on both charges. Both charges are felonies, with the domestic assault charge being a fourth offense within 20 years. Henderson was being held without bond in Henrico Jail East.
