News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | October 5, 2025
Local News
New Kent Planning Commission gives thumbs down to PUD amendment for Rock Creek Villas
Monday’s New Kent Planning Commission public hearing surrounding a proposed amendment to Rock Creek Villas PUD (Planned Unit Development) in attempts to bring affordable housing to senior communities. However, input from citizens and a number of concerns from the commission resulted in a non-favorable recommendation by planners. The planning commission voted 8-0-1 to forward an unfavorable recommendation to county supervisors on the proposal by the Woda Group who represent Peggy and Billy Cunningham on the PUD amendment. Among proposals in the PUD amendment asked by the Woda Group included reduction in the number of maximum number of senior living facility…
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Charles City High School evacuated after gas leak discovered
Charles City High School was evacuated Tuesday (Dec. 19) morning after a gas leak was discovered at the school. Shortly before 9 a.m., the Chronicle learned that the leak emerged from the high school’s auditorium. Officers and fire emergency crews from both Charles City and New Kent responded and evacuated students from the high school. Those students were relocated to Charles City Elementary School before ultimately being dismissed at 10:30 a.m. The scene was still under investigation as of this release. Students were slated to be in school tomorrow (Dec. 20) for half-a-day before being dismissed for their winter break….
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Stabbing during altercation puts Quinton man in prison for five years
A verbal altercation that escalated into a stabbing after a physical confrontation will send a Quinton man to prison for five years. Jeffrey Robert Behney Jr., 22, of the 6000 block of Pine Road, entered an Alford plea of guilt to an amended charge of malicious wounding (originally aggravated malicious wounding) as part of Dec. 18 proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. An Alford plea means while the defendant maintains his innocence, evidence presented in the case would be enough to convict him of the offense. In a summary of evidence, on Apr. 4, New Kent deputies responded to the…
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Hopewell man receives year in jail for sexual interactions with minor
A Hopewell man that had sexual interactions with a minor will spend the next year in jail. Cordell Lamar Jones, 19, of the 3700 block of Lafayette Street, entered a guilty plea to an amended charge of carnal knowledge without force with a minor between the ages of 13 and 15 (originally rape) during Dec. 15 proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court. In a summary of evidence provided by Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Tyler, on Apr. 28 Charles City Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from the victim’s mother. The victim told deputies that she was walking on the bike path…
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Two more men indicted on sex crimes in Charles City
Two Charles City men in unrelated cases have been charged with a plethora of sex crimes in Charles City after sealed indictments were unlocked. –Rodney Johnson, 52, of the 9500 block of Lewis Tyler Lane, has been charged with eight counts of aggravated sexual battery with a minor under the age of 13, six counts of sodomy with a minor under the age of 13, and two counts of sexual penetration with an object. The alleged offenses began in 1996 and continued into the early 2000s. –Jonathan Douglas McMuller, 34, of the 10000 block of Harrison Lake Drive, has been…
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Courthouse Road to close in Charles City for annual Christmas parade
Courthouse Road (Route 155) in Charles City will close Saturday, Dec. 16, for the county’s annual Christmas parade. Courthouse will be closed from 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. between Lott Cary Road (Rt. 602) to Ruthville Rd. (Route 612). Motorists can use the following detours: -Traveling northbound: Take Lott Cary Road (Rt. 602) to Adkins Road (Rt. 618). Make a right onto Adkins Road and travel to Pocahontas Trail (Rt. 60) in New Kent. Turn right onto Pocahontas Trail and turn right onto Courthouse Road (Rt. 155 South). -Traveling southbound: Take Rt. 155 North (Courthouse Road) to Pocahontas Trail (Rt. 60) in…
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Action on Farms of New Kent PUD amendment deferred
After two-and-a-half years of work, negotiations, and meetings with county residents, a Planned Unit Development (PUD) amendment for the Farms of New Kent appeared before county supervisors seeking favorable approval for the changes. But with a document that spanned more than 200 pages and with only a limited time before the finalized versions appeared before county leaders, it was just too much to digest at the moment. County supervisors deferred action on the PUD until January’s work session after more than an hour worth of dialogue at the Dec. 11 public hearing. New Kent’s Director of Community Development Matthew Smolnik…
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Driving intoxicated in New Kent lands man two-year jail term
A Mechanicsville man will serve a minimal mandatory two years in jail after receiving formal sentencing on two felony charges as part of Monday morning proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. Darren Wright Snyder, 46, of the 9300 block of Howard Drive, received one year active terms on one charge each of felony driving revoked/endangerment and felony DUI after being previously convicted of a similar offense. At an Aug. 28 trial, Snyder entered guilty pleas to both of the crimes. Just before midnight on Dec. 2, 2016, a New Kent deputy observed a truck traveling east on Route 60 and…
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Details revealed regarding meeting on Internet in Charles City
With continuing frustrations mounting from both citizens and county leaders in regard to promise of high-speed Internet service, Charles City supervisor Bill Coada and county administrator Michelle Johnson provided an update as part of the board’s quarterly work session. Coada and Johnson attended a Nov. 30 meeting with SCS Broadband, the company who is supplying Internet access, and Design 9, the company that constructed towers and the system for SCS Broadband to place equipment on. Coada commented that he wasn’t too happy with Design 9. “I looked at them and asked them did they design a system that wouldn’t bring…
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Weight limit imposed on Goddins Mill Pond bridge in New Kent
Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced Friday afternoon that a four-ton weight limit has been imposed on Goddins Mill Pond Bridge on Holly Fork Road in New Kent. The bridge had been previously closed to all traffic after a Dec. 6 announcement came as a result of a routine bridge inspection. Officials designated at that time that the bridge had deteriorated to a point where it must be closed to traffic for further inspection and possible repairs or replacement. A second inspection of the structure led to the imposing of a four-ton vehicle limit. Motorists with vehicles that weigh more…
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