News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | October 6, 2025
Local News
Former Charles City sheriff succumbs
A man who served Charles City County for a dozen years as sheriff has died. James “Jimmy” Bowman passed away on Apr. 8, at the age of 89 years old. Bowman served the people of Charles City from 1984-1996. He was also elected as president of the Virginia Sheriff’s Association and served in that capacity during the 1994-95 fiscal year of the organization.
Threats in letter send Charles City man to jail for two years
A Charles City man who sent threats through a letter to an ex-girlfriend in an attempt to receive money will serve the next two years in jail. David Scott Yates Sr., 48, of the 4500 block Rocking Horse Lane, learned his sentence on a single count of extortion during Monday morning proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. During a Feb. 14 contested trial, special prosecutor Rob Tyler presented evidence and garnered testimony from witnesses about a letter Yates wrote from jail on May 6, 2015. That letter was received in the victim’s mailbox in Quinton. The victim contacted jail authorities…
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Peace announces re-election bid for seat in Virginia House of Delegates
Christopher K. Peace, delegate for the 97th District that includes residents of New Kent, has announced his intentions to seek re-election in Virginia’s House of Delegates. “I am running for re-election to be a voice for principled conservatism and solve problems for hard working families in our district,” Peace said in a press release. “Virginians deserve leadership committed to the taxpayer and respecting of individual liberties and serving the people of the 97th District in the Virginia House of Delegates is a tremendous honor that I take very seriously.” Peace will be on June’s primary ballot as the only Republican…
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Woman receives 13 misdemeanor animal cruelty convictions from Charles City jury
After three days of testimony and two hours of deliberations, a former Charles City woman has been convicted on a plethora of animal cruelty charges in Charles City Circuit Court. A jury of seven women and five men rendered 13 guilty verdicts of misdemeanor animal cruelty against Rhiannon Renee Vitiello, 31, formerly of 9500 Sturgeon Point Road. She was found not guilty on eight misdemeanor animal cruelty charges and had three charges of the same manner dismissed due to a lack of scientific testing that lacked real life atmospheric conditions. One charge of felony unauthorized use of a horse levied…
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Quinton man arrested for alleged stabbing
A Quinton man has been arrested in relation to a stabbing on Apr. 4 in the Woodhaven Shores subdivision. Jeffrey Robert Behney, 21, of the 6000 block of Pine Road, Quinton, was taken into custody by New Kent Sheriff’s Office on a single count of aggravated malicious wounding. According to the press release, shortly before 9 p.m. an emergency call was received that a victim had been stabbed. Upon arriving to the residence in the subdivision, authorities discovered a male with a stab wound in the lower abdomen. Deputies located and interviewed a suspect, identified as Behney, and arrested him….
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Charles City proposed budget increases as tax rate remains the same
An expected increase in revenue along with no tax hike highlight the 2017-18 proposed budget for Charles City. Assistant county administrator and county finance director Michelle Johnson presented a figure of $27,425,116 to county leaders during Tuesday night’s convening of the board of supervisors. That number is an increase of $4,966,803 from the current year’s budget, due mostly in part of the proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). According to Johnson, revenue is expected to increase overall by 3.7 percent. An increase in tonnage from Waste Management also boosted projected revenue for the county. The county’s real estate tax is expected…
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VDOT to widen Wayside Road in Charles City
Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) has announced the widening of Wayside Road (Route 607) in Charles City. Beginning Mar. 27, the project will widen the roadway to 11-foot lanes, five-foot shoulders, and improve drainage near The New Road (Route 639) intersection. Drivers can expect alternating lane closures during the day. The total project cost is approximately $2 million with work expected to be completed by fall 2017.
Charles City leaders approve size increase of proposed library
Charles City supervisors approved a request to increase the size of the proposed library from 7,500 square feet to 8,200 square feet. District 2 supervisor and board chairman Bill Coada presented a letter from library campaign member Jimmy Tyler during a special called Mar. 22 meeting. The letter requested that supervisors allow the increase of the structure as funds raised by the library campaign committee would be used to pay for the expansion. The cost of the space increase is pegged at $400,000, with the letter indicating that the library committee would pay that amount through donations and pledges. Supervisors…
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Charles City’s school board makes case for more local funding
After approving its budget at the Mar. 21 regular board meeting, Charles City’s school board presented its proposal to county supervisors during a Mar. 22 special joint meeting. School board chairwoman Helen Payne-Jones and superintendent of schools David Gaston gave an overview of the $9.1 million operating budget for fiscal year 2017-18. Of that amount, schools are asking local leaders for a contribution just over $5.2 million to support the educational system. “The loss of revenue from the state was too much to incur and too much for us to handle,” Gaston commented. “We are starting with a shortfall of…
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Eleven indicted by grand jury in New Kent Circuit Court
A New Kent grand jury certified indictments against 11 individuals during Mar. 20 proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court: –Steven Ernest Danchak Jr., 53, of the 100 block of W. Semple Road, Williamsburg, on a lone charge of extortion. The defendant allegedly wrote a letter to his victim threatening to do her harm on Nov. 12, 2016. –Ashley Nicole Detwiler, 24, of the 900 block of Pheasant Run Road, Williamsburg, on a single count of grand larceny. Detwiler allegedly stole tools that included a Stihl leaf-blower and chainsaw last Aug. 16. –Frank Fleming III, 43, of the 10000 block of…
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