News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | October 8, 2025
Local News
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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Pothole patching scheduled for Interstate 64 in New Kent
Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) has scheduled two days for pothole patching on Interstate 64 next week during the overnight hours. Dec. 15- Interstate 64 westbound between mile markers 225 and 211 (Talleysville) will have the right lane closed from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Dec. 17- Interstate 64 westbound between mile markers 205 (Bottoms Bridge) and 200 (Interstate 295) will have the right lane closed from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Composite index increase may impact Charles City schools by $345,000 in state funding
An increase in Charles City’s local composite index (LCI) according to Virginia’s Department of Education (VDOE) may have significant financial ramifications on the county and school’s budget for fiscal year 2016-17. Superintendent of schools David Gaston announced the change during a Dec. 9 joint meeting between the school board and the county’s board of supervisors. Gaston remarked that VDOE identified a change from .4432 to .4906 in the LCI, the equivalent of a .474 increase that may present more of a financial challenge for the upcoming fiscal year. “That change will result in a reduction of $230,000 in state funding,”…
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NKSO warns of possible contractor’s scam in area
New Kent Sheriff’s Office is advising county residents of a possible scam that is making its way through the area. According to the press release, residents contacted the sheriff’s office about asphalt contractors going door-to-door to ask residents if they are interested in having their driveway paved. The contractors say they are selling de-milled asphalt and quote a price to homeowners for the complete job. They continue by getting into more information about the job and say if any additional work is required then prices would increase. New Kent Sheriff’s Office says the following steps should be taken prior to…
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Closures to occupy Charles City roads next week
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will be conducting projects next week that will cause delays and closures on Charles City roads. –Dec. 7-9: John Tyler Memorial Highway will have alternating lane closures between Kimages Road and Carters Mill Road from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. for tree removal. –Dec. 9: The Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge connecting Charles City and Prince George County will be closed from 7:30 p.m.-5:30 a.m. to replace the stop gate that was damaged in an accident last week. Motorists are advised to use Interstate 295 as an alternative route.
Charles City man pleads guilty to abduction as part of plea agreement
A Charles City man who was involved in an altercation with an ex-girlfriend in November 2014 accepted a plea deal during Dec. 4 proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court. Warren Arturo Smith, 37, of the 8500 block of Lewis Tyler Road, entered guilty pleas to two counts of abduction. One count each of felony destruction of property, assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, strangulation, and unlawful wounding were dropped as part of the plea deal. In a summary of evidence, around midnight on Nov. 14, 2014, Smith’s ex-girlfriend left his house after informing him that she wanted to…
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Aylett tandem accept plea deals in New Kent Circuit Court
Two Aylett men who were involved in a July 14 burglary accepted plea deals during New Kent Circuit Court proceedings Monday afternoon. Gregory Reed Wilhelm, 47, and Jason Bill Dunlow, 19, entered Alford pleas of guilty, stipulating while they maintain their innocence, evidence presented would be enough to convict the duo of the crime. In a summary of evidence provided by Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory, Wilhelm and Dunlow entered the home of Steven Hepner on Tunstall Road after the victim had left the premises to run an errand. Hepner returned to find the front door of his home kicked in….
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