News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | June 27, 2026
Local News
Providence Forge man killed in Norge grocery store shooting
A Providence Forge man is dead after a shooting at a grocery store in the Norge Shopping Center of James City County. Gabriel Ryan Maness, 34, was identified by local authorities as the victim of a Apr. 17 Sunday morning shooting at Farm Fresh. Reports say police received a call shortly after 8 a.m. of a shooting inside the store. When authorities arrived, they arrested Brian Alexander Hicks, 55, who allegedly was carrying a .45 caliber handgun and was in possession of other ammunition. Hicks was charged with one count of second-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit…
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CC high school sweep yields no drugs
Charles City County Sheriff’s Office conducted a drug sweep of Charles City High School Tuesday morning. With utilization of K-9’s from Virginia’s Department of Corrections, the search revealed no drugs on the premises.
New Kent supervisors to advertise 84-cent rate, but no clearcut decision to maintain it
Even though New Kent supervisors are electing to advertise an 84-cent real estate tax rate for a scheduled public hearing in May, it remains evident that there is still no clear-cut direction the board is leaning towards. Supervisors returned to the discussion table Wednesday morning as part of a budget work session. Needless to say, more discussion is yet to come after an hour of talks resulted in more questions than answers. County administrator Rodney Hathaway presented a trimmed version of recommendations to county leaders, narrowing what was once eight options varying between the 83-cent and 84-cent tax rate to…
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New Kent leaders approve purchase of former bank building to become new home for Heritage Public Library
Heritage Public Library will receive a new home in the Maidstone Development in New Kent. Supervisors approved by a 4-1 vote Wednesday morning authorizing county administrator Rodney Hathaway to execute an agreement to purchase the former Colonial Virginia Bank building for $950,000. District 2 supervisor Tommy Tiller casted the lone dissenting vote. “The purchasing of this building will not increase taxes on county citizens,” said District 1 representative Thomas Evelyn. “It is in a centralized area and closer to the schools.” Talks about purchasing the building emerged at the September 2015 work session. There, a proposal to lease the facility…
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Bridge repairs to slow traffic on Interstate 64 eastbound during overnight hours
Travelers on Interstate 64 eastbound in New Kent can expect delays overnight for bridge repairs. Traffic overnight is expected to slow beginning late Thursday night on April 14 until Friday, April 15, 4 a.m. near mile marker 220 as Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews conduct repairs to structural steel of a bridge at the Good Hope Road (Route 627) overpass. The slow rolls will consist of several delays that will last approximately 15 minutes long each. Drivers are to pre-plan their travel time accordingly to account for the traffic slowdowns or use alternative roads during the overnight hours.
Public hearing on tax rate increase yields no true direction in New Kent
With a nearly $60 million budget proposal based on a one-cent tax increase, New Kent supervisors pondered the necessity of increasing the proposed real estate tax rate by one penny to 84 cents per $100 of assessed value. (The current rate is 84 cents per $100 of assessed value, but the equalized rate sits at 83 cents). But with no clear indication on which direction to lean towards after a Mar. 18 budget retreat, county leaders elected to have the public voice their opinion for insight on the tax rate proposal at Monday night’s regularly scheduled meeting. Three county residents…
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New Kent School Board approves $31 million budget for FY16-17
New Kent School Board members approved a $31 million budget for FY2016-17 during their Monday night meeting. After no speakers at a Mar. 21 public hearing and no major changes, members elected to go with the $31,000,145 figure for the next cycle. Of that amount, $13,854,595 is being requested as local dollars. The budget recommendation is now forwarded to county supervisors for their consideration.
Barhamsville man receives year in jail for illegally possessing gun
A Barhamsville man will serve a one-year jail term after agreeing to a plea deal during Monday morning proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. Charles James Lipscomb, 48, of the 500 block of Barham Road, entered a guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a non-violent convicted felon. One charge of discharging a firearm from a vehicle was dropped. In a summary of evidence provided by Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory, last Nov. 10 witnesses observed Lipscomb as he drove into a trailer park in the eastern part of New Kent. After circling around the property once,…
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Charles City moped operator killed in collision with tractor/trailer
A Charles City County man who was driving a moped has been fatally injured as a result of a collision with a tractor/trailer Friday afternoon at an intersection in the county. State police say Alfred D. Johnson, 75, died at a Richmond hospital as a result of injuries he received when the 2009 Yamaha moped he was operating collided with a 1997 Kenworth tractor/trailer shortly after 12 noon at the intersection of Route 106 (Roxbury Road) and Route 607 (Wayside Road) in the county’s western end. A state police report said Johnson was traveling west on Wayside and stopped at…
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Four-cent tax increase part of Charles City’s $22.4 million proposed budget for FY2016-17
With an emphasis on funding the county’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), Charles City supervisors received a recommendation of a four-cent real estate tax increase as part of a $22.4 million proposed budget for FY2016-17. County finance director Michelle Johnson presented the $22,453,339 proposal at an Apr. 5 special meeting. That figure is $1,363,646 more than the current year’s $21,090,693 budget. Along with county administrator Zach Trogdon, the duo commented that the increase would help fund CIP projects without dipping into the county’s general fund balance. The county’s real estate tax is proposed to increase from 72 cents to 76 cents…
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