News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | October 29, 2026
Local News
Two reach agreements in New Kent Circuit Court
Two men in unrelated cases accepted plea agreements as part of May 16 New Kent Circuit Court proceedings. Colton Jon Dearborn, 19, of the 17000 block of The Glebe Lane, Charles City, entered guilty pleas to two amended charges of misdemeanor accessory after the fact to possession of cocaine (originally possession of cocaine) and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia (originally possession of heroin). In a summary of evidence provided by Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory, on Oct. 22, 2015, Dearborn was working at a local restaurant when his manager noticed erratic behavior and assumed he was under the influence of a…
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Ten tagged in indictments by New Kent grand jury
A New Kent grand jury certified indictments against 10 individuals during May 16 proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. –Amy Michelle Carter, 39, of the 3600 block of George Washington Memorial Highway, Hayes, on a single count of possession of a controlled substance. Carter allegedly had heroin in her possession upon her arrest. –Christopher Erhan Catrell, 22, of the 8000 block of Brown Avenue, West Point, on a single count of possession of a controlled substance. The defendant allegedly had heroin upon his arrest. –Courtney Marie Collier, 20, of the 9000 block of Basswood Drive, Quinton, on a lone charge…
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VDGIF buys 2,600 acres of land in New Kent for $9.3 million
Virginia’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) purchased 2,600 of acres in eastern New Kent for the establishment of a new wildlife management area. A May 6 press release announced the acquisition of the area that includes two miles of frontage on the York River and five miles along the Ware and Philbates creeks for a total of $9.3 million dollars. “Our partners play a very important role in the acquisition and future conservation of these valuable coastal wetlands,” said VDGIF executive director Bob Duncan in the release. “The support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Wildlife…
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New Kent armed carjackers sentenced, each to serve at least five years in prison
Four men involved in an armed carjacking in New Kent last Nov. 27 will each spend at least five years in prison after receiving formal sentencing on May 13. Anthony Tyrone Williams Jr., 21 of the 23000 block of Cutbank Road, McKinney; Colin Ray Dugger, 21, of the 2500 block of Shady Side Drive, Petersburg; David Dewayne Jackson, 24, of the 25000 block of Shady Side Drive, Petersburg; and Javanta Lightfoot, 21, of the 15000 block of Allen Road, Dinwiddie, were each sentenced in federal court proceedings held in the United States District Court in Richmond. Last November, a victim…
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Amendment establishes first “no wake zone” in New Kent
After listening to residents about safety concerns along Diascund Creek during Monday night’s meeting, New Kent supervisors voted unanimously to amend an ordinance and establish a “no wake” zone in the county. The “no wake” zone becomes the first in New Kent, meaning boats cannot produce waves that affect shorelines or they may be fined and/or pay for damages to property. The amendment to the ordinance also establishes a process for other residents who wish to have the designation on waterways in the county. For Diascund Creek in particular, the area begins 370 yards south of the CSX bridge and…
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New Kent budget public hearing yields one speaker
New Kent supervisors opened the floor for citizen input on the county’s proposed $62.7 million budget that includes a one-cent tax increase for FY2016-17 during its regularly scheduled meeting Monday night. County leaders only heard from one resident who voiced her opinion. Kate Hanger addressed supervisors with her concern over school support. And while she didn’t lean towards the 83 or 84 cent rate, her perspective surrounded the support for county schools and the community. “I hear a lot of talk about this county becoming one for the aging community but also wanting to bring in businesses,” Hanger said. “I…
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Drivers advised of May 10 bike ride on Route 60 in New Kent
Motorists traveling Route 60 (Pocahontas Trail) westbound in New Kent can expect slowdowns from 3:30-5:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon (May 10). The Law Enforcement Unity Ride will take place tomorrow as bicycles ridden by law enforcement officers from across the eastern portion of Virginia converge and ride in honor of brothers and sisters who have given their all protecting citizens in the state. Riders are scheduled to enter New Kent at 3:28 p.m. and will make a stop at Liberty Church. At 3:45 p.m., the ride will begin again, traveling westbound on Route 60. Cyclists are expected to travel through Providence…
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Charges dismissed against former Charles City sheriff candidate
Charges against a former candidate for Charles City sheriff have been dismissed due to a technicality in which the prosecutor in the case failed to enter into evidence required documentation as outlined in the indictments handed up last year by a circuit court grand jury. Friday afternoon following two days of testimony in the trial of Vance Richards, nine felony counts of providing false statements on required forms submitted to the county’s voter registrar were thrown out by circuit court Judge B. Elliott Bondurant. The trial reached the juror instruction phase but never landed in the hands of the jury…
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Quartet indicted on animal cruelty charges in Charles City
A quartet of people has been indicted on a combined 85 counts for animal cruelty after the convening of a Charles City grand jury on May 3. Rhiannon Vitiello, Allura Peterson, and Edward Peterson, all of the 9500 block of Sturgeon Point Road, Charles City, and Carrie Washington of the 1100 block of Riverside Drive, Lanexa, were named in indictments for misdemeanor animal cruelty during proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court. According to the indictments, during the early months of this year the four individuals were allegedly responsible for taking care of horses on a family farm located in Charles…
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Charles City man enters guilty plea to assaulting family member
A Charles City man will undergo supervised probation for two years as part of a plea deal reached in May 3 proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court. John Lee Wilson, 44, of the 7400 block of Sturgeon Point Road, accepted an agreement and pled guilty to one count of misdemeanor assault on a family member. One count of felony strangulation was dropped as part of the deal. In a summary of evidence, last Nov. 9, Wilson got into an argument with a family member. The argument intensified and resulted in Wilson injuring the victim in a physical altercation. Under the…
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