News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | September 27, 2025
Local News
North Carolina man receives three life sentences for having sex with New Kent minor
*Editor’s Note: This story may contain content that some readers may find disturbing. A North Carolina man who traveled to New Kent and had sex with an underage girl will spend the rest of his life in prison. Jose Joan Martinez Marmolejo, 27, of Fayetteville, received three mandatory life sentences plus an additional 60 years of incarceration during Monday morning sentencing in New Kent Circuit Court. During a February trial, Marmolejo was found guilty of 16 charges by a jury. At the trial, it was discovered that in Jan. 2022, Marmolejo had started having conversations with the victim through an…
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Charles City woman killed in New Kent motor vehicle accident
The Virginia State Police is investing an accident in New Kent that claimed the life of a Charles City woman. According to a press release, shortly after 4 p.m. on May 2, Virginia State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash at the 3800 block of Pocahontas Trail in New Kent. The report says that a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country was traveling eastbound when it struck a 2013 Chevrolet Cruz in the rear. The Chrysler vehicle ran off the road to the left and struck several trees. The driver of the Chrysler, identified as E. Marie Butler Austin, 66, was…
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Former Cumberland Hospital Director cleared of wrong-doing involving sexual acts with minors
A week-long trial that involved a former doctor of Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents in New Kent County has resulted in not guilty verdicts. Daniel Davidow was found not guilty on two counts each of indecent acts with a child by a custodian and sexual penetration with an object stemming from alleged incidents in 2018 to 2019. The trial revolved around allegations that Davidow had committed acts against minors at the troubled hospital. As the trial played out, the defendant testified that he did not recall any of the accused events. However, he resigned in 2019 after being notified…
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Exchange student guilty of reckless driving in New Kent, felony eluding charge pending
An exchange student who resides in Williamsburg will have a year to prove that he can obey American traffic laws. Xichen Shen, 21, of the 1400 block of Glynn Springs Drive, was found guilty on one count of reckless driving during a Monday afternoon contested trial in New Kent Circuit Court. One charge of felony eluding remains pending. On Jan. 4, New Kent Deputy Jeremy Deaton was conducting patrol on Interstate 64 eastbound when a black vehicle entered his radar at 96 miles per hour in a posted 70 miles per hour zone. Deaton testified that he pulled behind the…
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Text amendments pave way for possible construction of data centers in Charles City
A change in text amendments and language through a joint meeting between Charles City’s Planning Commission and Charles City’s Board of Supervisors has paved a way for the possibility of data centers to be created in the county. Supervisors voted 3-0 to add text amendments that would allow the creation of data centers in light industrial, heavy industrial, and planned industrial park district following the Apr. 23 regular board meeting. According to Charles City Director of Community Development Gary Mitchell, the county has received inquiries from various firms about the creation of data centers in the county. The text amendments…
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New Kent High School principal charged with having alcohol on school grounds
The principal of New Kent High School has been placed on administrative leave after being charged with having alcohol on school grounds. According to a press release from New Kent County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation was conducted on school grounds by a staff member. During the investigation, it was determined that alcohol was allegedly located in the vehicle belonging to Christopher Valdrighi, which was parked on school grounds at the time. Conducting an interview with the suspect, Valdrighi did not have any alcohol on his person. Valdrighi was charged with a Class 2 misdemeanor of having alcohol on school grounds…
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New Kent’s School Board approves revised FY2024-25 budget of $50.5 million
New Kent’s School Board approved a revised budget that topped more than $50 million for the FY2024-25 school year. School members voted 4-0 to approve a revised budget of $50,596,117 for operations for the next fiscal year. District 4 representative Ron Vaught was not present at the meeting. In March, Superintendent of Schools Brian Nichols recommended an amount of $51,145,884. That figure was presented to the county’s board of supervisors, with New Kent County Administrator recommending $1 million less for the school systems. After additional dialogue was conducted at their annual budget retreat, the final figure was reached. In Nichols’…
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Social media post links Williamsburg man to New Kent chase, results in 18-month jail sentence
An old saying used to warn people that if you didn’t want everybody to know your business, don’t put it out on the street. In today’s generation, if you don’t want everybody to know your business, don’t put it on the internet. For one Williamsburg man, he learned that the hard way. Devon Christopher Woolard, 24, of the 3800 block of Staffordshire Lane, entered guilty pleas to two counts of felony eluding of police during Monday morning proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. In a summary of evidence provided by New Kent Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott Renick, on July 31, 2023,…
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Despite no speakers at public hearing, New Kent leaders to discuss dropping proposed seven-cent tax increase
Despite not having any speakers on a possible tax increase to the FY2024-25 budget, it’s clear that New Kent County leaders believe it’s too much. New Kent County held a public hearing during its Apr. 4 regular monthly meeting on the possible tax increase and fee changes. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for May. In April, New Kent County Administrator Rodney Hathaway proposed a budget of $115 million for general operations in the county. As part of that budget, a seven-cent tax hike was included as part of his first recommendation. Hathaway spoke about how it was…
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Three-cent tax increase for emergency services part of Charles City’s $22.4 million proposed budget
Charles City County leaders received their first look at the proposed FY2024-25 budget presented by County Administrator Michelle Johnson Tuesday night. And while there isn’t much change to the overall figure from the current fiscal year, a possible three-cent tax increase to support emergency services is on the table. Johnson proposed a budget of $22,434,369 to supervisors for operations in the upcoming fiscal year. The figure is slightly higher than the current year’s $21.2 million budget based on projections from increases to real property (13 percent), real and personal public service corporation (13 percent), and rental property (15 percent). The…
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