News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | September 18, 2026
Local News
Charles City business permit fee effective Jan. 1
As of Jan. 1, a $30 business fee is now in effect in Charles City. A new ordinance passed on Nov. 25 requires business owners/managers to apply for the yearly business permit. Owners must also conform to the county’s zoning ordinance for approval by applying for a one-time zoning business permit fee at a cost of $20. Businesses must apply for the permit no later than Jan. 31 of the license year if the business has been issued one the preceding year except in the case of 2015 applicants. Those applicants must obtain a business permit by Mar. 1. All…
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Tiller announces reelection bid for District 2 seat in New Kent
Current New Kent board of supervisor chairman and District 2 representative Tommy Tiller has announced his bid for reelection. “Over the past three years, we have started projects in the county and I would like to see these completed,” said Tiller in a press release. “There is the Historic School Project, Pine Fork Park, and growth in the Bottoms Bridge area which has been slow but there is more progress on the way.” Tiller added he has been honored to serve as the current District 2 supervisor and on the county’s planning commission for the past eight years. “I hope…
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CCSO seeks information on stolen delivery packages
Charles City Sheriff’s Office is seeking information in separate thefts involving packages taken from county residences. Calls to the sheriff’s office say packages left on the porch of homes by a delivery company were taken by unknown subjects. Authorities are looking into the matter and ask residents to be on the lookout for any suspicious vehicles and/or persons. If you have any information on the thefts, please call the sheriff’s office at 829-9265 or Crimestoppers at 780-1000.
Henrico man arrested for 2010 sex crimes in Charles City
A Henrico man faces numerous felony charges after being arrested on sexual allegations stemming from 2010 incidents in Charles City. Sheriff’s deputies arrested Nicholas Alan Keller, 23, of the 2000 block of Dresden Road, on two counts of sodomy, and one count each of rape, abduction, incest, and indecent liberties with a minor. According to the arrest report, Keller took sexual advantage of a minor in 2010, when the victim was 13 years old. After an investigation, deputies were dispatched to Keller’s home, where he was arrested on Jan. 8. Keller was being held without bond at Riverside Regional Jail.
CC man posing as police officer arrested for attempted burglary
Charles City Sheriff’s Office has arrested a local resident who allegedly attempted to burglarize a home while posing as a police officer. Nicholas Otey, 36, of the 9400 block of Barnetts Road, Charles City, has been charged with one count each of attempted armed robbery, burglary at night with intent to commit armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, misdemeanor impersonating a police officer, and misdemeanor reckless handing of a firearm. According to the police report, on Jan. 8, Otey entered a residence located at the 2200 block…
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High-speed Internet for New Kent tops discussion at town hall
A Jan. 22 town hall meeting hosted by New Kent supervisors garnered only 25 attendees with topics ranging from the status of Colonial Downs to economic development in the county. But it was the topic of high-speed Internet access that raised most questions for citizens and local business owners. Two business owners addressed supervisors and county administrator Rodney Hathaway during the open forum format. After a brief presentation by Hathaway on future plans to entice more businesses to the county, questions about access to the World Wide Web emerged. “What can we do about getting high-speed Internet through the county?”…
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Charles City school superintendent proposes $1.1 million CIP for FY15-16
As part of a plan to revamp facilities and technology for Charles City’s school system, superintendent of schools David Gaston presented a $1.1 million proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for FY2015-16. Gaston presented the plan during a Jan. 12 school board work session, with feedback received during the board’s regular monthly meeting Tuesday night. The proposed CIP is part of a recommended $6.1 million overhaul to bring facilities up-to-date by FY2020-21. “This document projects our needs and projects over the next five years,” the superintendent said. “It will be joined with the county’s document to provide everyone with a comprehensive…
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Argument between New Kent restaurant owners leads to felony charges
A New Kent County man faces three felony charges in the aftermath of an alleged assault on a pair of family members Tuesday night outside a local Chinese restaurant. Sheng Jie Jin, 41, of the 2700 block of Patriots Landing Dr., Quinton, is charged with two counts of aggravated malicious wounding and one count of destruction of property stemming from the alleged incident involving the suspect’s estranged wife, Yue Yun Zheng, and the suspect’s brother-in-law, Xue Ying Gao, who is from Wisconsin. The suspect and his wife are the owners of Panda Garden restaurant where the alleged incident took place,…
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New Kent administrator recommending $1.8 million Capital Improvement Plan for next fiscal year
Cost for proposed projects in New Kent County’s Capital Improvement Plan covering the next five years totals almost $29.3 million. But only a small fraction of those projects are being recommended for inclusion in the county’s budget for the next fiscal year. County Administrator Rodney Hathaway unveiled the proposed CIP Tuesday night before county Planning Commission members. For fiscal 2015-16, Hathaway is recommending approval for projects totaling just over $1.8 million. Commission members are charged with reviewing the CIP list and forwarding a recommendation to county supervisors following a public hearing scheduled for planners’ Feb. 17 meeting. The Board of…
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Final two defendants in 2013 Bottoms Bridge McDonald’s robbery sentenced
The alleged mastermind behind several 2013 armed robberies of restaurants in the Richmond metro area, including the Bottoms Bridge McDonald’s in New Kent, will serve 30 years in a federal prison. Shatik U. Jackson, 21, of the 300 block of Shetland Court, Henrico, received the time as part of an October plea deal in federal court, with formal sentencing being announced in December. The driver of the getaway car for the New Kent armed robbery, London Shi-Anne Cotman, 20, of the 200 block of N. Airport Drive, Highland Springs, received a four-year prison sentence during the same proceedings as part…
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