News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | September 19, 2026
Local News
New Kent English village visionary looking to walk away
In the middle of the last decade, John Crump’s vision for transforming the New Kent Courthouse area into a traditional English village began to take shape. Already in place were key aspects — schools, a church, and government offices. After years of planning, the county resident embarked in 2006 on a multi-million dollar project to fill in the missing parts — commercial buildings from where shopkeepers, artisans, restaurateurs, and service providers could attract customers. A 70-unit residential development was slated to follow completion of the commercial component. “Maidstone” began to rise on land bordered by Route 249 and Egypt Road,…
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Auto collisions with deer rise in autumn, motorists urged to be alert
Local motorists are being warned to be on the outlook for deer along roadways during the autumn months as mating season is under way and deer are often on the move. Last year, 5,990 auto accidents involving deer were reported statewide. In New Kent County, 68 mishaps occurred while eight took place in Charles City County. Of the statewide total, more than half occurred in October, November, and December with 1,575 taking place during November alone. DMV and AAA Mid-Atlantic offer the following tips for drivers: –Buckle up and reduce speed. A decrease in speed gives more time to react….
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Federal prosecutors take over meth lab case; suspects plead guilty to multiple larcenies
Two defendants involved in a May 12 meth lab raid at a New Kent campground will now face charges at the federal level. Whitney Renee Marciniak, 24, of the 200 block of North Ivy Ave., Highland Springs, and Jason Andrew Meade, 25, of the 6300 block of Hopewell Road, New Kent, will appear before a federal judge in Richmond, according to New Kent Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory. The announcement was made during Monday afternoon New Kent Circuit Court proceedings. Last May, New Kent SWAT team officers and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) descended on a ramshackle trailer parked…
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Juvenile in McDonald’s robberies to serve three years in New Kent, 18 overall
A juvenile involved in several armed robberies at fast food restaurants around central Virginia, including the McDonald’s in New Kent, will serve three years in the state’s juvenile justice system. Robert James Priester, 17, formerly of the 200 block of Bartee Road, Richmond received the formal sentence during Oct. 20 proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. Priester accepted a plea deal during a March 10 hearing. On Aug. 26, 2013, Priester and another defendant, Cornelius Clayton Jr., entered the Bottoms Bridge McDonald’s just before 3 a.m. The two escaped with more than $5,000 in cash before joining up with other…
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Final closings for bridge announced
Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) has announced expected final dates for the closure of the Benjamin Harrison Bridge connecting Charles City and Prince George County to replace the bridge’s auxiliary drive. The bridge will be closed Oct. 20-24, with a final closing expected to be Nov. 3-7 to complete replacement. Motorists are advised to take Route 5 westbound from Charles City to Interstate 295 southbound as an alternative route. Drivers may exit onto Route 10 eastbound (exit 13A) to return to Prince George. Travelers may also use the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry in James City County as another route.
Charles City leaders, Virginia’s First Lady open next section of Virginia Capital Trail
In front of an overflow crowd gathered inside Charles City’s government building boardroom for today’s (Wednesday) dedication and ribbon-cutting for the Sherwood Forest phase of the Virginia Capital Trail, county Board of Supervisors member Floyd Miles issued an invitation. “Bike riders — come on down!” he blurted from the podium, much to the delight of dozens of bicyclists along with county residents in attendance. Inclement weather forced today’s ceremony indoors, but failed to dampen spirits among the standing room only audience of close to 300. With the addition of the Sherwood Forest phase, bike riders, walkers, and joggers can take…
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Official: Colonial Downs to close doors Nov. 1
It didn’t take long to find out the fate of Colonial Downs; owner Jeffrey Jacobs made the decision himself. In probably one of the most shocking moves in the saga between Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (VHBPA) and Colonial Downs, Jacobs withdrew requests for thoroughbred and standard bred racing and surrendered the track’s license during the Oct. 15 Virginia Racing Commission (VRC) meeting inside the General Assembly Building in Richmond. The move ends 10 months of failed negotiations between all parties. Jacobs presented a timeline of events on the success of Colonial Downs 17 years of racing, but said…
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New Kent supervisors defer action on Pilot conditional use permit
New Kent supervisors have elected to defer action on a conditional use permit (CUP) for Pilot LLC until its Oct. 29 work session. The decision came at the board’s Oct. 14 regular meeting after supervisors received information on three additional conditions for the permit. Those conditions include allowing Pilot to conduct a study for additional parking space and a condition that would require Pilot LLC to conduct a traffic study if traffic is not alleviated upon the construction of the Wilco-Hess travel plaza and the Love’s Truck Stop plaza. Pilot representative Jack Wilson met with supervisor chairman Thomas Evelyn and…
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Parent concerned about side effects of school learning tool
A popular learning tool used by several school systems may have an unlisted side effect; and one New Kent parent is making sure the word is getting around to other parents. Holly Miller-Bopp spoke about the use of Promethean boards, a learning tool that takes computer images and displays them through light emissions onto a whiteboard. Her concerns arose when her son, a sixth grade student at New Kent Middle, came home with headaches. “They started last year,” said Miller-Bopp, referencing the headaches and other health conditions of her son. “We took him to a pediatrician and an optometrist and…
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NK Winery sale ‘substantially’ more than $1 million listed
A Northern Virginia couple has bought New Kent Winery, but at a price that a spokesman for the buyers said is “significantly more” than the $1 million figure listed in land transfer records kept by the county’s circuit court clerk’s office. The 18,000 square-foot winery is valued at more than $4 million. Court records show that Jo Anna and Joe Dombroski, operating under Dombroski Partners LLC, purchased the winery from New Kent Farms LLC on Sept. 8. When contacted by phone on Wednesday, Jo Anna Dombroski expressed excitement about becoming an owner, but said she “was not at liberty to…
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