News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | September 19, 2026
Local News
UPDATE: New Kent deputy recovering at home, no charges filed to date in bicycle event mishap
The New Kent deputy sheriff who was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic during a bicycle-touring event through the county is recovering at home. Capt. Chris Hamlet sustained a broken arm and other unspecified injuries when he was struck by a pickup truck at the intersection of New Kent Highway (Route 249) and Henpeck Road in Quinton around 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 4. Hamlet was on foot directing traffic for the Martin’s Tour of Richmond bicycle event when he was struck by a 2001 Dodge pickup truck. State police said the pickup was proceeding through the intersection at the…
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McLaughlin announces candidacy for Sheriff’s position in New Kent
John Joseph McLaughlin Jr., the current chief deputy in the New Kent Sheriff’s Office, is announcing his candidacy for sheriff in the November 2015 election. He is seeking to replace nine-term Sheriff F.W. “Wakie” Howard Jr. who recently announced plans to retire and not seek a 10th term. McLaughlin is a long time resident of New Kent since moving to the Tunstall area of the county at age 3. He is a life member of Quinton Volunteer Fire & EMS Company 2 having joined the company in 1972 and served as chief from 1981-85. He also served as a member…
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New Kent schools focus on future CIP; enrollment at Bridging Communities
With one month of the 2014-15 school year completed in New Kent, superintendent of schools David Myers is already working with his staff and other outside sources to get ahead of the curve for next year. Several presentations at Monday night’s school board meeting focused on future goals and plans for New Kent’s school system. Those presentations centered on FY2015-16 strategies, capital improvement plan recommendations for next year, and course offerings for adults for the current fiscal year. Financial director Haynie Morgheim addressed school board members on several high-dollar items for next year’s CIP recommendations. Included are replacing three buses…
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Two suspects face charges involving illegal drugs in New Kent
Two men face illegal drug-related charges following their arrests in connection with separate, unrelated incidents in New Kent County. Carroll William Lee Brown, 30, of the 6000 block of Lakeside Drive, Quinton, is charged with one count each of possession with intent to distribute marijuana (more than one ounce but less than five pounds) and drug paraphernalia possession. In the course of serving an arrest warrant on Brown for domestic assault at the suspect’s residence on Sept. 21, Deputy Wyatt Johnston found green plant material and drug paraphernalia inside. Johnston obtained warrants on the drug charges, and Brown surrendered to…
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New Kent deputy struck while patrolling bike ride traffic
A New Kent deputy is recovering from injury after being struck by a vehicle. Around 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 4, Captain Chris Hamlet was patrolling traffic on foot at the intersection of New Kent Highway and Henpeck Road for the Martin’s bike ride event. While directing traffic in the eastbound lane of New Kent highway, a 2001 Dodge pickup made contact with the deputy. According to the Virginia State Police report, the pickup was proceeding through the intersection under the direction of another deputy. Hamlet was taken to a local hospital in Richmond, where he is currently being evaluated for…
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Colonial Downs to shut down operations on Nov. 1
In an ongoing struggle between Colonial Downs’ compliance with the Virginia Racing Commission’s (VRC) numerous requests to agree to a new contract with Virginia Horseman’s Benevolent and Protective Association (VHBPA), Colonial Downs’ announced that it will shut down all operations effective Nov. 1. The Oct. 4 press release comes just days after Colonial Downs announced an agreement with the Old Dominion Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association, a group that is currently being formed. The new agreement was targeted to open up off-track betting (OTB) facilities, and called for an eight-week, 24 days of racing. If the new agreement is not approved by…
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Felony charge reduced in exchange for active jail time in CC Circuit Court
A Norfolk man will serve one month in jail in exchange for a felony charge being reduced to a misdemeanor. Donald Leroy Lewis, 66, of the 900 block of E. 29th Street, had a charge of possession of a firearm by a non-violent felon amended to misdemeanor accessory after the fact during Oct. 3 Charles City Circuit Court proceedings. Lewis accepted a plea deal at an earlier trial date on the charge, admitting he trespassed on a shooting range after hours last Dec. 22. Patrick Kelly, Lewis’ attorney, said over the past month that his client has struggled with the…
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Car’s ownership, occupants raise doubts in dismissed charge
Concerns over the ownership of a car along with doubts about the car’s occupants over a one-day time frame have led to dismissal of a felony charge lodged against a Petersburg man. Lavale Shurdall Wright, 48, of the 800 block of N. Hampton Road, had one charge of possession of cocaine dismissed during Sept. 29 New Kent Circuit Court proceedings. On Sept. 24, 2013, Trooper Michael Morehead executed a traffic stop for a vehicle that sped westbound on Interstate 64. Upon approaching the vehicle, the trooper detected an odor of alcohol. Identifying Wright as the driver, Wright confessed that he…
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Apparent address error results in alleged assault on two New Kent deputy sheriffs
An alleged assault on a pair of New Kent County deputy sheriffs at the hands of a man they were assigned to transport Friday afternoon to a local mental health facility apparently did not have to happen — at least not to the New Kent officers. A magistrate’s order that sent deputies Stan Belback and Cathy Day to Gloucester County to pick up 24-year-old Xavier Brown for transport to a facility in Williamsburg contained an error, listing Brown’s address as being in New Kent. Now authorities say Brown lives in the 200 block of York River Road, Shacklefords, which is…
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Howard not seeking 10th term as New Kent sheriff
Sheriffs in Virginia serve four-year terms at the pleasure of the voters. Obviously, New Kent County’s electorate has been overwhelmingly pleased with the performance of their sheriff, F.W. “Wakie” Howard Jr. Since first electing Howard in 1979, New Kent voters have returned their popular sheriff to the post in every election since. And in all but the first of those contests, he has run unopposed, polling thousands of votes on each occasion. But Howard’s name will not appear on the ballot for the county’s next general election scheduled for Nov. 3, 2015. After nine terms totaling 36 years, he is…
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