News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | November 1, 2026
Local News
Highway headaches continue in Providence Forge and on I-64
Alternating lane closures and traffic delays on Route 155 (Courthouse Road) in Providence Forge are expected to continue through August to accommodate crews that are working to widen shoulders and improve drainage along the roadway, VDOT officials say. Work is taking place 8 a.m.-4 p.m. between the Charles City County line and Old Forge Road. Crews are currently working on the stretch of Route 155 in front of Providence Forge Post Office. Also in the category of highway headaches, motorists traveling eastbound Interstate 64 between the Quinton and West Point exits (mile markers 205-220) on April 7-9 can expect alternating…
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Four-cent tax increase proposed for $20 million 2014-15 budget for Charles City ; schools reduced by $336,500
A four-cent tax increase over an equalized rate on personal property tax highlights a $19,948,454 proposed 2013-14 budget in Charles City. County finance director Michelle Johnson detailed the proposal during a 15-minute presentation in front of 150 people during the Board of Supervisors’ March 25 meeting. With a financial crisis ongoing due to lack of revenue from Waste Management, the county’s largest contributor, eyes and ears turned to the presentation. Johnson opened the slideshow, depicting the difference between revenue the county received from Waste Management in fiscal year 2012-13 ($2,346,410) to this year ($992,600). The county’s real estate tax rate…
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Talks of third truck stop in NK continue to progress
A proposal for building a third truck stop in New Kent is making its way through talks and negotiations in the county. And if things continue to progress, a formal proposal may reach county supervisors by this fall. Love’s, based out of Oklahoma City, Okla., continues to negotiate with county staff on the possibility of bringing a travel plaza to New Kent. And while county planning manager Kelli Le Duc said no formal application has been submitted, the company is taking steps into the process. According to county administrator Rodney Hathaway, Love’s tentative plans are to build a truck stop…
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Colonial Downs, horsemen remain at loggerheads over thoroughbred racing season
Colonial Downs and the Virginia Horseman’s Benevolent and Protective Association (VHBPA) remain at an impasse over thoroughbred racing dates for the 2014 season expected to begin in June. Today’s (Thursday) meeting of the Virginia Racing Commission (VRC) failed to shed new light on the controversy that is now approaching two months old. Last year’s contract between the VHBPA, which represents trainers and owners that race at the New Kent County racetrack, expired on Jan. 29. With the parties unable to come to a renewal agreement, Colonial Downs was forced by state law to suspend wagering on thoroughbred races at its…
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New Kent graduate to take humanitarian studies abroad
A New Kent High School alumus is asking hometown community members for support in a quest to take her humanitarian studies abroad. Carrie Daniel, a 2011 graduate from New Kent and current junior at the University of Virginia, recently received an offer to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, in Africa, to improve the lives of girls. “I will be volunteering at a tuition free school in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa,” said Daniel. Daniel is a current double-major in foreign affairs and women, gender, and sexuality studies. She has worked with several organizations throughout the United States, but hopes to…
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Richmond man reaches plea for drug distribution in NK
A Richmond man indicted by a multi-jurisdictional grand jury accepted a plea deal Monday morning during New Kent Circuit Court proceedings. James Claude Whitehurst, 66, of the 4000 block of Sharon Court, entered a guilty plea to one count of manufacturing and distribution of heroin. An additional charge of manufacturing and distribution was dropped. Whitehurst was one of six suspects involved in a Twin Rivers Drug Task Force operation conducted last November. Undercover informants helped conduct a series of controlled buys, with Whitehurst the only suspect selling heroin. The other alleged suspects, Michael Anthony Winston, Reavell Lovonachek Williams, Jenna Danielle…
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Charge of perjury dismissed against former CC resident
A former Charles City woman was acquitted of a perjury charge during a March 25 bench trial in Charles City Circuit Court. Deborah Ann Kaston, 38, formerly of the 4500 block of Rocking Horse Lane, had the charge dismissed after her attorney, Michael Hyman, motioned to strike the charge. Judge Richard Campbell sustained the motion. Special prosecuting attorney Linwood Gregory summarized the case, alleging Kaston lied under oath during a trial last July 17 involving her former boyfriend, David Yates Sr. Gregory indicated that testimony from Kaston was untruthful, with investigator Charlie Hargis pursuing the case. During the July 17…
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Alcohol addiction nets Providence Forge man four years of incarceration
A Providence Forge man with a history of alcohol addiction will serve the next four years incarcerated. Daniel Wayne New, 54, of the 6000 block of Greenyard Estate, will serve one year in jail after being convicted on one count of misdemeanor assault and battery during Mar. 21 Charles City Circuit Court proceedings.. That conviction triggered a probation violation, earning him three additional years in prison. During the contested trial, Michael Childress testified that last Nov. 16, he was attacked by New while watching a UFC pay-per-view fight with friends. New stumbled into the house, allegedly intoxicated, during the event…
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Briefly… for April 3-16, 2014
Two arrested after NK drug bust A New Kent County man and a Petersburg man face drug distribution charges in the aftermath of an investigation into narcotics trafficking in New Kent conducted by the county sheriff’s office and the Twin Rivers Drug Task Force. Authorities arrested Reginald J. Carter 42, of the 3000 block of Quaker Road, Quinton, on March 20 at the suspect’s home and charged the suspect with three counts of heroin distribution. That same day, authorities charged Jeremiah J. Harrison, 28, of the 100 block of Marshall St., Petersburg, with three counts of cocaine distribution. Harrison was…
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Woman arrested on five counts of embezzlement
A Richmond woman is now in custody after allegedly stealing more than $19,000 from her employer over a two-year period. Mary Beth Andre, 50, of the 6500 block of Charles City Road, was arrested last Sunday by New Kent Sheriff’s deputies after an investigation. According to the police report, Deputy E. McIntyre investigated the matter entailing the embezzling of funds from Operation Catnip of Richmond, a company based in New Kent. Information pointed to the suspect taking the $19,000 in cash from 2011-13, leading to her arrest. Andre has been charged with five counts of felony embezzlement and was being…
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