News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | November 1, 2026
Local News
Unruly passengers force Amtrak train to stop in New Kent, one arrest made
An argument involving passengers onboard an Amtrak train en route through New Kent County forced the train to make an unscheduled stop. New Kent sheriff’s deputies then boarded the train and ultimately arrested one of the passengers. According to a sheriff’s office report, the incident occurred Tuesday (March 25) when sheriff’s dispatch received a call from Amtrak regarding the disturbance. The eastbound train stopped near Providence Forge where deputies boarded and began interviewing passengers. All passengers aboard the car where the disturbance occurred exited the train. New Kent Lt. Joey McLaughlin said two passengers had engaged in an argument over…
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New Kent man arrested following drug investigation
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 served warrants in Henrico Jail East…
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Public hearing for Liberty Landing postponed
A public hearing for the development on Liberty Landing scheduled for April 10 has been postponed. After discussions with New Kent Supervisors at a March 26 work session, the decision to delay the public hearing was made. Representatives of Liberty Landing requested supervisors to schedule a special meeting for a public hearing in late April. Currently, the public hearing is tentatively set for the supervisors’ monthly meeting in May.
‘Rogue’ comments by CC school board member backfire at budget presentation for supervisors
After Charles City superintendent of schools Janet Crawley presented the FY 2014-15 proposed budget to the county’s board of supervisors on March 20, supervisors’ chairman Bill Coada asked if any other school board members wanted to speak. Apparently, at-large Steve Fuhrmann had a lot on his mind. Fuhrmann addressed supervisors at the joint work session, voicing his concern over the $10 million proposed budget for schools for the upcoming year. “I feel like it’s a necessity to comment about the budget,” Fuhrmann said, implicating it weighed on his mind since the school board approved it at the March 18 work…
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Revenue shortfall causes CC town hall tension over funds
Normally, Charles City Board of Supervisors holds its quarterly meeting the first Wednesday in March. This year, supervisors elected to join each other and host a town hall meeting to receive public input on issues involving the county. Apparently, a lot weighed in on citizens’ minds at the March 6 gathering. With standing room only space available and close to 300 people in attendance, 36 people spoke at the town hall meeting, most with concerns about the county’s revenue shortfall. Supervisors announced a $900,000 revenue shortfall for the current fiscal year at its Feb. 25 meeting. Of that amount, schools…
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Proposed $65 million NK budget lists 1-cent tax decrease
New Kent’s Board of Supervisors is in the process of studying a proposed county budget of just over $65 million for the next fiscal year (2014-15). With number crunching done ahead of schedule, county administrator Rodney Hathaway delivered packets containing the proposed document to board members at their March 10 meeting. A formal presentation of the proposed budget is scheduled for the board’s next regular meeting on April 10. Hathaway’s proposed budget totals $65,241,278 for the upcoming cycle, and is about $1.3 million lower than the $66.5 million budget approved last May for the current fiscal year. According to information…
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Video game created from NKES 3rd grader’s journal
Look out Nintendo©; there’s a new game creator in the business. And he’s only in third grade. New Kent Elementary School student Adrian Vidal has accomplished something that takes most people a lifetime to do– create his own video game. The third grader’s ideas became reality at the end of February after a local resident took his ideas and converted them into a playable game. What started out as a summer reading initiative by New Kent Elementary teacher Rebecca Cooper quickly transpired into Adrian’s ideas blooming into something that is now enjoyed by all his classmates. “The kids were journaling…
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New Kent school board approves budget for 2014-15
New Kent’s school board approved its 2014-15 budget at last night’s (Wednesday) work session. After no one spoke at a public hearing, board members passed 4-1 a $28,554,281 budget. Included in that figure is leeway to adjust the budget to accompany the hiring of an elementary school art teacher. “We’ve been asking for this position for 10 years,” said chairwoman Leigh Quick. “I would like to see that position filled.” “One art teacher for 1,500 kids is unreasonable,” added board member Dean Simmons. “We have to create a budget for needs and this is something we need.” The school board’s…
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Planning commission urges rejection of Liberty Landing
Weather could have been a factor in keeping county residents, and Liberty Landing opponents in particular, away from Monday’s public hearing on the controversial residential/commercial proposal before New Kent’s Planning Commission. And they weren’t needed, at least on the opposition side. Despite county planning staff urging approval, commission members voted 8-1-1 to send a rezoning application that would pave the way for the project to the county’s Board of Supervisors with a recommendation for denial. Liberty Landing is a commercial/residential development proposed for a 113-acre site located on the south side of Route 60 (Pocahontas Trail) near Bottoms Bridge and…
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Juvenile receives plea deal in Bottoms Bridge robbery
New Kent Circuit Court has accepted a plea deal involving a juvenile who participated in an armed robbery at the Bottoms Bridge McDonald’s. Robert James Priester, 16, of the 2200 block of Kingsbrook Drive, Henrico, entered guilty pleas to one count each of armed robbery and use of a firearm during Mar. 10 court proceedings. Two charges of armed robbery were dropped. The plea deal will not become effective until the defendant testifies in federal court. In a summary of evidence provided by Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory, Priester, along with three other individuals, entered the McDonald’s restaurant shortly before 3…
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