News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | September 20, 2026
Local News
VDEM training conducted in New Kent
Virginia’s Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) held a 24-hour Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course at Brickshire in Providence Forge Sept. 3-5. The CERT program is a federally funded citizen preparedness and response training course administered through VDEM, supporting almost 80 localities and institutions of higher education across the state. The original concept was developed by Los Angeles County fire personnel in the mid-1960’s to train citizens to be more prepared in times of disaster. Course work included hands on and classroom instruction in preparedness, organization, fire safety, first aid and triage, disaster psychology, terrorism, and light search and rescue….
Read Full Story
NK school staff relocate as supervisors approve lease
“This triangle now has four sides to it.” That statement made by New Kent Board of Supervisors chairman Ray Davis summed up viewpoints from four parties involved in the decision to allow school officials to use New Kent’s Historical Courthouse as its headquarters for the next two years after supervisors approved the lease to schools. Members of New Kent’s school board, Historical Commission, Historical Society, and Registrar’s Office weighed in with opinions, comments, and viewpoints during the supervisors’ monthly meeting on Aug. 12. During citizens’ comments, William Hodges, an advocate and member of the historical society, didn’t hold back about…
Read Full Story
New Kent test scores above state average, CC vows to improve
Charles City and New Kent County schools recently received results from its Standard of Learning (SOL) testing. While Charles City school board members vowed for changes to improve scores, New Kent administration received pleasant surprises when results were released on Aug. 20. Despite a difficulty increase in English and science during this year’s testing, New Kent schools minimized a drop-off in scores, fairing significantly better than a majority of the state. New Kent also improved in mathematics, upping scores in the rigorous test. New Kent posted a 75 percent passing rate in 26 out of 34 subject areas, with 10…
Read Full Story
Bottoms Bridge McDonald’s robbed at gunpoint
New Kent Sheriff’s office has reported that the McDonald’s restaurant at Bottoms Bridge was burglarized this morning (Aug. 26). In a brief press release, shortly after 3 a.m., two masked suspects entered the facility with firearms. The two suspects took an undisclosed amount of money. There were no reported injuries during the robbery. The intersection of Route 60 and Route 249 closed for several hours for investigation. A similar incident occurred in Henrico County the day before. If you have any information on the incident, please contact New Kent Sheriff’s Office at 966-9500.
CC shooting earns 39-year recommendation from jury
Charles City Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Tyler described the shooting at the old elementary school as constructing a wall brick-by-brick with mortar. For one Highland Springs man, that wall came crashing down, along with seven guilty verdicts and a recommendation of 39 years in prison time. A jury of eight women and four men convicted JoQuan W. Hawkins, 21, of W. Jerald Street, on one count of aggravated malicious wounding, one count of malicious wounding, two counts of use of a firearm in a malicious wounding, and three counts of malicious shooting into an occupied vehicle during the two-day trial commencing…
Read Full Story
Woman accepts plea deal on embezzlement charges
A Richmond woman accepted a plea deal to seven counts of embezzlement during New Kent Circuit Court proceedings last Monday. Marleen Lewis Espada, 48, of 2406 Caddie Lane, admitted she stole money from August 2012 to February of this year. In a summary of evidence provided by Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory, Espada embezzled $16,305.63 from Rick’s Local Deli, where she worked. While helping customers, Espada would make a sale and then void the transaction and pocket the money. An investigation ensued after funds were determined missing with results revealing that Espada had more than 50 voided sales per month, while…
Read Full Story
CC supervisors send $20,000 message to school board
When Charles City’s District 1 supervisor Gilbert Smith delivered his interpretation of comments in reference to providing matching funds for a school resource officer (SRO) to chairman Floyd Miles Sr. at the July 23 regular meeting, it was apparent by Miles’ reaction that he wasn’t happy. That demeanor immediately caused the chairman to call an immediate closed session prior to board directives. After a ten-minute private session, Miles emerged and motioned the revoking of $22,416 from county schools and returning the money to the county’s general fund. “I have heard rumors in regards to the funding for the grant,” said…
Read Full Story
Drunk driver carrying child to serve 17 months in jail
A man who operated his vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and his son inside as a passenger will now spend the next 17 months in jail. James Nicholas Fray, 34, of 5635 Yellow Jasmine Terrace, Providence Forge, accepted a plea deal during July 29 New Kent Circuit Court proceedings. Under the agreement, the defendant pled guilty to one count of felony child abuse, and one count each on misdemeanors of driving under the influence (second offense), driving without a license, refusal of taking a breathalyzer test, and failure to stop at the scene of an accident. In a…
Read Full Story
Soliciting of murder charges dropped in NK Circuit Court
A Richmond man will not face charges for solicitation of murder in New Kent Circuit Court. Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory dropped two charges against Clyde Cecil Armstrong, 35, of 4301 East Parham Road, during Aug. 19 proceedings. Gregory addressed Judge Thomas B. Hoover and spoke about his meeting with Nottoway and Chesterfield officials. Those parties requested Gregory to either continue or to drop the case against Armstrong due to similar matters in those jurisdictions. Gregory added that if the case was continued, the earliest it would be heard is July of next year. After hearing from Gregory and defense attorney…
Read Full Story
Defendants make individual pleas in CC Circuit Court
A variety of pleas were entered by four different men during proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court last Friday: –Anthony Durand Brown, 26, of 11943 Mapisco Road, Charles City, entered a plea of no contest to one count of possession of cocaine. During a traffic stop, Brown threw a plastic bag from his car window during a routine traffic stop on May 10. When the bag was recovered by a Charles City deputy, it contained small amounts of cocaine. Brown was placed in the first offender program that requires him to complete 100 hours of community service. Upon completion and…
Read Full Story
