News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | September 22, 2026
Local News
Colonial Downs sued over Strawberry Hill Races name
New owners of the Strawberry Hill Races name are suing Colonial Downs over what they allege to be trademark infringement, unfair competition, and false advertising on the part of the New Kent County racetrack’s owners. Counsel for Colonial Downs is expected to file a response this week. That response could be in the form of a demurrer, which basically states the lawsuit lacks merit and the plaintiffs have no case. The lawsuit stems from Colonial Downs’ use of the Strawberry Hill name during a steeplechase event last June 2 and racetrack officials’ effort since to schedule a similar event, dubbed…
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Hathaway elevated to administrator
A familiar face to New Kent County has been named as the new county administrator. New Kent’s Board of Supervisors removed the interim tag and appointed Rodney Hathaway to the position during its regular session this past Monday. “I want to thank the board for this opportunity,” said Hathaway. “I have been stopped at gas stations and grocery stores and given words of encouragement.” Hathaway has maintained the duties on an interim basis since July 23 when Cabell Lawton was terminated from the position. Many board members commented that his work up to this point in time and in the…
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NK native out to change culture at first college head coaching post
After his team’s victory last Friday night over the visiting Navy Midshipmen, Mount St. Mary’s University head basketball coach Jamion Christian waved to the crowd, addressed the media, and hugged his wife and son. The New Kent County native isn’t just coaching a basketball team– he’s changing the culture. Christian’s impact on his college alma mater is impacting several lives on the university’s campus and in the community. He arrived on campus to fanfare of those who knew of his tenure as a player for the Mountainers from 2000-04. Now, he returns to bring back life to a program that…
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Landfill contract extended temporarily in Charles City
Charles City’s Board of Supervisors has agreed to a temporary extension of a contract with Waste Management of Virginia. Supervisors agreed to a 90-day extension with the services at its Dec. 5 work session as they attempt to work out a new contract with the company. The county and Waste Management have been working on a previous 18-month interim agreement due to the decline of refuse taken in at the landfill. The original agreement signed by the parties called for a minimum of 2,000 tons per day. With the declining economy over the past two years hitting the county, each…
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Defendants opt for plea deals in New Kent court
A Quinton woman who used forged checks to pay bills and buy groceries will now be serving the next seven months in jail. Shauna Evelyn Chapman, 25, of 10345 Racheal Drive, accepted a plea agreement from the commonwealth on one count of forgery at last Monday’s hearing in New Kent Circuit Court. In a summary of evidence presented by Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory, Chapman used several of Vicki Lynn Hogge’s checks for personal use. Chapman worked for Hogge and admitted she struggled financially during the time period of November 2011 to April 2012 and used the checks to support herself….
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Possible tolls on Interstate 64 addressed at hearings
“Toll” appears well on its way to becoming a dirty word, at least in the minds of opponents of any measure that would require motorists to pay to drive on Interstate 64 between Richmond and Hampton Roads. Representatives of a group billing itself as the “Stop the Tolls Political Action Committee” handed out anti-toll literature, including a request for donations, during Tuesday night’s first of three Virginia Department of Transportation public hearings on what is dubbed the Interstate 64 Peninsula Study and its accompanying environmental impact statement. The scene was Bruton High School in York County. Subsequent hearings were slated…
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Briefly… for Dec. 13, 2012-Jan. 2, 2013
Liberty Landing deferred for 90 days A public hearing before New Kent’s Board of Supervisors on rezoning land to pave the way for Liberty Landing, a proposed 608-unit housing development with 100,000 square feet of commercial space slated for the Bottoms Bridge area of New Kent County, has been postponed after developers requested a 90-day deferral. Representatives of Boyd Homes, the Virginia Beach-based developer, asked for postponement to provide more time to study comments received from county and school officials as well as the public regarding the proposal, said county administrator Rodney Hathaway. Supervisors approved the deferral request at Monday’s…
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Furor over animal control officer erupts at CC meeting
When reading a novel, one usually comes across a character portrayed as either a protagonist or antagonist. In Charles City County, animal control officer Frank Bates assumes both lead roles. With more than 200 people in attendance at its meeting Tuesday night, Charles City’s Board of Supervisors heard from those seeking Bates’ removal from his position as well as from his supporters. At issue is Bates’ job performance, and in particular fallout from the killing of Axel, a golden Labrador retriever owned by county residents Sharon and Tara McGeein that was shot to death by Bates in early November. Word…
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NK supervisors hosting public hearing on controversial subdivision proposal
A public hearing on a rezoning application that, if approved, would pave the way for building 344 townhouses, 264 apartments, and 100,000 square feet of commercial space on Route 60 near Bottoms Bridge is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. before New Kent’s Board of Supervisors. At issue is the Liberty Landing project that is proposed for 113 acres on the south side of Route 60 across from the Five Lakes subdivision. Virginia Beach-based Boyd Homes (Bridgewater Crossing Inc.) is spearheading the project that was first introduced in 2006 but took a back seat when the bottom fell…
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Completion date extended for $1.8 million Historic School renovation
Renovations to create space for the county’s school board offices inside New Kent’s Historic School are now expected to take longer than first anticipated. In a letter sent to superintendent of schools Dr. Rick Richardson from acting county administrator Rodney Hathaway, Marengo Management, the company contracted to perform the work, will have approximately one year to complete the $1.8 million project. County Board of Supervisors members approved the contract that totals $1,848,496 during the board’s Nov. 14 meeting. A new target date of November 2013 is an extension of the original completion date of August 2013. Despite the time line…
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