News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | September 22, 2026
Local News
NK School Board members unhappy with office plans
New Kent School Board members are unhappy with how the county’s Board of Supervisors has handled renovation plans for turning a building at the Historic School into new school board office space. School officials claim to have been left out of the loop and charge that supervisors have ignored their recommendations. School board members vented frustration over the situation during their regular meeting on Nov. 5. Acting county administrator Rodney Hathaway presented floor plans approved by supervisors during the group’s Oct. 31 work session to the school board. Supervisors are now in final steps of negotiations with the contractor, Richmond-based…
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CC teacher salaries must improve, board members told
Charles City School Board members listened to suggestions from citizens and parents during a pre-budget public hearing on Nov. 7. One thing became evident in the suggestions: teachers and staff have to be better compensated. After a presentation by financial analyst David Papenfuse on student projections for the upcoming years, those in attendance voiced concern over losing teachers in the school system to surrounding localities. “We need to raise teacher salaries in order for this school system to be competitive,” said Judy Ledbetter, who’s been adamant on the issue since the completion of the 2012-13 fiscal budget. “We should also…
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Wrong way driver sentenced to active time behind bars
A Mexican national convicted on four felonies in connection with driving the wrong way on Interstate 64 and sideswiping a New Kent deputy’s police cruiser will be spending the next year and a half in jail. Angel Rafael Lopez-Morga, 42, who had been living in Richmond on an expired work visa, was sentenced Nov. 5 in New Kent Circuit Court on the four offenses that occurred on May 11. That day, the defendant drove his white Jeep Cherokee west in the eastbound lanes of I-64 between the Talleysville and Providence Forge exits. When encountered by police, he sideswiped Sgt. Brent…
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Scholarship partnership announced
Del. Joe Morrissey, who represents Charles City County and the 74th District in the state House of Representatives, is partnering with Great Aspirations Scholarship Program (GRASP) for the 74th District Scholarship Fund. For years to come, a $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a student at each of the following high schools: Charles City, Henrico, Highland Springs, Hopewell, and Varina. GRASP is a Virginia 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable, education organization funded by school systems, foundations, businesses and individual donors. GRASP’s mission is to ensure that every student has an equal opportunity for continuing education after high school, regardless of financial or…
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Colonial Downs announces 2013 schedule
For 2013, Colonial Downs is hosting a 25-day thoroughbred racing season June 8-July 13 and a 24-day harness racing season Sept. 18-Oct. 27. The Virginia Racing Commission awarded 2013 racing dates to to the New Kent track during its Nov. 7 meeting. The thoroughbred campaign represents a seven-day decrease from 2012, but that is part of an overall strategy to improve the caliber of overnight races and increase the field size. The average overnight purse is expected to increase 43 percent from $15,000 in 2012 to just under $22,000 in 2013. The track will also re-implement an equine shuttle on…
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Charles City landfill earns certification
Waste Management’s Charles City County Landfill received Wildlife at WorkSM certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council during its 24th annual symposium “Working for a Greener World” on Nov. 9. The Charles City landfill is one of 46 Waste Management facilities to receive certifications for its habitat protection program “Wildlife Habitat Council members continue to raise the bar for conservation success,” said WHC president Margaret O’Gorman in a press release. “We connect corporations, conservation and community to create habitat and increase biodiversity. “The programs being honored today are the best examples of our model at work,” she said. “Congratulations to Waste…
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Briefly… for Nov. 15-28, 2012
Four indicted by CC grand jury A West Point woman has been indicted for her alleged unauthorized use of company credit cards. Lisa Ann Jordan, 37, of 202 Patriots Village Court, was indicted Tuesday on four counts of credit card larceny by a Charles City Circuit Court grand jury. Jordan was arrested on July 27 after she allegedly spent close to $20,000 using two cards, one belonging to David Butler, who owns Servepro. According to Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Tyler, original charges of embezzlement were amended to credit card larceny due to the complexity of the case. Other indictments handed up…
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NK, CC dodge major bullet
Residents and officials in New Kent and Charles City counties are breathing a huge sigh of relief after the area escaped significant damage from Hurricane Sandy. The powerful storm, which hammered New Jersey, New York, and other states to the north, caused only minor flooding and scattered power outages in New Kent and Charles City. There have been no reports of structural damage or injuries in the area. Forecasters had painted a worst-case scenario for the area, predicting tropical storm force winds and hurricane force gusts along with torrential rain. The dire forecast brought back unpleasant memories of Irene’s devastation…
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Emergency medical service 24/7 coming to Charles City
Charles City District 2 Supervisor Bill Coada’s smile said it all when Charles City fire chief Archer Jones Jr. stepped to the podium at the Oct. 23 board meeting. Jones announced before the board and those in attendance that 24-hour EMS is coming to Charles City. “We have been working with Providence Forge Rescue Squad for the last year, and more diligently the last six months,” said Jones. “We have come up with a plan to bring 24-hour EMS services to the county.” Jones announced a launch date of Nov. 18 for around-the-clock emergency services. The proposed plan calls for…
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Election season marred by vandalism
With the presidential election right around the corner, citizens often express their stance on issues through forums, debates, and letters to the editor in newspapers. Unfortunately, some elect to choose another route to express their opinions in a way that endangers others. Such an incident occurred the night of Oct. 22 when shotgun blasts ripped through a large Obama/Biden sign posted at the entrance to Charles City resident David Ledbetter’s home on The Glebe Lane. But the vandals didn’t stop there. Another load of buckshot destroyed a permanent sign marking his residence, Mosside Farm. “I wanted the public to know…
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