News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | November 2, 2026
Local News
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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Charles City Ruritan Club celebrates 60th anniversary
“Not many clubs reach a 60th anniversary.” Those were the opening words from former Chesapeake District Governor of the Ruritan Club Sewell Rowley during the Nov. 15 celebration for the Charles City Ruritan Club’s 60th anniversary. Charles City officials appeared at the dinner to celebrate the memorable event, including county administrator Zach Trogdon and Sherriff Javier Smith. Also in attendance were Ruritan club members from the regional and national level. “There have been lots of challenging and innovating things that have happened over the years,” continued Rowley. “This anniversary is a chance to reflect the impact in the community and…
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Manslaughter indictment stems from fatal NK wreck
A fatal auto accident in Barhamsville last August has resulted in a New Kent Circuit Court grand jury handing up several indictments, including involuntary manslaughter, against a James City County man. Convening on Nov. 19, the grand jury indicted Joshua Earl Apperson, 21, of 103 Branchs Pond Road, Toano, on an involuntary manslaughter charge. According to the indictment, Apperson was behind the wheel on Aug. 5 of this year when he lost control of his vehicle around a blind curve. The accident resulted in the death of a passenger, Allison Taylor Farmer, 19. Indictments of misdemeanor DUI, contributing to the…
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Planning starts for 2013-14 school year in Charles City
Charles City County School Board members have begun preparing for the 2013-14 school year. A public hearing on Nov. 21 to review the school’s six-year plan received little response from the public. School board members were asked by speakers about specifications of the plan and data during the hearing. Superintendent of schools Janet Crawley addressed the speakers by saying that information will be provided in a complete packet and that the public hearing was an overview of what would be included in the plan. School board members also received their first look at proposed capital improvement plans for the upcoming…
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Permanent conservation easement placed on NK farm
Poplar Springs Farm, a 103-acre New Kent County farm owned by the Talley family, now has a permanent conservation easement placed by the Williamsburg Land Conservancy. Protection of the farm will help maintain the rural, agricultural, environmental and historic resources of New Kent, as well as protect air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat. Poplar Springs Farm has been in the Talley family for over 100 years, and has received a Century Farm designation from the Virginia Department of Agriculture, which honors the enduring spirit of agriculture and Virginia’s farm families. The Talleys have continued to produce food on the same…
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