News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | November 2, 2026
Local News
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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Briefly… for November 1-14, 2012
Church camp in NK safe for now Makemie Woods, the Presbyterian church camp located near Barhamsville in New Kent County, is no longer facing the prospect of closing, at least not for now. As reported in the Oct. 4 Chronicle, the camp’s fate rested in the hands of officials from the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia during an Oct. 23 vote. The Rev. Mike Burcher, Makemie Woods’ director, said in an Oct. 26 e-mail that the camp will remain open with a full summer camping program in 2013 along with retreats on a limited basis that can be supported by part-time…
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Defendants accept plea deals in NK
Several defendants accepted plea deals in New Kent Circuit Court on Oct. 22. The defendants and charges to which they pleaded guilty are: –Christopher Ray Burney, 30, of 6030 Hunting Creek Drive, North Chesterfield, on one count of possession of heroin. Under the plea agreement, Burney received a 10-year jail sentence with all but one year suspended. –Frances Adrienne Thames (also known as Frances Adrienne Haskin), 29, of 2965 Nairn Court, Douglasville, Ga., on an amended charge of misdemeanor distribution of marijuana. Two counts of felony child abuse were dropped. The incident occurred on May 5, 2011, when Thames was…
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Expect hefty fine, judge warns female motorcyclist
A Charles City woman received a stern warning from Judge Thomas B. Hoover during Charles City Circuit Court last Friday. Betsie Branham Pierotti, 43, of 2020 CC Road, accepted a plea agreement from Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Tyler to plead guilty on one count of felony eluding police and one count of misdemeanor reckless driving. Under the agreement, the felony charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor if Pierotti completes 100 community service hours prior to her sentencing date next year. In a summary of evidence, Tyler explained that last July 22, Pierotti was speeding on a motorcycle while traveling south…
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Regional technical center in NK dedicated amid fanfare
School officials from New Kent, Charles City, and other surrounding counties celebrated the official dedication of the Bridging Communities Regional Career & Technical Center last Sunday. Festivities started off inside New Kent High School where New Kent superintendent of schools Rick Richardson spoke on the history that the new facility has made. “This is the first regional career and technical center approved by the state Board of Education in 25 years,” said Richardson. “We are also distinguished as we are the 14th government STEM academy in the state.” The center offers seven programs in half-day classes. Those programs are criminal…
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