News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | September 26, 2025
Local News
New Kent School Board fires back at decision to delay construction of new elementary school
New Kent School Board members expressed dismay about a recent decision from county supervisors about not funding the construction of a new elementary school. School board members spoke on the issue during the Aug. 5 regular school board meeting. New Kent Superintendent of Schools Brian Nichols spoke about his plea to the board of supervisors about initiating a study for the construction of a new elementary school on property located behind the current New Kent Elementary School. At that meeting, Nichols commented about the need for growth after county leaders suggested renovations instead of funding a new facility. As the…
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New Kent man acquitted on abduction charge, guilty on violating protective order
A New Kent man was found not guilty of an abduction charge lodged against him following a July 24 trial. A jury found that Thomas Bennett Luck, 49, of the 2700 block of Patriots Landing, was innocent of felony charge. However, he was found guilty on a single count of misdemeanor violation of a protective order. On Nov. 1, 2024, Luck and a family member had gotten into a verbal argument after a protective order was issued against him. The prosecution argued that Luck was holding the victim against their will at the home, but the defense team for Luck…
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New Kent woman receives jail time for second DWI conviction
A New Kent woman will spend 15 days in jail after being convicted on a second offense of driving while intoxicated. Ashley Elizabeth Howington, 35, of the 7800 block of Faisan Lane, entered guilty pleas to an amended charge of possession of a Schedule I/II drug (originally possession of a Schedule I/II drug while in possession of a gun), DWI (second offense), and amended charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor (originally felony child abuse) as part of an agreement reached Monday in New Kent Circuit Court. In a summary of evidence, on Nov. 16, 2024, a call…
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Fake ID results in forgery conviction of Virginia Beach man after New Kent traffic stop
A Virginia Beach man found out the hard way that a fake identification card can lead to a lot of trouble. Mark Shevon Sandiford, 52, of the 700 block of Skipwith Road, Virginia Beach, was found guilty of forgery of a public record, misdemeanor driving suspended, and misdemeanor reckless driving following a one-hour contested trial Monday morning in New Kent Circuit Court. On Aug. 17, 2024, Virginia State Trooper James Shaw was conducting stationary radar on Interstate 64 westbound at mile marker 211 just before 7 a.m. when a Black Nissan entered through the beam at 89 miles per hour…
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Sandston man hit with 10-year prison sentence for selling methamphetamine in New Kent
A Sandston man who sold drugs in New Kent County will now spend a mandatory decade behind bars. Dylan Austion Overton, 27, entered guilty pleas to two counts of distributing methamphetamine (more than 227 grams) as part of a plea deal reached during Monday proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. Two additional charges of distributing methamphetamine as well as one charge of possession of a Schedule I/II drug (methamphetamine) were dropped as part of the agreement. In a summary of evidence by New Kent Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott Renick, in Oct. 2024, Overton was the subject of an undercover operation being…
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Quinton man indicted on more than 30 charges for sex crimes against minor
A Quinton man who allegedly committed several crimes against a minor in New Kent County has been indicted on more than 30 charges. Monty Curtis Howard, 24, of the 7000 block of Chestnut Drive, was indicted by a New Kent grand jury on 14 charges of possession of child pornography (second offense), 16 charges of selling obscene material, and one charge each of possession of child pornography (first offense), indecent liberties with a minor, rape of a victim less than the age of 13, sodomy with a victim less than the age of 13, misdemeanor violating a protective order, and…
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New Kent superintendent asks county leaders for reconsideration to fund new elementary school
During the 2025-2026 budgeting process, New Kent Board of Supervisors faced a decision on funding the construction of a new courthouse, funding a new elementary school, or both. As a result of those discussions, county leaders elected to start funding the construction of a new courthouse, leaving the new elementary school on the cutting room floor. At Monday night’s regular meeting of New Kent’s Board of Supervisors, the schools made another plea for reconsideration. New Kent County Administrator Rodney Hathaway along with county leaders emerged from a closed session at the beginning of Monday’s meeting. After coming out of the…
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Petition granted to commence forensic audit of Charles City County finances
An order for a forensic audit filed by citizens of Charles City County has been put in motion. Charles City County Circuit Court issued an order on June 20, ordering Charles City County’s Board of Supervisors to conduct a forensic audit of county finances. A forensic audit is a detailed examination of financial records to uncover fraud, misconduct, or other irregularities. At the end of 2024, several citizens of Charles City were upset that information about the county’s finances weren’t available as they were to be filed by law prior to the end of the year. At January and February…
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Otey hired as new superintendent for Charles City County Public Schools
Charles City County Public Schools has announced that Dr. Katina Otey will serve as the next superintendent of schools. The announcement was made during a June 25 special meeting of the school board. Otey will succeed Dalphine Joppy, who is stepping down after five years of service. Otey is bringing 31 years of public education to Charles City County Public Schools, with her latest position as Chief Academic Officer for Charlottesville City Public Schools, a role she had held since 2020. Other educational capacities she has served in include being a classroom teacher at Roanoke City Public Schools, an assistant…
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Charles City supervisors defer decision on rezoning for Diode data center
A decision for the rezoning of property to allow the construction of a data center in Charles City has been put on hold for two months. Charles City’s Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 to defer a decision on a request made by Diode Data Centers to rezone agricultural land to commercial and industrial during Tuesday night’s board meeting, gaining applause from concerned citizens. Charles City Director of Community Development Gary Mitchell displayed an updated presentation from Diode. With earlier feedback stemming from concerns of sound, machine operations, and sightlines, Mitchell proposed a 200-foot buffer on the property. A display map…
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