News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | September 29, 2025
Local News
School doors closed in Charles City for Thanksgiving week
Charles City County Public Schools will have the entire week off for Thanksgiving. Citing the mental health and wellness of students and staff, Charles City Public Schools Superintendent of Schools Dalphine Joppy made the announcement through an email that schools will be closed on Monday, Nov. 22, and Tuesday, Nov. 23. Schools were already slated to close Nov. 24-26 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Redistricting becomes next priority for New Kent supervisors to address
With New Kent’s population clocking in at 22,945 according to the 2020 census, county leaders looked at recommendations regarding redistricting within county borders. New Kent County Administrator Rodney Hathaway presented four proposals to New Kent County’s Board of Supervisors at the Oct. 27 morning work session. By law, all localities within Virginia must redistrict based on population. Set criteria is also required as part of the redistricting process. Hathaway’s first recommendation was also the one he preferred the most. Among the changes proposed according to his comments and his slideshow presentation include District 3 losing residents on Farmer’s Drive and…
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Selection process of library books elaborated at New Kent School Board work session
After a controversial book was pulled from the shelf of New Kent Middle School, parents and community member questioned how the literature was able to make its way into the media center in the first place. New Kent Public School staff and school board members addressed that issue at Monday night’s work session. The opening presentation of the night centered around the process of how library books are chosen for their respective schools. “We have very passionate library and media specialists,” said Ross Miller, Director of Innovation and Development. “Most of the information can be found in our policy manual.”…
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New Kent Public Schools to have week off for Thanksgiving
New Kent Public School students and employees will have a whole week off for the Thanksgiving holiday. School board members voted unanimously to add Nov. 22 and Nov. 23 as days off. The vote follows a trend in the area providing teachers and students additional days off due to the ongoing adjustments when returning to in-person learning. New Kent Public Schools were already scheduled to have Nov. 24-26 off. “Throughout this year, we have struggled with finding substitutes and asked our teachers to step up to the place,” said New Kent Superintendent of Schools Brian Nichols. “They have filled in…
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Update: Teenager charged with homicide, involuntary manslaughter after Oct. 24 New Kent car chase
A teenager who led a chase through New Kent during an early morning pursuit on Oct. 24 now faces felony charges including homicide and involuntary manslaughter. Jahreese R. Watson-Ricks, 18, of Yorktown, has been charged with the two aforementioned charges, as well as felony eluding of police, felony hit and run, misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor, misdemeanor reckless driving, and several other offenses. According to a Virginia State Police report, at 12:53 a.m. a trooper observed a white Infiniti sedan traveling at 100 miles per hour in a posted 70 miles per hour zone at mile marker…
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Former Cumberland Hospital employee pleads no contest to amended charge of unlawful wounding
A former employee of Cumberland Hospital in New Kent entered a no contest plea as part of an agreement reached during Monday afternoon proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. Stacey Burrell, 57, of King William, entered a no contest to an amended charge of unlawful wounding (originally charged with malicious wounding). A no contest plea means that evidence presented in the case would be enough to convict the defendant of the crime. In a summary of evidence, on Sept. 14, 2019, Virginia State Police began an investigation of Cumberland Hospital in New Kent. Around that time, surveillance footage showed Burrell…
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Morning car accident claims life of Charles City woman
A Charles City woman involved in an automobile accident Sunday morning succumbed to her injuries. According to a Virginia State Police report, troopers responded to the 6100 block of Route 5 (John Tyler Memorial Highway) just before 8 a.m. The preliminary investigation indicates that a Toyota Sedan was traveling westbound when it ran off the road to the right, re-entered the roadway, spun, and ran off the right side of the road again before striking a tree on the driver’s side. The driver, identified as Diane Dobson, 53, was wearing a seatbelt but was partially ejected at the time of…
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Assault on Henrico Jail East guard results in eight additional months of incarceration
A man who assaulted a guard while incarcerated at Henrico Jail East will spend an additional eight months in jail. Andre Quincy Davis, 21, entered guilty pleas to one count each of assault and battery on a law enforcement officer and misdemeanor obstruction of justice as part of a plea deal during Monday morning proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. In a summary of evidence, on May 21, deputies were moving Davis back to his cell and were attempting to place handcuffs on them. Davis began refusing commands and resisting, becoming combative in the process. The defendant struck a law…
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Talks between Charles City boards productive, insightful in moving county forward
It’s no secret that Charles City’s Board of Supervisors and Charles City’s School Board have butted heads on many occasions. But with a focus on developing the county and school system, as well as getting a firm understanding and viewpoint from each other, it seems that both boards hit their breakthrough at the Oct. 14 joint work session after nearly three hours of dialogue. Charles City’s County Administrator Michelle Johnson and Charles City Public Schools Superintendent Dalphine Joppy both agreed that a conversation should be held prior to their normal dialogue that occurs towards the middle of the budget cycle….
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Charles City woman pleads guilty to first degree murder, receives 30-year prison sentence
*Editor’s note: Some content in this story may be unsuitable for some readers. What started off as a status hearing to determine the competency of a defendant in a Charles City murder case evolved into a plea agreement being accepted Friday morning during Charles City Circuit Court proceedings. Amber Lynn Brime, 33, of the 11000 block of Eagles Nest Road, Charles City, entered an Alford Plea of Guilt to one count of first-degree murder (elevated from second degree murder). Two charges of breaking and entering were dropped as part of the plea deal. An Alford Plea of Guilt means that…
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