News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | February 16, 2026
Local News
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…
Read Full Story
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…
Read Full Story
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…
Read Full Story
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…
Read Full Story
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…
Read Full Story
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….
Read Full Story
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…
Read Full Story
Farms of New Kent request to reduce lot size in portion of Viniterra tabled by county supervisors
A proposed amendment that would allow the reduction of lot sizes in a subdivision located in the Farms of New Kent will undergo further studying by New Kent’s Board of Supervisors. County leaders elected to table a request from the Farms of New Kent Planned Urban Development (PUD) ordinance to reduce lots located in the Reserve of Viniterra area from one acre to one-half acre during Tuesday night’s regular board meeting. Located in Land Bay I of the Farms of New Kent, Resource International Senior Vice President Charlie Riedlinger addressed the board of supervisors on several reasons that the lots…
Read Full Story
Inappropriate book pulled from New Kent Middle School library circulation
Concern on a book that contained inappropriate material in New Kent Middle School’s library has been pulled from the shelf. Emily White, a parent of a middle school student, spoke about the incident during New Kent’s School Board meeting Monday night. White spoke about how the incident began, encountering the reading after her child received it as part of reading for National Hispanic American Heritage Month that was being promoted. White took the issue to social media where she shared her experience after learning about the book, questioning why it was in school libraries. “Our kids’ innocence is being taken…
Read Full Story
New Kent Sheriff’s Office investigating Oct. 3 early morning larcenies
New Kent Sheriff’s Office is seeking information regarding vehicle related incidents that took place on Oct. 3. According to a press release, around 2:51 a.m. reports began coming into New Kent Sheriff’s Office regarding incidences in the area of Tunstall Road between New Kent Highway and Fawnlake Court. Those reports continued to come in until 10:10 a.m., with the sheriff’s office interacting with the victims. Among the incidents reported include 13 vehicles tampered with, 11 larcenies from vehicle crimes that saw items that included cash and electronic equipment removed from them, and two stolen vehicles. One of the vehicles was…
Read Full Story
