News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | February 18, 2026
Local News
Man receives 16-month jail sentence for driving under the influence in Charles City
A man who operated a vehicle under the influence of alcohol in Charles City will spend the next 16 months in jail. Matthew Ryan Mayer, 30, of the 10000 block of Blue Ridge Drive, Hurt, entered guilty pleas to one count each of DUI (third offense) and misdemeanor driving revoked as part of a plea deal during Friday morning proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court. One charge each of misdemeanor refusal to take a breath test and misdemeanor destruction of property were dropped as part of the agreement. In a summary of evidence provided by Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Tyler, on…
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Hybrid, virtual restart chosen by parent/guardian route elected by New Kent School Board
Parents and guardians of students who attend New Kent Public Schools will be given the choice to educate their child either virtually or through a hybrid plan to begin the 2020-21 school year. New Kent School Board members unanimously approved the two-option plan during the Aug. 5 regular school board meeting inside of the high school auditorium in front of approximately 50 attendees, with others watching the decision online. The concept of offering parents the choice whether to have their kid instructed virtually or with a hybrid in-person plan was presented at the July 28 school board special work session…
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Charles City school board opts for nine-week virtual instruction to begin 2020-21 year
Charles City County Public Schools will spend at least the first nine weeks of the new school year in a virtual learning environment. Following a recommendation from new Superintendent of Schools Dalphine Joppy, school board members approved virtual instruction for the first quarter of the 2020-21 school year during the July 30 regular meeting. During the midpoint of that first quarter, school staff will evaluate the situation to determine if students can return earlier or if the length of online teaching will continue. Early indicators in the meeting leaned towards distance learning for some time period. During the first comment…
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Decision to remove Confederate monument in Charles City heads to ballot
The decision to remove a Confederate monument in Charles City will be in the hands of citizens at the November ballot. Charles City’s Board of Supervisors elected to send the issue to the referendum at their Tuesday night meeting after much discussion. The issue of the controversial monument that sits in front of Charles City’s Historic Courthouse arose at the board’s regular June meeting. With protesters continuing to vandalize and pull down the monuments, supervisors decided to address the issue at its forefront. At that meeting, County Administrator Michelle Johnson proposed forming a committee to decide the fate of the…
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New Kent schools leaning towards parent/guardian choice for 2020-21 reopening
The task of planning to return back to an educational environment has been a task for several school systems in Virginia. A Tuesday night special board meeting by New Kent’s School Board provided just a miniscule sample of opinions from the community about how schools should reopen for the FY2020-21 year due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. School board members convened for three hours at the work session, with many leaning towards having the parental/guardian option to choose for their child to learn either through a hybrid plan or an all-virtual plan. For nearly the first two hours, Director of…
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Newport News man who allegedly robbed Stewart’s Grocery among New Kent indictments
A Newport News man who allegedly robbed a store in Lanexa was indicted by a grand jury during Monday morning proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. Karim Aziz Muhammad, 46, of the 100 block of North Redwood Court, was indicted on a single count of robbery. On Apr. 11 around 2:40 p.m., New Kent Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for service to Stewart’s Grocery, located at the 15000 block of Pocahontas Trail. The police report indicated that a male approached the store clerk and demanded cash from the register. The suspect was able to obtain the money and left…
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New Kent supervisors agree to construct new post office, lease to USPS
New Kent supervisors approved a lease agreement that will see the construction of a new post office within the county. Leaders unanimously approved a 10-year lease with the United States Postal Service (USPS) that will result in a new structure built adjacent to the current New Kent location near the county’s courthouse complex. The process for a new building began three years ago when discussion intertwined with the growth of the county’s population. In January 2019, Richard Hancock made a pitch for the relocation to address the influx of mail. During his pitch, he suggested to find a pre-existing building…
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New Kent School Board members receive glimpse of “Return to Learn” plan
The struggle to make the decision on when businesses and environments are safe to reopen continues to be a nonstop discussion with the presence of COVID-19. That commentary carried on at New Kent School Board’s Monday night work session. New Kent Superintendent of Schools Brian Nichols presented the district’s first “Return to Learn” plan at the July 13 meeting. And while measures are being taken by the school for a safe return, uncertainty continues to cloud any clear path of direction. “Our guidance continues to shift based on CDC (Center of Disease Control) and VDOE (Virginia Department of Education) guidelines,”…
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Charles City man receives eight-year sentence for $112,000 robbery
A Charles City man who partook in a $112,000 robbery with two brothers from Dinwiddie will spend the next eight years in prison. Tyron Lorenza Allen, 33, of the 6200 block of Old Union Road, learned his length of incarceration during formal sentencing Tuesday afternoon in Charles City Circuit Court. He pleaded guilty to one count of robbery during a Dec. 20, 2019 trial as part of a plea deal. On Oct. 15, 2018, Allen along with Jeremy and Stephen Martin, broke into the home of Don Bulger. During the heist, Allen and Jeremy Martin held a group of elders…
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Three indicted by Charles City grand jury
Three individuals were indicted by a grand jury during Tuesday morning proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court: –Anthony David English, 27, of the 11000 block of Greenyard Estates, Providence Forge, on two counts of petty larceny (third or subsequent offense). English allegedly stole plywood and building material from Nathan Crowell on Jan. 4. –Matthew Ryan Mayer, 29, of the 10000 block of Blue Ridge Drive, Hurt, on a single count of DUI (third offense). The incident allegedly took place on Feb. 7. –Kalynn Marie Woods, 32, of the 4200 block of Lords Lane, Richmond, on four counts of assault on…
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