News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | October 1, 2025
Local News
Courthouse Road bridge to close on June 1
The F.W. “Wakie” Howard Jr. Bridge on Route 155 (Courthouse Road) that connects Charles City and New Kent County will close on June 1 for repairs to the bridge’s deck. The bridge was originally scheduled to be repaired in June 2019 before being delayed to October 2019 due to concerns from local business owners. That date was then pushed back to Spring of this year. The closure of the bridge is estimated to last approximately four months until October 2020. Motorists traveling from New Kent to Charles City and vice-versa will be detoured onto Route 618 (Adkins Road) during that…
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Facing $1.8 million in cuts on proposed budget, Charles City school leaders ponder resolutions
While Charles City County Public Schools will receive some financial relief for FY2019-20 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the upcoming fiscal year is a different story. School board members met Tuesday night for a work session surrounding the proposed FY2020-21 budget. After receiving an update on the current fiscal year and reimbursements from the CARES act to assist with educating students for the remainder of the year, attention turned to FY2020-21 and talks about the upcoming budget. At Charles City Board of Supervisors regularly monthly meeting in April, County Administrator Michelle Johnson recommended level funding for the school system…
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Petersburg man indicted on rape charge in Charles City
A Petersburg man has been indicted on several charges, including rape, by a Charles City grand jury. Jermaun Lamont Horne, 28, of the 2300 block of Navajo Court, received indictments on one count of rape, two counts of forcible sodomy, one count of abduction with intent to defile, and one count of strangulation during Tuesday morning proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court. According to the indictments, Horne met up with his victim on Jan. 26 after making arrangements through social media. Horne allegedly made advances against the victim’s wishes before the crimes took place. He is currently being held without…
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No tax increase part of Charles City’s proposed FY2020-21 budget recommendation
A proposal for a $16 million local budget that includes no real estate tax increase was part of Charles City County Administrator Michelle Johnson’s proposed budget for FY2020-21 during Tuesday night’s board meeting. Johnson proposed a budget of $16,466,545 for the upcoming fiscal cycle. That figure does not include money from the state or federal governments. Johnson’s presentation covered several areas of the proposed budget. Among them include Charles City’s Fire and EMS. Of the 76-cent tax rate per $100 of assessed value, approximately 14 cents will be dedicated to the Fire/EMS $1,186,724 budget for next year. With grants and…
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Lanexa woman pleads guilty in conspiracy to sell cocaine
A Lanexa woman has entered guilty pleas stemming from a Dec. 4, 2019 incident. Lauren Nicole Mathias, 35, of the 3100 block of Augustus Lane, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and a single county of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. In a summary of evidence, Methias had made arrangements over the phone and in-person to sell cocaine and a possible weapon with ammunition that totaled around $2,000. During the buy, authorities were able to apprehend her and recovered a box of ammunition as well as a silver Magnum revolver. A presentence report is…
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New Kent leaders considering 79-cent tax rate for FY2020-21 due to Coronavirus
With the uncertainty of how COVID-19 will impact New Kent County financially, county leadership received a recommendation at Friday morning’s budget work session to lesson the hardship on citizens. New Kent County Administrator Rodney Hathaway proposed lowering the FY2020-21 tax rate from 82 cents per $100 of assessed value to 79 cents per $100 of assessed value. At his initial presentation in March, Hathaway commented keeping the tax rate at 82 cents. While this is no change from last year, the county underwent a reassessment this year, resulting in the equalized rate being 76 cents per $100 of assessed value….
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New Kent Board of Supervisors defer decision on funding new elementary school
New Kent’s Board of Supervisors continue to hold steady when it comes to deciding to fund a new elementary school for the county. County leaders deferred any decision on bond obligations for the construction of the new building at Monday night’s regular meeting. At the March 25 work session of county leaders, District 4 representative Ron Stiers commented that he would like to see the decision delayed due to the unforeseeable economic impact of the county due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Davenport and Company representative Ted Cole provided updated information on the bond process for the Virginia Public School Authority that…
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Update: New Kent Sheriff’s Office arrests suspect in Lanexa robbery
New Kent Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Williamsburg man in connection to a robbery that took place in the Lanexa area of the county. On Saturday, Apr. 11 at approximately 2:40 p.m., deputies responded to a call for service at Stewart’s Grocery, located at the 15000 block of Pocahontas Trail. According to the police report, a male approached the store clerk and demanded cash from the register while the lower portion of his face was covered. The suspect obtained the money and left the store. No injuries were reported in the incident. New Kent Sheriff’s Office has obtained information about…
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CCPS announce application results as part of search for new superintendent
Charles City County Public Schools have announced the numbers of applicants as part of its search for a new superintendent of schools. Of 34 inquiries, 27 full applications were received. Of the full applications, four are current or former superintendents, five are assistant or deputy superintendents, 10 are central office administrators, six are principal or business level administrators, and two have other experience. Eighteen men and nine women are applying for the position. Twenty-two of the 27 applicants are from Virginia, with the other five coming from out-of-state from the locations of Georgia, North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio, and Puerto Rico….
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Charles City school board approves FY2020-21 budget
Charles City School Board members approved its FY2020-21 budget at an April 1 special call meeting. In order to meet the state mandated deadline, school board representative gathered with essential personal in the high school media center. Superintendent of schools David Gaston recapped the $11,826,693 operation budget that included the addition of 18 positions. He also highlighted the changes to the $1,400,301 in the proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that school board members asked for at the March 3 public hearing. Despite school board members passing both proposals unanimously to send to the board of supervisors, changes are expected to…
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