News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | October 27, 2026
Local News
Eleven indicted by grand jury in New Kent Circuit Court
A grand jury certified indictments for 11 individuals during proceedings Monday morning during New Kent Circuit Court: –Amber Nicole Deaton, 37, of the 5600 block of Hogan Bridge Drive, Providence Forge, on one charge of possession of chemicals by a prisoner. Deaton allegedly had a mix of amphetamine, Alprazolan, Vyvanse, and cocaine on her on May 3. –Joshua Lynn Escalera, 28, of the 6200 block of Ice Plant Road, Gloucester, on one count each of failing to report an accident, felony hit and run, and assault and battery on a law enforcement officer. The offenses allegedly took place on Apr….
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Former New Kent Burger King employee pleads guilty to petty larceny
A Glen Allen woman who used to work at the Burger King in the Talleysville area of New Kent has entered a guilty plea to petty larceny (third or subsequent offense) during Monday afternoon proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. Ashlye D. Lions, 31, of the 8800 block of Trolley Lane, admitted to the crime as part of a plea agreement reached. In a summary of evidence presented by Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Randy Del Rossi, on May 19, a New Kent deputy was called to the restaurant after the store manager had conducted an internal investigation and discovered money was…
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Two indicted by Charles City grand jury
Two individuals were indicted by a grand jury during Tuesday morning proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court: –Theresa Connell, of the 5500 block of Monguy Road, Charles City, on ten counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty. The alleged offenses took place from Feb. 2018 to June 2019. –Jesse Edward Modine, 39, of the 7900 block of Roxbury Road, Charles City, on one count each of shooting into an occupied building and possession of a gun by a nonviolent felon. Mondine allegedly committed the offenses on June 23.
Charles City man to serve seven years for sex crimes with minors committed in 1990s
A Charles City man will spend the next seven years in prison after receiving formal sentencing on three counts of aggravated sexual battery with a minor. Rodney Johnson, 53, of the 9500 block of Lewis Tyler Lane, learned his fate during Tuesday morning proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court. In November 2018, Johnson averted a jury trial and accepted a plea agreement to the aforementioned charges. The defendant had 37 charges dropped as part of the deal. During that trial, it was revealed that between 1996 and 2001, Johnson was dating the mother of one of the three victims. The…
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Two injured in Charles City motorcycle crash
Virginia State Police is investigating a motorcycle accident that resulted in serious injuries this past weekend. According to the press release, on Aug. 30 around 3:30 p.m., Virginia State Police responded to a motorcycle crash on John Tyler Memorial Highway (Route 5), approximately a quarter mile east of Roxbury Road (Route 106). A preliminary report says a man operating a Harley Davidson motorcycle came around a curve and hit his brakes, losing control of the vehicle. The accident caused the driver and female passenger to be thrown off the motorcycle. Both people were transported to a nearby hospital with serious…
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Benjamin Harrison Bridge to close overnight Sept. 3-9
The Benjamin Harrison Bridge that connects Charles City and Prince George Counties will begin nightly closures beginning next week. Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) has announced that the bridge will be closed from 7 p.m.-5 a.m. starting Sept. 3 and concluding Sept. 9 (weather permitting) for bridge work. Drivers traveling from Charles City are advised to take Route 5 West (John Tyler Memorial Highway) to Interstate 295 South to cross the James River and back onto exit 15A. Motorists can also use the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry to travel to the Hampton Roads area.
SOL scores soar in Charles City; New Kent continues to thrive above state average
Charles City County Public Schools saw gains in 19 subject areas while New Kent County Public Schools eclipsed the 70th percentile in all but one area as Standards of Learning (SOL) scores were released to the public by Virginia’s Department of Education (VDOE) stemming from 2018-2019 testing. In Charles City, several areas saw massive gains in comparison to the previous year. Of the improvement areas, perfect pass rates were achieved in the areas of Algebra II and chemistry. Subject areas that saw a 20 or more point gain include grade seven English reading (64 to 85), World History I (59…
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New Kent Public Schools victim of cyber security attack
New Kent County Public Schools have become the latest school district of a cyber-attack. In a press release issued by Superintendent of Schools Brian Nichols, the school system has become a victim of a Ransomware Cyber Attack. Files located on the school systems’ internal hard drive have been encrypted so that they are inaccessible without paying a ransom. “Simply said, we cannot access many of the documents and data the faculty and staff have created and this will cause an undue burden as we work to start school on time and ready for our students to learn,” said Nichols in…
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Richmond woman convicted of possessing cocaine as an accommodation
A Richmond woman entered no contest pleas to amended charges, including one related to drug possession, during Monday afternoon proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. Aliyyah Rashidah Johnson, 35, of the 2100 block of Deforrest Street, entered the no contest pleas to an amended charge of possession of cocaine as an accommodation (originally distribution of cocaine) and misdemeanor failure to appear (originally felony failure to appear) as part of a plea agreement reached. A no contest plea stipulates that evidence presented in the case would be enough to convict the defendant of the crime. In a summary of evidence presented…
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New Kent leaders approve definition, prohibited use of tactical training facility
With the support of several citizens from the Barhamsville area of New Kent County, an ordinance that defined what a combat/tactical training facility is along with prohibited uses was passed during Monday night’s New Kent Board of Supervisors meeting. County leaders approved the definition and prohibited uses 4-1, with Evelyn casting the lone dissenting vote. In 2018, Curtis Security Group put together a proposal to construct a tactical combat range in Barhamsville. Many residents were strongly opposed against it, including Charles Karow. “I have heard that there are some people that don’t think we should not have a prohibition with…
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