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• Proposed New Kent County budget comes in with $131 million tag; possible projects may lead to tax increase proposal

  New Kent County continues to grow in a variety of ways including in population, businesses, and residences. You can add budget to that category as well. New Kent County Administrator Rodney Hathaway revealed a budget of $131,071,628 during Monday night’s New Kent Board of Supervisors’ meeting. That amount in nearly $18 million more than the FY adopted budget of $113,379,280. The proposed budget currently includes no tax increase to the county’s real estate tax, keeping it at 59 cents per $100 of assessed value. Each penny is currently valued at $551,635. But the tax increase is still a discussion topic…
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• Johnson earns three top five finishes at Group 1A Indoor State Track & Field Championships

  Charles City’s Lady Panthers Derequa Johnson garnered three top five finishes at the Group 1A Indoor State Track & Field Championships held March 5-6 at Liberty University. Johnson finished in fourth place in the girls 55-meter hurdles with a time of 9.27 and in fifth place in the girls’ triple jump with a leap of 34’1¼.” Johnson joined teammates Jaida Braxton, Taniyah Williams, and Jaela Smith in the girls’ 4×200 meter relay, running a time of 1:56.24 to place fourth in the state competition. Williams finished 10th in the girls’ 55-meter hurdles with a time of 10.66, while Johnson placed…
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• Wright earns bronze in pole vault at Group 3A Indoor State Track & Field Championships

  New Kent’s Ryan Wright earned bronze in the pole vault at the Group 3A State Indoor Track and Field Championships held Mar. 3-4 at Liberty University. Wright cleared a height of 14’0” to finish third in the event. Teammate Liam Holloway cleared 11’6”, good enough for a 12th place finish. New Kent’s 4×200 relay team consisting of Dayton Meekins, Cash Brody, Sherman Wynn, and Austin Uzzle finished with a time of 1:34.60, placing 15th at the meet. New Kent’s boys’ team earned 5.5 points, garnering a 30th place meet at the state competition. Bay Rivers District rival Grafton captured the…
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• New Kent Trojans’ land three players on Region 3A First Team in boys’ hoops

  A historical season by New Kent’s Trojans boys’ basketball team has resulted in three players being named to the Region 3A First Team. Senior guard Will Ross, senior forward Kyle Diggs, and junior guard Marty Wray were all recognized by regional coaches as they led their team to a 24-3 record. Ross averaged 19 points per day and eclipsed the 1,000-point barrier this year. He also set school records which include points in a season, three-pointer in a game, and three-pointers in a season. Diggs averaged 15 points and nearly eight rebounds a game, and he also eclipsed the 1,000-point…
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• Charles City man slammed with five-year prison sentence for having indecent liberties with minors

  Editor’s Note: This story may feature content unsuitable for some readers. A Charles City man will spend the next five years in prison after learning his sentence stemming from having indecent liberties with minors. David Brackett, 57, learned of her term during Friday morning proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court. During a Nov. 12, 2024 contested trial, evidence revealed that on June 28, 2024, Brackett invited the two victims to leave their house and go outside and make a tent. The victims agreed, getting into the defendant’s truck and traveling 150 feet from the home to an area just out-of-view…
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• Charles City’s Smith repeats as Region 1A First Team hoops selection

  Charles City Lady Panther basketball player Jaela Smith has been named to the Region 1A First Team for the second consecutive year. Smith, a junior who averaged 14.8 points per game, was a unanimous selection to the Region 1A First Team. She was also named to the Tidewater District First Team as well. Two Lady Panther teammates also received postseason recognition. Sophomore center Sha’Ryan Paige was named to the Tidewater District First Team and the Region 1A Second Team. Junior guard Teonna Bey was a Second Team Tidewater District selection. On the boys’ side, two Panther players received Tidewater District…
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