06/21/2017

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Inside A5 Powhatan TRIAD gathers for a summer picnic

Powhatan, Virginia

B1 Junior Legion 201 team wins Spotsy tourney

Vol. XXX No. 25

June 21, 2017

Beaumont Correctional closes its doors By Laura McFarland News Editor

POWHATAN – After more than a year of planning, the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice was on target with the closing of Beaumont Juvenile Correctional Center in Powhatan County this month. As of June 1, the entire incarcerated youth population had been transferred out to Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center in Chesterfield County, and as of June 9, all of the staff except for those who are responsible for the closeout of the facility were transferred to either Bon Air or other facilities, according to Andrew K. Block Jr., director of the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). The closing of the prison, which was announced in May 2016, is ahead of the original projected closing date of June 30. “As of today, there are about 25 people working at Beaumont to inventory property, take care of the records and all of those kinds of things,” Block said on June 14. “The plan is it will be officially mothballed on Sept. 9. There will be a skeleton crew after that to maintain the buildings, make sure the property is secure, and maintain the property.” A declining incarcerated youth population, alarming

Photo courtesy of the Department of Juvenile Justice

The Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice confirmed last week that Beaumont Juvenile Correctional Center in Powhatan County had officially closed, with all of the young offenders and all but minimum staff transferred to other facilities.

re-arrest rates, the ability to consolidate slowly on the department’s own terms and a lack of viable options were cited as the major contributing factors in deciding to close Beaumont when the announcement was made last year. In choosing to close Beaumont over Bon Air, addi-

tional considerations included the Chesterfield facility having easier access for staff, families and the youth housed there. The campus is also easier to divide if the need arises because of the differentiated housing on site and had parts that were not in use and thus could be used see BEAUMONT, pg. 4

Volunteer program to roll out in July By Laura McFarland News Editor

P

Cameron Burns Photography

A volunteer with Company 5 trains with the fire equipment to improve her skills.

OWHATAN – Powhatan County Fire and Rescue is planning to roll out the first phase in its grant-funded recruitment and retention efforts for volunteers next month. The efforts are possible because of a grant Powhatan received for $533,368 for volunteer recruitment and retention through the Department of Homeland Security, said Joe Sposa, the department’s recruitment and retention officer. The award is called a Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) fiscal year 2015 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. Sposa, who was hired in January with funds from the grant, said the first phase of his plan will be focused on a media blitz aimed at recruitment, “all designed to specifically enhance the foundation of our volunteer services, because they are a very important component of the county. We want to enhance and strengthen our foundation so that we can continue to provide quality and exemplary public service.”

DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139

Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19

see VOLUNTEER, pg. 10

School board hears ideas on energy conservation

PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND

Poll workers hand out ballots for the 2017 gubernatorial primary on June 13.

Powhatan’s primary election turnout higher than expected By Laura McFarland

cast for lieutenant governor and 212 votes for attorney general, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. In 2017, the republican primary had about twice the turnout of the democratic primary. In the race for governor in Powhatan County, Edward W. “Ed” Gillespie drew 1,100 votes, followed closely by Corey A. Stewart, 990 votes, and then Frank W. Wagner, 323 votes. In the statewide election, the races were just as close with Gillespie drawing 160,253 votes, Stewart following with 155,644 votes and Wagner with 50,347 votes. In the republican lieutenant governor race, Jill H. Vogel led with 1,164 votes, followed by Bryce E. Reeves with 974 votes and Glenn R. Davis Jr. with 243 votes. The statewide results were similar, with Vogel gaining 151,984 votes, Reeves drawing

News Editor

POWHATAN – Voter turnout for Powhatan County in the primaries held for governor and lieuBy Laura McFarland tenant governor on Tuesday, June News Editor 13 was slightly higher than expected. POWHATAN – The With 3,574 votes cast out of Powhatan County School 20,912 registered voters, the counBoard heard presentations ty had a 17.09 percent voter turnlast week from two comout between the two elections, said panies proposing possible Karen Alexander, director of elecenergy savings and contions for Powhatan. Given said she servation efforts they want was expecting a combined voter to provide for the school turnout of 7 percent, the higher district. PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND number was a nice surprise, she During its workshop Larry Cummings with Trane added. on Tuesday, June 13, the Building Advantage talks “For a gubernatorial primary it school board heard pre- to the school board about was higher than expected,” she sentations from Trane energy savings performance said. Building Advantage about contracting. It is hard to compare the 2017 energy savings perforprimary with the 2013 primary, mance contracting and because there was only a demofrom Secure Futures about installing solar energy at some cratic primary for lieutenant govPowhatan schools. ernor and attorney general in the The board did not take any action on hiring the compa- earlier year, Alexander said. Even see BOARD, pg. 3 then, there were only 213 votes

see PRIMARY, pg. 8

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