50¢
Powhatan, Virginia
The hometown paper of Roger Honaker
Vol. XXVII No. 48
December 3, 2014
Beasley, Cox sworn into office Watkins to retire from Senate
By Laura McFarland News Editor
S PHOTO BY DIANNE BLANNING
Bob Beasley takes an oath to become a General District Court judge in the 11th Judicial District on Friday, Nov. 14. The oath was administered by retired Circuit Court Judge Thomas V. Warren. Beasley’s wife Diane looks on. PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
Circuit Court Judge Paul W. Cella, left, swears By Laura McFarland in Richard Cox as Powhatan County’s interim News Editor Commonwealth’s Attorney during a ceremony that was held on Friday, Nov. 21. Watching the week after former Powhatan County Com- proceedings are Teresa Dobbins, clerk of the monwealth’s Attorney Bob Beasley took the Powhatan County Circuit Court, left, and Cox’s oath of office as a judge of the General Dis- wife Patti.
A
trict Court, Richard Cox stood in the same Cox took his oath on Friday, Nov. 21 to become incourtroom and was sworn in for Beasley’s vacated terim Commonwealth’s Attorney and officially stepped seat. Beasley took his oath to become a General District into the role on Dec. 1. He had served as assistant ComCourt Judge in the 11th Judicial District on Friday, Nov. monwealth’s Attorney for 16 years. A special election for the Commonwealth’s Attorney 14 in a ceremony at the Powhatan County Circuit Court. His resignation was effective as of Monday, Dec. 1, a see SWORN page 2A month shy of 15 years in the office.
en. John C. Watkins, RPowhatan, announced last week he will retire at the end of his current term in the Virginia Senate, which will see him leavWATKINS ing office in January 2016. At the end of his career, Watkins will have represented Powhatan at the state level for 34 years. He was first elected in the House of Delegates in 1982 and served there until 1998. He has served in the 10th senatorial district since 1998. After three decades in service to the Commonwealth of Virginia, Watkins said he wants to repay the support of family by spending more time with them and focusing on business interests. “I am looking forward to devoting more time to my wife, Kathy, our children, grandchildren and other family and friends,” he said. Watkins said he still remembers the day that the idea of running for office was first proposed to him. Three Republican activists approached him at a picnic in Amelia County in the summer of 1980, “when Ronald Regan was running for president.” Watkins had been involved in that campaign as well as working a little locally in the board of zoning appeals. see WATKINS page 2A
Boy challenges school to embrace chess By Laura McFarland News Editor
T
he lessons a player learns in chess can be as adaptable to real life as they are to a game, according to 10-year-old Josh Decker. Josh has learned plenty about moves and strategies since he started playing chess three years ago. He knows how to strike fast, ending a game in four moves. He also knows how to watch his opponent, observe how he or she plays and plan his own next move accordingly. Those lessons can not only be applied to chess but to all kinds of situations in life, he said. “I have tried it since we live with horses and cows,” he said earnestly. “I have tried it with a baby
and fun, a challenge and a thrill. His passion for the game is what led him to petition to start a chess club at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Catholic School around this time last year, when he was a fourth-grader. Now a fifth-grader, the club is still a passion for him, and he hopes the other members appreciate it just as much. PHOTO BY ANJIE HENLEY John Tucker, fifth grade teacher, Josh Decker of Powhatan remembers sitting at lunch last fall became so passionate about and having Josh come up and ask chess that he petitioned him to be the chess club’s sponsor Blessed Sacrament Huguenot after he had gotten enough stuCatholic School to start a dents interested. chess club when he was only a “I thought it was really brave of fourth grader. him and it showed initiative, so I PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND said yes,” he said. “We wouldn’t be cow. I always think if I run toward here if Josh hadn’t started it and con- Members of the chess club at Blessed them, what will they do? Will she tinued to be an advocate for it.” Sacrament Huguenot Catholic School play come running at me?” against one another in the after-school For Josh, chess is both serious see CHESS page 4A activity in the library.
C R I M E AG A I N S T C O U P L E H A S S I LV E R L I N I N G By Laura McFarland News Editor
I
n recent months, Richard and Ann White of Powhatan have seen the darkness and lightness in people, and it all started and ended at their driveway. This summer, the elderly couple was the victim of a seal coat scam that cost them thousands of dollars. Christopher Grady, 49, of Tennessee came to the couple’s door and offered to reseal the driveway of their home on Mill Road for “a cheap price,” Richard White said.
PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
Richard White of Powhatan shows the damage done to his house by a man who ran a seal coat scam on him. One professional estimated White had about $2,000 in property damage in addition to the $4,500 a criminal scammed from him.
Inside A3 Grant helps Francis Emma preserve its history
What they ended up paying was $4,500, a drastic overcharge for the job, especially considering the poor quality of the result, and a price they could ill afford. During the investigation, Detective Jason Tackett with the Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office called in Kevin Stroud, owner of Pro Seal of Virginia in Powhatan, to assess what kind of job had been done. Stroud was so appalled by the way the couple had been taken advantage of that he agreed not only to testify against Grady after he had been caught and charged, but he offered to fix the
Sports B1 PHS alum leads Fuqua volleyball to best season since 1997.
Whites’ driveway at no cost to them. The Whites were astounded. “For somebody to do something for nothing, it felt good,” Richard White said. “They resealed the driveway like it should be,” Ann White added. “They did a good job, too. They filled all the cracks and everything.” When he originally arrived to see what had been done to the Whites’ home, Stroud said the first words out of his mouth were, “If any of my guys did see CRIME page 7A
Index
Calendar A5 Classified B6-7 Crime Report A4 Crossword A7 Horoscope A7 Letters A6 Opinion A6 TV Listings B4-5