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Powhatan, Virginia
The hometown paper of Mary Hoffman
Vol. XXVIII No. 16
April 15, 2015
Chief, volunteers at odds over ordinance By Laura McFarland News Editor
Singer
Beach
POWHATAN – A proposed ordinance change at the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors meeting last week brought to the forefront possible tension between the county’s fire and rescue chief and volunteer rescue squad. Chief Steven Singer spoke during a public hearing at the meeting on Monday, April 6 about amending county code related to revising provisions related to the formation
and composition of the Powhatan County Fire and Rescue Department and the responsibilities and authority of the fire and rescue chief. The amendment to the ordinance would officially form the fire and rescue department and lay out its makeup. It also defines the roles, responsibilities and authority of the chief and newly formed Senior Policy Group within the department. The topic most under debate about the amendment was the issue
of bringing the Powhatan Volunteer Rescue Squad under the authority of the chief. Currently, he does not have direct oversight of the department. After a presentation by Singer and a lengthy discussion involving him, board members and others, the board voted 3-1 in favor of deferring the decision until the supervisors’ next meeting. Carson Tucker, who represents District 5, was the only supervisor to vote against postponing the issue. Barry Hodge, District 3, was
Record For the
Clerk’s office working to preserve county history By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – When it comes to preserving local history, the biggest challenge faced by the Powhatan County Clerk of the Court’s office is time. Decades and even centuries of the county’s history are being lost incrementally as the ravages of time take hold on the historical records entrusted there, according to Teresa Dobbins, clerk of the Powhatan County Circuit Court. Whether it is land deeds, wills, marriage certificates, board of supervisors records or other documents, if something were to happen to many of them, a huge portion of the county’s history would be lost since no other copies exist, she said. “This is the history of Powhatan that we are at risk of losing. Every day we waste we lose a little of that history,” she said. The clerk’s office started a push when Dobbins came into office in 2014 to do what it could to preserve that history through restoration, preservation and digitization efforts, she said. The process is slow going and can be expensive, two of the biggest hurdles the effort faces. “It doesn’t seem like a monumental task but it is,” Dobbins said. Roxanne Lewis, deputy clerk, was hired on Oct. 29 to undertake part of the task by scanning documents to digitize see Record page 2A
PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
Roxanne Lewis shows one of the historical records in the clerk’s office that needs to be restored and digitized.
Cerullo joins commonwealth’s attorney’s office By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – A month into the job as Powhatan County’s deputy commonwealth’s attorney, Rob Cerullo is fitting well into his new post. Cerullo, who began the position on March 2, said he is enjoying that his
new job has a slower pace than his role as one of two organized crime prosecutors in the Henrico County commonwealth’s attorney office. Cerullo “You can really focus on the cases and make sure you are
crossing the Ts and dotting the Is,” he said. At the same time, he said the job has been anything but boring as he jumped right in to sharing the county’s case load with Richard Cox, commonwealth’s attorney. see Cerullo page 2A
Inside
Sports
A5 Get out and play! Introducing new Entertainment and Leisure section
B1 Local swimmer one step away from 2016 Olympic Games
absent.
Need for unification Singer started the discussion by giving a presentation on the change and laying out its impact on the county. It would mean bringing several entities under one umbrella – fire administration, five volunteer fire departments, the volunteer rescue squad and emergency management, he said. see Ordinance page 3A
Two crash fatalities occur just days apart By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – Two fatal car crashes only days apart last week have left many people in Powhatan County reeling. The death of an as yet unidentified man on Sunday, April 5 in Powhatan County was followed on Tuesday, April 7 by a crash in Henrico County in which driver Amanda R. Carlton, 38, of Powhatan County was killed. Sgt. Steve M. Vick of the Virginia State Police said on April 7 that the person involved in the April 5 crash still had not been identified by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy, examination and positive identification. It could be five days to two weeks before the identity is released, he said. That wreck took place at 12:43 a.m. on April 5 in the 1500 block of Walkers Ridge Road in Powhatan. A pickup (possibly a Ford) was traveling north on Walkers Ridge Road when it ran off the road to the left, struck a parked 2010 Toyota Corolla and continued on, striking a tree. At that point it caught fire and became fully engulfed. The driver, who was the sole occupant of the pickup, died at the scene. Trooper W. Boelt is investigating the crash, which remains under investigation. Speed is considered a factor. The April 7 crash occurred at 5:50 a. m. on Interstate 64 westbound at the 197 mile marker, Vick said. Carlton was killed when the 2014 Hyundai Elantra she was driving, traveling west on Interstate 64, ran off the left side of the road, struck the guardrail, spun around and came to rest sideways in the left travel lane. A 2003 Chevrolet pickup traveling west was unable to avoid striking the Hyundai on the driver’s side. Vick said Carlton died at the scene. She was wearing a seatbelt. The driver of the 2003 Chevrolet pickup, Joseph E. Huggins, 65, of Quinton, was transported to MCV with nonlife threatening injuries. He was wearing a seatbelt. Trooper R. J. Short is investigating the crash. The crash remains under investigation. Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com.
Index Calendar A2 Classified B8-9 Crime Report A3 Letters A6 Obituaries A2 Opinion A8 TV Listings B6-7