08/05/2015

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Powhatan, Virginia

The hometown paper of P.E. Bergh, Jr.

Vol. XXVIII No. 32

August 5, 2015

Teens hard at work on local trails By Laura McFarland News Editor

P

OWHATAN – The steady thump of shovels hitting the dirt sounded out a beat for the music of the chatter and laughter of 10 teenage girls. Standing in a wide hole they had dug themselves, the girls kept up a steady pace in the first stage of building a small bridge for a trail on the property of Belmead on the James River. When it came time to roll a log in to serve as a foundation for the bridge and they realized the log was too big, they pulled it back out and two of the girls jumped back in the hole with shovels to widen it. Despite heat, humidity and some rather relentless bugs, they toiled on, knowing at the end of the day they would have something to show for it. That’s one of the best parts about the Virginia State Park Youth Conservation Corps program, said crew member Sally McAuliffe, 15, of Richmond. Working on a project together, the crew members participating in the three-week program can clearly see at the end of PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND each day they are leaving their surroundings a better Ten teen girls participating in the Virginia State Park’s Youth Conservation Corps program work to place, she said. create a bridge for a trail on the property of Belmead on the James River. During the three-week see BELMEAD page 5A

program, the girls are making improvements at Belmead and Powhatan State Park.

Powhatan Collective aims to build up area youth By Laura McFarland News Editor

POWHATAN – Based on the simple belief that more unites Christians than divides them, a new network of student ministries in Powhatan County is aiming to bring its young people together. Youth pastors and student ministry lay leaders from several local churches have joined together to create the newly formed Powhatan Collective, a group whose main purpose is putting on quality entertainment for area youth, said Kyle Walton, one of the founding members and interim student and PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND worship pastor at Red Lane Baptist Church. Walton describes Powhatan Collective as Members of the new Powhatan Collective, a network og local student creating a “communitywide youth group.” It ministries, are planning their first event, Summer Smash, a concert aimed already has participants from student minis- at young people from seventh grade to college age.

tries at Red Lane, Graceland, Little Zion, Old Powhatan and Muddy Creek Baptist churches, PCC and Powhatan Christian Fellowship and hopes to grow even more. “The goal of the collective is for our students to be unified,” Walton said. “That way when they go to school they can see this person that goes to Little Zion or Old Powhatan or Red Lane. We want our students to see there is a bigger Christian community here that exists beyond their own church.” The idea started in a much smaller way, but the original organizers decided to open the group up in hopes of reaching more students and churches, said Greg LeMaster, outreach minister and interim minister of education at Graceland Baptist Church. see COLLECTIVE page 2A

Sharing fields of sunshine

Found class ring makes its way home

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Richard Backus, above, a metal detector enthusiast, found a class ring in the sand at Virginia Beach and was able to return it to its owner, Jordan Ann Cottle, Powhatan High School Class of 2014, through Facebook posts.

By Laura McFarland News Editor

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OWHATAN – A Powhatan High School class ring made its way back to its owner against the odds this summer. During a recent trip to Virginia Beach, Jordan Ann Cottle, Class of 2014, took the two rings she was

wearing off when she went into the water and held them in her hand. Sometime later, when she got out of the water, she realized they were gone. This included her class ring, which she considers a prized possession. “It is special to me. It cost a lot of money and I just like it,” said Cottle, who now lives in Richmond.

Despite searching the entire area where she might have lost it, the ring was nowhere to be found. Finally, an upset Cottle had to admit defeat. Then about a week later, she got a surprise. A former classmate tagged her in a Facebook post by Richard Backus of Poquoson showsee RING page 4A

PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND

Georgianne Matthews welcomes visitors to her property to take pictures with her sunflowers. See story on page 3A

Inside

Sports

A6 Leisure and Entertainment in Powhatan County

B1 Lambs shock Hollywood in PCSL regular season finale.

Index

Calendar Classified Crime Obituaries Opinion TV Listings

A9 B8-9 A9 A2 A8 B6-7


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