Inside A3 County chief appointed to national board
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Second half surge boosts Powhatan past Midlo
Vol. XXIX No. 36
September 7, 2016
2016 Christmas Mother takes helm – not a usual occurrence, according to her – before she immediately agreed. “Then I felt this peace and calmness and knowing that I need to do this. I really felt this was God’s calling for me to do this. I really needed to feel like I was making a difference other than with my mom,” Whitaker said. Walters said she loved how ecstatic Whitaker immediately was when asked to be the next Christmas Mother. She was “honored to be asked and excited to go into the position.” “She just thinks the Christmas Mother program is the most awesome thing in the world and I do, too. We had that in common,” Walters said. The Powhatan Lions Club Labor Day Parade, which was scheduled to happen on Monday, Sept. 5, after press PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND time, was to be Whitaker’s first public appearance in her Teresa Whitaker, left, shown with her mother, new role. In the days leading up to the event, she said Irene Smith, has been named the 2016 Powhatan she was excited about the season ahead.
By Laura McFarland News Editor
P
OWHATAN – Just because Teresa Whitaker’s life is on hold for right now doesn’t mean the time can’t be significant. When Whitaker returned to Powhatan County in February 2014 to be a full-time caregiver to her mother, Irene Smith, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she left a great deal of life as she knew it behind. Her goal was to let her mom stay in the place she has called home for 54 years, believing it would help her physical and emotional health. The adjustment hasn’t been easy, Whitaker said, but what has helped the most is when she can feel like she is making a difference to someone. So when outgoing Christmas Mother Gayle Walters took her aside earlier this year and asked her if she would like to be the 2016 Powhatan County Christmas Christmas Mother. Mother, Whitaker said she was speechless for a moment
see MOTHER page 2A
Schools move ahead with chiller purchase Farewell PJHS News Editor
DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
POWHATAN – Powhatan County Public School officials made the decision last week to move forward with replacing a key chiller at Powhatan High School after it began failing two weeks before the start of the new school year. An order was placed on Wednesday, Aug. 31 to purchase a new chiller from Daikin Applied in Richmond for $260,600, according to Dr. Eric Jones, superintendent. With an estimated eight weeks until the new chiller arrives, the district has already begun renting a chiller from the company to ensure the school was ready for the events last week leading up to the
start of the 2016-2017 school year this week. “It is certainly not something that we anticipated, but I think that given the information we
tion, Jones said. “We needed to have air conditioning in that part of the school, which is a large part of the school, on Day 1. So getting the rental
PHOTO COURTESY OF RUSSELL WILSON
The 370-ton chiller that used to cool the major common areas of Powhatan High School until it malfunctioned has been removed, a rental unit instaleld and an order place for a new chiller.
have and when the failure of the unit occurred, it is the best decision that we could make in the situa-
unit was the best decision that we could make.” Daikin offered the school district a 25 per-
cent discount on the rental with the purchase of the new chiller, so it is costing $19,845 per month, Jones said. He said the rental chiller has been working well since it was installed two weeks ago. The emergency expenditures will be brought before the Powhatan County School Board at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 13, Jones said. If the new chiller is delivered within the expected two months, the combined cost of the unit and the rental will be $300,290. Russell Wilson, director of facilities, said the new chiller comes with a full warranty for the first year, and calculated in the $300,290 was an option see SCHOOLS page 2A
PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
S.B. Cox Inc., the company hired by Powhatan County Public Schools to demolish Powhatan Junior High School, continues work on the site. Huge sections of the school have been dismantled or torn down and removed by workers with heavy machinery. The biggest areas left are around the gym and vocational wing, the only two pieces that will be left standing when the dust clears.
Jury recommends three life sentences for pedophile By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – A Powhatan County jury recently recommended a local man convicted of sodomozing a 10-year-old girl receive three life sentences in prison.
Ryan Nicholas Smiley, 20, of Powhatan was convicted on Thursday, Aug. 25, in Powhatan County Circuit Court of three counts of forcible sodomy and three counts of aggravated sexual battery, said Tara Hatcher, Powhatan County’s assistant commonwealth’s attorney.
Each of the sodomy charges, based on the victims’ age being under 13, carried a mandatory minimum life sentence, she said. The jury also recommended that Circuit Court Judge Paul W. Cella sentence Smiley to 10 see JURY page 9A
SMILEY
J ROTC E V E N T S TO R E M E M B E R 9/ 11 Staff Report
F
ifteen years ago the United States was attacked by terrorists, and it is a day most of Americans will never forget. The Powhatan High School JROTC Department has felt compelled over the years to remember those who lost their lives that day, and to show support to those still impacted today by those horrific events, said Lt. Col. Veronica Baker, advisor for the program. To pay honor to those who serve the community and the country, the cadets W L NO CAL TER IS N WIN G SOO IN COM
will hold a Flag Remembrance ceremony at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9 prior to the football game at PHS. As a gesture of gratitude, the cadets will also host a free pancake breakfast the next morning for all veterans, active and retired, and emergency personnel. “This is one way for students to be aware of what happened that day to our country,” Baker said. “That day impacted us for the rest of our lives. That is why we try to express to the students to give back to the men and women who serve our country in so many ways.”
The breakfast will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10 in the commons at the high school. The event is free to service members, which includes active duty/reserve/National Guard/veterans/police/fire and rescue and $5 each for family and friends, with a $15 family maximum. Proceeds benefit the JROTC Service Learning project for Backpacks of Love in Powhatan and surrounding counties. The PHS JROTC program will start the 2016-2017 school year with 87 cadets, Baker said.
We are offering Full Service Installation, Repair and Delivery for Residential and Commercial.
Locally Owned and Family Operated! 385402-01
By Laura McFarland
804-598-1300