Inside A6 JROTC cadets celebrate at military ball
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Gerardi wins third title in a row
Vol. XXX No. 8
February 22, 2017
School board gets early look at budget By Laura McFarland
based on the Senate budget, or $215,083 based on the governor’s budget. He pointed out it is not a huge variance as part of a $46.5 million budget. “It’s not as much as it has been in previous years. You are only talking $40,000 for
News Editor
P
OWHATAN – The need to trim about $200,000 in expenditures and no proposed salary increases were two of the defining features of a preliminary 2017-2018 Operating Budget brought before the Powhatan County School Board last week. Dr. Eric Jones, superintendent, spoke to the board during its workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 15, giving the members another preliminary look at the budget being built even as staff wait to hear what kind of state funding to expect. Jones laid out a proposed 2017-2018 Operating Budget of $46,510,163, which was an increase of $1,058,167 from the adopted 2016-2017 Operating Budget. The one big question mark still is the proposed state funding, with the House of Delegates, State Senate and governor each having different amounts in their proposed budgets. To have a balanced budget, the school district would need to cut $183,213 based on the House’s proposed budget; $224,028
Larry Johns, assistant superintendent for finance and business operations, said the school district should know what the numbers will be by the end of the month. After the General Assembly adjourns this week, it will take a few days for the depart-
Budget priorities
PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
Superintendent Eric Jones told the Powhatan County School Board that staff need to trim about $200,000 from its 2017-2018 Operating Budget.
us, so it is not a huge variance, but certainly we are pulling for the House budget at this point,” Jones said.
ment of education to issue the numbers for each school district. “We will have the budget balanced the
Eanes pleads guilty to fatal vehicle crash Powhatan victim remembered as loving family man By Laura McFarland News Editor
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
POWAHTAN – A Prince Edward County teen has pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter in a 2015 high speed police chase across two counties that ended in the death of a Powhatan County man out for a day of EANES shopping with his wife. Andre T. Eanes, now 19, of Rice, appeared in Powhatan County Circuit Court
DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
next time we bring it back to the board. I will know by the end of this month exactly what we are getting from the state,” Johns said after the meeting. “The three options are so close that it is not going to materially impact the outcome.”
on Monday, Feb. 6, and pled guilty to aggravated vehicular manslaughter, unauthorized use of a vehicle and eluding, all felonies, according to Rob Cerullo, Powhatan County deputy commonwealth’s attorney. Eanes, who was 18 at the time, was originally charged with grand larceny, eluding a police officer and second degree murder in the death of Thomas R. Rutledge Jr., 73, of Powhatan, on Dec. 15, 2015. Thomas Rutledge and his wife and CONTRIBUTED PHOTO passenger, Shannon G. Rutledge, 60, Thomas Rutlede Jr. of Powhatan is were taken by Med-Flight to VCU Medishown with two of his grandchilcal Center after their car was struck by an see GUILTY, pg. 2
dren. He was killed by a car crash caused by Andre Eanes in 2015.
Two Powhatan residents killed in accidents By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – Two Powhatan County men were killed in separate car crashes on Friday, Feb. 17 in Powhatan and Chesterfield counties. William D. Domer, 67, of Powhatan was struck while riding a motorcycle at about 1:10 p.m. at the intersection of Otterdale Road and Old Hundred Road in Chesterfield County and later died from his injuries. Merle M. White, 79 of Powhatan, died as a result of a single-car crash that occurred at 6:10 p.m. on Anderson Highway (Route 60) at the intersection of Academy Road when he stepped out into the road and was struck by a car. In the Chesterfield crash, a 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle was traveling south on Otterdale Road when it did not stop for a stop sign at the intersection of Otterdale Road and Old Hundred Road, according to a release from the Chesterfield County Po-
lice Department. A 2004 GMC Sierra, which was traveling west on Old Hundred Road, struck the motorcycle. Domer, who was the driver of the motorcycle, was transported to Chippenham Hospital. Domer, of the 2800 block of Hilltop Lane in Powhatan, later died as a result of his injuries. The driver of the truck was not injured. Chesterfield Police continue their investigation into the crash. In the Powhatan County crash, A 2008 Honda CRV was travelling east on Anderson Highway when White, a male pedestrian, stepped out into the travel lane from the right shoulder, according to Stephan Vick, spokesman for the Virginia State Police. The Honda was unable to avoid White and struck him in the left travel lane. The female driver, who was the sole occupant of the Honda, was not injured in the crash. She was wearing a seatbelt. Virginia State Police Trooper K. DeHart is investigating the crash. There are no charges in the crash, which remains under investigation.
Given the current financial climate, Jones said staff has met and reviewed requests that came through the schools and different departments. “We tried to narrow that done to what we feel are our budget priorities in a year where we are currently at a negative in terms of revenues to expenditures,” he said. One priority will be a few new required positions, which are a special education teacher, a special education assistant, and a mechanic for the new joint transportation facility when it opens. “Like we’ve had to do for the last few years, we will analyze student needs and student requests that come through and look to repurpose positions wherever we see BOARD, pg. 9
Phone feature helps find teen lost in woods By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – A recent emergency call in which a Powhatan County 911 communications officer was able to successfully help a teen boy lost in the woods find his way to safety has highlighted a public safety resource some people don’t know is available. METRO A 14-yearold boy was lost in the woods for about an hour and 45 minutes on Saturday, Feb. 11 before he used a cell phone without a service plan to call 911, said Thomas Nolan, director of public safety communications. Not having a service plan meant he couldn’t call anybody he knew, but he was able to call Powhatan’s public safety answering point (PSAP), or its 911 communications center, Nolan said. This was because the basic 911 rules of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) require wireless service providers to transmit all 911 calls to a PSAP, regardless of whether the caller subscribes to the provider’s service or not. This privilege has been abused by many in the past and can cause headaches for some 911 communications centers. However, Nolan said this case was one where the rule served exactly the purpose it was meant for see PHONE, pg. 5
Program seeks hosts for students on summer cultural exchange By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – When Julie Brown and her family opened their Powhatan home to a teenager from France last summer for three weeks, she didn’t realize how much he would impact their lives. The family had been wanting to host a foreign exchange student but was hesitant because “inviting a stranger into our home was kind of scary,” admitted Brown, who is a lo-
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
A cultural exchange program is looking for Powhatan families to host a French teen for three weeks this summer.
cal coordinator for CCI Greenheart, a cultural exchange program. Still, they decided to dip their toes in by participating as hosts for a three-week program through CCI Greenheart so they could test it out and see how they liked it. Soon after the arrival of the 16-year-old boy, who was actually from Spain but attended a French school, he slotted right into family life, Brown said. Although the Browns only had three weeks to learn see PROGRAM, pg. 8