Inside Memorial Day supplement inside
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Indians complete comeback in OT win
Vol. XXX No. 21
May 24, 2017
Case certified to grand jury in infant boy’s death
Powhatan County Fair
Daycare provider facing two felonies By Laura McFarland
had been presented on the two felony charges brought News Editor against Carrie Persichini, HESTER52, of Chesterfield to cerFIELD – A tify her case to a grand Chesterfield jury on July 17. County judge Persichini was caring found last week that there for Peter Hitt, 3 months, of is sufficient evidence to Powhatan, and as many as certify to a grand 15 other children, jury charges of including other involuntary siblings, in her manslaughter home when he and child neglect died on Aug. 23, against an unli2016. censed daycare Deputy comprovider who monwealth’s atwas caring for a torney Frank 3-month-old LaRuffa called PERSICHINI Powhatan boy five witnesses in when he died. the preliminary hearing to In a preliminary hear- lay out the case against ing held on Tuesday, May Persichini, focusing not 16 in Chesterfield County only on how the little boy Juvenile and Domestic may have died but on the Relations Court, Judge conditions in which he and Jayne Ann Pemberton other children were being ruled that enough evidence cared for and the defen-
C
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Peter Hitt, 3 months, of Powhatan, died on Aug. 23, 2016, while being cared for by Carrie Persichini, his daycare provider.
PHOTOS BY LAURA MCFARLAND
The Powhatan County Fair, held May 19 to 21, featured rides for people of all ages, above, and a recipe contest, right.
dant’s lack of qualifications to be operating an in-home daycare at all. Although the number of children in her care that Persichini reportedly gave investigators varied at different points in the investi-
Turn to page 3 for more Fair photos.
see DAYCARE, pg. 8
Powhatan County honored as a 2017 Playful City USA Community Contributed Report
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
Powhatan County was honored on Wednesday, May 17 with a 2017 Playful City USA designation by KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization dedicated to bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids. The Playful City USA program honors cities and towns across the country for putting the needs of families first so children can learn, grow and develop important life skills. Powhatan County was designated along with the City of Richmond, the Town of Ashland, and the Counties of Charles City,
Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, and New Kent. With each of the region’s nine localities recognized individually, the Richmond region became the first playful region in the nation. Powhatan is proud to be a part of a region that is working to improve health outcomes and promote healthy active lifestyles for its families and the community, Ted Voorhees, the county’s new county administrator, said. “Living an active life improves peo-
ple’s health and overall well-being. Our community continues to support initiatives that provide more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and to spend quality active time with family and friends,” he said. Recreation plays an important part in keeping minds and bodies fit and active. Powhatan County encourages healthy living by continuously enhancing its beautiful local and state parks by adding walking trails and playground equipment, and it is home to the
longest disc golf course in Virginia. Residents and visitors have access to the outdoor events, historic sites, and natural resources found in Powhatan. The 2017 Playful City USA recognition includes 258 communities across the country that are transforming ordinary places into playful spaces and using play as a solution to the challenges facing their residents. Nationwide, these communities feature more than 14,000 safe and engaging playspaces that serve more than 4 million children. see PLAYFUL, pg. 2
Sandra Kemp garments on display at The Valentine By Laura McFarland
P
OWHATAN – When Sandra Morris Kemp recently attended a reception at The Valentine museum and saw works of fashion she created more than four decades ago on display, it was an unbelievably exciting moment. Two dresses that Kemp of Powhatan made while a student at Virginia Commonwealth University and later donated to the museum’s permanent collection are now on display in its “Our Hearts on Our Sleeves” exhibit. The exhibit will be open at the Richmond museum through January 2018. The dresses, as well as three other pieces Kemp donated to the museum, date to her junior and senior years at VCU, where she was the first African American to graduate from the Fashion Design School in 1971, she said. Kemp also graduated in 1965 from Powhatan High School. PHOTO BY STEVEN CASANOVA/COURTESY OF THE VALENTINE “They are beautiful garments with beading and embroidery and I wanted them pre- Sandra Morris Kemp of Powhatan, left, stands in front of an exhibit at served,” she said. “About 1998, I realized I The Valentine showing two dresses she made while attending VCU. With see DISPLAY, pg. 2
her is exhibit curator Kristen Stewart, and to the right are the dresses.
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