Inside A10 Patriot’s Day celebration
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Powhatan can’t handle No. 9 Hopewell
Vol. XXXI No. 12
September 20, 2017
Powhatan man killed at body shop By Laura McFarland News Editor
P
OWHATAN – The Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation into the fatal shooting of a Powhatan man that occurred the night of Monday, Sept. 11 at a local body shop. Dana Burdick, 35,
was slain during a domestic incident involving several family members at Murphy’s Body Shop, which is in the 3700 block of Anderson Highway, said Capt. Jeff Searfoss with the Sheriff’s Office. Burdick did not own or work at the shop, Searfoss said. Searfoss emphasized on Tuesday, Sept. 12 that the public was not in any
danger. The Powhatan commonwealth’s attorney’s office is reviewing the incident to see whether criminal charges are appropriate, Searfoss said. The state medical examiner’s office is also assisting with the investigation, he added. The incident occurred about 9:30 p.m., and emergency personnel
School board makes plans for future
see FATALITY, pg. 3
PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
A fatality occurred Sept. 11 at Murphy’s Body Shop.
A new place to call home Now an American citizen, José Luis Reyes Lopez looks back on his journey to Powhatan
By Laura McFarland News Editor
By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – With Powhatan County Public Schools in the final year of implementation of its 2013-2018 Six Year Plan, the school district is not only evaluating the progress it has made but making preparations to create a new plan to carry it into the future. The Powhatan County School Board heard its annual presentation on the six year plan during its workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 12. But since it is the final year of the plan, the district is forming a committee to begin drafting a new plan. Dr. Tracie Omohundro, assistant superintendent for instruction, made the presentation to the board, outlining goals that had been set in the current plan, which has been updated multiple times, and objectives and strategies related to the goals. In her presentation, she took a look at the overall strategies that the school district had, its progress, how many objectives have been accomplished, how many are still ongoing, and how many have been eliminated so far during the process. The Strategic Plan Steering Committee will meet three to four times to update the district’s mission, vision, and beliefs as a school division and set goals for the next six years. The first comsee SIX YEAR PLAN, pg. 5
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
were apparently called within minutes, Searfoss said. The Sheriff’s Office remained at the scene until about 7 a.m. Tuesday. Powhatan County Commonwealth’s Attorney Richard “Dickie” Cox said on Thursday, Sept. 14 that the investigation is ongoing and his office is still gathering information. He estimat-
POWHATAN – When José Luis Reyes Lopez followed the woman he loved across the Atlantic Ocean in 2012, leaving Spain to start a new life in the United States, it at first
felt like a big challenge to accomplish. It was a new episode in his life he wanted to try and he felt engaged with the idea of exploring a different country. He knew his wife of two years, Rae Shrewsberry, would help him settle into her homeland as much as she could. He also felt that based on what he had accomplished in his life in Spain, he could survive outside of his homeland. “I’m a very hard working person and ensee JOURNEY, pg. 4
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Local educator José Luis Reyes Lopez is ecstatic on the day he became a naturalized American citizen.
Resident’s video earns national top prize By Laura McFarland POWHATAN – A Powhatan County man was recently announced as the grand prize winner of a national video contest that focused on the value of all faiths as vital to today’s culture. Simon Rivera of Powhatan has been announced as the winner of the Faith Counts “Film Your Faith” video contest, which came with a $20,000 prize and a trip for him and his wife to Nashville, Tennessee to receive his recognition. Although Rivera found out he was the winner in early August, he could tell very few people before he officially received the award on Friday, Sept. 8. The award was announced during the Friday night dinner of the 68th annual Religion News Association Convention, CONTRIBUTED PHOTO held at the Gaylord Opryland Re- Simon Rivera, center, was named the grand prize winner in the Faith Counts see RIVERA, pg. 2
‘Film Your Faith’ video contest. He received his award on Sept. 8 in Nashville.
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