Inside A5 Couple holds Spooky Spectacular
Powhatan, Virginia
B1 Bryant’s Belles/Debs team delivers monster comeback to walk-off 17-16
Vol. XXXIV No. o. 14
October 7, 2020
New towers are critical step for public safety By Laura McFarland Editor
P
OWHATAN – The Powhatan skyline recently saw a big change with the construction of two 400foot telecommunications towers that represent a significant step forward in the county’s new land mobile radio system. One steel tower was constructed last week in the 1700 block of Cook Road, and another tower was built the week before that in the 2000 block of Anderson Highway. There is still construction work to be done on the towers and the land mobile radio (LMR) equipment has to be installed on them and then tested and certified, which is another lengthy process, said Tom Nolan, director of public safety communications. But getting to the point where the towers could be constructed represents more than a year of planning and approvals from different local, state, and federal
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
A crane raises a 20-foot steel piece to be placed on a telecommunications tower built on Cook Road while workers prepare the next section.
agencies, so Nolan is thrilled to take this step forward in the long, complicated process of building a new LMR system. The wait will pay off, though, when the county has a state-of-the art system that will have “unbelievable capabilities and features” and serve Powhatan for many years to come, Nolan said. Most importantly, it will provide reliable radio coverage for first responders, whether it is a deputy responding to a call needing backup or firefighters who need more assistance to put out a fire. “Essentially 95 percent of the county is going to have excellent, excellent coverage. It doesn’t mean the other 5 percent won’t. It just means we are going to have certain measurable standards for 95 percent,” Nolan said. Conditional use permits for the towers were unanimously approved in October 2019 by the board of supervisors to help upgrade the county’s emergency radio communications system. These countysee TOWERS pg. 3
Durham makes history in sheriff’s office Board divides on issue By Laura McFarland Editor
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POWHATAN – Lt. Marilyn Durham only realized the momentous nature of her promotion after she agreed to take the job. Durham was promoted on Sept. 23 to the position of lieutenant over the Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office’s criminal investigations team, making her the fifth highest ranking officer in the agency. Beyond the excitement over her promotion, Durham was immensely proud when she realized that accepting the new position made her the highest ranking female deputy in the office’s history. “I am very aware of it. Just being in this line of work for 15 years and talking with other women at other agencies, it is
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
With a promotion she received to head of Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office’s criminal investigations, Lt. Marilyn Durham is now the highest ranking female in the office’s history.
still a limiting factor to see women move up or even stay in this field,” she said. “I always think how many older male law enforcement do you see in this field, but when is the last time you saw an older female officer? When I talk to other people and I tell them that, they have to think about it. It has been awhile.” But while Durham recognizes achieving this new rank is a major milestone, she said she also sees it as another sign of how the sheriff’s office is evolving and diversifying. When she was hired in 2009, she was one of three female deputies on staff at the time, along with animal control deputies Christine Boczar and Ashley Gatewood. At the time, Durham was the only female patrol deputy on staff see DURHAM, pg. 4
Group shares grief in candlelight vigil By Laura McFarland
our community voiced both anger and frustration with the case. As a group, we decided that holding a POWHATAN – The Powhatan vigil would help us to unite as a Anti-Racism Coalition recently community in the wake of this tragheld a vigil in honor of the late Bre- edy,” she said. “We hoped that this vigil would provide a platform onna Taylor to give members of where we could lean on the community an opeach other as we proportunity to express cessed the myriad emotions stemof emotions that ming from rewe have been cent developfeeling. We are ments in the so incredibly Kentucky case grateful for the that has imcommunity pacted the enleaders and tire nation. members who The recent joined us that evenews that no officer ning to share and reflect who took part in the METRO CREATIVE with us.” March 13 raid on the LouisDuring the vigil, which lasted ville, Kentucky apartment where she lived had been charged in Tay- about 50 minutes, PARC invited 10 lor’s killing led to outrage by people speakers to share reflections and across the country and both peace- poems communicating their emoful and violent protests. A grand tions. In different ways, they exjury indicted a former Louisville pressed heartbreak and anger over detective for three counts of felony not only Taylor’s death but the largwanton endangerment for blindly er issue of racism in the nation. The culmination of the event firing 10 shots into Taylor’s home. None of the other officers involved was a moment of silence and lighting of candles to remember Taylor. in the incident were charged. DaLynn Prince-Jones of PowOrganizers of the Powhatan Anti-Racism Coalition (PARC), a non- hatan said she agreed to speak at the profit that formed this summer, de- vigil to express her hurt, pain, concided to hold an online vigil on fusion and exhaustion as she feels Sunday, Sept. 27 to create a space that the “judicial system has once for people to come together and again let down the black communiprocess the multitude of emotions ty.” While referencing situations gothat have boiled to the surface in re- ing on around the nation today and cent months, said Dr. Marlene Coo- in the past that make her feel like per-Cravey, president of the group. black people’s lives are not valued “Throughout the week leading see VIGIL, pg. 3 up to the event, many members of Editor
of eliminating single cuts from county code By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors was divided last week in it is decision to eliminate single cut subdivisions from county ordinances. During its meeting on Monday, Sept. 28, the board voted 3-2 in favor of removing the capability of property owners to create previously allowed single cuts out of the zoning and subdivision ordinances. The decision was timely with the discussion the board continues to have about tightening up how the county can be developed. A single cut subdivision involves the division of a parent tract, which is a parcel platted prior to April 18, 1988, that has not been divided or changed. County code previously allowed an additional lot that was at least 2 acres in size to be created as part of a single cut subdivision. In most other instances, except for family subdivisions, the minimum lot area within the Agricultural-10 (A10) zoning district (where most singe cut subdivisions occur) is 10 acres. Chairman David Williams, who represents District 1, Bill Cox, District 4, and Karin Carmack, District 5, voted to eliminate the single cut capability. However, they added language to grandfather anyone who was currently going through the application process and completed it by Wednesday, Sept. 30, allowing nine applications to be completed before it took effect. Larry Nordvig, District 2, and Mike Byerly, District 3, voted against eliminating single cuts. Despite a robust debate on the topic, discourse stayed civil overall until just before the vote,
when the board members in favor of eliminating single cuts suggested the amendment for the grandfathering language. When
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Darlene Bowlin was one of eight people who spoke in a public hearing on Sept. 28 opposing the elimination of single cut subdivisions.
staff read prepared language, an upset Nordvig questioned why it was not dispersed to all board members. He insinuated the decision “was in the can” with himself and Byerly on the outside. Williams said he alone had staff prepare the language in case it was needed, and Cox and Carmack agreed they hadn’t seen it before the meeting. But Nordvig retorted with “sounds good, smells bad.” Discussion continued for a few more minutes before the vote was taken.
Public hearing In addition to a spirited debate among board members, the topic, which took up more than an hour and a half, also saw eight people speak during the public hearing held on the ordinance change. All eight people asked the board not to eliminate single cuts. Most of the residents talked about the elimination taking away property rights and a useful tool for residents who may see PROPERTY, pg. 8