Inside C1 Powhatan Picks
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Holiday Classic champion Sean Hall
Vol. XXXIII No. o. 27
January 1, 2020
Constitutional officers address logistics of Second Amendment Sanctuary designation By Laura McFarland Editor
P
OWHATAN – On Nov. 25, 2019, the board of supervisors became one of the early localities in Virginia to adopt a resolution declaring Powhatan a Second Amendment Sanctuary county. The decision was part of a trend sweeping the state, with several news providers reporting last week that around 100 counties, cities, and towns in Virginia have approved similar resolutions. The resolutions came after the General Election 2019 resulted in a democratcontrolled General Assembly taking office this month and the promise of stricter gun laws in the mix. At the Nov. 25 meeting, all five supervisors expressed sup-
port of the Second Amendment, but two members stood firm in a call to get some answers about the implications of the resolution. David Williams, District 1, and Carson Tucker, District 5, wanted to have a workshop with Brad Nunnally, sheriff, and Richard “Dickie” Cox, commonwealth’s attorney, to discuss how they might enforce such an action by the board of supervisors. To date, the new board, which will be sworn in on Jan. 2, has not officially announced plans to have that meeting. So, the Powhatan Today sat down with the two constitutional officers to get their perspectives on the issue. Shown here is an abridged version of the 40-minute conversation with the two men, who are passionate on the topic and more than willing to share their views.
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Sheriff Brad Nunnally, left, and Dickie Cox, commonwealth’s attorney, agreed to speak about the county’s new Second Amendment Sanctuary designation.
Enforcing sanctuary status Powhatan Today: What
does the Second Amendment Sanctuary status mean for law enforcement in Powhatan
County administration decks the halls with holiday cheer By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – Christmas cheer was brimming over in the Powhatan County administration offices when staff in different departments squared off for their second annual decorating contest. Volunteer judges walked through offices in three separate buildings on Dec. 19 and were amazed by the creativity and holiday spirit displayed by county staff during the contest. PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
see CHEER, pg. 5
C-SPAN films author visiting Civil War Roundtable
see SECOND, pg. 9
Christmas comes early to Free Clinic Contributed Report Staff and supporters of the Free Clinic of Powhatan celebrated Christmas a little early this year with the promise of a huge bump in its capital campaign. The nonprofit announced in December that it had been awarded matching grants from the Cabell Foundation and The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation totaling $350,000. The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation awarded the clinic a grant of $200,000 for the renovation of its newly acquired space in the vacated Powhatan school board building.
The Cabell Foundation also awarded the clinic a grant of $150,000 for this renovation project. These fabulous grants are a wonderful gift to the Powhatan community to help build a clinic for its many patients. But the grants are matching grants, meaning the clinic has to match the dollar amount for each grant in order to receive the funding. The foundations, (very fairly) want the grantors (Free Clinic) to go out to their community and raise the funds, showing them the community is supportive of the project. For 12 years, see CLINIC, pg. 4
Community breakfast seeks to uplift local youth, honor legacy of Dr. King
DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
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The treasurer’s office took first place this year.
County? Cox: As of right now it is just a symbolic status that has been proclamated by the board of supervisors based on the will of the people, their constituents, the people who voted for them. I think it is a good thing people are participating in government. I think it is a good thing that people in Richmond understand the perspective of rural counties. As far as law enforcement, Brad and myself, we are not making any proclamation. I will always take the position let’s wait and see what happens. A bill has a long way to go from the time it is introduced, especially this day and age, when it is more political showmanship than it is actual law. So let’s wait and see what happens. Nunnally: The governor’s statement through (Mark) Her-
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Author Michael Shaffer’s talk at the Powhatan Civil War Roundtable will be aired this spring on C-SPAN3.
By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – The Powhatan Civil War Roundtable will gain much wider exposure later this spring when a lecture by a visiting author airs on C-SPAN3. During the group’s meeting on Thursday, Dec. 19, keynote speaker Michael K. Shaffer gave a lecture related to the subject of his book, “In Memory of Self and Comrades: Thomas Wallace Colley's Recollections of Civil War Service in the 1st Virginia Cavalry.” The book is based on the journals of Colley, a Confederate soldier who served in one of the most famous units of the Civil War, survived being wounded in three separate battles, and went on to live to age 81. He also talked about Shaffer’s life after the war and how his
journal accounts show he likely suffered greatly from PTSD. Shaffer, who is from Kennesaw, Georgia, said he has worked with C-SPAN before in Atlanta. Intrigued by Colley’s story, the television network contacted him when his book was published in October 2018, but previous scheduling attempts hit snags, he said. The network contacted him about six weeks before the Powhatan event asking to attend and film the meeting at The County Seat Restaurant. The network hired Paladin Media Group out of Charlottesville to film the lecture. “It worked out great here. The C-SPAN guys just told me it was perfect for them – the lighting, the sound, everything,” Shaffer said after the meeting. Shaffer’s talk will air as part of a series on American History TV see ROUNDTABLE, pg. 4
FILE PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
The annual MLK Jr. Youth Day Community Breakfast will be held at 8 a.m. Jan. 20 at Powhatan High School.
By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – The annual MLK Jr. Youth Day Community Breakfast will return later this month to highlight coming together and celebrating the achievements of local youth. The event, now in its ninth year, is a morning of celebration in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., focusing on the talents and accomplishments of local youth joining together for a morning of community unity, said April Gray, who is co-chair of the event with Shirley Goins. The breakfast will be held at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20 at Powhatan High School, 1800 Judes Ferry Road. Tickets are currently see MLK, pg. 3