Inside A3 Supervisors discuss comp plan update
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Greenhow, Nash win Region 4B titles
Vol. XXXIV No. o. 50
June 16, 2021
Legislators laud school division’s solar efforts By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – State and local officials recently came out to explore and celebrate Powhatan County Public Schools’ success in the last few years at embracing solar energy. The school division and Sun Tribe Solar LLC organized an event on Tuesday, June 8 to showcase the solar panels installed on top of four out of five schools with a tour of the operations on Powhatan Middle School’s roof. The divisionwide project was completed in spring 2020, but unveiling it was delayed because of COVID-19. Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, D-7th; State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, DChesterfield, and Del. Lee Ware, R-65, all attended the event, as well as four school board members and a supervisor.
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Sun Tribe Solar employees give a tour of the solar panels on Powhatan Middle School’s roof to state and local elected officials on June 8.
Those who wanted to climb up to the middle school’s roof and take a tour of the solar arrays did so before a ceremony complete with a ribbon cutting was held next door beside Powhatan Elementary School. Addressing the group after the rooftop tour, Dr. Eric Jones, superintendent, talked about the relationship PCPS has been in for the last four years with Sun Tribe as it planned and executed the solar array project on four schools. “It has been a great partnership. For the next 35 years we will have this equipment up on our buildings drawing in sunlight and converting it to electricity to save us money,” he said. He also pointed out that the project allowed the school division to get a new section of roof on Powhatan Elementary, which saved over $380,000 by folding it see SOLAR, pg. 6
Manning felt call to teach, serve others By Laura McFarland
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OWHATAN – Margaret Harris Manning, a longtime educator, local activist, and the first black woman to be elected to the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors, was remembered recently by friends and family for her dedication to others and to her community. Manning, 95, a Powhatan native, died on June 2, leaving behind a legacy as a woman who felt a call to serve others, to teach, and to lead with love, her niece Cheryl Lewis Burke said. Manning was born and raised in Powhatan and was a graduate of the Pocahontas High School Class of 1942. She left the county to
garet Manning Mar attend college and then pursue a 39-year career in education. She returned in 1991 after retiring as a Richmond teacher, the last post in a long career dedicated to educating youth. About a year later, she successfully ran for the District 5 seat of the board of supervisors and became the county’s first and only black supervisor, a position she held through December 2002. Manning’s involvements and accomplishments in Powhatan and elsewhere were wide and varied, but even more than the many committees and organizations she belonged to and the honors she received, she was known as a see MANNING, pg. 8
Donated house used for live burn training PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Members of Powhatan Fire and Rescue participated in training exercises and a live burn on June 5 at a home in northeastern Powhatan. The home, which was set to be demolished, was donated for the use of firefighters to do drills in search and rescue, live fire evolutions, and overhaul (looking for hidden fire). After a morning of drills, the firefighters set fire to the house and kept the flames in check to prevent spreading. See more photos page 5A.
Habitat for Humanity dedicates 15th home Nonprofit celebrates 20 years of service By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – Even as Habitat for Humanity-Powhatan celebrated a wealth of major milestones last week, the nonprofit is already looking ahead to the future. In less than a week, the local nonprofit held a full weekend of events to celebrate its 20th anniversary in existence and dedicated its 15th house since being founded in 2001, said Susan Winiecki, executive director. “I have been calling this the crescendo of 20 years. No way did we actually think that we would be doing a house dedication this PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND week, our anniversary this week, and a huge Sheila Hayes, center, holds up the key to her new home, which was built see HABITAT pg. 6
by Habitat for Humanity-Powhatan, at a house dedication on June 10.
Democratic primary sees 4.37% turnout By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – Turnout for the June 8 Democratic Primary in Powhatan was only slightly less than director of elections Karen Alexander was projecting with 4.37% of registered voters casting a ballot. There was minimal interest leading up to the primary, and
1,022 people out of the county’s 23,388 registered voters chose to participate in the election, Alexander said. Based on the low level of interest she was seeing during absentee voting, Alexander had projectPHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND ed a 5% turnout. The primary was to decide Debbie and Rick Campbell check in at Precinct 202 who will be the democratic at Graceland Baptist Church to vote in the democandidates for governor, lieu- cratic primary. They were two of 78 people who see PRIMARY pg. 6
cast a ballot at that precinct on June 8.