Powhatan Today –03/08/2023

Progress continues on broadband rollout

a total investment in Powhatan of about $17 million.

Reassessments see huge jump

reassessments to six-year cycles. State code requires assessments be done every six years at a minimum. The state also requires that assessments be within 70% of the fair market value.

LAURA MCFARLAND

Managing Editor

POWHATAN – Efforts to bring reliable broadband internet access to unserved portions of Powhatan County are projected to see a big step forward this year.

Firefly Fiber Broadband president and CEO Gary Wood gave an update to the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors at its meeting on Monday, Feb. 27 laying out Powhatan’s status in the buildout process and when people can start expecting to get service.

Wood broke the project down into three distinct areas as a way to track progress, which are shown on the map.

So far, $700,000 has been invested in Powhatan to date with a long way still to go, he said. Firefly’s Regional Internet Service Expansion (RISE) project will see

The project will result in an expected 2,050 total passings (residential and commercial hookups) and 200 miles of fiber laid, Wood said. Because of the size of the larger RISE project across 13 counties in Central Virginia and the regular orders Firefly is making, Wood said the company is not having supply chain problems. He also said the company has a good relationship with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) working to keep the process moving and Firefly is not experiencing labor shortages, all of which is helping the process move along.

As the project goes along, Firefly will update the status of the different areas in Powhatan at its website, https://www.fireflyva. com/partners-Powhatan/.

Cartersville Extension

The furthest along, which he referred to as the Cartersville Extension (northwest tip of Pow-

hatan) was the first area that saw construction start, Wood said. The underground conduit was placed, the fiber was pulled in and it has to be spliced, or joined together. Those lines will tie in to the network in Cartersville in Cumberland County. Wood projected that within two months, they hope to start doing connections to individual homes or businesses in that area. He pointed out they don’t happen all at once but they are coming.

The process had to overcome a small delay of a proposed roundabout being built in Cartersville sometime a few years down the road, he said. VDOT permitted them after Firefly agreed to bury the conduit 20 feet below ground, which he said started last week. The company has also had to get 36 easements to lay the fiber.

Those changes will allow the company to start splicing and tying the fiber back to the hut

LAURA MCFARLAND Managing Editor

POWHATAN – Phones have been ringing off the hook in the Powhatan County Commissioner of the Revenue’s office for the last few weeks as many local residents call upset about the sometimes drastic increase in their real estate reassessments.

Powhatan County saw an overall 18.9% increase during the 2023 reassessment, according to Jamie Timberlake, commissioner of the revenue. Once you take out any new construction values, the increase is 15.8%, a number based on over 1,100 transfers and about 550 qualified sales.

Timberlake gave an update to the board of supervisors on Monday, Feb. 27 about the reassessments, pointing out that while it feels “unreal,” it is true. He also gave reassessment figures for other localities since the board asked him for comparison numbers, and Powhatan seemed to be in the middle range, depending on how often localities perform their reassessments.

The range he gave of the other localities’ most recent numbers was between lows of 8.8% (Chesterfield) and 9.6% (Goochland) and upwards of 38% (Amelia, which is done on a six-year cycle) and 44% (Dinwiddie, expected projection based on a six-year cycle), but he pointed out they included everything from annual

“This is not healthy growth. In reality, this is not what you want, but it is what it is. We have to deal with the numbers as the state code requires us to,” he said. “What you would like to see is a 2% to 3% healthy growth, but even the counties who we aspire to and use as model counties, they are seeing 17% increases. The market is just unreal right now.”

Powhatan mailed 16,000 real estate notices with property owners’ new assessed values on Feb. 17 and the reaction was swift, with calls starting to come in on Feb. 20 and angry reactions on social media abounding. Timberlake said both in his presentation to the board and in information he provided the Powhatan Today later that he knows many people are talking and posting angry messages on Facebook. He would rather people take the time to contact his office to either understand why, or, if they feel there is an error, lodge an appeal before March 10, when it is still being handled inhouse by his staff.

“This is what I call the easiest and free phase. We are paid taxpayer employees. We are there to answer your questions and it costs you nothing but a little bit of time,” he said. “After the 10th then it will go to the board of equalization. The board of

LAURA MCFARLAND Managing Editor Editor’s note: The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors announced Monday, Feb. 27 that members voted unanimously to hire Bret Schardein as the new county administrator. Schardein was hired in 2016 as the director of community development. Since then, he has also served as assistant county administrator, deputy county administrator and twice as interim county administrator, his last position held. The board of supervisors praised him for his work and professionalism and said they are looking forward to working with him. See a notice from the county about Schardein being hired on Page A5. Since he is already extremely familiar with the inner workings of Powhatan County government, Schardein sat down with the Powhatan Today to discuss what he brings to the table, the goals and challenges ahead, and how he will help lead the staff in accomplishing the short- and long-term goals set by the board of supervisors.

On what he brings to the county administrator role...

One, having been here for seven years, I think having familiarity with Powhatan and what the people value. Usually

when somebody is coming into the role, I think historically a lot of county administrators have come in from the outside, so you have that period where even if you have all the technical skills you are still trying to adjust and learn the community and what their expectations, vision and culture are.

I would also say collaboration. So trying to get the input from our staff, citizens, the board and others in the region. Just trying to hear from a lot of different voices. Everybody has different input but we need to consider all of it in the decisions we make. Trying to make sure priorities, programs, initiatives, whatever we do, isn’t unilaterally just something I think is a good idea or one department does or one citizen does; it is collaborative.

On what his time with the county has taught him...

I think the importance of communication. We don’t always do the best job of that. Sometimes we get into our own world and we

PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND

Fiber technician William Parks installs a connectivity point on Duke Road as part of Firefly Fiber Broadband’s efforts to bring broadband internet to all of Powhatan County. Fiber was installed in this area earlier this

Chili cook-off to benefit 9/11 memorial

CONTRIBUTED REPORT

Think you have the best chili recipe? Put it to the test and sign-up for the Village Heroes 9/11 Memorial Chili Cook-Off!

The event will be held

March 25 at Ferguson 1895

S. Creek One. Up to 15 chili entries will be accepted and space is running out. Competition participants are

STUDENT CORNER

asked to pay a $25 entry donation for the chance to win a $1,000 cash prize.

More interested in eating than cooking chili? Entry tickets are $10 per person. Buy a ticket now or at the door. To buy tickets, Venmo: Baylee-Nunnally or pay cash, dropping off and picking up tickets at Village Concepts Realty Group, 2603 Ander-

PHOTOS COURTESY OF POWHATAN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Powhatan County Public Schools is constantly challenging and engaging its students in exciting ways. These are a few snapshots of some of the division’s awesome recent moments.

son Highway, Powhatan. What your ticket gets you: one voting ticket for your favorite chili, a sample of each chili (15 contestants), a drink and cornbread, and admission to see fire department demonstrations. There will also be a children’s section and raffles.

Village Concepts Realty Group has partnered with

Huguenot Volunteer Fire Department to raise funds for the 9/11 Memorial that is currently under construction at their station. A few years ago, this fire station received a piece of steel from the World Trade Center just before the 10th anniversary of the tragedy.

Village Concepts took a particular interest in this

project and is aiming to help raise the remaining funds to complete this project! In 2022, Village Concepts Realty Group introduced a new program to the community that provides incentives to medical personnel, law enforcement, fire and EMS, active and retired military, and teachers to help reduce financial burdens on those

buying and selling homes. All ticket sales, slot sales and money donated will go directly to Company 2 Huguenot Volunteer Fire Department for the construction of the 9/11 Memorial Project.

View details on their Facebook page! For more information, contact Baylee Nunnally at 804-356-4220.

PCPS honors Helping Hands Award winners

The Powhatan County Public Schools Human Resources Department implemented a divisionwide recognition award called the Helping Hands Award. The concept behind he Helping Hands Award is anyone (student, parent, colleague or supervisor)

can nominate any PCPS staff member who is Inspiring, Empowering or Innovating to receive recognition. Superintendent Beth Teigen surprised staff members during their workday to inform them they were nominated and selected to be a Helping Hands Award

winner. They were given a poster of recognition to display in their classroom or work location and a gift card donated by corporate sponsors. The award winners were also invited to the Powhatan County School Board meeting on Feb. 21 to be recognized.

eighth graders taking French 2 at Powhatan Middle school recently got to learn about and celebrate Mardi Gras. they learned about the history and traditions and how it is celebrated all around the world, known as carnival in many places. the students received beads and coins and were able to make there own Mardi Gras masks. they also enjoyed King cake provided by Food Lion at south creek.

J.c. Baumbach was nominated by a bus driver for being empowering. Baumbach has been a cornerstone of the transportation department for over 30 years. Until a few short years ago, he was the only dispatcher. From the first student on the bus to the last off, Baumbach was in the office, ready to assist if anything was needed. he is the calming voice others depend on if they are in a traffic incident and the voice on the other end of the mic that asks “are you oK, ma’am/sir” after obtaining a brief summary of a situation. when staff members have to take off work, he doesn’t ask questions, instead quickly responds, “family first.” oftentimes he’ll jump behind the wheel himself to cover a route. In fact, this year, he’s more frequently driving a bus than in the office during transport hours. People may have seen him parked safely in a neighborhood, responding to a driver in his dispatch role, before proceeding with the bus route he’s currently covering. Baumbach has serviced the department selflessly for years and continues to treat drivers like family. he’s an asset to the transportation department that should be valued by administration as highly as he is by the drivers he serves.

Powhatan high school’s Leftovers club held the 2023 Mr. Powhatan competition on Feb 24 in the school auditorium.

Landyn Llewellyn was named Mr. Powhatan and tyler atchison was named first runner up. they competed alongside fellow contestants Jameson Britt, Gunner Buzzard, Jackson Faris, ricky huber, dylan Mapes, rober t reamy and Bradley wade in several rounds of competition. the purpose of the event is to raise money for the fight against cancer through the american cancer society. the event raised more than $2,000.

If there is something that is inaccurate, then report it to us on the appeal forms and we will address it.”

regina christovich was nominated by a parent for being empowering. the parent wrote: “My daughter was born a wee 1 pound 4 ounces and not expected to survive. she not only survived, she’s thriving. Being in a regular classroom amongst her peers has proven to be a successful way of life for her, but she does require assistance for a few needs. Mrs. christovich has been by her side every step of the way showing support in school and even out of school by attending sporting events. she truly puts our daughter’s needs first and pushes her to do her very best each day. without her assistance, our daughter wouldn’t be as far ahead as she is. I feel as if the teacher assistants need recognition just as much as our lead teachers. Please consider all she has given and done for this award.”

mortgages are, he said. This is assessed values based on 100% of fair market value of sales in the county, not what a property is “worth.”

you all now have the option of seeing what real values are and knowing where you can set a tax rate for the needs of what Powhatan needs.”

equalization is a little bit more formal.”

It is important that the county have good data on record about properties, because “these values are tabulated from tables that contain the data records of what is on your property,” Timberlake said.

“Take the time to go to the GIS website or email and request your property card in order to verify the data is correct,” he said. “For many years we used a contractor to collect the field data. We are aware that corners were cut. The only way to ensure accurate data currently is through the process of verification by you and us. Accurate data is crucial to fair assessments.

Property owners can also appeal based on actual value, using a recent appraisal done within last six months, or sales comparisons in their area, he said.

To contact the commissioner of the revenue’s office, contact 804-598-3752 or assessment@powhatanva.gov or visit the office in person at 3834 Old Buckingham Road. Timberlake said his office has even been setting up evening appointments.

During his presentation and later, Timberlake repeatedly drove home a few points. Reassessments are driven by state state code and these policies have nothing to do with what the property owner’s taxes and

A copy of the Powhatan sales report for Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, 2022 can be found at http://powhatanva.gov/197/ Real-Estate-Assessments or the commissioner of the revenue’s office can print out a copy for residents and explain the document.

“This stuff is required by state code and it is how we get our funding. When we wrap our arms around and can truly understand it, is it a perfect system? Absolutely not. But this is the system that we deal with in Virginia and the better we are at working and using the system, the better off our taxes end up being,” Timberlake told the board. “Because

An increased assessment does not automatically mean increased taxes, Timberlake said. State code requires the county show property owners the calculation so they can see cause and effect, Timberlake said in a separate explanation. The tax rate, which has not been set yet, will be decided by the board of supervisors based on the needs of the county and input from constituents in the coming weeks. The effective tax rate is the tax rate Powhatan County needs to create the same amount of revenue as the previous year. The county has advertised that the effective tax rate for 2023 is 67

PHOTO COURTESY OF POWHATAN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Kristian schott was nominated by a parent for being empowering. the parent wrote: “My son began having some issues in the classroom, and his grades were dropping because of his behavior and inability to finish things. In just the first nine weeks, I can see a total difference in the way my child handles himself in Mr. schott’s class. we are still working on getting him to work on things outside of this class and in others, but there were almost immediate changes when it came to my child in this class, and Mr. schott is checking in with me often to let me know what’s going on and staying on my child about making better choices. he makes me feel like my son really has a chance and that I am not alone in trying to do better for him.”

cents while the current rate is 77 cents.

“The board of supervisors wants your input on the tax rate, which is how we all control taxes. The assessment going up is a good thing because it means people want to be here,” Timberlake said. “Going up so much so fast is not really a good thing, but we can control taxes by influencing the tax rates, not by ignoring the sales growth in the county.”

This is the first annual reassessment being done in-house by county staff, and the first since the board made Timberlake the chief assessor in 2022, thus moving the function of the assessment office under his control.

Timberlake commended the three staff members who worked hard to get the resi-

dential reassessments complete and said that while he did use a contractor for the commercial properties, it was “for about a third of the price of what we have done it for every year in the past.”

He also pointed out he is expecting to interview applicants soon for the open chief deputy assessor position.

Karin Carmack, who represents District 5, asked Timberlake if, based on his experience and knowledge, the numbers might drop or level off.

The last time Powhatan saw a decrease was in 2008, which didn’t affect the county until 2010 and carried through for the next four years, Timberlake said. “In this county that is the only decrease we have seen in 20 years in assessments,” he said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF POWHATAN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND

Arrests

One female was charged on Feb. 21 with assault and battery-simple (Misdemeanor). One male was charged on Feb. 22 with contempt of court (M).

One male was charged on Feb. 25 with driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated (M), DWI, refusal of test, 1st offense (M), assault and battery-police officer or firefighter (Felony), reckless driving-excessive speed (M), and obstructing justice (M).

PHS

From

Emily Minbiole, Emma Morris, Jackson Morris, Caleb Murray, Christopher Naoroz, Torie Nash, Ryan Newcomb, Lucas Niece, Armando Nieves, Kaelin Ortiz, Tyler Overboe, Grayson Palmore, Keira Parker, Carter Patton, Avery Payne, Amelia Pendleton, Jason Peyton, Lauren Pike, Trent Powell, Jenna Presley, Chloe Proffitt, Madison Pugh, Katelyn Rabas, JoAnna Raychouni, Robert Reamy, Sadie Redlich, Shelby Reed, Sierra Richardson, Trevor Robinson, Darryl Sanders, Jose Sandoval, Michael Saunders, Isabella Shaw, Carter Shust, James Skeens Jr., Kasia Smith, Madelyn Smith, Taylor Sutphin, Cheyenne Sweeney, Cadence Taylor, Logan Thompson, Anna Tingle, Lauren Traupman, Kendra Turner Gregory, Matthew Tye, Gavin Utley, Reese Wagner, Addison Wallace, Autumn Walton, Annaston Watts, Brittany Webb, Madison Wellborn, Luke Wells, Ayden West, Noah Whelan, Margaret White, Cori Whitehead, Jesse Whiting, Ne’Vaeh Wiley, Hayden Wilkerson, Ray Williams III, Abigail Williams, Peyton Wirt, Alex Wood, Hunter Wright.

Milo

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11th Grade All A’s Madeline Barnwell, Carrie Blashfield, Elaina Buczkowski, Katherine Cerullo, Trevor Coppock, Kayla Cote, Jackson Davis, Austin Dean, Austin Dodd, Julia Dondero, Kaylee Dowdy, Alaya Duncan, Tyler Dunford, James Elam, Samuel Favreau, Garrett Foltyn, Madison Fromherz, Breanna Gillespie, Olivia Goodrich, Aiden Hall, Katherine Harrison, Tane Jeffs, Isaac Kelley, Sarah Kunze, Madeline Latham, Matthew Layman, River Leynes, Taylor Ligatti, Samantha Lilly, Ian Lockett, Zoe Lucas, Trinity Luck, Oskar Lundgren, Emily Meadows, Thomas Menting, Isaac Rambo, Destinee Raynor, Camden Taylor, Brynna Tester, Eli Timmons, Ava Tucker, William Tuttle, Ryan Zaun.

11th Grade All A/B’s Bryson Adkins, Michaela Amburn, Avery Andersen, Michaela Anderson, Tyler Atchison, Hunter Atkins, Chase Babb, Riley Baldwin, Katie-Lynn Ball, Connor Bates, Hunter Beil, Anabel Bichsel, Viktor Blair, Henter

Blevins, Sadie Bondurant, Ciara Booker, Zoe Broaddus, Taylor Brown, Shauna Callahan, Hayden Campbell, Summer Campbell, Ashlee Cates, Daniel Cavedo, Colin Crews, Zander Crossman, Brooklynn Crump, Harrison Cumbea, Chloe Cunningham, Lindsey D’Ambrosio, Brianna Dalton, Tamala Daniels, Rhett Dauley, Lyla Davis, Madeleine Davis, Anthony Donnelly, Cole Donnelly, Ashlyn Dowdy, Matthew Duty, Christianna Edmondson, Benjamin Ellett, Erica Epperly, Thomas Epps, Mia Evans, Sophie Farmer, Kaileigh Field, Mackenzie Flora, Tyler Fox, Skylar Galderise, Evan Garland, Michael Gicheru, Austin Gillespie, Kiarra Glenn, Ivy Gogerty, Madeline Gordon, Olivia Grasty, Connor Gravatt, Casey Grell, Savannah Griffin, Jamie Hall, Jacob Hanna, Talon Harness, Preston Harold, Cole Harper, Grace Hayden, Colin Henry, Kennedy Herring, Victoria Hicks, Trinity Higginbotham, Natalie Hintz, Kendra Hogston-Royall, Austin Holder, Aiden Houser, Katelynn Houston, Mason Hughes, Cortney Humphreys, Jacqueline Hymel, Madalyn Ickes, Tinia Jackson, Madison Jamerson, Zachary James, Mayson Jenkins, Grant Johnson, Madalyn Johnson, Ryan Jones, Sarah Kantzler, Owen Kerns, Samue lKernstine, Miriah Keuther, Natalee Kirkland, Alexander Kirkman, Corynn Lampman, Noah Lane, Gianna LaRaffa, Kyle Larsen, Lindsy Lawyer, Jaimely Lebron, Chelsy Luna, Adam Lyman, Dillon Mabe, Annabelle Mack, Madeline Mahoney, Tyler Manes, Brendan Martin, Karley Martin, Madison Matko, Zoey Mattison, James McDaniels, Reese McLachlan, Emily McManus, April Milburn, Madelyn Mohr, Eli Monson, Dixie Moore, Aubrey Morgan, Justin Morris, Piper Morton, Olivia Moss, Justin Myers, Brandon Nixon, Makenzie Nixon, Katharine O’Neil, Jackson O’Quinn, Alex Olah, Nathan Orban, Jaks Ownby, Valeria Palacios-Marentes, Madison Palmore, Alexander Pearson, Erin Pell, Jordyn Perritt, Cote Phillips, Zeagan Pieren, Camdyn Pitts, Rylan Powers, Dylan Preston, Sean Priddy, Carter Quinn, Cole Rakes, Peyton Ramsey, Evan Reese, Noel Rhoden, Lauren Richardson, Jacob Riley, Ab-

igail Rini, Kaitlyn Rissmeyer, Emily Ritchie, Preston Ritz, Marilyn Robinson, Charisa Russell, Isabella Russell, Mara Rutkai, Leyla Sakrisson, Laura Samuels, Ethan Sargent, Chase Schuhle, Michael Scioscia, Jaila Scott, Abigail Seaman, Evelyn Seaver, Jason Seibel II, Trinity Shaw, Caleb Shumate, Caleb Shust, Amber Stewart, Wesley Stotler, Felicity Stringfield, Allison Taylor, Ari Taylor, Paris Taylor, Mason Timberlake, Ian Timmons, Howard Toft, Jack Valcourt, Brandon Vallent, AvaVan Natter, Pierce Vandell, Bradley Wade, Presley Warren, Jaden Watkins, Gracelin Watts, Logan Wilhelm, Matthew Willis, Abbigail Wilson, Mary Wilson, Sally Woodard, Courtney Woodel, Nathaniel Yarhouse, Heath Yohman.

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12th Grade All A/B’s Emma Adams, Katherine Adams, Olivia Adams, Nathan Adkins, John Ainsworth, Shelby Akins, Monica Alejo, Erin Almond, Ellamae Anderson, Sara Barnett, Haley Bauer, Hayden Belcher, Rosa Benitez, Kyla Beyer, Timothy Blasé, Colton Blevins, Hayden Blisick, Gunner Buzzard, Alexander Campbell, Alexandra Campbell, Samantha Carraway, Isabelle Carson, Briseida Casarez Hernandez, Angel Cedillo, Cameron Christopher, Liam

ChurCh DireCtory

Genito Presbyterian Church

2910GenitoRd.Powhatan, VA 372-9074

WorshipwithusthisSunday Churchservice @ 9:30AM Sundayschool @ 10:30AM

E vergreen C ommunity C hurch (PcA) Proclaiming&PracticingtheGospelofJesusChrist WorshipServiceat10:00AM Meetingat2210BattersonRoad,Powhatan.

Pastor NickKrauss ECCPCA .ORG 598-8844

WorshipService11AM

PastorJohnEngle 603-933-0141 3540OldBuckinghamRd. www.pmchurch.net

1801HuguenotTrail

SundayWorship10am BryanM.Holt,Pastor 804-378-3607

www.EmmausChristianChurch.org

https://www.facebook.com/2emmaus/

M ee tingSundays inFar mville, ForkUnio n, M idlothian, PowhatanandOnline. Visitpcc wired.net fo r servicestimes& lo cat ions 598 -1174pccwired.net

MountCalvary BaptistChurch

2020RedLaneRoad Powhatan,VA23139

Pastor,LarryB.Collins SundaySchool9:45a.m.

Sunday Worship 11:00a.m.

WednesdayBibleStudy

Providence Presbyterian Church

“WorshipingandWitnessing inWesternPowhatan since1825” WorshipService11:00am

AllAreWelcome! 598-4970 Located1950RidgeRoad (Rt.627)

LivingAsChrist’sDisciplesWithinOur HeartsandBeyondOurDoors

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PowhatanChristian Fellowship

SundayMorningWorship 11:00a.m.

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WednesdayNight7:30p.m. 3308 PleasantsRoad, 1/4mileoffofRoute711 RussCress, Pastor 598-0733

St.John Neumann

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Rev.WalterG.Lewis,Pastor

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Bret Schardein named county administrator

CONTRIBUTED REPORT

The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors announced Monday, Feb. 27 that Bret Schardein assumed the position of county administrator for Powhatan County starting March 1.

Schardein has been serving as interim county administrator since the resignation of Ned

Smither in October 2022. This was Schardein’s second term as interim county administrator, having filled that role in 2020 as well. Schardein brings over 13 years of local government experience, the last seven of which were in various roles with Powhatan County including director of community development and

deputy county administrator. He has worked in other Virginia localities including King William and Cumberland.

Schardein earned his undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and his Master of Urban and Regional Planning also from VCU. He also attended the National Associa-

tion of Counties High Performance Leadership Academy. Schardein holds certifications from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and the Virginia Association of Zoning Officials as a Certified Zoning Administrator (CZA). He was the 2021 recipient of the VLGMA Marshaw Memorial Award as an

outstanding Deputy County Administrator.

According to Schardein’s contract, his starting salary is $200,000 plus benefits. If the county administrator is terminated without cause, he is entitled to six months salary of

Please see SCHARDEIN, Page A7

specifications for the upcoming season.

After two competitions in December, S.P.E.A.R. most recently competed at the FIRST Chesapeake FTC Championship event held Feb. 11 in Severn, Maryland. The team didn’t place, ending S.P.E.A.R.’s season at the district level, but Beasley said he is pleased with how the 13-member club did this season.

“I think we met our expectations. We had a very successful year. Our team has a history of designing outside the box robots. Sometimes you will go to a competition and 70% of robots look similar to each other. Ours always has features that are unique to us and we maintained that tradition this year,” Beasley said.

Added to that, it is a relatively young group of students with only a few seniors.

“All of our programming team has been freshman this year, which is absolutely insane,” he said. “It is a JAVA based programming course and most students don’t take JAVA until they are 11th or 12th year. That we are getting ninth graders involved in JAVA-based programming is definitely something that is remarkable.”

The best thing about the robotics club is how much ownership the students take of making the most of their hands-on learning experiences, Beasley said.

“It is absolutely beautiful. I am here mainly to push them down the right path and make sure they don’t cut their fingers off. They are here designing, testing, figuring things out and learning by making mistakes – the way it should be,” he said.

Freshman Cody Seibel , who is in his first year on the team, was on the engineering team within the larger robotics club, responsible for building the bot before

the coding team can program it. He talked about the fun of building the prototype and the team members practicing as much as they could to try to perform the actions necessary to score points in the game so they could see where the robot needed modifications. The final competition robot was named Spearfisher.

“Over time we improved the robot, which improved our time, and we improved our driving skills, which also improved our time,” he said.

Cody, who is interested in engineering as a possible future career, said he learned a great deal from both the highs and the lows of the season and how to think outside the box more.

Fellow freshman Bryleigh Roop was the head programmer this season, her second with the ro -

botics club. She joined the club while still a student at Powhatan Middle School after hearing her brother and teammate, Jackson, talk about a problem one of their robots was having. She asked if she could come to the next meeting.

“So I walked in and sat down with the programmers and helped them work out a couple bugs, then I helped the engineers figure out what was wrong with some wire management. I stayed with the programmers and fell in love doing robotics,” she said of joining the team last year.

The team had a spectacular first competition this season and a second that didn’t meet the team members’ expectations. But through the competitions, they have learned to overcome problems quickly and work bet -

ter as a team, Bryleigh said.

“It has been really fun this year. Just overcoming problems and being able to problem solve,” she said. “I feel like a club expands your knowledge more because not only do you have more time to figure something out, you have other people that you spend two and a half hours after school with every other day to help you solve those problems.”

Junior Elaina Buczkowski is in her third year with the club, coming back after a virtual year and happy to be more involved. Beyond the competition season, the club has noncompetition related projects, both group and personal, such as a robot they were recently building to play

Tic-tac-toe with someone.

In addition to being head of scouting and strategies for the competitions, Elaina said she does a good deal of fundraising for the club through grant writing and requests to local businesses.

Like her teammates, Elaina looked at the things that went wrong this season as a way to learn and improve in the future.

“We learned the little things matter, too. It doesn’t matter how good of a bot you have if you don’t put time into the small things as well and the easily overlooked ones,” she said.

Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com.

ChurCh DireCtory

Pastor StephenBattaglia 2390 EmmanuelChurch Road www.newwalkbible.org

SundayWorship10:00AM

SundaySchool9:00AM BibleStudyWed.7:00PM 804-372-9254

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MuddyCreek BaptistChurch

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Bryleigh roop amara durham and Gunner Buzzard fix their robot in the pit area during a competition in december.

s.P e a r robotics’ team members are on the field ready to start a match during a competition in december.

17th annual Spring Garden Fest set to take place on April 29

CONTRIBUTED REPORT

The 17th annual Spring Garden Fest will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 29 at Reynolds Community College, 1851 Dickinson Road, Goochland.

A free, family-friendly

event that is a celebration of all things related to gardening so stop to see: the GPMGA Plant Sale will offer a wide variety of plants at great prices; Ask the Master Gardener booth will offer free gardening help and advice; and gardening

vendor booths will have lots of fun items to delight gardeners. Attend a full day of classes and tours for a one-time $35 registration fee (additional materials fee for workshops).

Classes include Growing Trees in Harsh Envi -

ronments, Propagation of Native Plants, Plant it and Forget it, Planning your Home Landscape, Native Alternatives to Invasives, Designing the Small Garden, Exploring Butterflies, and Insects in the Vegetable Garden. Tours of the

college gardens will include Reynolds Campus, Herb Garden and Rain Garden.

Hands-on workshops will be Create Your Own Mosaic Art Pot, Oyster Mushroom Cultivation and Create a Fresh Flower Tiara.

Classes, tours and

workshops fill up quickly, so register early for the best selection. Complete descriptions and online registration is available at www.gpmga.net or by contacting the Goochland Extension Office at 804556-5841.

PCPS RECOGNIZES SCHOOL BOARD, CLERK

LIBRARY HOSTS SEED EXCHANGE TABLE

Michelle Wells, a library clerk at Powhatan county Public Library, finishes setting up the new seed exchange table in the atrium. Visitors may pick up seeds for flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruits to plant in their own gardens. they are encouraged to harvest seeds and bring them back to share. don’t know how to harvest seeds? Master Gardener Pat Lust will teach a workshop on “saving and star ting seeds,” which will go over selecting, collecting, preserving and preparing seeds before planting them. the event will be held at 10:30 a.m. april 1 at the library. registration preferred but not required. For details, contact the library at 804-598-5670 or library@powhatanlibrary.net.

need to be pushing in the same direction.

the Virginia school Boards association established February as school Board appreciation Month in 1989 to encourage public recognition of the roles and responsibilities of school board members and to highlight the importance of public education throughout the commonwealth. school board members were honored or their time and dedication to the staff and students of Powhatan county Public schools. the members honored were district 1, Vicki hurt, serving since January 2023; district 2, susan smith (chair), serving since January 2020; district 3, Valarie ayers, serving since January 1996; district 4, James taylor (vicechair), serving since september 2021; and district 5, Kim hymel, serving since February 2014. the Virginia school Boards association Board of directors has also designated the third week in February as “VsBa school Board clerk appreciation Week,” with the goal of building awareness of the role board clerks play in assisting school board members, superintendents, and local schools. Board clerk shelia d eggleston, who has served since July 2022, was also honored.

are just trying to work day to day but not taking the time to make sure the public or even the board is aware of what we are working on and involving them. So communication, both internally and externally, would be good. And needing to have the support and buy-in of staff and the residents, working early to get consensus and get people on board and let them have ownership in whatever project or initiative it is goes a long way. We all

On taking on a role that has a somewhat tumultuous recent history with the board of supervisors...

I think they would acknowledge it as well. While the board is on many issues divided, I think I have a good relationship with each of them individually. We focus a lot on something that might be a 3-2 vote or a 4-1 vote, but there have also been a lot of things we have

accomplished together that have been unanimous. So trying to focus on those things and areas where there is agreement and presenting them options. There might be a certain project or topic where if you just present it one way, there is going to be division. But there are always other options. Making sure we are considering every way to approach a problem. Is there another way to look at it that maybe all five could agree on? Also understanding the democratic process that every vote shouldn’t be 5-0. We don’t want it to be. There are different

ways of looking at things and different opinions, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It has been at times tumultuous but it is not always a bad thing that every vote isn’t 5-0.

On the biggest challenges ahead...

One issue, and it is certainly not unique to Powhatan, is just finding, attracting and retaining good people is difficult. I am thankful for the people we have and people who have joined the county recently but we just don’t see typically the number of applicants that we have historically. There is more competition than ever in the region for positions, not just amongst localities but the private sector as well. That is something we will continue to face is to be able to provide high quality, efficient services for the public we need good people and good staff and we need to have longterm staff that stay here. So staffing will continue to be one. We are a small organization so we typically don’t have really large departments. When you lose one or two people, that can be 50% of the department turning over. So when you do have turnover, the size of our organization makes it even more difficult. That is a top challenge internally.

For the county as a whole, how we manage our growth. Powhatan’s rural identity is extremely important to what we are. There are some growth pressures in the region that present some opportunities but also challenges and being very thoughtful about how we manage that growth so it doesn’t change what it means to be Powhatan.

On what priorities the board of supervisors has set for him in the coming months...

The most important would just be providing stability. Since 2020, we had a change of leadership with a new board of supervisors and a change in county administrator immediately followed by the pandemic. As we came out of that, we had a new county administrator and then again last year a change in leadership there. So first of all just providing some stability because it has just been lots of change over the last few years. The other priorities would be the usual of managing the day-to-day organization and the FY24 budget that we are working on right now.

On Schardein’s shortterm and long-term goals internally and involving the community...

Short-term goals... The class and comp plan update relates directly to how we are able to be competitive and keep and retain good people, so we are working on that right now. Also shorter term, looking at how we can improve communication to the public and what we put out.

We have a strategic plan the board adopted in 2020. A lot of focus and effort with the board, the public and staff went into that and I think it is a really good document, but I would like to use that more and rely on that more.

Long-term… one would be transportation. Transportation has been an issue for a long time but we really didn’t have many opportunities to address it. Annually we get a very small sum of money from VDOT that is not enough to really do anything with, so the only other opportunity to address transportation issues was to apply for Smart Scale. While we have gotten some projects that worked through that, it is only open every two years, and the projects can take as long as seven years to come to fruition even after getting approved. Now with the Central Virginia Transportation Authority, for the first time in recent history we actually have funding available to us locally to address transportation needs and make improvements to our needs and expand things like trails.

We have these two great rivers, James River and Appomattox River, and we’ve got Powhatan State Park that has river access, which is great and the landings there, but we have no public access to the Appomattox River. I would like to see us explore ways to have public access to both rivers and improve upon the recreational opportunities on the James.

awareness of what is here already as far as things to do, places to visit, activities, some of the interesting businesses that are here. There is a lot in Powhatan that some people aren’t aware of. There is even more available here than a lot of people realize. So raising awareness of how much we have here.

On keeping the public engaged and informed...

One, we need to have a diverse strategy. It can’t just be an online newsletter or a Facebook page. We need to certainly use those online and social resources but then also getting out to community organizations. How do we share information through groups like churches, nonprofits, things like Ruritans, Rotary, Lions Club, those social institutions? Having a multiprong approach to how we share information and how we work with the public. It can’t just be put it on the website and we are done. On the known tasks ahead in the next 10 months of the current board of supervisors’ term in office...

The budget obviously. The class and comp plan update and how we implement that. Continuing the implementation of ERP with Keystone.

We have a few key positions we need to fill. With planning director, with the focus on growth management in the county, that is a very important position for us so we are still trying to fill that. Last year in the budget we added a procurement manager. That will be really important in how we make sure we are making the best use of public funds in our purchasing decisions. That is another key position we need to get filled. There are certainly others in each department that we are looking to fill. Back to the whole recruiting and retention thing, filling some of those positions.

On

bringing better awareness of county government and the county...

One thing county administration needs to do a better job of is we accomplish a lot but we just keep our heads down. We do it and move on to the next thing and never share a lot of that with the public. We can do a better job of communicating what we are doing, what we are accomplishing that I think would be of interest of how public funds are being used. Then maybe looking more at Powhatan itself, raising

With the convenience center, the county is currently exploring a way to accomplish that through a public private partnership, so we are continuing to evaluate that proposal.

Both of the grants that we received last year – the Education Trail and continuing work to hopefully break ground on that shortly and then the Fighting Creek Park improvements grant that we got as well. Work on the trail this year. Fighting Creek Park improvements don’t have an ETA but the trail is getting much closer. We’ve definitely got plenty to do – no question.

PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND

PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND

OPINION

Residents still have chance to impact tax bills

LAURA MCFARLAND Managing Editor

As someone who is saving up to buy her first house, the drastic rise in real estate prices has been excruciating to watch.

The cost of everything is rising faster that almost anyone’s salary can keep up with, and it is difficult to see a goal not just creeping but leaping by bounds farther out of reach.

Yet even as it is something I desire, I don’t think of homeownership as some perfect goal where all problems are solved. If anything, I recognize it as inviting a whole new set of potential problems into my life.

I only have to look at the current situation Powhatan homeowners – homeowners across the country really –find themselves in where that same market of overinflated real estate sales has driven up your reassessments, in some

cases by unthinkable numbers.

When Powhatan Commissioner of the Revenue Jamie Timberlake came to speak before the Board of Supervisors last week about the county’s 18.9% increase during the 2023 reassessment (15.8% if you take out new construction), it wasn’t surprising in the least. Watching the hous

ing market for the last year, it was evident homeowners – even those who have no intention of selling their homes and don’t want it viewed as more valuable – were going to be feeling that pain soon.

And after the bills went out on Feb. 17 and people saw their assessments go up tens of thousands of dollars, I started hearing about it, too, in conversations with people and in comments on social media. But rather than dwell on the unpleasant numbers that have left people reeling and prob

ably more than a few home

owners wondering how they are going to pay a higher tax bill, I thought I would reiterate two really critical points Timberlake pointed out that you can read about in more detail in the story in A1.

First, what homeowners got in the mail was a notice of their house’s assessment, not a notice of how much their bill is automatically going to increase. The latter number won’t be known until the board of supervisors makes some decisions about the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget and sets the tax rate for the 2023 calendar year. That has not happened yet.

The current tax rate is 77 cents. The effective tax rate –the tax rate the county needs to create the same amount of revenue as the previous year –is 67 cents.

I am pretty positive the board of supervisors is going to make an effort to lower the

Power, privilege and greed in the Low Country

JIM RIDOLPHI

Contributing Columnist

It’s anybody’s guess what motivates a nation to become enamored with a certain trial, but there’s no doubt that every couple of years, one comes along that captures the attention of a nation.

In a small corner of South Carolina kindly described as the Low Country, a small courtroom became the center of national attention for several weeks as a well-heeled Gamecock aristocrat stood trial for the brutal murder of his wife and son in the culmination of a saga that defies logical explanation.

It’s a crime that is incomprehensible to most of us and represents acts that have no apparent reasonable explanation. For the past six weeks, attorneys in the case have attempted to provide reasonable explanations for irrational acts. In the process, a story of power and wealth has emerged that sometimes seems to overshadow the cruel brutality of the crime.

Faced with impending financial doom, prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh is accused of murdering his wife and son in an attempt to distract investigations underway regarding his financial dealings. Much of the testimony in the trial centered around those financial misgivings and how they could have forced Murdaugh to resort to such an unthinkable act. Believing that it was done as a distraction is a journey too

Broadband

From A1

in Cartersville. A hut is a climate-controlled building that protects all the electronics needed for the system to deliver high-speed internet to all customers who want it in rural, underserved or unserved portions of the county.

ReConnect and RISE

Several large sections of the county will have the

far for many watching the trial, covered almost gavel to gavel on several internet and streaming media sources.

By Murdaugh’s own admission, he’s swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars from his clients in his role as an attorney for the past decade or so. After obtaining large settlements for many of these dirt poor clients, Murdaugh kept most of the generous settlements awarded by what outsiders describe as a friendly legal system infested with a good ole boy factor that dominated the system in this economically depressed section of the state.

Having watched little of the actual testimony, I couldn’t predict an outcome and I had even less inclination as to Murdaugh’s guilt or innocence. But, several chapters of the confused, misguided story have tweaked my interest.

It seemed odd to me that all of these financial misdeeds were undetected for years until local media began digging after Murdaugh’s son and victim, Paul, was charged in a 2019 boat wreck that claimed the life of a 19-year old woman named Mallory Beach.

Many of the duped clients were unaware that any deception had occurred, clueless to the amount of the awards and funds that were supposed to be paid to them.

That was partially due to the prominent nature of the Murdaugh family, who possessed a position as Low

funding for the buildout come from a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Reconnect Program grant. The field data collection is complete in those areas and the engineering work is currently underway, Wood said.

Once the design is complete, which is probably within the next one to three weeks, because that section is funded by a Rural Utilities Service (RUS) grant, it has to be sent back through the USDA for approval, Wood said. Fiber construction

Country royalty with a history of public service. Both Alex’s father and grandfather had served as solicitor general for the district, and their descendant served in the same role as a volunteer assistant.

Yes, it’s a convoluted tale of greed, wealth and privilege in a state where politics are notoriously corrupt. It has captured the latest attention of court watchers probably still catching their breath after the Johnny Depp trial. Who knows what’s next.

But, for Alex Murdaugh, after six weeks of testimony, three documentaries, numerous television specials and hours of news coverage, the jury gave the final verdict, finding him guilty of the heinous crime of double murder. He has now been sentenced to consecutive life sentences without parole.

Even if he hadn’t been found guilty, Murdaugh still faced more than 90 financial fraud charges and an insurance fraud case. Shortly after the murders of his family, he attempted to hire a man to shoot him so the surviving son would receive a huge death benefit. It leaves the rest of us asking how could this type of corruption go on for years with no one noticing or maybe not even realizing the sleazy nature of the participants. I have no answer for that convoluted question, but there’s no doubt the whole episode gives new meaning to the term low country.

would follow after.

The timeline for this one is partly dependent on the RUS review, which can fluctuate in how long it takes to be approved, he noted. If they can get to the construction point in three months and a hut can be placed on Route 522, he anticipates four to six months down the road to start connections.

The third category, which is the majority of the coverage area, is part of Firefly’s Regional Internet Service

tax rate. How much they might lower it is still a huge question mark, especially with them doing their first real work as a board on the FY2024 budget starting with this week’s meetings.

So it is definitely not too late to pay attention to this year’s budget and capital improvement plan (CIP) discussions and give the supervisor in your district your input, whether it is by phone, email or speaking at a meeting (Zoom is also still an option if you don’t want to go in person). The budget can be downloaded at http:// www.powhatanva.gov/DocumentCenter/Index/326. Even if you only read the county administrator’s introduction and overview letter starting on page 29, you will have a better understanding of some of the key discussions coming up this budget season.

The second point Timberlake expounded on was with

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

School board decision didn’t represent all

Dear Editor, This is an open letter to the Powhatan County School Board and the citizens of Powhatan County.

I commend the article referenced at https://ifapray.org/blog/disciple-making-children-to-win-battles/ in the hope that personal beliefs directed by biblical absolutes will be allowed to drive the policies you enact. Voting one’s convictions while in a storm of controversy is challenging but genuflecting to one evening’s “noise” must not dictate either a yay or a nay. Sad to say standing up to such pressure was certainly not evident in the decision-making evidenced in the 2/21/23 PCSB meeting.

Be mindful those with placards and the loudest voices do not necessarily represent the sentiments of those you represent, i.e., you did not hear the wishes of ALL citizens of Powhatan County despite the

Schardein

From A5

severance pay.

“Bret brings the passion and love for Powhatan County that our citizens share. He has developed excellent relationships and has the respect of his staff, having most recently served as the Powhatan Deputy County Administrator. His experience and knowledge will serve him well as our next county administrator. I look forward to working alongside Bret and supporting him in his new role as Powhatan County Administrator. Congratulations to Bret, his family, and Powhatan County on this great opportunity!!” stated Michael Byerly, chairman of the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors. District 1 Supervisor, David Wil-

Expansion (RISE) project. Rather than give a timeline on the entire area, he suggested having him come back and give updates on varies parts of the large area because some will be started sooner than others.

“Some of them should start by late summer or fall; some of them may go into the first part of next year or mid-year,” Wood said.

Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmcfarland@ powhatantoday.com.

regard to the appeal process. The timing on this one was critical, with March 10 being the cutoff for the more informal appeals process involving just county staff before the board of equalization’s hearings start. He pointed out that there may be missing information that needs to be corrected in the county’s system, but that information has to be driven by homeowners. If you have had your home assessed in the last six months and it is less than the county’s figure, that also can be a factor.

To contact the commissioner of the revenue’s office, contact 804-598-3752 or assessment@powhatanva.gov or visit the office in person at 3834 Old Buckingham Road. These are all opportunities that are free and cost only your time, and if they yield results, maybe more than just you will benefit.

misguided claim of Mr. Ayers. In fact, I estimate all those to whom you paid so much attention represented approximately 3/10ths of one percent of the citizens of the county. Certainly not adequate number to support Ms. Ayers’ claim and definitely not sufficient as rationale for your vote. It’s so important to not mistake positional zeal, no matter if written or voiced, as representative of the majority. The article I’ve recommend provides clear warning of what happens when the camel’s head is allowed to enter the tent, and when ones convictions are so heavily swayed by 3/10ths of one percent. By not passing the policy as amended by Dr. Taylor I fear you have allowed a very disruptive and evil head to enter the confines of the Powhatan County school system. May the Lord bless and keep each and every member of the Board.

Regards,

Robert Powers Powhatan

liams, commented, “Bret enjoys the support of the board, county staff, and the community. All three are important to us at this time in Powhatan County. I am looking forward to continuing to work with Bret.”

“Bret, in the short time he has been interim county administrator, has already made a positive difference and I look forward to his leadership going forward,” remarked District 4 Supervisor Bill Cox.

Schardein said “I’m so excited to continue working with the citizens, board of supervisors, and our amazing staff, to improve our efficiencies and preserve what makes Powhatan such a special place. I’ve enjoyed this role as interim, so greatly appreciate the board placing their faith in me to take it on full time.”

Information submitted by Powhatan county local government.

Calendar

From A2

Powhatan Library, s heriff’s Office, and Parks and recreation.

Powhatan c o unty Parks and r ecr eation will hold a Leprechaun scavenger hunt from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 17 on the Library Trail at Fighting creek Park. Families are invited to follow the written clues along the trail to the pot of gold. Once found, the gold coin can be exchanged at the Powhatan coun ty Public Library or e lizabeth r andolph Lewis Powhatan yMca for a prize. Powhatan c oun ty Public

WE WANT TO PUBLISH YOUR ISSUE-DRIVEN LETTERS

Powhatan Today welcomes your Letters to the editor on topics of concern to you and the community. Letters, which should be no longer than 400 words, must include the name, address and telephone number of the author. The deadline is noon theThursday before publication, but letters may be held until the following week upon the editor’s discretion. The publisher or editor of Powhatan Today reserves the right to edit or withhold from publication any letter for any reason whatsoever. Once received, all letters become the possession of Powhatan Today. Letters reflect the opinion of the author, not necessarily that of Powhatan Today or its staff.

Library has an action-packed spring program lineup for 2023.

P c PL is proud to be partnering with the Powhatan-Goochland county Master Gardener association to bring two workshops this season! Master Gardener c hrist y Jones will be at the library for the Bokashi comp osting workshop. s he’ll teach participants how to turn kitchen waste, including meat, into compost in just four weeks! The workshop will begin March 18 at 10:30 a.m. registration preferred but not required. For details, contact Powhatan c oun ty Public Library at 804598-5670 or library@powhatanlibrary.net.

School board honors fine arts students

The Powhatan County School Board is excited to share that Powhatan High School has three students who won a Regional Scholastic Art Award this year.

(East Art Region-at-Large)

Nicki Fens (ninth) received an Honorable Mention for her photography; Isabella Shaw (10th) received an

Honorable Mention for her sculpture, and Alyssa Gorman (12th) (taught by Jill Ward and Stephanie Wirt) received two Honorable Mentions, two Silver and one Gold Key award for her five artworks. Her Gold Key painting will move on to national competition in March.

Reading is Grand bridges age gap

PHOTOS BY LAURA MCFARLAND

Reach for Active Services and the Powhatan County Public Library combined forces last week to further bridge intergenerational gaps. Staff at both worked together on Feb. 28 to hold the Reading is Grand program, which saw members

of the 55+ community and children meeting to read to each other and talk. The program is part of an ongoing goal to continue expanding intergenerational experiences for the 55+ community. The next session will be at 11 a.m. Friday, April 7 at the library.

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alyssa Gorman received two honorable Mentions, two silver and one Gold Key award for her five artworks. her Gold Key painting will move on to national competition in March.

PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND

the Powhatan county school Board recognized three Powhatan high school art students who won a regional scholastic art award this year — nicki Fens, Isabella shaw and alyssa Gorman.

Isabella shaw received an honorable Mention for her sculpture.

nicki Fens received an honorable Mention for her photography.

sisters eva and ruby orcutt read to Beth Vickers during the reading is Grand session.

Maddie clarke reads to Pamela Wincapaw during the reading is Grand session.

Weareanequalopportunityhousingprovider.Wedonotdiscriminateonthebasisofrace,color,nationalorigin,religion,sex,familialstatusordisability.

SPORTS

Wednesday,

Zach Olson’s efforts help shape wrestling culture in Powhatan

ROBBY FLETCHER

Sports Editor

Blackhawk Gym has long been considered a symbol for the love of wrestling that spreads through Powhatan. Acting as a gym for anyone to join and as a safe haven for kids in the area to develop their skills in the sport of wrestling, you’d be hard pressed to find a single Powhatan wrestler that doesn’t credit their time on the mats of Blackhawk as instrumental to their growth in the sport.

For anyone that’s walked through those doors to put in work, chances are they’ve seen Zach Olson around.

While the gym may be a symbol for all that Powhatan wrestling has become, Olson is the conductor behind the scenes that’s bringing everything together and making it work.

Eighty-hour work weeks aren’t uncommon for Olson, who is the only paid employee at Blackhawk and is tasked with running the facility and the practices that lie within it.

Richard Fitzsimmons, who founded the nonprofit youth wrestling gym alongside Michael and Jamie Walter in 2008, hired Olson seven years ago and says the work he puts in goes far beyond just fine-tuning skills in wrestling.

“He’s not just helping in wrestling. He’s helping with homework, he’s helping parents when it comes to disciplinary issues, he keeps tabs on kids through their teachers,” Fitzsimmons said. “The guy puts in 80-hour weeks and I can

promise you it’s not because he’s getting rich doing it.”

If the long work weeks seem like too much from the outside, Olson doesn’t seem to mind it. With a strong support system, including his wife, who also helps at the gym, along with the many fundraising events Blackhawk organizes, things run smoothly for the coach.

“I’ve got a great support system here,” Olson said. “Between everyone involved it’s a real community effort.”

Olson runs a year-round wrestling program featuring over 70 kids ranging from kindergarteners to high schoolers and has helped develop a feeder program into the dynamic and successful Powhatan High School wrestling team. He also is an assistant head coach for the high school team during their season in the winter.

Coming from SUNY Brockport in upstate New York, Olson says coaching became a possibility when his own wrestling career was stunted by health issues. After working with collegiate athletes and picking the brains of people like Cornell University wrestling head coach Rob Koll and his staff, Olson developed his own coaching style and passion for teaching this sport he loves.

“I’ve always wanted to be around athletics,” Olson. “It kind of fell into my lap, it’s something I really wanted to do and everything seemed to always line up that way.”

Before accepting his position at Blackhawk, Olson says he was working a deadend job unloading trucks in New York. When he got the offer at Blackhawk, he and his wife Brooke packed up everything and made the huge life decision to move to Powhatan, where he quickly found a new home and community that he could serve well. A quick thing he realized from a coaching perspective in Virginia was

After historic season, girls lacrosse team brings experience to the table

It seems that every year, the Powhatan girls lacrosse team takes steps forward as a program that has made it one of the biggest risers in the region.

Last year, they reached new heights with those steps, claiming a district title, finishing as the regional runner-up with a perfect 9-0 regional record heading into the postseason and making their first appearance in the state tournament in school history. The question now be-

Jenkins, Sakrisson compete at track states

Powhatan athletes Mayson Jenkins and Leyla Sakrisson were the lone participants at last week’s VHSL Class 4 Indoor Track and Field State Championships, representing their school and having one last chance to compete before the season’s end.

The two Indians have been top performers all season long, but it was a state-qualifying time at the East Coast Elite in the 500-meter dash for Jenkins and a top-3 finish at the regional championships in the shot put event for Sakrisson that earned them one last performance among the top athletes in Virginia. Held at Liberty University’s indoor track on Feb. 27-28, the two gave it their all with the lights at their brightest, as Jenkins placed 10th among 14 runners in the 500 while Sakrisson finished in 13th.

Jenkins finished the race with a time of 1:22.37 and was a little more than a second off from placing within the top-10. Her latest time was just under her state-qualifying mark at East Coast Elite, which clocked in at 1:21.64, but even that wasn’t beaten by her incredible finish of 1:20.90 when she competed at Highland Springs for the Class 4, Region B Championships. That regional run set a new school record for the indoor 500-meter competition.

For Sakrisson, who is in her junior year, her latest result of 28 feet, 6.5 inches was also behind her top throw at regionals, which measured in at 29-9.75 and set a new school record that topped the previous one set by her sister Selina and tied Leyla’s teammate Whittney Anderson. Powhatan had some more good news come in late last week in the form of a postseason accolade. Though she didn’t compete at states, sophomore distance runner Elizabeth Weimer was featured on the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s All-Metro second team after another fantastic year with the indoor track club. Weimer was the lone Indian to be featured on the All-Metro team.

Weimer just missed out on making states after earning a trip in her freshman year, as she placed fourth in the 3200-meter run with a time of 12:04.11 at regionals.

With the season wrapped up, attention turns toward preparation for the outdoor track and field season, which should see many familiar faces from the indoor and cross country teams. Their season kicks off with CNU’s 37th High School Captains Classic on March 24. Robby Fletcher can be reached at rfletcher@ powhatantoday.com.

comes, how much higher can they go from here?

With only two seniors departing from last year’s team, they’ll have at their disposal a battle-tested squad capable of reaching even greater heights.

Those two seniors were invaluable core members to their success last season though, with the team playing without Jordan Krauss and Kendall McMullin for the first time in years. Replacing the scoring and shot-creating impact of those two will be a challenge, but with returning goal-scorers like

senior attackers Kate Adams and Sophie Payne as well as the continued development of players like midfield sophomore Erica Krauss, the team’s offensive output should still be one of the most dynamic in the region.

An additional boost for the Indians is that Jordan Krauss is returning to assist head coach Laura Camp in working with the team. Krauss is currently a freshman player with the Christopher Newport Captains.

C&F Bank’s Athleteof the Week C& FBa nk AthleteoftheWeek

WHO: DAVID MANN

WHATHE DID:

footballandgolfatthecollegiatelevel thispastweek,choosingShenandoah Universityashisnewesthome.

Mannfieldedoffersfromschools liketheChristopherNewportCaptains andtheBridgewaterEagles,butthe prospectsofplayingbothfootballand golfwerefactoredintohisdecision.

Manniscomingoffanexcellent

footballseason,helpinghisteamget toback-to-backstatechampionships, earningAll-Statepraiseandcomingaway astheVISFLDivision2PlayeroftheYear forhiseffortsonbothsidesofthefield.

MannwillbejoiningaHornetsteam freshoffahistoricseasonwheretheywon aprogram-besteightwinsandhad14AllODACathletesandthreemorenamedto theAll-Region team.

ROBBY FLETCHER Sports Editor

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Zach Olson (bottom left in black) has worked with wrestlers at Powhatan High School and Blackhawk Gym for the past seven years.

ROBBY FLETCHER

Sports Editor

FILE PHOTO

Seniors Sophie Payne (left) and Taylor Fitzsimmons (right) look to be major game-changers for a Powhatan lacrosse team with high expectations entering the 2022-23 season.

Please see LacrOsse , Page B2

Zach Olson stands beside local wrestling talent Dylan Coward, who had a decorated high school career with the Indians.

Tennis team looks to replace impact of state champ

ROBBY FLETCHER

Editor

Sports

Last year couldn’t have been a better concluding chapter to the season for the Powhatan boys tennis team, which saw its No. 1 player, Jacob Pfab, return to the Class 4 State Final and end his Indians career as a regional and state champion.

The beginning chapter of this year’s team will have to answer the biggest question facing the Indians: who replaced Pfab and becomes the new face of Powhatan tennis?

With a handful of returning players, some promising new faces and the guiding light of wisdom that is head coach Lee Kelley, the Indians have plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into the 2022-23 campaign.

For starters, the answer as to who steps into the top spot on the depth chart should be an easy one, with sophomore Jamison Wallace taking the mantle after an excellent freshman season. Wallace built up quite the resume after his first year, earning experience at the state tournament level after winning the doubles region title alongside Pfab

in a final matchup against Hanover’s Will Hart and Ethan Belote. Aside from Wallace,

core returnees like junior Isaac Kelley and senior Noah Lawson bring some much-needed experience

to the table after Powhatan lost three players from last year’s squad. Both Kelley and Lawson

had their share of success last season, including a productive outing against Monacan that saw both

win their singles matches in convincing fashion on the way to a team victory, but with a step up on the lineup to the second and third spots, they’ll have to take on increasingly difficult competition and show just how far they’ve come since last spring.

Aside from those players taking up the top three spots, the Indians face the obstacle of inexperience entering the season. The starting lineup will feature its fair share of youth outside of the top-3, with newcomers like freshmen Maxwell Pestka and John D’Jardine as well as sophomore Darryl Sanders Jr. projected to get their chance to shine at the varsity level early in their tennis-playing careers. After an overall middle of the pack finish in last year’s standings in the Dominion District, the Indians hope to build on their 7-8 2022 record and prove to the rest of their rivals that, despite the youth movement, they’re a team that shouldn’t be taken lightly. robby Fletcher can be reached at rfletcher@ powhatantoday.com.

Camp, who is in her sixth season guiding the program, cites the heavy activity during the off-season with club ball as well as the participation in other sports like field hockey playing a role in the team’s already stellar chemistry.

“Each year I feel like we start off stronger than the last,” Camp said. “The girls are starting the season with more experience, some are playing club ball and quite a few of the girls play multiple sports together, which helps with their chemistry.”

Camp looks at the team’s versatility as a major strength as well, with multiple players proving capable of handling different positions on both ends of the field, making them a tough and unpredictable matchup for even the best opponents.

The Indians also can’t be talked about without looking at their huge senior class of multiyear contributors. A group featuring Adams, Payne, Hunter King, Taylor Fitzsimmons, Carly Rehme and Sam Flippo gives them extensive in-game experience on the attacking and defending sides, with Fitzsimmons, Rehme and Flippo leading the backline defensively. Their combined leadership, energy and character have made things easier for Camp leading the younger players while still fielding a competitive team for the postseason.

While Payne and Adams anchor the attack, King and newcomers Peyton Wirt, Chloe James and Emma Terry provide depth to the offensive core of goal-scoring threats. The midfield has the threat of speed and versatility led by the rising talent that is sophomore Erica Krauss while Caroline Camp, Chloe Holt and Grace Hayden have proven themselves to be talented transition players that can also make stops on the ball defensively.

Powhatan also brings in some talented freshmen in Hannah Kantanen and Blakely Dowdy, who enter the season with hype and the expectation of making an impact at the varsity level.

Camp says their impact in the circle and on the draw will be something to keep an eye out for as they earn opportunities on the field.

Defensively, future collegiate talent Flippo stands out as one

Olson

From B1

of the most noticeable impact players preventing opponents from getting shots on goal. Flippo, a multi-sport athlete at Powhatan, has already committed to playing lacrosse at High Point University next season

how practices were generally split up into group based on skill level, whereas in the programs he experienced in New York, they were organized as one massive practice group regardless of experience. He quickly incorporated that style into his own sessions, focusing on everyone getting the same teachings and avoiding an emphasis on a select few athletes.

“Everybody is the same level of importance to myself and the rest of the staff

and what she can do in her last run with Powhatan will be a big story to watch unfold throughout the season. She’ll have plenty of help defending the goal thanks to Rehme and Fitzsimmons, both of whom bring size and highlevel athleticism to the back line. Newcomers Katherine Ce -

here,” Olson said. “Nobody is more special than anyone else. You don’t need to be talented to be a good wrestler. Wrestling is a sport of time and effort, it’s not based on talent.”

While the lessons in the sport are universal, the interpersonal communication to each athlete is not. Olson says it was an adjustment going from working exclusively with college athletes to a broader range of kids, but he’s fully identified the different ways to work with kids coming from different backgrounds.

“When a kid needs a hug, he gives a hug. When they

rullo, Miriah Keuther and freshman Katelyn Williams add depth to the defense as well, giving Camp options to play around with throughout the season. In the net, sophomore MacKenzie Halfon moves up from the junior varsity squad looking like a potential All-Region type of goalie after leading the JV team to an undefeated season last year. Halfon was also a standout performer in net for the Powhatan field hockey team last fall. Camp says seeing her growth as a goalie is an exciting aspect of this coming season.

When looking at the roster and reputation of this year’s lacrosse team, it’s understandable to see why the hype has been built up as high as it’s been since their season ending last year. With a chance to continue carving out history for a program on the rise, the Indians look motivated and energetic for the season to start. Now all we have to do is sit back and watch what kind of new ground they cover in 2023. robb y Fletcher can be reached at rfletcher@powhatantoday.com.

need tough love, he gives tough love,” Fitzsimmons said. “All these kids are at different stages and have different stories at home, and he’s very good at identifying and personalizing attention to the individual need.”

While he’s always working, Olson says there’s always more work to be done. Things like their annual car show, a local golf tournament and the Mike Walter Memorial Wrestling Tournament aim to bring the community together, raise money for the wrestling program and provide financial help to local families in need. Olson wants to continue keeping these

traditions going for the good of both the program and the community.

While the high school team has seen its share of success with multiple region titles and state qualifiers, Olson also hopes that these efforts can eventually contribute to the school winning a state title, something he considers the ultimate end goal.

In the meantime, it’s business as usual for the Blackhawk coach, who will continue his 80-hour work weeks and welcome the young wrestlers hoping to be the stars of the game when they’re ready to take the next step to the high school level.

FILE PHOTO

Powhatan sophomore Jamison Wallace steps into the top spot on the tennis team’s depth chart this year, replacing state champion Jacob Pfab.

senior defender sam Flippo will be a key presence on the back line in her final season at Powhatan before she heads to high Point University.

Midfielder caroline camp is one of the emerging talents that have made Powhatan one of the top teams in the region.

FILE PHOTOS

Lacrosse

From B1

AntarcticSquidSolve

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“Forthousandsofyears,fish wereagreatnaturalsourceofDHA. Butdueto industrialfishfarming practices,thefishweeatandthe fishoilsyouseeatthestoreareno longerasnutrient-denseasthey oncewere,”heexplains.

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THESECRETTOA LASTINGMEMORY

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Agroundbreakingstudyfrom theUniversityofAlbertaconfirmed this.Animalsgivenadietrichin DHAsawa29%boostintheir hippocampus—thepartofthe brainresponsibleforlearningand memory.Asaresult,theseanimals becamesmarter.

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PEOPLE’SBRAINSARE SHRINKINGANDTHEY DON’TEVENKNOWIT

Dr.Searsuncoveredthat sometimeduringthe1990s,fish farmersstoppedgivingtheiranimals anatural,DHA-richdietandbegan feedingthemadietthatwas70% vegetarian.

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MEMORY-RESTORINGSENSATION: ThememorysavingoilinthisAntarcticsquid restoresdecades oflostbrainpowerstartinginjust24hours.

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Dr.Searsandhisteamworked tirelesslyforover2yearsdeveloping auniquebrain-boostingformula called OmegaRejuvenol It’smadefromthemostpowerful sourceofDHAintheocean,squid andkrill—twospeciesthatcannot befarmed.

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MOREIMPRESSIVERESULTS

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Blessed Sacrament honors St. Katharine Drexel

CONTRIBUTED REPORT

On St. Katharine Drexel Feast Day, held on Friday, March 3, students at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School took a moment to honor Saint Katharine Drexel, one of the school’s founders and the patron saint of racial justice. St. Katharine Drexel, the second American-born saint canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, was the founder of the religious order of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

In 1897, using funds inherited from her father, Drexel founded St. Emma Military Academy, at Belmead in Powhatan County, a military school for young African American men and the first of its kind. In 1899, she founded St. Frances De Sales, also on the grounds of Belmead. It was the first school for Af-

rican American women in Virginia. St. Katherine and her order ultimately established well over a hundred schools around the nation for African American and Native American students. Her schools were established as a countermeasure against segregation, poverty, prejudice and slavery’s other legacies. She died in 1955 at the age of 96 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

When the two schools closed in 1970, with school integration taking hold across the country, Blessed Sacrament School at Belmead opened on the same campus at Belmead. In 1998, the Blessed Sacrament High School at Belmead and Huguenot Academy merged to become Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School.

Each Feast Day for Saint Katharine Drexel, the BSH community honors the

saint’s legacy by reaffirming commitment to Saint Katharine’s mission to provide opportunity and access for all students to an exceptional education. The St. Katharine Drexel scholarship at Blessed Sacrament, founded in 2022 by a BSH family, supports and honors two minority students each year with tuition grants of $7,500 for each. The plan to grow the scholarship endowment over the next 10 years was further advanced recently with a gift of $250,000 pledged for the endowment.

More information about the scholarship can be found on the school website at https://bshknights.org/admissions/ b sh-scholarship-programs/. Additionally, BSH welcomes inquiries from individuals and companies with interest in supporting this mission.

COUNTY

Powhatan county Public Library invites families to join in the fun of the weekly stor ytime! Using songs, fingerplay and books to introduce children to reading and language, stor ytime is a great way to reinforce early literacy skills. stor ytime is offered every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. It is free and open to the public.

PCPS kindergarten registration opens

REPORT

CONTRIBUTED

Powhatan County Public Schools is gearing up for kindergarten and preschool registration for the 2023-2024 school year with appointments beginning on April 13 to 14.

Parents sign up for specific appointment times once they complete the online registration form. At the appointment, registration will be completed, students will be screened, parents will receive kindergarten resources and there will be a photo area to capture this special moment.

The school division is asking for the community’s help in reminding anyone with a child that will be age 5 by Sept. 30 to begin enrolling now. This is an exciting

time for schools to welcome their newest students. It is also important to get students screened and on the rosters as soon as possible to be better prepared for the start of the new school year.

Kindergarten registration times and dates are:

„ Flat Rock Elementary School: April 13 from 9:15 — 11:15 a.m.; 12:40

— 2:40 p.m. and 4:15 –

6 p.m. April 14 from 9:15

— 11:15 a.m. and 12:40 — 2:40 p.m. This year’s theme is “Step Right Up to Kindergarten, The Greatest Class on Earth!”

„ Pocahontas Elementary School: April 13 from 9:15 — 11:15 a.m.; 12:15 — 2:45 p.m.; and 4:15 — 6:15 p.m. April

14 from 9:15 — 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 — 2:45 p.m. This

year’s theme is “Pocahontas Welcomes a New Batch of Kindergartners.”

„ Powhatan Elementary School: April 13 from 9:15-11 a.m.; 1-2:45 p.m.; and 4-6 p.m. April 14 from 9:15-11 a.m. and 1-2:45 p.m. This year’s theme is “You’re in for a Treat, Kindergarten Life is Sweet!”

In addition, the preschool (VPI/ Head Start) application process for children turning age 3 and 4 by Sept. 30 is also available online beginning March 21. Check the Powhatan County Public Schools website, http:// www.powhatan.k12.va.us, for information or contact your local school with kindergarten registration or preschool application questions.

PHOTO COURTESY OF POWHATAN

PUBLIC LIBRARY

POWHATAN LIBRARY INVITES FAMILIES TO STORYTIME

PHOTO COURTESY OF BLESSED SACRAMENT HUGUENOT SCHOOL

Father Paul Kkonde, shown here with two Blessed sacrament huguenot students, helped the school celebrate st. Katharine drexel Feast day.

PublicNotice–EnvironmentalPermit

PURPOSEOFNOTICE:Toseekpubliccomment on adraftpermitfromtheDepartmentofEnvironmentalQualitythatwillallowthefillingof wetlandsandstreamsinPowhatanCounty, Virginia. PUBLICCOMMENTPERIOD:For30days,startingfromthedayafterthenoticeisinthe newspaper:March9,2023,toApril8,2023 PERMITNAME:VirginiaWaterProtectionPermitissuedbyDEQ,undertheauthorityofthe StateWaterControlBoard APPLICANTNAME,ADDRESSANDPERMIT NUMBER:Hopson,L.L.C.(RayAvery);P.O.Box 397,Midlothian,VA23113;VWPPNo.20-2109 PROJECTDESCRIPTION:Hopson,L.L.C.hasappliedfor anewpermitfortheWalnutCreek Section 7project.Theprojectislocatedsouth ofAndersonHighway(RouteUS60)approximately0.4milessouthwestoftheintersection ofWalnutTreeBoulevardandAndersonHighwayinPowhatanCounty,Virginia.Thepermit willallowtheapplicanttofillsurfacewater wetlandsandstreamsfortheconstructionofa residentialcommunitytoinclude23residential lots,necessaryroadways,andutilityinfrastructure.Theproposedactivitywouldaffect 0.24acresofpalustrineforestedwetlandsand 487linearfeetofstreambed.Thisprojectis consideredcumulativewithDEQEnforcement ActionNo.PR08-0206,whichincludesthepermanentunauthorizedimpactsto1.08acresof wetlandsand3,700linearfeetofstreamchannel.Therefore,totalcumulativeimpactsfor thisfacility,includingthoseauthorizedbythis permitandpreviouspermits,arepermanent impactstonomorethan1.29-acrePFOand 4,187linearfeetofstreambed.Theactivity proposedinthepermitwillaffectunnamed tributariesintheMuddyCreekwatershed.A watershedisthelandareadrainedby ariver anditsincomingstreams.Tocompensatefor thepermanentwetlandimpacts,theapplicant willpurchase0.42wetlandmitigationcredit(s). Ascompensationforpermanentstreamimpacts,thepermitteewillpurchase587USM streammitigationcredits.Hopson,L.L.C. agreedtomitigatefortheunauthorizedimpactsbypurchasing1.08wetlandcreditsfrom anapprovedmitigationbank,preserving 19,585linearfeetofstreamwithminimum50’ buffersoneachsidebydeedrestrictions,preserving13.88acresofwetlandswithbuffersby deedrestriction,andpreserving3.53acresof wetlandswithoutbuffersordeedrestrictions. Therefore,incombination,theapplicanthas satisfiedthecompensatorymitigationforthis permit.Ifsufficientmitigationbankcreditsare notavailable,thepermitallowsthepurchase ofwetlandandstreamcreditsfromanin-lieu feefund.DEQ’spreliminarydecisionistoissue thepermit. HOWTOCOMMENTAND/ORREQUEST APUBLICHEARING:DEQacceptscommentsandrequestsforpublichearingbye-mail,faxor postalmail.Allcommentsandrequestsmust beinwritingandbereceivedbyDEQduring thecommentperiod.Submittalsmustinclude thenames,mailingaddressesandtelephone numbersofthecommenter/requesterandof allpersonsrepresentedbythecommenter/requester. Arequestforpublichearingmustalso include:1)Thereasonwhyapublichearing isrequested.2) Abrief,informalstatementregardingthenatureandextentoftheinterest oftherequesterorofthoserepresentedbythe requestor,includinghowandtowhatextent suchinterestwouldbedirectlyandadversely affectedbythepermit.3)Specificreferences, wherepossible,totermsandconditionsofthe permitwithsuggestedrevisions. Apublic hearingmaybeheld,includinganothercommentperiod,ifpublicresponseissignificant, basedonindividualrequestsfor apublichearing,andtherearesubstantial,disputedissues relevanttothepermit. Thepublicmayreviewthedraftpermitand applicationattheDEQofficenamedbelowor mayrequestcopiesofthedocumentsfromthe contactpersonlistedbelow. CONTACTFORPUBLICCOMMENTS,DOCUMENTREQUESTSANDADDITIONALINFORMATION:CaraWitte;VirginiaDept.ofEnvironmentalQuality,PiedmontRegionalOffice,4949ACoxRoad,GlenAllen,Virginia,23060;Tel: (804)712-4192;cara.witte@deq.virginia.gov; Fax:(804)698-4178

NOTICETOTHEPUBLICOFANAPPLICATIONBY CENTRALVIRGINIASERVICES,INC.,FORACERTIFICATE OFPUBLICCONVENIENCEANDNECESSITYTOPROVIDE LOCALEXCHANGETELECOMMUNICATIONSSERVICESIN

THECOMMONWEALTHOFVIRGINIA

CASENO.PUR-2023-00004

OnJanuary24,2023,CentralVirginiaServices, Inc.d/b/aFireflyFiberBroadband("Firefly"),filedan application("Application")withtheStateCorporation Commission("Commission")foracertificateofpublic convenienceandnecessitytoprovidelocalexchange telecommunicationsservicesthroughouttheCommonwealthofVirginia.

CopiesoftheApplicationmaybedownloaded fromtheCommission’swebsite:

scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information,ormaybeobtainedbycontactingFirefly’scounsel:TimothyE.Biller, Esquire,andJamesG.Ritter,Esquire,HuntonAndrews KurthLLP,951EastByrdStreet,Richmond,Virginia 23219,tbiller@huntonak.com,ritterj@huntonak.com.

OnorbeforeMarch24,2023,anyinterested personmaysubmitcommentsontheApplicationelectronicallybyfollowingtheinstructionsontheCommission’swebsite: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-PublicComments.Thoseunable,asapracticalmatter,tosubmitcommentselectronicallymayfilesuchcomments byU.S.mailtotheClerkoftheCommission,c/oDocumentControlCenter,P.O.Box2118,Richmond,Virginia 23218-2118.AllcommentsshallrefertoCaseNo.PUR2023-00004.

OnorbeforeMarch24,2023,anyinterested personmayfilearequestforahearingontheApplicationwiththeClerkoftheCommissionat scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling.Thoseunable,asapracticalmatter,tofileelectronicallymayfilearequestfor hearingbyU.S.mailtotheClerkoftheCommissionat theaddresslistedabove.Suchrequestforhearing shallincludetheemailaddressesofsuchpartiesor theircounsel,ifavailable.Requestsforahearingshall include:(i)aprecisestatementofthefilingparty’sinterestintheproceeding;(ii)astatementofthespecific actionsoughttotheextentthenknown;(iii)astatementofthelegalbasisforsuchaction;and(iv)aprecisestatementwhyahearingshouldbeconductedin thismatter.Allrequestsforahearingshallreferto CaseNo.PUR-2023-00004.Personsfilingarequestfor hearingshallserveacopyoftheirrequestuponFirefly. CENTRALVIRGINIASERVICES,INC.

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Terms: 10%Buyer ’s Premiumand VA Sales TaxCharged.Allitemsbeingsold “asis, whereis”.Auction companywillchargecreditcardon file fortotalinvoicesup to $300max. Anyinvoices overthisamountmustbepaid by cash, certifiedor cashier ’s check at pickup Auctionstartsending at 5PMESTwith asof tclose.Pleasenotethatifabidis placedinthelast 3minutesofbidding,theclockwillbe ex tendedanadditional 2minutes

Shipping: NoShippingprovided by Auction Company. Pickupmustbear ranged duringtheadvertisedpickupdate/time

Pick-Up: Saturday, April1stfrom10 AM –2PMat5700 Kingsland Rd., Richmond, VA 23237(NorthChester field)

Contac tBroker/Auctioneer Matt Gallimoreat 540-239-2585orDarrellHylton at 540-250-0850oremaildwh@sw va.net

102S. Locust Street, Floyd, VA 24091 (540)745-2005 VaAuctionPro.com

Lic#2907004059

BlueRidge Land &AuctionCo.

NOTICEOFDELINQUENT TAXESAND JUDICIALSALEOFREALPROPERTY

On April10,2023orassoonthereafterasmaybeeffected,actionswillbe commencedundertheauthorityof VirginiaCode§58.1-3965, etseq.,tobegin proceedingstosellthe followingparcelsof realestate forpaymentoftheCounty of Powhatandelinquent realestatetaxes:

ShortonCash?

CLASSIFIEDS PL ACEYO UR AD TODAY (8 04 )746-1235 ex t. 2 CALLPOWHATANTODAY 1.800.476.0197x16 LEGALS PropertyOwner(s) TaxMapNo. Current AccountNo. Previous AccountNo. TACS No. 1631Enterprises LLC. 042A-3A-17157059327584839530 MistyM.Berry& VirginiaM.Bess 038-61A157047886089839545 MistyM.Berry& VirginiaM.Bess 038-61157047886088839545 David C. Creasy,Jr. &JenniferCreasy 015-4-10157008481079839556 John W. Campbell& Diane C. Campbell 034-2A157041825159839553 AlcidesM.Delcid& ElsyM.Andino 027C-3-51571308616362839537 SandraWhiteDillard042A-1-2A157058787518839527

Vernon

MFunn 008-3915700204251839561 Priscilla B. Hancock035-58E157042975302839540 Terry P. Hart 028A2-1C-45157026363299839532

David

W. Lassiter& Peggy N. Lassiter 017B-5-161570920111573839565

CharlesEarlMoore, Jr.&SandraM Moore 026-100B157020412528839603

Announcements LEGALDISPLAYADS LEGALDISPLAYADS LEGALDISPLAYADS

GeorgeA.Saunders,

Jr.,etals. 026-100J1570975112334839557

AmosSmothers

Estate 005-1115700114125839574

William J. Thomas015-7-1157008891121839582

Christopher T.

Trevillian &Ambre

N. Trevillian 046-20J1571144214300839547

RichardB.Wade&

AndreaM. Wade 042A-5A-8157059817651839526

BrettZebrowski 016-52157010371288839604

Propertiessubjecttodelinquent realestatetaxesmayberedeemed by payingall accumulatedtaxes,penalties,interest,costsandfees.Paymentsshouldbemade payabletothe Countyof Powhatan andmailedto Taxing AuthorityConsulting ServicesPC,PostOfficeBox31800,Henrico, Virginia,23294.Inquiries regarding the above-listedpropertiesshouldbedirectedto TACS at (804)545-2500or www.taxva.comortaxsales@taxva.comor by mailto: JohnA.Rife,Esq. Taxing AuthorityConsultingServices,PC Re:Countyof PowhatanDelinquentRE Taxes PostOfficeBox31800 Henrico,VA23294

$1,500SIGNINGBONUS

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Business& ServiceDirectory LEGALNOTICES LEGALNOTICES LEGALNOTICES

Allyouneedis adependablevehicleand avalidVirginiadriver’s licenseforconsideration.

Signingbonusisfor alimitedtime,sodon’tmissout. ContactusNOWatRichmond.com/Carriersor (804)649-6872tolear nmore.

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