David Macaulay

1 week ago | dailypress.com | David Macaulay

NEW KENT — When Jan Marry started writing her debut novel, it didn’t take her long to decide the career of its protagonist. The New Kent County resident spent over two decades working in half a dozen libraries across the United States; it seemed a no-brainer to make her book’s heroine a librarian. While Marry admits librarian fiction may not appear as exciting as detective or science fiction novels, Jessamine, the protagonist of “Sweet Tea and Anzac Biscuits,” experiences drama and excitement.

1 week ago | dailypress.com | David Macaulay

KING WILLIAM — Two years after planners started talks with the developer, work is set to begin this month on a long-awaited Wawa store in King William County. The gas station and convenience store will occupy an important location at the intersection of King William Road (Route 30) and the Richmond Tappahannock Highway (Route 360) in the Central Garage area. Work is supposed to start Tuesday, Planning Officer Joyce Wolfe told the planning commission on April 1. “It’s not an April Fools joke.

2 weeks ago | dailypress.com | David Macaulay

NEW KENT — New Kent County’s population is expected to grow by almost a third by 2050 — growth that could pose new challenges to planners in one of the fastest expanding parts of the state. The prediction comes from the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia and is shaping the county’s new 2045 Comprehensive Plan. Todd Gordon of consulting company EPR gave an update on the draft plan to a joint meeting of the Board of Supervisors and planning commission on March 26.

2 weeks ago | dailypress.com | David Macaulay

KING AND QUEEN — King and Queen County Administrator Vivian Seay has blamed “alarming” rises in costs on her proposal for another real estate tax raise as the county gets to grips with its budget for fiscal year 2026. Seay proposed a 4-cent increase in the real estate tax rate in her budget report published last month. She set out a $28.8 million budget for the county with a real estate tax rate of $0.54 per $100 of assessed value.

3 weeks ago | dailypress.com | David Macaulay

NEW KENT — There’s a new helper for New Kent students who are having a ruff day: Nala the therapy puppy. Nala, a golden retriever, recently became the fourth dog to join the New Kent Sheriff’s Office’s K-9 unit and its second therapy dog. Now about 9 weeks old, Nala is undergoing training to serve as a therapy dog in the county’s schools under the guidance of Sgt. Eric Mitchell, the county’s head school resource officer.