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Vol. 29, No. 34 | Richmond Suburban Newspapers | December 26, 2012
STOPS AT EVERY HOME IN TOWN
Homicides top news TOP 10 STORIES OF 2012 1 – Homicides 2 – County budgets 3 – Proffers eliminated 4 – Sue Watson retires 5 – Fired-up firefighters 6 – Sniper attack diary 7 – MRMC growth 8 – HCBOS changes 9 – Christmas Parade 10 – Hanover Tomato Festival
By Melody Kinser mkinser@mechlocal.com Hanover County was rocked this year with tragedy as several members of our community, mostly young, lost their lives at the hands of others. These deaths lead our list of the Top 10 stories of 2012. A series of homicide-related deaths kicked off on Dec. 17, 2012, with the shooting of Jyreffe P. Clark, 17. The new year started with Brett A. Wells,
16, being shot on Jan. 21, followed by the Jan. 28 murder-suicide of 3-year-old twins Caroline and Madison King at the hands of their father, Robert D. King, 40. Beaverdam Road resident Sarajane M. Hakopian, 44, was killed on Jan. 30, and Sabrina Maters Markham, 30, fell victim to her estranged husband, Ryan Markham, 33, on June 2. Other than Hakopian, all the victims lived in the Mechanicsville area. File photo All of the deaths were investigated by Flowers and toys were placed outside the Mechanicsville residence where see HOMICIDES, pg. 7 two young twins were killed in a murder-suicide this year.
Dorothy Carter Cox turns 100 Despite all the developments she has witnessed, family still comes first By Paula Neely for The Mechanicsville Local
vehicles, airplanes, telephones, television, space travel and computers during her lifetime. ive generations joined But, without question, she said last Wednesday in her family has been the highcelebrating a major light of her life. milestone in a “My children and grandMechanicsville woman’s life. Dorothy Carter Cox is now 100 children have always come first with me, and I’ve always been years old. first with them,” she said. The centenarian was hon“We are very blessed that ored with a party hosted by her she’s here,” Juanita Tyler, her daughter, Gwen Heath. youngest granddaughter and She is the mother of two, caretaker, said. grandmother of six, greatAlthough she has some grandmother of seven and memory loss and uses a walker great-great-grandmother of and wheelchair to get around, one. Photo courtesy of Adrian Tyler she is remarkably healthy for She said she has witnessed Dorothy Carter Cox is shown with five generations: Dorothy her age. She does not take any the development of indoor Carter Cox, Gwen Cox Heath, Juanita Heath Tyler, Lauren Tyler McMillan and Cayla McMillan, six weeks old. medications and enjoys riding plumbing, electricity, motor
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Paula Neely for The Local
Dorothy Carter Cox is shown with her faithful companion Tweety.
around Mechanicsville with Juanita, who quit her job with
SunTrust Mortgage to take care of her 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A member of the Cool Spring Baptist Church, Dorothy has led an active outdoor life and she participated in a number of bowling leagues. She cut her own grass until she was in her early 90s, and she eats anything she wants. Her favorite foods are chocolate and ice cream. “I don’t feel 100,” she said. Born in1912, Dorothy is a direct descendent of Robert “King” Carter, a Colonial governor of Virginia from Lancaster who owned large see 100, pg. 4