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Powhatan, Virginia
The hometown paper of Laura Baltz
Vol. XXVI No. 47
November 14, 2012
football team defeats Knight BSH Greenbrier Christian, advances Time to state championship. See 1B
Two more arrests made in auto shop burglaries
Powhatan resident honored for work with at-risk kids Elk Hill’s Ron Spears has been named Central Va. Partnership on Youth’s Outstanding Private Partner of the Year. See 3A.
County remains red
By Emily Darrell Staff Writer
Romney, Allen and Forbes took majority of Powhatan residents’ votes
By Emily Darrell
By Emily Darrell
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Last month, when a Powhatan sheriff’s deputy spotted a suspicious vehicle parked behind an auto repair shop off Route 60 one late evening, it led to the arrest of three Henrico men and the recovery of stolen property from seven Virginia counties, mostly property taken from auto shops. Additional search warrants have now led to the arrest of two more men who are believed to be part of the burglary team. David Lee Gray, 26, of Henrico was charged last week for his role in an August break-in in King and Queen County and Alexander Christopher Ryan Cossitt, 30, of Richmond, was charged in Cumberland County for a burglary that occurred in September. Justin Sandford, 23, James Wickline, 22, and Adam Young, 25 were charged last month in Powhatan with attempted breaking and entering, conspiracy to commit a felony, and possession of burglary tools. Authorities believe the quintet have committed burglaries in a total of 14 Virginia localities, including Chesterfield, Prince George, and King Wil-
You’ve probably seen the signs that crop up around the county near election time: “Powhatan is Republican Country.” And while certainly not every last Powhatanian considers him or herself a conservative or a Republican, the numbers don’t lie: In the General Election of 2012, Powhatan was one of the GOP’s strongest of strongholds in Virginia. In the Presidential race, more than 72 percent of the Powhatan electorate voted for Republican candidate Mitt Romney, and only 26 percent for Democrat Barack Obama. This percentage was high even in comparison to many other rural or similarly-sized localities. In Pulaski County, for instance, which lies to the
see Break-ins page 2A
Man had two prior felony convictions before taking $6 item
ELECTION WRAP-UP
County deputies had already charged three men in connection with August break-ins
And the winner isn’t...
Tanning lotion thief gets 7 months
northeast of Radford, Romney garnered 61 percent of the vote to Obama’s 36. In none of Powhatan’s surrounding counties – Goochland, Chesterfield, Cumberland, and Amelia – did Romney get more than 65 percent of the vote. Although, Obama was clearly a more popular choice among black and minority voters, racial demographics were not the only explanation. In the small western Virginia city of Covington, a locality with a smaller minority population than that of Powhatan, Obama led Romney in votes by more than 15 percent. In the congressional races, too, Powhatan leaned strongly to the right. George Allen – while ultimately losing his bid for the U.S. Senate to Demosee Election page 4A
There weren’t many, but a few Powhatan voters did choose candidates not officially on the ballot. Among the write-in votes? Michael Jackson, Mickey Mouse and Elvis. For more interesting notes on this year’s election, see page 4A.
Jason Holbrook Saunders, a 30-year-old Cumberland man, will spend seven months in the penitentiary for stealing a bottle of tanning lotion valued at $6 from a Powhatan salon. According to testimony from his September trial, Saunders accompanied his mother one day last April to the Club West Med Spa, where she went Saunders for a spray tan. After Saunders and his mother left the spa, employees noticed a bottle of lotion missing from a shelf. A Powhatan Sheriff’s Deputy then contacted Saunders about the missing lotion and both he and his mother claimed it may have accidentally fallen into her purse. Although the value of the stolen item was far under the $200 benchmark for grand larceny in Virginia, Saunders was charged with a felony due to his two prior larceny offenses. Judge Paul Cella handed Saunders a two-year prison sentence with all but seven months suspended – the low end of the sentencing guidelines – due to the petty nature of all three of the theft offenses. As Saunders’ defense attorney Ron Gore stated: “What we’re dealing with here is a twoounce bottle of tan lotion.”
Inside
Sports
Index
A2 Pantry’s founder still serving others Powhatan’s Ruby Leonord is still working to make sure others have enough to eat.
B1 PHS football season ends Indians fall to Briar Woods 34-7 in Region II quarterfinal game.
Calendar Classified Crossword Horoscope Letters
A6 B8 A11 A11 A10
Obituaries A6 Opinion A10 Quotes A2 Real Estate B8 TV Listings B10-11
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