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Powhatan, Virginia
The hometown paper of Bob Swemba
Vol. XXVIII No. 3
January 15, 2014
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
PERFECT FIT Angie Cabell’s goals changed after father’s 2001 cancer diagnosis By Ben Orcutt News Editor
Angie Cabell, the new executive director of the Powhatan Chamber of Commerce, appears to be a perfect fit for the position. During an interview at the Chamber’s office in the Courthouse Village last week, the 46-year-old said her family moved to Powhatan County when she was 2. She graduated from Huguenot Academy in 1985 and went on to major in anthropology and sociology at Sweet
Briar College. Over the years, Cabell held several positions in Powhatan County and in 2001, earned a law degree from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond in hopes of practicing law with her father, Robert G. Cabell Jr, who was a criminal defense attorney. However, her life changed dramatically when her father was diagnosed with see Cabell page 8A
AFTER FIRE: Family tries to find way back to normal By Ben Orcutt News Editor
Angel McKenney, who lost all of her belongings in a Jan. 2 fire at the home she rented in the 1900 block of Russell View Lane off Va. 13 in Powhatan County, said she and her three boys are trying to get on with their lives. Her sons — David, 13, Rayden, 9, and Austin, 8 — went back to school last week, McKenney said during an interview at her burned-out home. “We wanted them to get back to normal,” she said. While all three boys were transported to Chippenham Hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation, only David and Austin were treated and released, but Rayden remained in the hospital until the night of Jan. 4 because he required further treatment for smoke inhalation, inflammation of the lungs and difficulty breathing, McKinney said. “Rayden has to do breathing treatments every four hours and he’s on three steroids,” McKinney said. “He’s still having trouble breathing, but when he doesn’t feel well he goes to the clinic [at school].” She and her sons were staying at a hotel in Chesterfield County last week, but it was supposed to only be for several days, McKenney said. “I’m scared,” she said. “I don’t see Fire page 5A
News Editor
A retired ophthalmologist and World War II veteran, Dr. Marion Crockett Waddell had some 80 people on the edge of their seats at last week’s meeting of the World War II Round Table of Central Virginia at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in
B OA RD O F S U PE RV I S O R S
Carson Tucker elected chairman By Ben Orcutt News Editor
recapturing the Philippines to avenge the Bataan Death March, which claimed the lives of thousands of American and Filipino soldiers at the hands of the Japanese. Waddell also drew laughter on several occasions with humorous anecdotes. You had to have a sense of
Powhatan County District 5 Supervisor Carson L. Tucker said he is looking forward to using his leadership skills as chairman of the Board of Supervisors. At its Jan. 6 meeting, the Board voted unanimously to elect Tucker as chairman of the panel. “I was pleased,” Tucker said. “I was humbled of course. My peers on the Board are very gracious men and they’re all trying to do the right thing and I think they recognize that changing leadership periTucker odically makes sense to get a different perspective on things. It doesn’t change the fact that we are going to have some key dynamics. We’re going to retain the lively give and take among our board members and I think that’s very positive. I think it was a very gracious act on the part of my peers to allow me this opportunity to serve.” Tucker, 67, was first elected to the Board in 2007, and was re-elected in 2011. He served as the Board’s vice chairman last year. Tucker retired after 27 years of service with Philip Morris USA, where he was the director of leadership planning. Establishing how the Board will function will be a major part of his responsibilities as chairman, Tucker said. “I think that’s a large part of the job is to set the tone of how we do business and that tone’s going to revolve around can do, evidence-based decision making, planning very carefully what you’re trying to do over the long term, involving as many stakeholders as possible in solving problems, transparency in process and a whole lot of listening,” he said. “The bottom line is have a bias for action.”
see WWII page 7A
see Tucker page 5A
PHOTO BY BEN ORCUTT
Angel McKenney and her three sons are trying to put their lives back together after a Jan. 2 fire destroyed their home in the 1900 block of Russell View Lane off Va. 13 in Powhatan County.
WWII vet wows with stories at round table By Ben Orcutt
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Angie Cabell, Powhatan Chamber of Commerce’s new executive director.
Powhatan County as he spoke about his combat experiences as a sergeant in the U.S. Army. Waddell, 95, spoke with clarity and conviction about what it was like to battle Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater of World War II with an emphasis on being part of the 738th Ordinance of the 38th Division — also known as the Cyclone Division — in
Inside
Sports
Index
A3 Fire department responds to blaze at Dorset Market gas pump
B1 Cross-River romp Lady Indians post back-to-back victories.
Calendar Classified Crossword Horoscope Letters
A7-8 B7 A7 A7 A6
Obituaries Opinion Quotes TV Listings
A2,4 A6 A2 B4-5