Inside A8 Ministry holds Back to School Prayer Breakfast
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Previewing upcoming fall seasons for Powhatan, BSH teams
Vol. XXXV No.. 8
August 25, 2021
Board examines how to improve local roads By Laura McFarland Editor
P
OWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors recently took a closer look at transportation needs in the county with a focus on recommended improvements to Routes 711 and 60 that range from a few thousand to multimillion dollar projects. During the board’s meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 17, the supervisors heard a presentation from Rebecca Worley, resident engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), about two studies finished this year that looked at Powhatan’s main arterial roads.
Worley presented the recommendations from VDOT that came out of the Route 60 Corridor Study and the Route 711 Safety Study, both of which were completed this year. Depending on how the board decides to move forward, the results of the studies could shape the county’s transportation initiatives for years to come. The Route 711 Safety Study looked at a 12.3-mile stretch on Route 711 (Huguenot Trail) between Maidens Road on the west side and Huguenot Springs Road on the east side. Fiveyear crash data was collected and analyzed for the entire roadway and crash patterns and hotspots (higher-crash segments and intersections) were identi-
Free Clinic holds grand opening for new building
fied. Field investigations were conducted with the emphasis on the identified crash hotspots. Based on the safety analysis and field observations, VDOT recommended either low- or high-cost mitigations for each hotspot and cost estimates were prepared for each tier. Mitigation costs ranged from $141,143 on the low end to $5.79 million with larger projects, according to the study. The Route 60 Corridor Study produced some high-dollar recommendations to mitigate traffic impacts now and in the future. The study was part of a larger study that looked at a 103-mile stretch of the road between Powhatan and Amherst counties. Worley laid out
the recommendations made for eight different intersections in Powhatan County, some of which were recommended as combined projects. The board had a brief discussion about the feasibility of the projects, especially the high-dollar proposals. SMART Scale funding will continue to be a priority for the board, but they also discussed the funds Powhatan will receive annually from the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (an estimated $1.5 million each year) and how they will decide to use those funds. Chairwoman Karin Carmack, who represents District 5, pointed out that see ROADS, pg. 5
Woodsons wrap up year as Christmas Mother, Father By Laura McFarland Editor
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
The Free Clinic of Powhatan held a grand opening ceremony on Aug. 17 to officially open the new facility in full operations. Since the clinic began some of its operations in the new building in March, it has handled 536 visits for varying health needs, including medical, mental health, and dental. Cutting the grand opening ribbon during the ceremony were the Rev. Bryan Stevens, from left, board member; Jay Turner, board chair; Connie Moslow, executive director of the clinic, and Ned Smither, county administrator.
Williams denies claims he supports forced vaccinations
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
JoAnn and Jim Woodson hang out with Santa Claus at the Spaghetti Dinner they hosted in December 2020 as a benefit for the Powhatan Christmas Mother program.
the tradition of how we help people in the community. That is what the Christmas Mother is all about,” Jim said.
Looking back at the last year, JoAnn said the experience was as much about the little moments see WOODSON, pg. 4
Survivors:
By Laura McFarland Editor DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
POWHATAN – In a year where life was anything but normal, JoAnn and Jim Woodson tried to embrace as much tradition as they could while serving as the Powhatan Christmas Mother and Father for the 2020 season. Last summer, at the start of their year in these important community roles, the Woodsons knew their time as Christmas Mother and Father would be different from anyone who had gone before them. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t still embrace everything they loved about the Christmas Mother program and what it brings to the community, they said. “Even though it was a pandemic, we still wanted to continue with the Christmas Mother and
POWHATAN – Days after a robocall accused David Williams of supporting forced vaccinations, the Powhatan supervisor offered a resolution for his fellow DAVID WILLIAMS board members to consider that asks for the General Assembly to repeal the authority that it has granted officials to impose mandates. During the board comment period of the Aug. 17 meeting, the District 1 supervisor started by denying the veracity of a message that went out in a robocall to many Powhatan residents the week before that accused him of supporting forced COVID-19 vaccinations. The automated message, which said it was from Joe Ordia with the Virginia Constitutional Conservatives, said the group was trying to get Powhatan County to oppose forced vaccinations. It claimed Williams “supports forcing you and your family to take these experimental drugs, which do not even have FDA approval yet.” The message gave out Williams’ phone number and urged people to call him and tell him to support efforts to stop the forced vaccinations of Powhatan County residents. “Unless you do, do not be surprised when you and your family are forced to submit to these drugs that have not even resee VACCINATIONS, pg. 1
Local women show they are more than a cancer diagnosis By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – The word survivor has strong connotations in the fight against cancer. The word lumps together a group of people that numbers in the millions, yet each experience, each fight, is its own story. Powhatan has its fair share of those stories. In just over four weeks, teams of people in Powhatan and Chesterfield counties will join together in the Relay for Life event for the joint South of the James team. This year’s Relay will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18 at
Westchester Commons, 15786 WC Main St. in Midlothian. On the journey to that date, the Powhatan Today will share the stories of a group of Powhatan women who have had their own stories with that dreaded word – cancer. Similar to the Porches of Powhatan series our readers may remember from 2020, the inspiration for this series started with the idea for a photograph. Powhatan photographer Anjie Kay made the decision several months ago to honor a local group of cancer survivors with an afternoon of pampering see SURVIVORS, pg. 3
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