Charles Stevens

Press release:

The School Board has approved Charles Stevens as the new Principal for Caroline High School. Mr. Stevens earned an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and a Master’s degree in Sports Psychology from the University of Virginia. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Communications/Journalism from Lynchburg College.
Mr. Stevens believes that an excellent administrator develops trust among all stakeholders by being honest with people and living a personal and professional life of integrity. He believes that an excellent administrator takes responsibility for the care of children – their safety and their education. Lastly, he believes an excellent administrator demonstrates a positive attitude. He adds that attitude drives our actions. If we maintain a positive attitude and we strive for excellence, then that attitude will drive us to succeed. He believes that our attitude determines where we go in life.
Mr. Stevens is a published author, a Disney Outstanding Teacher of the Year nominee, as well as a former girls’ college basketball coach. His professional accomplishments include but are not limited to: Next Generation Leadership Academy (EduLead), Leaders in Transition Program, Hanover County Public Schools Leadership Academy, and National Scholastic Press Association conference speaker.

The Caroline County Board of Zoning  Appeals selected a new chairman and vice chairman last night:

W. Leo Satterwhite, Chairman   At Large Member

James Day, Vice-Chairman, Bowling Green

Dr. Carol Horton,  Port Royal

Percell Minor, Jr.  Mattaponi

Fredricka Dyson, Reedy Church

Michael D. Crist, Western Caroline

Eric Deibel,  Madison

The Caroline County Board of Supervisors rejected the staff recommended $825,439 in cuts to the proposed budget.
Those cuts, presented Tuesday night, included a $200,000 reduction to the school system, which caused an uproar amongst a large crowd of educators and the board.
“A $200,00 cut to the school system is way out of line,” said Western Caroline Supervisor Jeff Black, who is also a teacher in Spotsylvania County. “I didn’t think we were lobbying the state for more money for the schools so we could take it back from the local contribution. I have a huge problem with that number.”
The auditorium–filled with mainly teachers, parents and educators–erupted in a long applause and led board chairman Wayne Acors to get order by announcing to the crowd that neither clapping or booing is allowed in the bylaws.
The public hearing was later closed after a school administrator made comments that criticized the board’s decision to allow only one school representative to speak.
“Walk through our schools and you’ll see that our kids deserve bettter, teachers deserve better and we’re going to always stand up for our kids,” said Caroline High assistant principal Becky Elam. “Take it however you want to Mr. Acors, but we’ll support our kids no matter what.”
Another loud round of applause from school supporters filled the auditorium, and the public comment period was immediately shut down, angering others that wanted to speak.
After a request was made, a handful of residents were allowed to speak on non-school issues.
“I really truly felt badly about having to close the public comment,” Acors said later. “But I’m more disappointed that 90 percent, if not all, were teachers in our school system. I wonder what they would have done if it was one of their students [acting that way].
School Superintendent Greg Killough was disappointed that a cut was proposed without consulting him, especially since the school board was promised that they’d get level funding of $11.5 million from the county.
Bowling Green Supervisor Jeff Sili, who once sat on the school board, also disagreed with the cut.
“I thought our goal was to work closer together and here we are making decisions without them,” he said.
The board agreed that they would review the other reductions and meet with the school board on May 16 at Lewis & Clark Elementary to discuss other options.
Charles Culley, Caroline’s new county administrator, said spending needs to be reduced as much as possible and the cuts offered would require a reduction in programs.
“I recommend that each proposed reduction be cautiously evaluated by the board to determine the impact on the program and the citizenry prior to deciding if the cut should be made,” Culley said.
Other staff-recommended cuts included a $7,500 reduction to the Chamber of Commerce, saving $87,000 by eliminating the Victory Park project in Bowling Green and decreasing contributions to outside agencies by 5 percent.
Sheriff Tony Lippa said a 22 percent cut has been made to his operations budget and his department can’t take another cut without laying off personnel.
At the last meeting, the board voted to eliminate a tax break for volunteer firefighters because it cost the county more than $10,000 a year than they had expected. Instead, they plan to replace the tax break with a $15,000 annual stipend that would be shared equally among eligible volunteers.
Two tax increases, which will add about $1.8 million in revenue, were also approved at the last meeting. The real estate tax was increased by 4 cents to 72 cents per $100 of assessed value and the personal property tax saw a 38-cent increase to $3.50 per 100 percent of assessed value.
“The pie is only so big and we do the best we can to divide it out among the county,” said Port Royal Supervisor Calvin Taylor. “When we have to make cuts, it’s simply because the funding is not there.”
The board meets again on May 22.

The FRED Regional Transit System will expand its bus schedule in Caroline County.
The Board of Supervisors voted unanimous Tuesday to accept the new schedule that will go into effect on July 2.
The change will add six hours of daily service in Caroline.
Fredericksburg’s Director of Public Transit Kathleen Beck said bus routes from Bowling Green to Carmel Church will start 45 minutes earlier at 6:45 a.m. and the last route from Carmel Church to Bowling Green will leave an hour and 15 minutes later at 6:20 p.m.
First connectors to Fredericksburg will also start an hour earlier at 7:30 a.m. and the last connector from Fredericksburg to Ladysmith will run two hours later at 5:30 p.m., Beck said.
Beck said they have worked with their drivers and received input from frequent passengers to come up with the improved schedule.
Caroline budgeted $132,000 in the fiscal year 2013 budget to fund the Fred buses in the rural county. Last year, Fred reduced its services in Caroline because of a budget shortfall.
Deloris Brown, a regular FRED bus rider, said the new schedule will be beneficial to a lot of people who lack their own transportation to work or doctor visits.
“One guy lost his job due to the last schedule change,” she said. “With this one, he may be able to get his job back.”
Beck said FRED celebrated 10 years of service in Caroline in March.

A Caroline County student is in trouble with the law after drug dogs were used to search the school Wednesday.

According to Sheriff Tony Lippa, a drug dog was brought in to sweep the Caroline Diversified Learning Center, something they randomly do for training or re-certification purposes.

The dogs alerted deputies about 9 a.m. to drugs on school property, Lippa said.

An investigation led to charges against a 17-year-old male student.

He is charged with one count of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and one count of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute on school property, which carries a stricter penalty.

—Portsia Smith

The driver of a tractor-trailer that was struck by an Amtrak train Tuesday has been charged with reckless driving.

Police said Michael A. Douberly, 21, of Moseley failed to cross the listed train crossing before being struck by the southbound train.

The crash occurred at about 9 a.m.  near the Woodford Post Office, said Caroline County Sheriff Tony Lippa.

Photos courtesy of the Caroline Sheriff's Office.

Train traffic was delayed for about four hours while clean-up crews removed debris and inspected the tracks for damage, but no vehicle traffic was affected, Lippa said.

The train had 82 passengers and was headed toward Newport News from Boston, said Amtrak spokeswoman Christina Leeds.
No one was injured.

She said the train continued on to Richmond where the passengers were given alternate transportation.

  

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A former Caroline County deputy walked out of court as a free man Tuesday after pleading guilty to one count of felony child abuse.
Clyde C. Davenport, 52, a Caroline sheriff’s deputy for nine years and briefly a candidate for sheriff in 1997, was accused of physically abusing and sexually molestating a young boy over a six-year period starting in 1998.
He accepted a plea agreement in Caroline Circuit Court Tuesday that dismissed five counts of forcible sodomy, aggravated sexual battery and malicious bodily injury for his guilty plea.
Judge J. Howe Brown sentenced Davenport to two years in prison with all but six months suspended. He received credit for time served because he already served nine months in jail while awaiting an earlier trial.
Although Brown described the offense as “severe” he said he hadn’t heard any arguments that would make him give a sentence outside the sentencing guidelines, which ranged from one day to six months in prison.
Special prosecutor George Elsasser, an assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Stafford County, and defense attorney Cary Bowen were appointed to handle the case and reached the agreement. There was no agreement on sentencing.
In court, Davenport did not admit guilt at first when Brown asked him was he pleading guilty because he was in fact guilty. He said he was pleading guilty to get it over with. But after a brief discussion with his attorney, he did admit guilt.
Davenport, who had been out of jail on bond, is in poor health and lives with his sister and two young daughters in King William County.
A three-day jury trial had been set to begin May 23 on the eight charges.
Previously, a jury of five men and seven women found Davenport guilty of malicious wounding and child abuse resulting in serious injury in September 2010 during an emotional three-day trial.

The jury recommended that Davenport serve the maximum of 30 years in prison and pay a $100,000 fine.

But that verdict was set aside by Judge Joseph Ellis last May, when he declared a mistrial after Davenport’s orginial defense attorney John LaFratta argued that Comonwealth’s Attorney Tony Spencer prejudiced the jury against his client by making statements during the trial about Davenport being a porn dealer and a racist.

“This is a nightmare I have been living since May 2008,” Davenport told The Free Lance-Star in September. “I have spent nine months in jail for nothing, for something that I did not do.”

He said the allegations against him were made up because he and the victim’s mother have had an ongoing court battle on an unrelated matter.

The charges against Davenport stem from a Virginia State Police investigation after a 2008 complaint from the Department of Social Services.

The victim, who is now 20, his mother and other witnesses said they called police about the abuse, but said they believed, because of Davenport’s relationship with the local Sheriff’s Office, nothing would ever come of it.

Davenport was hired as a deputy in December 1988 by then-Sheriff O.J. Moore and left the force in August 1997, when Homer Johnson was sheriff. He worked as a school resource officer and as a D.A.R.E. officer.

Davenport testified that he resigned in 1997 to run for sheriff that year, but later dropped his campaign.

Police say no one was injured this morning when a train collided with a tractor-trailer in Caroline County.

The incident occurred at about 9 a.m.  near the Woodford Post Office, said Sheriff Tony Lippa.

Train traffic was delayed while they worked to remove the truck and ensure the tracks are safe, but no vehicle traffic was affected, Lippa said.

Maj. Scott Moser said the driver was attempting to go over the tracks along a private dirt road when it was struck by the train.

The train had 82 passengers and was headed toward Newport News from Boston, said Amtrak spokeswoman Christina Leeds.

She said the train will continue on to Richmond where the passengers will be given alternate transportation.

The incident remains under investigation, Lippa said, and it’s unclear whether there will be any charges.

–Staff reports

A Beaverdam man will spend at least eight years in prison for a crime he says he doesn’t remember.

Dempsey Albert Coles II

Dempsey Albert Coles, 41, of Beaverdam was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday with all but eight years suspended for a March 2011 high-speed chase that started in Caroline County and ended in Spotsylvania County.
He pleaded guilty in December to two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer, attempting to elude police, three counts of obstruction of justice, reckless driving and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in Caroline Circuit Court. A charge of destruction of property was dropped.
Although he pleaded guilty to all of the charges, Coles said he doesn’t know why he tried to flee from police.
“I don’t remember what happened that day,” he said while apologizing to Judge J. Howe Brown. “I’m not a troublemaker. I don’t go around assaulting people. That’s just not something that I do.”
Defense attorney Kathy Hancock described Coles as not having a bad criminal record or being a violent person.
“He is extremely remorseful and very thankful that no one was hurt,” she said while asking for a sentence on the lower end of the guidelines. “He is mystified by his actions.”
Spencer told Brown that there was a warrant out for Coles’ arrest for failure to pay child support.
On March 7, 2011, a deputy was conducting a traffic stop for speeding on Ruther Glen Road when the driver of the car took off on foot into the woods in the Carmel Church area, Commonwealth’s Attorney Tony Spencer said in court.

The man, later identified as Coles, then left the woods and hitched a ride with an unsuspecting motorist, Spencer said.

The deputy spotted the man as a passenger in a different vehicle and conducted another traffic stop. The man fled on foot again and was chased by the deputy to the Flying J truck-stop garage and parking lot, where a brief struggle ensued, Spencer said. But he was able to get away.

End of chase in Partlow (credit: Zach Pearce)

Coles then got into a white Kia van that was parked nearby. The driver of that car was a juvenile relative whom the man had called to meet him and who didn’t know there was a police chase, Spencer said.

Spencer said the deputy yelled for the vehicle to stop and the two juveniles in the car got out of the car, while Coles hopped in the driver’s seat.
Another brief struggle ensued between the man and the deputy before the man was able to flee in that car, dragging the deputy in the parking lot as he drove off.

Caroline deputies and Virginia State Police chased the car for about 45 minutes from Carmel Church in Caroline to Partlow in Spotsylvania County before the car crashed, Spencer said.

Spencer said the car’s speed reached more than 100 mph during the chase, and the driver intentionally rammed police vehicles several times. Another Caroline deputy received a permanent injury when Coles drove his vehicle into the deputy’s driver side door.
At one point, Coles drove into an oncoming traffic lane facing a school bus that had children inside, Spencer said. The bus moved to the shoulder to avoid being hit, he said.
After his front left tire blew out, the van crashed and Coles still attempted to flee but was quickly caught by deputies.
Coles was also ordered to pay nearly $9,555 in restitution to cover damages to police vehicles.
He pleaded guilty in Spotsylvania Circuit Court to three counts of assault on a law enforcement officer, eluding police and destruction of property in March.
He will be sentenced on June 11.

BY PORTSIA SMITH