Virginia Gazette News

Busch Gardens Williamsburg's newest roller coaster, the DarKoaster, opens Friday, May 19, bringing the park's coaster count to 10. The first all-indoor "straddle coaster" offers a 2,454-foot, two-minute-long ride and has a 36 mph max speed, making it more accessible for families than many of the park's "extreme thrill" coasters.

On Thursday, May 11, 2023, 97 people from 48 different countries officially became U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony at the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown, Va.

A jogger found the woman's body off Old Williamsburg Road. The sheriff's office identified her as Tyosha Tanique Mitchell, 25, of Richmond.

A York student has been charged with threats of death or bodily injury to persons on school property and destruction of property.

Milligan University student Eli Cramer died in the 2022 crash on Williamsburg Pottery Road.

The U.S. government is launching a new program to combat the scourge of derelict crab and lobster traps. When abandoned, the gear can dilute harvests and kill other fish in waters from Maine to Alaska. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has chosen William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science to anchor the program. Abandoned fishing equipment is a worldwide problem that’s been referred to as “ghost nets” or “land mines of the sea.” The lost equipment is often dislodged by storms or passing boats, but it still will attract and kill marine life.

State police said the vehicle did not stop after striking Andrew Davis, 64, who was walking his dog in the 4800 block of Fenton Mill Road.

According to an update from Sgt. Michelle Anaya, spokesperson for state police, 80-year-old Mish Kara was driving on I-64 eastbound when she rear-ended a tractor trailer.

The man, identified by Virginia State Police on Monday as 52-year-old Willie Dion Giles, of Gloucester, allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired it at the deputies, prompting them to return fire.

A teacher at Yorktown Elementary School, Stacy Ames, was arrested after a report she assaulted a student, according to the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office.

Towanda Futrell, owner of Futrell’s Party Adventures, LLC, was among the 23 passengers on the bus when crashed and killed three people. She started her events business in 2020 and hosted parties for children and adults.

Captain Tommy Potter, with the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Department, said Aonesty Selby and Andarius McClelland were in an “on-again-off-again” relationship but got in an argument about their relationship, during which McClelland shot Selby.

The body of a missing 18-year-old woman was found on Friday, according to the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office.

A 15-year-old boy now faces additional charges in connection with a double shooting that left one dead on New Year’s Day, according to the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office.

Winterfest on the Wisconsin and light displays at the Norfolk Botanical Garden will remain open.

The person, who has not been identified, was struck by Amtrak Northeast Regional train 67 around 11: 05 a.m. on the train tracks near the intersection of Mooretown Road and Cameron Circle.

Sixteen rowing clubs from across Hampton Roads and beyond turned out for Sunday's regatta on the Chickahominy Rover.

A Newport News police officer died by suicide at the Williamsburg Premium Outlets on Wednesday, a police spokesperson confirmed.

The event is part of Disability Voting Rights Week efforts to increase the disability vote in local communities.

Among the noteworthy developments is the Historic Triangle Recreational Facilities Authority, which is a collaborative endeavor by York County, Williamsburg and James City County to create a regional indoor sports complex to provide a place for families to work and play together.

The 2 p.m. event will include a spoken word presentation, community discussion and viewing of “History Half Told is Untold,” a documentary that looks at the history of Williamsburg’s First Baptist Church.

After years of waiting and wondering, the historic First Baptist Church excavations are fully underway.

“Everyone had so much knowledge that it was a great experience."

The committee, formed of six community members, seeks to “provide a forum for police-community interaction to address public safety and related issues in order to further enhance the quality of life in our community,” as described on the city’s website.