Poquoson@

Saturday, September 13, 2025

James City County is open to welcoming data centers, with restrictions

Sept. 13, 2025

Good morning, Historic Triangle!

A weekend of beautiful weather is ahead.

Today's afternoon highs will reach the mid-70s, according to Meteorologist Tony Nargi of WTKR News 3. Overnight temperatures will drop into the upper 50s and 60s.

Sunday will be partly cloudy with highs in the mid-70s to near 80s. Mainly dry conditions are expected, and dew points will be comfortable, in the low to mid-60s.

Meteorologist Tony Nargi's weekend weather outlook. (Photo via Facebook)

Monday's weather will be similar, though spotty showers are possible in the afternoon.

Rain chances increase significantly for Tuesday and Wednesday before drier weather returns to close out the work week.

Now to the news.

-Christin

James City County is open to welcoming data centers - with restrictions

Server racks in a data center. (Photo by Shock via Adobe)

The James City County Board of Supervisors is open to the idea of bringing data centers into the county, but with restrictions.

The board voted on Tuesday to approve a zoning ordinance update that would require permits for prospective data centers and limit the areas in which they could be constructed.

The decision comes just weeks after York County developed its own guidelines regulating data center development amid concerns the facilities could strain local energy sources and disturb nearby residents.

The county's planning commission, by a vote of 6-1, recommended that the Board of Supervisors develop a comprehensive policy to identify best practices for reviewing data centers.

The policy, they said, should include regulations surrounding size, electrical and water source demands, noise, fencing and storage of equipment.

Supervisor John McGlennon expressed concern with the planning commission's recommendation that data centers should be exclusively allowed in the southern portion of the county, where other industrial sites are present.

Those zones are adjacent to established neighborhoods, he said, and data centers there would still impact residents.

"We need to make sure we have the opportunity to do a full investigation into the implications of approval," McGlennon said. "I can't predict the future, but I can speculate that like computers, data centers are likely to shrink in size, increase in efficiency and improve over time as long as they are around."

Some context: Data centers are large facilities used to store computing machines and their related hardware. They often require specific supporting equipment like back-up batteries and power generators, water cooling centers and various electric utility systems.

The high-tech sites have been a source of contention in recent years, particularly in Northern Virginia, which is home to the largest data center market in the world.

One mega data center campus in Manassas consumes "as much energy as an entire city," according to Business Insider. The facilities are popping up at a rate of two per week nationwide as artificial intelligence continues to have an increasingly powerful role in the U.S. economy.

In addition to consuming large amounts of water and energy, data centers have gained a reputation for being noisy. In Northern Virginia, some residents living near large data facilities say they hear a continual humming sound. According to proponents, sound shrouds can address that issue.

On the economic front, data centers have provided considerable economic boosts.

Virginia's existing centers have provided more than 74,000 jobs and add $9.1 billion to the Commonwealth's GDP annually, according to a report by the state legislature's Audit and Review Commission.

Supervisor Michael Hipple stressed the need to "be careful" when considering how to handle prospective data centers but said the newer sites have a smaller footprint than their predecessors.

"The older systems, the bigger systems, they're noisy, they [use] a lot of power, a lot of water and everything else," Hipple said. "But it's changed a lot, and it's not that way now."

Hipple added that data centers could provide needed jobs, unlock a new source of revenue and make it possible to reduce the burden on taxpayers.

Resident Chris Henderson, who has represented BASF Corporation for the past 25 years, said the current BASF site would be ideal for a data center. He urged the supervisors to avoid setting up barriers that could prevent economic growth as the county considers funding a costly new government center.

"We need the additional revenue," Henderson said. "You're contemplating spending $250 million, and here's an opportunity for you to get that facility paid for without that money having to come off the backs and wallets of the taxpayers."

Historic Jamestowne commemorates Bacon's Rebellion in September with educational walking tours, special events

Ordinary citizens were aggrieved that the governor seemingly sided with Virginia Indians over increasingly violent land disputes as the English colonists moved west. (Photo courtesy of the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation)

Jamestown historians are reflecting on the anniversary of Bacon's Rebellion this month, nearly 350 years after the history-altering incident took place.

The events surrounding the rebellion peaked on the night of September 19, 1676, when rebels led by Nathaniel Bacon marched on the capital, burning it to the ground.

The group was trying to overthrow the government of Sir William Berkeley, a wealthy planter who was perceived to be too accommodating to Indigenous tribal nations as the colonists moved further west.

Why it matters: The rebellion ended after Bacon's death, American patriots came to view the events as a symbol of the power of the common man.

Upcoming events: Historic Jamestowne is commemorating Bacon's Rebellion throughout the month of September with in-depth walking tours every Saturday. The walks retrace the most important sites of the rebellion at Jamestown and analyze the complex cultural context of local history.

Additional special programming will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20, including two immersive living history programs, educational tours and historic trades demonstrations. All events are included with admission to the Preservation Virginia portions of Historic Jamestowne.

For more information or a full schedule of events, visit historicjamestowne.org.

Majority of York County residents opposed to renaming Magruder Elementary, new survey says

Magruder Elementary School. (Photo by Christin Nielsen/The Triangle)

A majority of York County residents are not in favor of renaming Magruder Elementary School, according to the results of a recent survey on the matter.

The survey was launched in July to gauge public opinion surrounding a petition to update the name of the school, which is located in Upper York County and serves over 650 students.

A local grassroots organization called the Campaign for Honorable and Inclusive School Names requested the change because of the name's connection to Confederate soldier John Bankhead Magruder.

Magruder was a prominent general who organized the defense of Richmond during the Civil War. He also oversaw the burning of Hampton in 1861 and ordered the capture and killing of slaves. According to The Hampton History Museum, he sought to establish a pro-slavery colony in Mexico following the Confederacy's Civil War defeat in 1865.

The results of the community survey were presented at the school board's work session on Monday. About 2,100 people responded, which included 1,700 people directly connected to the school division and 327 county residents. According to the data, 80 people who were not county residents also weighed in.

Of the 1,700 internal survey respondents, one-third said they supported the renaming, while 57% said they opposed it and 11% did not have an opinion.

Among the 408 people within the general public who responded, 47% said they supported the renaming, 51% said they were opposed and 2% said they did not have an opinion.

Supporting the renaming: The most common argument in support of the renaming was opposition to "honoring confederate figures," the survey found. Others cited a need for students to be instilled with appropriate educational values and role models. Some said the school's name did not align with the division's commitment to inclusion.

Against the renaming: On the other side, the most common reason cited for opposing the renaming was the cost. Respondents also mentioned the importance of learning from history rather than erasing it, skepticism of political motivations and community attachment to the traditional name, particularly among alumni.

The price tag to rename the school would be about $64,570, which would include the cost of signage, school materials and uniforms, commemorative displays and staff time involved in the updates, according to YCSD Chief Operations Officer Jim Carroll.

What's next: The school board has not yet voted on whether to move forward with the renaming. According to board chair Kimberly Goodwin, a decision is expected to be forthcoming within the next few weeks upon further review of relevant information.

Gloucester man removed as church deacon after allegedly filming 'thousands' of men in Williamsburg bathrooms

George Thomas West. (Photo courtesy of the City of Williamsburg)

Officials are investigating after a Gloucester County man was arrested in connection to the unlawful filming of men in public restrooms in Colonial Williamsburg.

George Thomas West, 76, was arrested and charged with 16 counts of unlawful filming of another person and one count of disorderly conduct, according to the Williamsburg Police Department.

The man is believed to have filmed "thousands of males" in Colonial Williamsburg and elsewhere in the region dating back to 1996, officials say. The Williamsburg-area filming is believed to have occurred primarily on Saturdays. Some of the images were shared online.

West is a resident of Gloucester County and was serving as a deacon at the Union Baptist Church in Hayes, according to WTKR News 3. He has since been removed from the position.

At a livestreamed church service on Aug. 10, the church's pastor, Jared Berry, said evidence collected by authorities revealed an ongoing "sin issue" that was "hidden for a very long time." The church's leadership and even West's closest friends were not aware of his behaviors, Berry said.

Looking for answers: Anyone who believes they may have been filmed by West in a City of Williamsburg men's bathroom is asked to contact Investigator Steve Roberts Jr. of the Williamsburg Police Department by email and include "West 825" in the subject line.

Multiple victims who were filmed on Aug. 2, 2025 - the day West was arrested - remain unidentified.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Peninsula Crime Stoppers by phone at 888-LOCK-U-UP or online here.

CRIME REWIND

A registered sex offender is behind bars again for sexually assaulting a child in York County. According to the York-Poquoson Police Department, the child was taken to Virginia Commonwealth University Children's Hospital for treatment. She stated that the man, who was a family acquaintance, abused her over an extended period of time. The suspect is identified as 47-year-old Billy Ray Brown Jr. of Yorktown. (WAVY)

A Yorktown sailor pleaded guilty to dereliction of duty in connection to the death of another sailor, according to a Navy news release. Master at Arms Second Class Jackson D. Bowe entered the guilty plea a year after the death of 22-year-old Sailor Lyndon Joel Cosgriff-Flax, who fell overboard on a harbor safety boat in the York River. (WTKR)

IN THE HEADLINES

4 injured in fiery crash on Humelsine Parkway in James City County (WTKR)
TRADOC at Fort Eustis to inactivate after 52 years (13News Now)
Extremely rare albino dolphin spotted by tour group in Chincoteague (WTKR)
Anesthesiologist at Riverside Walter Reed Hospital fired for 'highly inappropriate' social media post following Charlie Kirk's assassination (WAVY)
Virginia drops Covid vaccine prescription rule for seniors, high-risk adults (WTVR)
Gov. Cox warns social media is a 'cancer' on society and nation is at a 'watershed moment' (Associated Press)

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This newsletter was written by Christin Nielsen. Thanks for reading!

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Friday, July 18, 2025

Team Winsome and Delegate Chad Green - York County Super Saturday

Fellow conservatives:

Just wanted to remind you that tomorrow the Winsome for Governor and Chad Green for Delegate campaigns will be having our Super Saturday right here in Yorktown! Please join us for a day of action and door knocking!

Please RSVP to this link. Breakfast will be provided. Details below:

Who: Winsome's Campaign team and Delegate Chad Green

What: Day of action for Winsome Sears and Delegate Chad Green

Where: 5758 George Washington Memorial Highway, Yorktown VA 23692

When: Saturday July 19th at 10:00am

See you tomorrow!

Warm Regards,

Trevor M. Webb

Campaign Manager

W. Chad Green, Sr.

House of Delegates District 69

(757)-725-5395

GreenForDelegate.com

Friday, June 20, 2025

The Swarm Hotline: How local beekeepers are saving our pollinators

June 20, 2025

Happy first day of summer!

We'll enjoy a slight break from the heat today, but warmer weather and higher humidity will return this weekend.

High temperatures will drop into the mid-80s today, which is about 10 degrees cooler than yesterday and nearly normal for this time of year, according to Meteorologist Myles Henderson of WTKR News 3.

Sunny skies and highs in the low to mid-90s are in store for Saturday and Sunday.

Meteorologist Myles Henderson's 5-day heat index forecast. (Photo via Facebook)

Scorching weather is on the way next week, with highs climbing to the mid-90s to the triple digits Monday through Thursday. Heat indices will range between 100 and 110.

Now to the news.

-Christin

The Swarm Hotline: How local beekeepers are saving our pollinators

Members of the Colonial Beekeepers Association greet visitors at the Go Green Market in Yorktown on April 12, 2025. (Photo via the Colonial Beekeepers Association on Facebook)

Each spring, honeybees swarm.

In groups of thousands, they leave their overcrowded hives to start a new colony and often settle in tree trunks.

But they can also alarm homeowners by settling temporarily in attics, grills, tree limbs or sheds.

Instead of reaching for pesticides – which are illegal to use against honeybees in Virginia – the Colonial Beekeeper Association (CBA) urges residents to call their 24/7 Swarm Hotline at (757) 828-7707 for assistance.

Within an hour, a trained local beekeeper will arrive safely and relocate the bees to a new hive, without any extermination necessary.

The CBA is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting honeybees and educating the public across the Historic Triangle with free educational programming and training.

All members are beekeepers and come from as far south as Hampton to as far north as Middlesex.

The idea for a public swarm removal service began years ago as part of the CBA's commitment to responsible beekeeping. In 2021, the group streamlined its formerly lengthy process into what is now the Swarm Hotline.

When someone contacts the line, they are connected to an available beekeeper near them who can help immediately.

Most swarm removals are free of charge unless the bees have nested inside structures, which requires a more complex extraction.

Nathan S. Brauner, the president of the CBA, emphasized the importance of Swarm Hotline encounters in building a healthier relationship between people and a stigmatized insect: the bee.

"It really is a good way for us to further our educational mission for Colonial Beekeepers and to minimize negative interactions between people and honeybees," Brauner said.

The Swarm Hotline. (Photo courtesy of the Colonial Beekeepers Association)

Despite often being misunderstood, honeybees have played a vital role in American history.

The honeybee is not native to North America and was introduced by the Virginia Company in Jamestown in 1622.

In the 17th century, honeybees were used solely to produce honey as a food and drink sweetener, but the bees quickly became an indispensable pollinator in American agriculture.

"This honeybee is the single most important insect to the founding of America," State Delegate Patrick Hope said in an interview with NPR. "I'm surprised it took us so long to make that connection with the historical aspect.

In 2024, Hope led a bill to designate the European Honeybee as the Virginia State Pollinator, which Governor Glenn Younkin signed into law.

"If we didn't have the honeybee, then it would be very difficult for us to continue growing crops in the same way that we do," Brauner said.

Today, honeybees are responsible for pollinating 80% of the food we eat; however, their populations are declining due to pesticides, habitat loss and disease.

Calling the Swarm Hotline instead of exterminators, planting bee-friendly gardens with native flowers and buying local honey can all support honeybee preservation.

Read the full story here.

NEWS TO KNOW

York County moves to regulate data centers

The interior of a data center. (Photo by Shock via Adobe)

The York County Board of Supervisors is making strides to prevent fallout from data centers that may want to call the county home in the future.

The board unanimously passed an ordinance on Tuesday that regulates noise generation, energy consumption and water usage for any proposed data centers, even though no such proposals are currently on the horizon.

The vote came after the county's planning commission approached the supervisors in March to raise concerns about the possibility of future data center development in the county.

Without regulations in place, a new data center could create demand to upgrade the county's energy infrastructure, the commission said. That costly endeavor would be passed onto the citizens.

Under the new policy, a data center developer would be required to submit a letter from the electric utility, as well as the public water purveyor, stating that the county's current infrastructure is sufficient to serve the proposed data center.

The ordinance also attempts to rein in noise by restricting on-site generator testing to no more than two hours per day.

During public comments, residents asked the board to be proactive in ensuring that future data centers don't interfere with residents' quality of life.

Ann Grigorian urged the board to develop specific language that would limit light pollution and restrict the constant noise the centers' cooling fans can generate.

Resident Mark Williams said that while a data center could be beneficial economically for the county, he, too, worries about the noise.

"I look forward to a data center here because we need the jobs for construction as well as long term," Williams said. "However, whatever noise abatement that could be established to protect anybody's homes [or businesses], that would be great."

Context: Data centers have become a topic of contention during General Assembly meetings over the past few years as their construction has skyrocketed in the Commonwealth.

Northern Virginia is the largest data center market in the world, containing a quarter of all data centers in the Americas, according to a report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. Significant growth is expected to push further south and has already been seen along the I-95 corridor to Central Virginia.

The controversy: Data centers provide a significant boost to Virginia's economy, supplying 74,000 jobs, $5.5 billion in labor income and $9.1 billion in GDP to the Commonwealth annually. Localities also benefit from substantial tax revenues from the industry through the taxes they are required to pay.

Nonetheless, the massive facilities - used to house computer systems and telecommunications storage equipment - have ignited controversy in some of the areas where they have been built.

In Prince William County, battles surrounding data centers have become central to local politics. The county's top elected official, Board Chair Ann Wheeler, was unexpectedly ousted during the primary election on Tuesday because of her support for a large data center project.

Residents of the county have complained that the centers are "noisy, ugly and consume massive amounts of electricity that require the addition of high-voltage transmission lines," according to the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, a data center project proposal was rejected in Chesapeake earlier this week, The Virginian-Pilot reports.

What's next: While York County's supervisors refrained from adding additional noise or light restrictions to the new ordinance, they agreed they may revisit the issue later.

Board Chair Sheila Null and District 5 Supervisor Thomas Shepperd agreed that while stronger regulations could be coming down the pike, it is important to make some progress now.

"I think this is a good start," Shepperd said.

"We're ahead of the game, if you will, because we have started on this," Null said. "I just want to get us moving. We need to keep moving on it."

WJCC Schools to issue employee bonuses

The Williamsburg-James City County School Board central office. (Photo by Christin Nielsen/The Triangle)

The Williamsburg-James City County school division will soon issue bonuses to returning employees.

The school board approved the proposed payments during its meeting on Tuesday in an effort to boost employee retention.

The funds will be issued to instructional and support staff who signed a contract to return to their jobs with the school system for the upcoming 2025-26 school year. Those eligible will receive the bonuses at the end of the month.

Part-time employees will receive an additional $750, while full-time staff will receive $1,000.

The proposed payments were a frequent topic of discussion over the past several months as the board geared up to develop its budget.

The plan cost the school system about $2 million. About half of the funding was contributed by the state, while the other half was paid for by the school system.

"One of our priorities for the school division was to enhance compensation for our staff as we look to remain competitive across the region," Superintendent Daniel Keever said in a video message last month. "We have been able to address some of our compensation challenges."

A MESSAGE FROM WILLIAMSBURG PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Join Us for Wonderfully Made Dance Camp for IDD

Children of all abilities are invited to enjoy a week of creative dance, crafts, and learning about how we are all wonderfully made!

This camp is designed for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), but it is also suitable for all forms of disability or differences. Siblings are welcome, too! The recommended age range is 6 to 18.

Register for this free camp by June 22!

Click here to register.