Bank robber sought by James City police
Good morning! Local bank robbed, plus: W-JCC school superintendent takes your questions at webinar tonight; update on regional sports center, four teenagers caught with illegal machine gun conversion.
James City County police are searching for the man who robbed the Wells Fargo bank at Monticello Marketplace Saturday morning.
The suspect entered the bank shortly after it opened at 9, showed a gun, took cash and then fled on foot, police said.
Police did not say how much money was taken in the robbery.
The suspect was described as a white middle-aged man, approximately 5-foot 8-inches tall, weighing approximately 230 pounds.
He was wearing a grey jacket, grey t-shirt, jeans and a black baseball cap.
Police are asking anyone with information on the suspect’s identity or whereabouts to call Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or submit a tip online at p3tips.com.
Callers to the Crime Line and p3Tips users may remain anonymous if they wish and do not have to testify in court. They also may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 if the information provided leads to an arrest.
Regional sports center getting bookings, but will save room for local players
The new regional sports center has booked five conferences and eight sporting events for its opening next year, with another 28 events scheduled for its first full year of operations in 2027, its general manager reported.
But the Greater Williamsburg Sports & Events Center will also make room for residents of the Historic Triangle to use it, general manager Ben Hardouin told the board that oversees the facility last week.
“We really are seeing traction in the conference (business),” Hardouin told the Historic Triangle Recreational Facilities Authority board meeting Wednesday. He said staff receive “daily requests and inquiries to tour the space and to learn more about how they can host their events.”
The 5v5 Soccer tournament and the Breakthrough Basketball Camp have both been confirmed for August 2026, he said.
“We’re (also) getting a lot of interest for local meetings (and) corporate retreats,” in addition to sporting events, Hardouin said.
He said the center hopes to lock in the Savvy event; a multi-day antique and craft show that he said draws 6,000 to 7,000 people to its shows.
Center staff have also been meeting with the parks and recreation divisions of all three member localities – Williamsburg and James City and York counties – to provide access to local residents when events are not underway.
Hardouin said the goal is to provide good access to local programs without impeding the center’s ability to sell space for events that come from out of town. The latter provide a local economic boost from visitors who rent hotel rooms and patronize local restaurants and shops.
Next steps in our news journey
Just in time for Williamsburg Watch’s first anniversary next month, we will be expanding our offerings to better serve the community.
It’s been a busy year for us. We started in January with a news report twice a week and expanded this summer to three publications a week. Next month we will be providing a daily news report Monday through Friday and launching a podcast headline service.
Because there’s no such thing as a free lunch, we will start requiring a paid subscription for full access to our news. We’re finalizing our pricing, but it will be about what you’d pay for a premium coffee.
Free access to news headlines will remain available to everyone.
Speaking of stories, we want to make sure we are covering the news that matters most to you. So if you haven’t filled out our survey yet, please do so now:
Teenagers arrested with machine gun conversion
James City County police arrested four teenagers last week they said had a rifle illegally converted to a machine gun using an outlawed conversion device.
These devices allow a semiautomatic firearm — which normally fires one round per trigger pull — to fire continuously as long as the trigger is held down. Federal law defines both the device and any firearm converted to automatic fire by it as a machine gun, making possession and use of such devices unlawful for most civilians.
The arrest in the 8300 block of York River Park Rd. in James City County was the result of an ongoing York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Department investigation, police said.
Police joined Sheriff’s deputies and agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and their K-9 team to search the home and make the arrests.
They arrested 19-year-old Joseph Roy Morrisette, of the 600 block of Plain View Lane in Shacklefords, and Deavonte Mikel Tyler, 18, of the 7900 block of Lynn Circle in Toano.
Two James City County juveniles, 16 and 17, were also arrested but were not publicly identified because they are underage, police said.
The two older teens are being held at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail, while the two juveniles are being held at the Merrimac Detention Facility, a police statement said.
A James City County resident was injured in a house fire on the 200 block of Charter House Lane in the Powhatan Secondary Subdivision Friday. Fire Chief Ryan Ashe said the fire started in the attached garage, and the home suffered smoke and water damage. The occupant, who was not identified, was hospitalized at the VCU medical center in Richmond. (JCC fire department photo)
Tonight is W-JCC schools superintendent community webinar — here’s how to join
Daniel Keever, superintendent of the Williamsburg-James City County school system, hosts a community seminar to explain his plans for students and schools and answer your questions live.
The webinar starts at 6:30 p.m. Monday night, Dec. 15.
Register for the event by clicking this link.
School redistricting & other government meetings this week
School redistricting, a touchy time for parents, will be on the agenda when the Williamsburg-James City County school board meets this week.
Board members will get an update on the planned 2027 redistricting process when they meet Tuesday for their work session in Room 300 of the school board annex at 117 Ironbound Road. Work gets underway with a closed-door session at 4 p..m., followed by the public session at 4:30.
Other local officials will be wrapping up their meetings for the year this week as well:
James City County Economic Development Authority. Dec. 16, 4 p.m. 101 Mounts Bay Rd., Bldg. D Conference Room.
York County School Board. Regular meeting Monday, Dec. 15. 7 p.m. York Hall Board Room.
York County Board of Supervisors. Regular Meeting Tuesday, Dec. 16. 6 p.m. York Hall
Passings
Linda Ann Dagostino, 71, Dec. 9.
Carol Lynn Ladouceur, 67, Dec. 10.
Lila Elizabeth Thurmond, 84, Dec.10.
John Joseph Ryan, 78, Dec. 11.
Any idea what was happening at Doctors Hospital Sunday morning? A large group of fire, police, EMT personnel were there at least from 8 to 10:30 am. Seemed as if it might have been a training exercise.