Last Word

Last Word on sales tax increase, Feb. 28

Sales tax increase I don’t appreciate the sneaky way this tax hike is being motored through to support tourism and another-named slush fund. Please list the names and phone numbers of who we can call in Richmond for York, James City and Williamsburg to let our voices be heard. Thank you. Editor’s...

Last Word on sales tax, Feb. 24

Sales tax increase Instead of a 1 percent sales tax increase to feed the tourism oligarchs, how about an increase to promote affordable housing for the people who do the work that runs the tourism industry in the area? Seems like the Chamber of Commerce, JCC Supervisors and the Williamsburg City...

Last Word on Florida shootings, Feb. 21

Florida shootings A question for Congress: Why is the possession of assault weapons more important than school children's lives? Don't those children have a right, under the Constitution, to live full lives, in liberty and in the pursuit of happiness? I’m in high school and I’m scared to go to...

Last Word, Feb. 17

Shooting in Florida To all those who write in demanding rights to carry in schools, churches and other public places: do you also demand similar rights for convicted criminals, the mentally ill and those with restraining orders? Should they be allowed to build up arsenals of assault weapons? Anyone...

Last Word on harassment, Feb. 14

Looking good To whoever is decorating Lake Powell Road and Brookwood Drive with decorations: They look amazing. Can’t wait to see what you put up for Easter. This is harassment I worked at a big box hardware store. Every day, the male customers would make degrading sexual comments to any of the...

Last Word on workforce housing, Feb. 10

City taxes Here we go again, as the Williamsburg City Council looks to raise taxes after its annual retreat. The city manager can’t offer a specific reason why he anticipates a reduction in revenues from the meal and room taxes. The mayor and council members keep looking for ways to increase our...

Last Word on tourism taxes, Feb. 7

Tax for tourism I think the proposed 1 percent added sales tax for James City, York and Williamsburg is a big crock. It’s a complete, unfair burden to the citizens to have to pay this to fund tourism. Why don’t they keep doing like they’ve been doing? They’ve got taxes on the rooms and meal taxes....

Last Word about CW finances, Feb. 3

Williamsburg budget The Virginia Gazette's recent reporting on the Williamsburg City Council discussions on potential tax increases and the need to add a new position to administer the new Tourism Development Fund is very revealing. If the city ran like a business, as revenues decline, the focus...

Last Word on an angel, Jan. 31

Met my angel I had a very important doctor’s appointment the other day and stopped at a store for water on my way. I got back to my car and it wouldn’t start. I cried because I could not get to the appointment. Then my angel called, “Ma’am, Ma’am.” I looked and she offered me a ride. I had to take...

Last Word on the shutdown, Jan. 27

Williamsburg Inn On Wednesday, Last Word published a comment that said The Williamsburg Inn had been awarded the Forbes Travel Guide Fifth Star. The Inn was awarded the AAA Five Diamond designation in November 2017, one of just 120 hotels in North America to hold this distinction. However, Forbes...

van bergen

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Jamestown High School locked down after student social media post showed toy weapon

Jamestown High School was briefly locked down Friday afternoon after a student’s social media post surfaced and showed a potential weapon. Parents of students at the school received a robocall from senior administrative assistant Pamela Miller that detailed the reason for the lockdown. “I’m calling...

Jared Antle shows signs of recovery, hospital discharge delayed until 2019

Lafayette High School graduate Jared Antle has shown signs of progress more than four months after he was seriously injured in a hit and run in Harrisonburg. Antle, a student at James Madison University, suffered a traumatic brain injury in the August crash. One man has been charged and arrested...

County parks and recreation volunteers, program earn awards at state conference

James City Parks and Recreation volunteers and a department program won top awards at the annual Virginia Recreation and Park Society conference in Richmond. The Historic Rivers Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists earned the Distinguished Private Sector Service Award and the new Capital Color...

Dominion, emergency management officials to test Surry nuclear station’s sirens and alert system Dec. 12

Residents within 10 miles of the Surry Power Station should expect 71 sirens to power on for 3 minutes next week. The state Department of Emergency Management officials, the Federal Communications Commission and Dominion Energy are set to test the emergency alert system and the wireless emergency...

Trump blames lawyer Michael Cohen for hush money 'liability'

President Donald Trump is defending the hush money payments made by his former lawyer to two women during his 2016 campaign as "a simple private transaction." He tweeted Monday that if there was wrongdoing, it's lawyer Michael Cohen's "liability" and not his. Federal prosecutors said in a court...

Trump looking at several candidates for chief of staff

President Donald Trump is considering at least four people to serve as his next chief of staff, after plans for an orderly succession for departing John Kelly fell through. The high-profile hiring search comes at a pivotal time as the Republican president looks to prepare his White House for the...

'Fearless Girl' statue gets new permanent home

The "Fearless Girl" statue that inspired millions with a message of female empowerment has a new permanent home in front of the New York Stock Exchange. The statue was removed on Nov. 27 from its spot opposite Wall Street's "Charging Bull" and unveiled at its new location Monday. The hands-on-hips...

Killer of counterprotester at Charlottesville racist rally awaits sentence

A man convicted of first-degree murder for driving his car into counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally in Virginia faces 20 years to life in prison as jurors reconvene to consider his punishment. The panel that convicted James Alex Fields Jr. will hear more evidence Monday and then recommend...

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