News In 5: Dominion Dogs Opens in Williamsburg’s Edge District

Here are the week’s top stories.

1. Dominion Dogs is open in Williamsburg’s Edge District.

• A new hotdog restaurant, Dominion Dogs, opened in the James-York Plaza in Williamsburg’s Edge District on Saturday, September 9.
• The restaurant is locally owned by David and Andrea Andre, who operate the popular Dominion Dogs hot dog cart. The couple met in college while working together at a restaurant. David was previously a teacher, and Andrea worked for a local marketing firm. They have two young daughters. 
• The menu features 15 signature hotdogs, including classics like the “American” or “chili cheese” dog and specialty options like the “Lowcountry,” which includes pepper jelly and pimento cheese. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are also available. The new restaurant is not yet licensed to sell beer, but beer is expected to be added to the menu in the near future upon ABC approval.
• Want to check it out? Dominion Dogs, located at 701-K Merrimac Trail, is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. They’re closed on Tuesday. For more information, visit dominiondogs.com or follow the restaurant on Facebook or Instagram.

2. A large brush fire broke out in James City County on Wednesday.

• A football field-sized brush fire ignited in the Croaker area of James City County on Wednesday. 
• The James City County Fire Department responded around 8:13 a.m. after a local business called 911 to report the fire. The fire consumed a large area of cut trees, logs and debris.
• One person was injured and transported for medical treatment, according to Ryan Ashe, James City County’s Fire Chief. An excavator vehicle on the property was also completely destroyed.
• No fire hydrants were accessible due to the location of the fire. To get the flames under control, water tanker trucks were sent to the site from James City County, York County, New Kent County and Abingdon. The Williamsburg and Camp Peary Fire Departments also assisted. The James City County Library on Croaker Road served as a site to refill tanker trucks, so the parking lot there was closed until the operation was over.
• The blaze was contained by about 3:45 p.m., but units stayed on site to prevent additional spread. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

3. Parents are frustrated with a new attendance policy at Williamsburg-James City County Schools.

• Some parents are upset over a new attendance policy recently implemented at Williamsburg-James City County Schools.
• Starting this school year, high schoolers who miss 9 or more classes per semester will automatically receive a 59 or lower in that class. According to the division, the policy applies to both excused and unexcused absences.
• Parents spoke out on social media,expressing concerns that the policy could increase the spread of Covid-19 and other illnesses by making kids feel pressured to attend school even when sick. Others argued that if students are still getting their work done and excelling in their classes, attendance should not matter.
  • “Imagine ruining a kid’s life over an attendance policy,” one parent, Amanda Logan, said in response to a post about the new policy on a Facebook page for members of the WJCC community. “They can’t get into the college of their choice because they were sick or had a death in their family.”
• New rules have also been implemented for elementary and middle school students in the division. Children who miss too many days will be required to take part in a student assistance plan to deal with the attendance issues. Those who don’t meet the conditions laid out in the plan “may be denied promotion to the next grade level,” according to the guidelines.
• The news comes as WJCC parents have been speaking out against another new policy that establishes “non-transportation zones” that eliminate bus service for students who live within a certain distance of their school.
• The new policies mark the latest controversies to emerge during a tumultuous few months for the division. In July, James City County’s Board of Supervisors voted to terminate its joint school contract with Williamsburg after the City of Williamsburg announced it would explore the possibility of operating an independent school system. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors passed a new resolution that will delay a final decision on the split until the spring of 2024, according to WAVY News. 

4. Historic Jamestowne will present a ‘Burning of Jamestown’ program on Saturday.

• Historic Jamestowne is gearing up to mark the anniversary of the Burning of Jamestown, which took place during Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676. 
• Historical background: The populist rebellion nearly destroyed the Virginia Colony, which was led by Governor Sir William Berkeley at the time. The uprising, started by Nathaniel Bacon, included a group of gentlemen, indentured servants, and freed and enslaved Africans who joined together to protest against Berkeley. While Berkeley tried to resolve conflicts between frontier Englishmen and the Doeg and Susquehannock Indian tribes, he was accused of being too accommodating to the indigenous nations. The resulting conflict led to the burning of the colonial capital at Jamestown on September 9, 1676. 
• Historic Jamestowne will commemorate the events surrounding the Burning of Jamestown during special tours at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 16. At 7:00 p.m., guests can attend a dramatic evening walking tour, where they’ll be able to see the events of the rebellion unfold in the same place they happened more than 300 years ago. 
• Want to go? The Burning of Jamestown tours are free with paid admission to Historic Jamestowne. For additional information, visit historicjamestowne.org.

5. An investigation is underway after an infant and dog were found dead in a hot car in York County.

• A woman has been arrested after an infant and a dog were found dead in a hot car in York County on Tuesday.
• The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that Kristen Graham, 40, was charged with one felony count of child neglect and one count of animal cruelty. Graham was the child’s caregiver at the time.
• According to Sheriff Ron Montgomery, Graham allegedly left the baby and small dog in the car with the windows rolled up for six hours while the heat index was over 100 degrees. She then went home to sleep and received a phone call around 2:30 p.m. alerting her of the death of the child and dog.
• An investigation into the infant’s death began when a man in his 80s went into the emergency room at Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News and told staff he found the body of a deceased child in his vehicle, according to Montgomery. Emergency personnel then discovered a trash bag with a child inside. The child was identified as 11-month-old Myrical Wicker. Graham allegedly drove to the hospital and placed the child in the man’s car after discovering that she had died.
  • “These are not typical situations that we deal with in York County, and when you do come across the death of a child, it affects everyone – the investigators, the law enforcement people there, the EMS people that have to respond to these types of things,” said Montgomery. “And I can tell you that the mood of the agency today when we had a briefing on it this morning is somewhat shock and disbelief.”
• Graham had been taking care of the child for about two days and had been her caretaker periodically in the past. The child’s mother is a 17-year-old who also lives in York County.
• Evidence suggests Graham had been with a friend in Newport News around 1 a.m. early that morning and then returned to her Seaford Road home around 8:30 a.m. She left the child and dog in the car at that time, according to police.
• It is not yet known why Graham left the child and dog in the car, but Montgomery said the woman told conflicting stories about the incident.
• Graham is being held at Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail and could face additional charges, including homicide, after the autopsy is concluded.

6. A man has been arrested for brandishing a gun while driving on I-64 in Newport News.

• A man has been arrested and charged after a viral video posted online shows him pointing a gun at another driver on I-64 in Newport News.
• Virginia State Police confirmed that they have arrested 58-year-old Eugene Trujillo in connection with the incident. He faces numerous charges, including brandishing a firearm, reckless driving, assault and reckless handling of a firearm.
• Officers say the conflict began between the two drivers on Sunday, September 10, around 10:40 a.m. The victim, Tishawana Banks, was attempting to merge onto I-64 eastbound in Newport News when she was involved in an exchange with Trujullo, who was merging at the same time.
• Moments later, Trujillo, who was driving a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro, pulled up beside her and pointed a gun toward her. Banks captured the confrontation on her phone camera. She later uploaded it to Facebook, where it was quickly shared thousands of times. Police used the information provided by Banks to find and arrest Trujillo, a Newport News resident.
• ‘Two sides’: Banks and Trujillo’s wife have both spoken to the media to share their sides of the story in the days following the incident. Banks told WAVY News she was upset by Trujillo’s aggressive behavior, which she says started when another car in front of him was driving too slow. She said she flipped Trujillo the bird, which caused him to speed up, brake-check her four times and ultimately brandish the gun. Banks said she thought the man was going to kill her.
  • “If he was having a bad day, I made it even worse by flicking him off,” Banks said. As soon as I saw the gun, my body immediately went into shock and I started shaking.”
• Meanwhile, Trujillo’s wife spoke to WTKR News 3 and claimed her husband felt threatened and was defending himself. She says the situation is being sensationalized.
  • “I just want everyone to know there are two sides to every story,” she said. 
• The incident comes just weeks after a 24-year-old man was shot and killed on I-4 in Hampton in at least the twentieth interstate shooting in Hampton Roads this year alone.
• Experts say drivers should try to keep plenty of distance between themselves and others, avoid making impulsive decisions or cutting people off and be courteous on the roads whenever possible to avoid road rage situations.
• Trujillo is currently being held in jail in Newport News without bond. He is due back in court on September 26. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact the state police at (757) 424-6800.