News in 5: York County announces summer concert series lineup

Good morning!

We’ll have cooler weather today with highs around 70, according to Meteorologist Myles Henderson of WTKR News 3. Temperatures will warm back into the 80s to end the work week.

Scattered showers and storms could move in this weekend. Highs will be in the mid to upper 80s Saturday and then drop to the upper 70s Sunday. 

Showers, storms and windy conditions are likely for Monday. Highs will be in the mid 70s.

Now to the news.

-Christin

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1. York County has announced the lineup for its summer concert series.

• The Sounds of Summer concert series is set to return on June 1 to Riverwalk Landing in historic Yorktown. The Thursday night concerts will be held from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. through August 10, according to York County Public Information Officer Gail Whittaker. All concerts will be free.
• The series will include a new act this year. Blackout, an all-male band, will bring rock-n-roll hits and funky dance tunes from the ’70s and ’80s to the waterfront. 
• Each concert will feature a dance floor, friendly games of Cornhole and to-go food available for purchase from food trucks.
• This year’s full lineup includes:
  • June 1: The Uptown Band
  • June 8:  Strictly Bizzness
  • June 15: Blackout
  • June 22: Tidewater Drive Band
  • June 29: Band of Oz
  • July 13: Brasswind
  • July 20: The Deloreans
  • July 27: Cat5 Band
  • August 3: Slapnation
  • August 10: The Main Event Band
• Free parking is available at Riverwalk Landing parking terrace, York Hall, York-Poquoson Courthouse, County Administration Building and other designated public parking lots. The complimentary, wheelchair-accessible Yorktown Trolley runs until 9:30 p.m. during every concert with a modified route that includes some of the stops on the outskirts of town.
• Guests are permitted to bring blankets, chairs and small coolers. No tables, umbrellas or tents are permitted. Concertgoers may bring their own alcohol, but it must be consumed in the designated concert area.
• In case of inclement weather, updates will be posted on Facebook and Instagram, as well as the York County Event Weather Hotline at (757) 890-3520.

2. Super Chix is slated to open in Williamsburg this week.

• Super Chix Chicken & Custard will hold a Grand Opening celebration at its new location at Midtown Row in Williamsburg on Saturday, May 13.
• The new “fast-casual” restaurant specializes in hand-breaded and grilled chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders and entree salads. The restaurant also offers a variety of premium frozen custard desserts, including cups and cones, hand-spun shakes and “cold fusions” with candy mix-ins. 
• The Dallas-based franchise is planning to open 10 locations in Virginia, and the Williamsburg restaurant marks the first to come to the Commonwealth.
  • “S2K Hospitality is excited to introduce Virginians to Texas-size, sumptuous chicken sandwiches that hands down will answer the age-long question of who makes the best chicken sandwich,” said Neel Desai, who oversees strategic growth and development for S2K, in a statement. 
• The Midtown Row location consists of about 3,200 square feet and will bring about 40 new jobs to Williamsburg. A second Virginia location is set to open in Chesapeake later this summer.
• The restaurant’s grand opening will kick off at 11 am, and the first 100 guests will receive a free chicken sandwich. One lucky customer will also be selected to win free chicken sandwiches for life. The celebration will also feature entertainment by Eagle 97.3, family-fun activities and a chance to win prizes.
  • “We are thrilled for the grand opening of Super Chix in the Midtown part of the City of Williamsburg. Super Chix is a great addition to the assortment of businesses in Midtown that have revitalized that part of our city,” said Adria Vanhoozier, Williamsburg Economic Development Authority Chair.
• When to go: Super Chix will be open 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit superchix.com

3. Police are investigating after a Richmond woman was found dead in Yorktown from gunshot wounds.

• The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office (YPSO) launched an investigation after a woman was found dead on the side of Old Williamsburg Road in Yorktown on Saturday morning.
• The woman was identified as Tyosha Tanique Mitchell, 25, of Richmond, police announced Sunday. It appears that Mitchell was forcibly taken from Richmond on Saturday morning and then shot several times in the area where her body was found.
• Sheriff Ron Montgomery said in a video statement that a jogger discovered the woman around 6:30 a.m. that morning between Riverwalk Townes townhouses and a wooded section of the Colonial National Historic Parkway. When emergency personnel arrived, they declared the woman dead at the scene.
• Mitchell’s mother, Patricia Troy, told 13NewsNow her family is shocked and heartbroken by Mitchell’s death. She said Mitchell was a mother to two young daughters who are trying to understand what happened. The girls must now be raised by other family members, she said.
  • “Why? Just, why?” Troy said. “I last saw my daughter on Easter, and we had an awesome time. We had an Easter egg hunt, we laughed, we cooked… Not a sign in the world that anything like this would come about.”
• The vehicle believed to be involved in the case is a dark-colored 2012-2016 Hyundai Sonata, according to deputies.
• This investigation is ongoing, and police are asking anyone with information to call 911, contact a tip line at 757-890-4999 or use the anonymous P3 Tips app.
  • “If you saw or heard anything in the area of Old Williamsburg Road between Daniels Drive and the Colonial Parkway around 3 – 4 am, please let us know,” YPSO said in a statement on Facebook. “We do not believe that there is an immediate threat to our community.”

4. York County residents will see tax cuts amid the approval of a new budget.

• York County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on May 2 to approve a new budget that will cut residents’ real estate and property taxes.
• The real estate tax rate will drop one cent to $.77 per $100 of assessed value, and the personal property tax rate will be slashed by ten cents, to $3.90.
• The $244.1 million budget for FY2024 is $9 million higher than the current budget. It includes a 5% salary increase for the county’s employees to account for inflation and a $2.35 million increase in funding for local schools. 
• The Capital Improvements budget includes $6.2 million in funding for sewer projects and $2.44 million in funding for stormwater projects. $1 million is also allocated for a regional radio project to support upgrades to the County’s 9-1-1 communications system.
  • “Tonight, we passed what I consider a very, very good budget,” said District 3 Supervisor W. Chad Green. “It drops the personal property tax, drops the real estate tax. I think this is a great result of a lot of hard work over a long period of time.”

5. A grand jury will hear a case against a York County man who allegedly shot three people.

• A case against a York County man accused of shooting three people in March will go before a grand jury. 
• Alvin Lapenze Jackson Jr., 21, waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Thursday in the Williamsburg-James City County General District Court, the Virginia Gazette reports. The case will now move to a grand jury.
• Jackson was arrested on March 19 in connection with a shooting that occurred earlier that morning in the 700 block of Scotland Street. When police arrived at the scene of the incident, they found three men – a 25-year-old and two 24-year-olds – who had been shot. The men were transported to Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, and all survived. Jackson was charged with nine felonies, including two counts of aggravated malicious wounding.  
• The incident was preceded by a separate shooting in the area in January, which involved two off-duty James City County police officers.
• Williamsburg Police Chief Sean Dunn told the City Council in April that the police department is working with local businesses, Public Works and Virginia ABC to implement stronger safety measures in the area to prevent future crime. 
• The owner of the Green Leaf Café, College Delly and Paul’s Deli – all located on or adjacent to Scotland Steet – agreed to hire a Williamsburg police officer to be present outside of each business nightly from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and to stop serving alcohol at 1 a.m. The owner also agreed to improve exterior lighting, install upgraded security cameras and require all staff who serve alcohol to participate in alcohol safety training offered by Virginia ABC. In addition, Public Works plans to trim trees in the area to enhance visibility and install brighter LED lighting throughout the street.
  • “I’m very optimistic about the plan at this point,” Dunn said. “The tighter the inside of the business is being run, the less likely we are able to have the element that wants to come here to create problems, and the more likely folks are to drink responsibly and not over-drink.”

6. Newport News is celebrating National Travel & Tourism Week.

• The City of Newport News has kicked off a contest that highlights the breakthroughs in the city as part of National Travel & Tourism Week, a national initiative that highlights the value of travel for our economy, businesses and personal well-being.
• The details: The theme of this year’s contest is “Where in Newport News Can You Find These Breakthrough Experiences?” Anyone over the age of 18 can enter to win one of three prize packages, which include gift cards to various Newport News restaurants, tickets to area attractions and gift certificates to local businesses. Participants need to match eight breakthrough experiences to their correct location in Newport News to enter the drawing.
• How to enter: Complete the online form at newport-news.org or submit a paper entry form in person at the Newport News Visitor Center (13560 Jefferson Avenue) or the Tourism Office (702 Town Center Drive). The contest runs May 7-24, and winners will be announced May 31.

7. Governor Youngkin signed a bill that increases penalties for reporting false emergencies.

• Governor Glenn Youngkin approved new legislation on May 4 designed to crack down on “swatting calls” – or calls in which a person reports an emergency that turns out to be a hoax. 
• The bill increases the consequences for reporting false emergency threats. Under the new law, swatting calls are classified as a class one misdemeanor. Penalties will be even harsher if a person is hurt or dies because of the hoax call, WAVY News reports.
• Youngkin spoke about the measure at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg Thursday. Students there were victims of a swatting call in September 2022. The school had to be placed on lockdown after a fake threat was reported about a gunman in the building.
  • “These aren’t prank calls. This is a crime and the last thing we need to do is have our first responders show up to schools and universities thinking that there is a real threat when there is not,” said Gov. Youngkin.

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Enter to win free tickets to the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra!

There are just a few days left to enter The Triangle’s giveaway to win tickets to the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra (WSO).

The winner will receive two (2) tickets to attend WSO’s final concert of the season: Masterworks Concert #5 Rhapsody in Blue. The concert, directed by Music Director Michael Butterman, will be held at the Williamsburg Community Chapel on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 7:30 pm.

To enter to win tickets, simply reply to this email – or send an email to christin@thetriangle.news – and tell us why you’d like to attend the concert. The deadline to submit an entry is Monday, May 15 at 11:59 pm. All responses will be entered into the drawing, and the winner will be notified by email.