Friday, September 22, 2023

Here are the stories that hit home in 2018

The year 2018 was a busy one for Greater Williamsburg.

From a helicopter crash in the Bristol Commons neighborhood, to the legacy of Crawford Road, to a motorcycle club and more, here are the top-10 stories that resonated with WYDaily readers this year.

At least one dead after helicopter crashes into Williamsburg townhouse complex

At least one person is dead after a helicopter crashed into a Williamsburg townhouse complex, sparking a blaze that heavily damaged a 10-unit building. READ IT AGAIN

RELATED STORY: Preliminary NTSB report reveals new details about deadly Williamsburg helicopter crash

Firefighters battle a blaze after a helicopter crashed into a 10-unit townhome building Sunday, July 8, 2018, in the Bristol Commons complex in Williamsburg. (WYDaily/Bryan DeVasher)
Firefighters battle a blaze after a helicopter crashed into a 10-unit townhome building Sunday, July 8, 2018, in the Bristol Commons complex in Williamsburg. (WYDaily/Bryan DeVasher)

Jamestown Unearthed: Cellar under church catches experts by surprise

As archaeologists at Jamestown Rediscovery continue to dig into the Historic Jamestowne church that has stood at the site of the James Fort since 1906, they’ve uncovered something they weren’t expecting. READ IT AGAIN

Archaeologists uncovered a dagger hilt in the cellar in the Jamestown church. (WYDaily/ Courtesy Mary Anna Hartley, Jamestown Rediscovery)
Archaeologists uncovered a dagger hilt in the cellar in the Jamestown church. (WYDaily/Courtesy Mary Anna Hartley, Jamestown Rediscovery)

William & Mary students, professor among 10 arrested in Williamsburg drug investigation

The investigation began when information was received about unreported sexual assaults because of increased drug activity on or around the campus, police said. READ IT AGAIN

William & Mary students expressed upset after two speakers came to the college and expressed or represented controversial viewpoints. (WYDaily/Courtesy W&M News)
(WYDaily/Courtesy W&M News)

Behind the grim legacy of Crawford Road

The police cruiser’s blue and red lights flashed as it sat on the edge of Crawford Road, facing a stone overpass shrouded in a thick skin of graffiti. READ IT AGAIN

Buried in the center of York County, the 3.6-mile-long Crawford Road carries a decades-long history of homicides, ghost stories and mischief. (Sarah Fearing/WYDaily)
Buried in the center of York County, the 3.6-mile-long Crawford Road carries a decades-long history of homicides, ghost stories and mischief. (Sarah Fearing/WYDaily)

Man dies in apparent suicide outside Dick’s store in York County

No one else was injured in the shooting, the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office said. READ IT AGAIN

Members of the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office investigate an apparent suicide Friday outside the Dick's Sporting Goods Store in the Marquis Shopping Center. (WYDaily/Bryan DeVasher)
Members of the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office investigate an apparent suicide Friday outside the Dick’s Sporting Goods Store in the Marquis Shopping Center. (WYDaily/Bryan DeVasher)

Bikes, beer and brotherhood: the motorcycle club with a heart

Turn around to the sound of revving engines on the Peninsula and a group of men with beards, beers and bikes will be there. READ IT AGAIN

The Old Dudes Motorcycle Club has been riding Peninsula roads for almost 20 years, raising money for local charities and changing the motorcycle image. (WYDaily/Courtesy of Ed Bravo)
The Old Dudes Motorcycle Club has been riding Peninsula roads for almost 20 years, raising money for local charities and changing the motorcycle image. (WYDaily/Courtesy of Ed Bravo)

Fire engine driver charged in New Year’s Eve crash with septic truck at Anderson’s Corner

A James City County firefighter is charged with reckless driving after police say he failed to obey a red light while driving a fire engine, causing a crash with a septic truck and injuring four people, including himself. READ IT AGAIN

Editor’s note: Charges against the fire truck driver were later dropped, according to court records.

Four people were injured, including two James City County firefighters, after a septic truck collided with a fire engine Dec. 31. (Courtesy photo/Ricky Weneck/International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2498)
Four people were injured, including two James City County firefighters, after a septic truck collided with a fire engine Dec. 31. (Courtesy photo/Facebook)

Police identify mother, son in ‘apparent’ murder-suicide at Toano home

A woman and her son died May 2 in what James City County Police are calling an “apparent” murder-suicide at a home in Toano. READ IT AGAIN

James City County Police responded to the 2600 block of Little Creek Dam Road after an emergency call came in around 9:18 a.m. (Bryan DeVasher/WYDaily)
James City County Police responded to the 2600 block of Little Creek Dam Road after an emergency call came in around 9:18 a.m. (WYDaily/Bryan DeVasher)

Williamsburg couple goes missing on road trip through California; car, man’s remains found

The couple left their home in Virginia May 27 for a cross-country trip, authorities said. READ IT AGAIN

Susan Schmierer, 65, and her husband, William, 64, went missing near Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark in Southern California. (WYDaily/Courtesy San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department)
Susan Schmierer, 65, and her husband, William, 64, went missing near Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark in Southern California. (WYDaily/Courtesy San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department)

‘Jamestown’ TV series from ‘Downton Abbey’ producers coming to U.S.

The creative team behind the popular World War I drama turn toward life in early British settlements in North America with the new miniseries, which debuted in the U.S. on March 23. READ IT AGAIN

Niamh Walsh plays one of the lead characters in the British TV show “Jamestown,” which aired in the U.S. March 23. (WYDaily/Courtesy Sky UK Limited)
Niamh Walsh plays one of the lead characters in the British TV show “Jamestown,” which aired in the U.S. March 23. (WYDaily/Courtesy Sky UK Limited)
Sarah Fearing
Sarah Fearing
Sarah Fearing is the Assistant Editor at WYDaily. Sarah was born in the state of Maine, grew up along the coast, and attended college at the University of Maine at Orono. Sarah left Maine in October 2015 when she was offered a job at a newspaper in West Point, Va. Courts, crime, public safety and civil rights are among Sarah’s favorite topics to cover. She currently covers those topics in Williamsburg, James City County and York County. Sarah has been recognized by other news organizations, state agencies and civic groups for her coverage of a failing fire-rescue system, an aging agriculture industry and lack of oversight in horse rescue groups. In her free time, Sarah enjoys lazing around with her two cats, Salazar and Ruth, drinking copious amounts of coffee and driving places in her white truck.

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