Williamsburg Man Sentenced for Jan. 6 Insurrection, Menorah Lighting Rejection Emails, and more
Williamsburg Man Sentenced for Jan. 6 Insurrection, Menorah Lighting Rejection Emails, and more
Historic Triangle News Roundup December 17 -23
Happy Holidays! How well did you follow W&M News this year? Take their 2023 quiz here. One piece of news not covered by the quiz is the car accident which seriously injured W&M student Rosemary Raynal. New details from court documents show Colonial Williamsburg Foundation President Clif Fleet was listening to music when he struck Raynal with his SUV on Richmond Road two months ago.
And now, last week’s top stories:
Williamsburg local sentenced for assaulting officers during Jan. 6 US Capitol Attack
Jonathan G. Mellis was sentenced this week to 51 months in prison after pleading guilty this summer to one count of assaulting, resisting, and impeding officers.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Mellis had joined the crowd that marched on the US Capitol building. He recorded the breach on Instagram, which he described in one video as “Storming the f**king castle.”
Later that day, Mellis had urged another rioter to attack officers and then followed suit, using a large wooden stick to bludgeon officers in the face repeatedly.
Conservative nonprofit obtains 91 emails outlining city response to 2nd Sunday’s rejection of menorah lighting
Judicial Watch, a D.C.-based nonprofit, released emails this week it had obtained through a FOIA request concerning 2nd Sunday’s decision to reject Chabad Williamsburg’s request to perform a menorah lighting at the festival this month.
The emails show that the City of Williamsburg, which received many angry complaints about the decision, had responded to some clarifying that the city had not been consulted and had no role in the rejection.
Festival founder Shirley Vermillion on Dec. 4 had sent an email to city officials pleading for help. Days later, she followed up saying that she and mayor Doug Pons had visited Rabbi Mendy Heber for several hours.
Other Headlines
The Williamsburg Area Meals on Wheels is asking for more donations and volunteers as it struggles to meet demand of a growing waiting list. If you want to volunteer, call Lori at 757-229-9250 or email her here.
A class action lawsuit filed last Monday accuses Navy Federal Credit Union, the largest credit union in the US which also has a Williamsburg location, of discriminating against Black and Latino loan applicants.
ODU’s annual “State of the Commonwealth” report warns of growing economic divide between Virginia’s metropolitan “haves” and rural “have-nots,” with the Hampton Roads falling somewhere in the middle.
Upcoming Events
When: Dec. 28, 2 PM
Where: Williamsburg Library Theater, 515 Scotland St
When: Dec. 28, 7:30 PM
Where: Chrysler Hall, 215 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk
When: Jan. 1, various times
Where: Multiple parks, including York River State Park
Merry Xmas to those who celebrate! And before you go, check out how local indigenous groups are returning to traditional food practices. And one more thing! The Virginia Gazette/Tidewater Review is looking to hire a new reporter. Apply here.
Got any jokes? What did you do in the Historic Triangle this week?
Cover photo from X.