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News editor

Despite being infected with feline herpes, all 30 cats were adopted or fostered out from the Isle of Wight County Animal Shelter.

Residents from as far as Virginia Beach and Hampton responded to the plight of the cats, which faced certain death if not adopted by Sunday, Feb. 5.

“We were overwhelmed by the response of generous animal lovers in the area, said Isle of Wight County Sheriff spokesperson Kristin Wilda.

Lori Johnson of Hampton came over Sunday and took the last two cats home to foster until permanent homes can be found.

“If they were still there, they would have to be put down when they can live a perfectly happy life. Somebody had to do it, so I decided it would be me,” Johnson said.

Johnson moved her own cat to a friend’s house for the duration because the respiratory ailment is contagious to other cats. Humans and dogs are not susceptible.

However, Johnson discovered another unexpected problem with one of the cats — it has ringworm. It’s contagious to other animals and humans, but can be cured, she said.

“If you’re going to get wet, go swimming,” she said.

Volunteers with the Isle of Wight County Humane Society took 22 of the 30 cats into foster are and provided about $300 in medicine for the animals, said Rachel Smith with the organization....(Subscribe!)

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News editor

Just four years ago, Isle of Wight County officials were considering approval of the controversial — and mammoth —Benn’s Grant development.

In addition to 1,087 houses, Benn’s Grant was also slated to have a Walmart, another big box retailer, a hotel and a smattering of smaller retail stores.

Plans were later cut in half, but it remained a large project and the rezoning was approved in May 2009.

Today, Benn’s Grant sits idle.

There’s “absolutely nothing” going on, said landowner Richard Turner.

“The listing people don’t even list it anymore. The market is such that there is no interest whatsoever,” he said Friday.

The proposed 253-acre development is located along Route 10 at Benn’s Church.

As for the Walmart, company officials decided instead to build a store just over the James River Bridge in Newport News.

Turner recently sold Walmart the dirt to put the store on.

“Isn’t that ironic?” he said.

In 2010, the Benn’s Grant developers were granted an economic incentive package from Isle of Wight as a way to jump-start the project. At the time, Turner, and his partner, Henry Morgan, changed the timeline of the project somewhat, opting to begin with building 240 apartments. The incentive package was also available to the other large multi-use developments already approved in the northern end of the county, such as St. Luke’s Village, The Crossings and Bridgeport Commons....(Subscribe!)

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News editor

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters recently closed on the $7.5 million deal to build a new facility in Isle of Wight County’s intermodal park.

The $7.5 million was for the JDA building and surrounding property — with the money going to the owners of the building and land, said Isle of Wight spokesman Don Robertson.

The Vermont-based coffee roaster plans to build a coffee roasting, grinding, flavoring and packaging plant for its Keurig single-cup brewing system. The company plans to eventually provide 800 jobs.

The company also received a long list of incentives from both the state and Isle of Wight County. Gov. Bob McDonnell gave Green Mountain a $4 million opportunity grant. Isle of Wight County cut the company a 10-year break on machinery and tools taxes, as well as real estate taxes. Green Mountain is also eligible for an enterprise zone grant of $500 for each new full-time position created prior to 2016.

In return, Green Mountain must invest $180 million and create 800 jobs with an average wage of $39,200 a year within the next five years. (Subscribe!)

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Staff writer

With budget preparations well underway and seven months under her belt, Isle of Wight County Schools Superintendent Katrise Perera continues to rely on the community for input, from budget revisions to report card reviews.

Since Perera came on in July 2011, she solicited community input and honored requests to speak or attend community events, keeping an open, visible approach.

The approach has been “fruitful,” said Perera, because it’s gotten her connected with people she normally would not meet or hear from.

With a $2.7 million budget cut looming, Perera looks to staff and the community for input on where changes should take place.

Learning that they will no longer receive $1.2 million in federal funding to support 19 positions, Perera and her staff have brainstormed ways to “fold in” those positions.

“We’re trying our best to do so. That is my goal — to keep those positions,” she said.

Perera has incorporated human resources and educational services staff in her research. Previously, the chief financial officer and the superintendent would decide what — or who — was cut or kept, she said.

Perera said she continues to ask herself: “Are we truly right-staffed?” Perera said they started from the bottom and are working up, assessing each position — instructional and non-instructional — at each school.

With instruction, it’s difficult because the number of students change, said Katherine Goff, schools’ information officer. A large fourth grade class now might call for more fifth grade teachers the following year, but it doesn’t mean they need to hire or fire according. Often, it calls for reallocating, said Perera.

“If I had just looked at the numbers, it would be easy to make a business decision,” she said. But a school system isn’t a business, she said. And she can’t stand when others insist it is. “That really grinds my soul,” she said.

As for her past and present School Board, Perera said she’s created strong relationships, and has been told that communication has increased since she arrived....(Subscribe!)