🌱 Winchester Real Estate Tax Rate Discussions + I-66 Police Pursuit

Morning, friends! Rose Mendez here with your weekend edition of the Winchester Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the most important things happening in town these days.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: Cooler with clouds and sun. High: 56 Low: 38.
• Saturday: Partly sunny. High: 50 Low: 31.

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Here are the top three stories today in Winchester:

1. At the Tuesday, Apr. 4, Winchester City Council Finance Committee meeting, members discussed the real estate tax rate needed to support Winchester's operating budget for fiscal year 2024. The current rate is 93 cents per $100, but the tax bills will be higher for 2024 due to the recent citywide reassessments which raised the value of all residential properties in Winchester. City Manager Dan Hoffman created three potential real estate tax rate scenarios which will be up for discussion at a public hearing and vote on Apr. 25. (Subscription: The Winchester Star)
2. A Winchester man was arrested and is facing multiple charges after he fled law enforcement on Monday, Apr. 3, initiating a police pursuit on I-66. William C. K. Hockman, 19, has been charged by Virginia State Police with one felony count of eluding law enforcement, one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest, and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving by speed. Initially, the police attempted to initiate a traffic stop for speeding, but Hockman refused to stop and during the ensuing chase he reportedly reached speeds of up to 130 miles per hour. Hockman is being held without bond at the Fauquier County Adult Detention Center. (Royal Examiner)
3. A federal appeals court in Richmond has rejected an appeal and ruled Kendall Wysinger, 46, of Manassas, will serve life in prison on five counts, including conspiracy of sex trafficking and tampering with evidence, and felony fentanyl distribution. On Mar. 23, 2016, Winchester police found an apparent overdose in a motel room with one woman performing chest compressions on the second woman. An investigation uncovered Wysinger was using fentanyl to force women into sex work and then left them for dead when they overdosed. The surviving victim was able to testify at his 2019 trial with other victims. (ABC 8 News)

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Today and tomorrow in Winchester:

Friday, April 7

• Orchid Show & Sale At Museum Of The Shenandoah Valley (10:00 AM)
• Beginner Friendly Sugar Cookie Decorating Class At Be. Studios (10:00 AM)

Saturday, April 8

• Largest Easter Egg Hunt (Free & Top Allergen Safe) At Jim Barnett Park, Festival Field (11:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Do you love 90's rock music? Get advanced tickets here for the"90's Rockfest: Foo Fighters, STP, and Weezer Tributes" show on Apr. 15 at The Monument VA in Winchester. (All Events)
• "Tiny Tales," special thematic early literacy Storytime, will take place on Apr. 12 at 11:00 a.m. in the Garden House at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester. Click here to learn more about the event. (Handley Regional Library System via Facebook)
• Winchester Area SPCA is looking for the owner of a dog found by Winchester police on Friday, Mar. 31, at Jim Barnett Park. The dog is a 2-3-year-old who is very well-behaved, about 85-pound female and has no collar or microchip. View the link to see photos of the dog. (Winchester Area SPCA via Facebook)

As a heads up, the Patch staff will be taking some time off for the Easter holiday. You won’t be receiving a newsletter this Monday, but I’ll be back soon with your next update. In the meantime, have a great weekend!

— Rose Mendez

About me: Rose Mendez is a freelance writer. She is studying English Literature at Hunter College. She loves reading, walking around the city, and coffee!