Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal

06/12/2026

Each Gloucester High School athlete who competed at the VHSL Class 4 State Track & Field Championships at Liberty University in Lynchburg last weekend earned a medal.

Sophomore Hannah Mullis took third place in shot put. Senior Mohamed Erraji placed seventh overall after entering the competition seeded 11th in the state. The boys’ 4×400 relay team of seniors Grayson Shield, Elijah Lemaster, Mo Steverson and sophomore Izak Smith also earned seventh after being seeded 12th. Shown are athletes, from left, Mullis, Smith, Steverson, Erraji, Shield and Lemaster.

06/12/2026

WINNER

The Gloucester High School varsity softball team has just defeated James Wood 6-2 in the state semifinal match 🥎 The Lady Dukes will return to Woodgrove High School tomorrow to play for the state championship title ❤️💛 UPDATE: Gloucester will face Region C champion Tuscarora at 11 a.m. Saturday at Woodgrove H.S. Tuscarora defeated Patrick Henry 5-1 in the other state semifinal game held today to earn the right to play for the state title

06/12/2026

Mathews May Faire made its successful debut to the festival world in 2017. Sponsored by the Mathews Museum, the one-day event provided music, entertainment, historical information, many places to eat, and the court green was covered with vendors offering everything from A to Z.

In the historic courthouse, the room once known as the witness waiting room was filled with entries for the first May Faire Pound Cake Contest. With a large number of cake entries and in such limited space, the judges almost had to sit on the floor. A young lady from Middlesex, Maria Saunder Hubbard was the first, first-place winner. With the contest over and with permission from the bakers, cakes were sold for $10 each.

Learn all about the winners and get recipes for pineapple coconut layer cake, pound cake and watergate cake by visiting https://www.gazettejournal.net/pound-cake-contest-reveals-both-new-and-familiar-winners/

06/11/2026

Christchurch’s 17th Head of School, William J. “Billy” Coyle, delivered the commencement address on May 23 to the class that arrived at the Middlesex County private school as ninth graders at the same time he began his first year as head, saying, “This is only my fourth time being up here … my senior year … our senior year!”

He went on to remark about what an incredible campus atmosphere the Class of 2026 created as they grew into leaders. “It’s been a long, transformative journey, and you should all be proud of your soon-to-be alma mater … you’ve set the tone and exemplified our core values of character, curiosity, and community.”

Lillian Grace Williams delivered the valedictorian address at the commencement ceremony last month at Christchurch School. She is the daughter of Adam and Heidi Williams of North.

Read the full story by visiting https://www.gazettejournal.net/christchurch-school-celebrates-105th-commencement/

06/11/2026

Gloucester Parks, Recreation & Tourism released this video yesterday, a community film project that brings together local residents to commemorate the enduring significance of the Declaration of Independence.

Gloucester County Tourism in partnership with the Gloucester County...

06/11/2026

Mathews High School senior Alexis Foster performed a violin solo, and played one last time with the school band, during commencement exercises in 1996. After college and graduate school, Foster returned to the community and has worked in school administration in both Gloucester and Mathews counties. 🎶

06/10/2026

After a close loss to Jamestown in the regional championship game last Thursday, the Gloucester High School varsity softball team rallied to defeat Dinwiddie in the VHSL Class 4 State quarterfinals on Tuesday evening. This win has secured the Lady Dukes’ spot in the state semifinals on Friday.

Gloucester earned a 3-0 shutout win over the Dinwiddie Generals Tuesday evening on the road. Autumn Cookson picked up the win as she threw a no-hitter at the Generals, striking out six batters and issuing only one walk. Offensively, Gloucester put together nine hits.

In the third inning, Cookson hit a single to right field. She promptly stole second base and later scored on a two-out single by Cameron Palas for a 1-0 lead.

Read the full story by visiting https://www.gazettejournal.net/lady-dukes-advance-to-state-semifinals-3/

06/10/2026

Godspeed, a reproduction of one of the three ships that brought the first English colonists to America in 1607, will visit Williams Wharf Landing in Mathews on Wednesday, June 17. The ship will be open for tours at no charge from 2-5 p.m.

06/10/2026

Mathews Main Street board members welcomed a delegation from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development on Monday, leading a community tour that focused on downtown revitalization, economic development, and long-term resilience in Mathews County.

The visit follows Mathews Main Street’s reentry into the Virginia Main Street program, a preservation-based economic and community development initiative that provides a framework for revitalizing historic commercial districts, along with training, design assistance, and access to grants. The program helps communities leverage the character and assets of their traditional downtowns to support small businesses, tourism and local job creation, a release stated.

As a rural coastal community with a small population, limited tax base, and lean county staff capacity, Mathews must rely on strong partnerships and local initiative to advance meaningful change, the release stated. Through Mathews Main Street and the Mathews County Visitor Information Center, and with a deep bench of volunteers, the community is well positioned to assist county growth and development efforts in practical, collaborative ways, according to the release.

Read more by visiting https://www.gazettejournal.net/state-delegation-tours-mathews-main-street/

06/10/2026

Made in the U.S.A.

Made in Mathews County.

Made for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Chances are that these labels are true if you purchase a United States flag with embroidered stars. If the flag is made by Annin Flagmakers, you can be certain that the field of stars embroidered on a blue background came from Mathews.

Star Fields, LLC, is the Cobbs Creek star field-making division of Annin. It began operations in 1970 as D&P Embroidery, and was sold to Annin in 2006. Many of its employees have been making star fields for decades, and members of the founding Downs family are still working there.

Read the full story at the link below ❤💙

Made in the U.S.A. Made in Mathews County. Made for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. Chances are that these labels are true if you purchase…