EDUCATION 540: Yes. Smartphones Need to Go …
… but bans won’t deliver the results people expect until adults realize their own complicity in the issue. Editor’s Note: Welcome to the first in an occasional series about the state of education in the 540. These essays feature those on the frontlines of education who also respect research, appreciate the complexities of policy, and […]
City Seeking Community Input into Comprehensive Plan Update
The first of several Community Conversations will be held on Wednesday. The Comprehensive Plan is a long-range policy guiding document. Fredericksburg residents have their first chance to contribute to the city’s updated Comprehensive Plan this Wednesday evening. It’s the first of several “community conversations” meant to gather input into the plan, which is a policy […]
No Room for Spot or Fido
The Stafford County Animal Shelter is experiencing severe overcrowding. A nationwide trend has now reached a critical stage in the Fredericksburg area. The Stafford County Animal Shelter is severely overcrowded and put out a call for help last week via Facebook. “If you or someone you know is looking to adopt a dog or if […]
ANALYSIS: Are Nationalized Congressional Elections in Trouble?
A subplot emerging from last week’s primary may be voters caring less about where a candidate stands on Trump, and more on how well they understand what’s happening at home. The idea that American voters are locked in an ever-spiraling cycle of extremism that is responsible for our currently “polarized” society is an easy way […]
VOTE for Tyrone
NEWS FLASH!!! Drew’s a liberal, who writes liberal tripe! Drew from King George likes to tabulate the number of times I mention Republican versus Democrat politicians in unflattering terms in the humor column, and he has stated that the column tends to skew left, along with having a distinct reliance on Tyrone and his inability […]
Sunday Books & Culture
This week: the extraordinary bond between humans and cats in Caleb Carr’s “My Beloved Monster” and a Mulan-inspired story of defying society’s expectations in K. X. Song’s “The Night Ends with Fire.” Books & Culture is edited by Vanessa SekingerEmail Vanessa My Beloved Monster: Masha, the Half-wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me by Caleb Carr […]
ENVIRONMENTAL CENTS: What Causes Earth’s Climate Changes?
Variations in the earth’s orbit have caused previous climate shifts, but don’t explain what’s happening now. The earth’s climate has undergone numerous changes over the millennia, ranging from ice ages to much warmer spells. Excluding impacts from massive meteors or volcanoes, the climate has switched between hot and cold on a regular basis. A century […]
The Roundabout Way to Travel
Roundabouts are becoming more common nationally, statewide, and regionally. Traffic engineers say they are less expensive to construct and safer for motorists. There’s been a change in highway construction over the last decade that could make travel safer and less stressful. Traffic engineers across the country, the state, and the region are turning to the […]
City School Division Seeks Teacher Input into Phone-Free Policy
Forty middle and high school teachers gathered for a working lunch this week. Fredericksburg City’s middle and high school teachers who attended a working lunch on Tuesday agree that the division needs to become phone-free and that the best way to achieve this is by locking student devices in secured pouches during the school day. […]
COMMENTARY – Winners and Losers: 2024 Primary Edition
Endorsements matter in low turnout elections. Whether Virginia joins the GOP column in 2024 depends on whether black and Hispanic voters come home. Editor’s Note: Shaun Kenney’s column this week originally appeared in The Republican Standard. First things first, let’s peel back some national level numbers. Writ large, former president Donald J. Trump’s re-election campaign […]