by Adele UphausMANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT The Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) invites the public to weigh in on possible locations for a new bridge crossing the Rappahannock River. The new river crossing will link Stafford County and the City of Fredericksburg west of Interstate 95 and seeks to alleviate traffic congestion on the […]
King George and Amazon at Odds Over Whether Performance Agreement Signed in December is in Effect
by Adele UphausMANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT The Amazon Data Services project in King George County can be “resurrected” if the company is willing to “entertain discussion” on four items, interim County Attorney Richard Stuart wrote in a March 15 letter to Charlie Payne, the attorney representing ADS. First, Stuart wrote in the letter – which […]
Washington Heritage Museums to Host Two Events this Week Celebrating Lafayette
by Adele UphausMANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT In 1781, the Marquis de Lafayette was on his way to meet with George Washington in Annapolis, Maryland, when he decided to make a detour, disobeying Washington’s orders. “He went miles and miles out of his way to come to Fredericksburg to visit Mary Washington,” said Craig Vasey, a […]
Stafford Elementary Schoolers Collect 2,000 Cereal Boxes for Food Bank
by Adele UphausMANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT Grafton Village Elementary’s second annual cereal box drive for the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank started slowly, but by the end of last week, the shelves of the local Giant’s cereal aisle were cleared out and the school’s hallways, stairwell, and gym were filled instead. Students and staff collected more […]
Stafford Supervisors Can’t or Won’t Answer School Board Questions
As financial situation for school district grows more dire, questions arise about extent to which the Board of Supervisors are hearing the district’s needs. by Adele UphausMANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT The Stafford County Board of Supervisors indicated this week that it could not, or would not, answer most of the questions posed earlier this month […]
Fredericksburg School Board Approves Budget
by Adele UphausMANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT Fredericksburg City Public Schools expects to receive more funding from the state of Virginia for next fiscal year than originally anticipated, but there is still a gap of about $1.5 million between proposed revenues and expenditures. The School Board on Friday morning approved the budget for fiscal year 2025, […]
Environmental Cents
by Bruce SallerWRITER Heating and cooling our homes is the source of our greatest energy use according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. There are two efficiency ratings for a heat pump: SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio – is the number that represents the average cooling output in British Thermal Units per Watt-Hour (BTUs/WH). […]
Chronic Absenteeism on the Spotsylvania School Board
by ADELE UPHAUSMANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT Spotsylvania School Board members April Gillespie, Berkeley district representative, and Lisa Phelps, Lee Hill district representative, have either been absent or left early from nine out of the 10 meetings the School Board has held so far this year. Both board members left the January 8 organizational meeting early […]
Resignations, Vacancies Trouble King George Fire Department
by ADELE UPHAUSMANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT Just three months into 2023, the King George County Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services has seen nine employees resign. Chief David Moody communicated this information to the county human resources department, members of the Board of Supervisors, and Norm Risavi, part-time senior advisor to the Board, in […]
Spotsy Schools’ Maintenance Issues Threaten Buildings, Instruction
A decade’s worth of neglected maintenance and underfunding, paired with rapid growth and unprecedented demographic change, has left Spotsylvania County’s school system crippled, and facing an uncertain future. by Martin DavisEDITOR-IN-CHIEF Down in the bowels of Chancellor Middle School sits a relic from 1987. A roughly six-foot tall metal box with rows of black fuse […]