COMMENTARY: The Code of Silence

Corruption’s closest ally is silence. And in Spotsylvania’s schools, silence is everywhere. The big-ticket items draw the headlines, and during my time at the Free Lance-Star and now as editor of the Advance I haven’t been immune from reporting them. Kirk Twigg’s allegedly changing a contract without proper approval and now facing felony charges. Kirk […]

S01E13: Ben Litchfield and Bridging the Working Class Divide

Ben Litchfield is a former Stafford Democratic Committee chairman and the former candidate for the Democratic nod in SD-27. Litchfield talks about voter fatigue, how campaign finance is overwhelming the interests of people in favor of raw capital, and how investing in childcare and the working class is one of the most important things Virginians […]

S01E12: Joel Griffin on the Call to Service and Giving Back

Joel Griffin is the Democratic candidate for the 27th State Senate District for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Why run for public office? Griffin shares his commitment to service, the need to give back to our community, how Kennedy Democrats evolve, and when one should fight to preserve rights in the face of fear.

S01E11: Chuck Fennell and Anne Darron on Mary Washington's Fredericksburg

Chuck Fennell and Anne Darron with the Washington Heritage Museums talk about what it means to be custodians of history, what Mary Washington’s Fredericksburg would have looked like, and discuss the rumor that Mary Washington might not be buried under her own monument. For more on how you can become a member, check out: https://www.washingtonheritagemuseums.org/

S01E10: Dr. Marceline Catlett and the Power of a Public Education

Dr. Marceline Catlett is superintendent for Fredericksburg City Public Schools, a 42-year veteran of public education and a Fredericksburg native who gives us insight on the challenges presented by COVID-19’s aftermath, how education in Virginia has vastly changed over the last few decades, and some heart-to-heart from Cori Roberts about how the turn towards testing […]