It has been a whirlwind of a year for me and my family. It was around this time last year that we were preparing to move to Fredericksburg from Annapolis and I was interviewing for a new job. Little did I know what awaited me when we arrived.
Thank you, Fredericksburg, for welcoming me with open arms. I am truly enjoying getting to know this community, exploring new places and making new friends.
Here are some of my personal favorite stories from 2024:
Families ‘scrambling’ to find care after Kids’ Station announces May 24 closure
- This story broke just as we were launching and will always live in my mind as one of my first bylines for FFP. I was afraid that I hadn’t been around long enough to find people who would talk to me for a story — turns out I was very, very wrong.
2. This story had a personal impact that I was unprepared for. I was dropping my eldest child off at work when I got the phone call that a well-known Fredericksburg couple had been in a plane crash. This was one of those situations when my personal life and my professional life blurred when I realized I had a close connection with one of the families.
No skating around it: To keep rolling, local derby team needs a new home
3. This was just a fun story overall. I met some really interesting people and learned about this unique and misunderstood sport. If you ever get a chance to hang with the Derby team, do it!
Students wade into an outdoor classroom — with the Rappahannock as the teacher
4. Give me a story about kids and nature and I’m there. I loved spending the day with these students as they got up close and personal with the Rappahannock River. A day at the river beats a day at the office any time.
5. Meeting elected officials comes with being a reporter and, most of the time, it’s honestly kind of boring. But getting to tour this massive solar facility with Sen. Kaine’s entourage in Spotsylvania was eye-opening and really set the tone for what I see will continue to be a big issue in our region for years to come.
Honorable mentions
I couldn’t stop at five! These two are stories that were incredibly satisfying to do and once again, brought me in contact with a group of people I wouldn’t normally know if it wasn’t for this job. Truly one of the best parts of being a journalist.
A ‘force’ against bigotry: Fredericksburg Police Department deploys new LGBTQ+ liaison team
