I was away from journalism for 18 months after 20 years in the field.
It did not take long after the Free Press launched in February to realize why I missed it so much. It’s been an incredible honor to work at the Free Press and continue doing something that I enjoy so much. Some of the stories are heart-wrenching to cover, but the way people entrusted me to tell their stories this past year is not something I take lightly. Here are some of the stories that were the most fulfilling for me to cover because they made an impact on our readers.
- It was surreal sitting in a courtroom with residents in our area facing eviction through no fault of their own and with little recourse. The non-empathetic way Judge Robert Reibach informed the residents of the Hill Mobile Home Park in Bowling Green that they must be out within 10 days was also striking. After the judge’s decision, the families welcomed me into a room where they had a conversation with their lawyer about their next steps. I’ll never forget the tears that were shed that day as those families suddenly faced an uncertain future.
Judge orders Bowling Green mobile home park residents to leave in 10 days
2. The widow of a Spotsylvania County man who was shot and killed by a deputy through the basement window of his home while allegedly holding a gun on his wife invited me into her home to discuss the incident. It was a difficult conversation to have but I gained insight on the shooting that helped to paint a complete picture of the tragedy rather than relying strictly on a press release from the sheriff’s office.
Widow says Spotsylvania deputy shot and killed husband without warning
3. We covered Caroline County’s pursuit to construct a water intake facility along the Rappahannock River extensively. However, a conversation with one critic of the proposal was particularly enlightening and impactful. This story also examined water issues in the Town of Bowling Green, which encouraged Sen. Richard Stuart to say that he would change his stance on the project if business needs were removed from the DEQ permit request and the focus was more on water for residents. Stuart held true to his word and now supports the project after the county removed “industrial cooling” from the permit request.
Stuart’s mission to restrict data centers impacting Caroline water project
4. One of my earliest stories with the Free Press was a trip down memory lane with former mental health professional Thomas Victory, who worked as a therapist at the Rappahannock Guidance Clinic on Wolfe Street in Fredericksburg in the early 1970s. Victory was the first Black mental health professional in the city. He shared his experiences and his thoughts on the challenge of encouraging more Black residents in the area to pursue counseling when dealing with mental health issues.
Therapist’s service an early victory for Black mental health patients in Fredericksburg
5. Fredericksburg Christian School senior Noah Caesar was seemingly a completely healthy young athlete when he collapsed on the basketball court during a game at Seton School in Manassas earlier this year. Caesar suffered a medical emergency during the game that shocked his coaches, teammates and family members. He returned to the court months later and is now thriving in his final high school season.
But the incident at Seton opened his supporters’ eyes (and mine) to a critical piece of medical equipment that is usually hidden in plain sight, attached to the wall in public spaces.
‘By the grace of God’: Caesar back on the court after shocking incident
Honorable mentions
New Spotsylvania Schools superintendent Mitchell is ready for the moment
‘Like a father figure’: At Massaponax, Ludden enhanced his players’ options
Spotsylvania County counselor helps remove major hurdle in her profession
Teacher describes ‘chaotic’ day that led to conviction of Spotsylvania behavioral interventionist
A public pulpit? Some in King George wary of influence wielded by county’s ‘pistol-packing preacher’
