The week’s top stories
-The student population in the Spotsylvania schools looks different than it did 10 years ago, and county officials have to address that, school administrators told the Board of Supervisors last week. For example, the number of English language learners has increased by 10 percent. Taft Coghill Jr. has the story.
-Fredericksburg-area localities would be able to crack down on cars with loud mufflers under a bill both houses of the General Assembly passed last month, and, boy, is City Councilman Will Mackintosh pleased, Joey LoMonaco reports.
-The brother of a Spotsylvania woman has been arrested in connection with her killing and the slaying of another county resident. Danny Hale Sr., 61, of Opelika, Alabama, faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
-The fireworks on the Spotsylvania County School Board continue. A lawyer for board members April Gillespie and Lisa Phelps is asking a circuit court judge to dismiss a $1 million lawsuit filed by their fellow board member Nicole Cole.
-Stafford property owners would see a 5-cent increase in the real estate tax rate under the locality’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year. But, if that seems bad, County Administrator Bill Ashton said the rate could have been even higher.
Go figures (Numbers that made the news)
–5400.17, the number of the Defense Department instruction about diversity, equity and inclusion public affairs officials at local military installations have to follow because President Donald Trump doesn’t believe in what’s known as “DEI.” The officials posted social media messages recently stating that they are scrubbing their platforms of all DEI content.
What they’re saying
“I did the American dream, right? I worked really hard. And I got noticed — among very young candidates who are all like pedigreed people. I worked for this. I earned this.” –Fredericksburg resident Ashley Ranalli, describing what it was like to land her dream job as a ranger at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. The 41-year-old was one of an estimated 1,000-plus National Park Service workers fired recently by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Watch this
Stafford County Economic Development Director Liz Barber and her husband will be featured on the season premiere of HGTV’s “Home Town Takeover” tonight at 8. Find out about this and more in
Pressing on (a look at stories in the week ahead)
It’s budget season in the world of local government. Every locality in the region will be talking about fiscal matters this week, and we’ll be there to report on how the dollars may be spent.
