The week’s top stories
-A judge facing a felony bribery charge solicited a bribe instead of offering one, according to the special prosecutor in the case. Richard T. McGrath, chief judge of the 15th Judicial District of Virginia, which includes the Fredericksburg area, allegedly threatened in a meeting with multiple Spotsylvania officials to start dismissing traffic tickets, which generate revenue for the county, if his staff did not get a raise.
-A regional transportation planning body voted last week in favor of its preferred path for a new road and bridge over the Rappahannock River. The Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s policy committee endorsed “Option C,” which would run from Celebrate Virginia Parkway in Stafford County to Gordon Shelton Boulevard in Fredericksburg.
-The Army base in Caroline County will once again be called “Fort A.P. Hill” instead of the current “Fort Walker.” But this isn’t your father’s A.P. Hill, Taft Coghill Jr. reports.
-Several hundred people gathered at the corner of William Street and Blue & Gray Parkway for a “No Kings Day” protest against President Donald Trump last weekend, one of nearly 2,000 rallies held simultaneously in 17 countries, Rick Horner writes.
-More development is expected near the new VA health center in Spotsylvania County. Hanover Company is proposing a mixed-use development on vacant land at the northwest quadrant of the U.S. 1 and Hood Drive/Mine Road intersection. has the details and more business news in the Biz Beat Roundup.
Go figures (Numbers that made the news)
-95, as in the interstate highway. My all-time favorite headline is “I-95, you 95, we all 95.” But no one was 95’ing for a while last week, when downed power lines closed all lanes near Central Park in Fredericksburg.
What they’re saying
-“I’d be better off standing on top of New Post Church and trying to fly.” –Marcus Garcia, candidate for the Lee Hill District seat on the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors. For Garcia, it’s just as implausible to try to stop population growth in the county when the locality is midway between Richmond and Washington, D.C.
Pressing on (a look at the week ahead)
-Episode No. 4 of the Free Press podcast “The Tribe” will debut this week.
Sunday long read
-Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones carried four of five Fredericksburg-area localities in last week’s party primary, but state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, who got the nod for lieutenant governor, didn’t fare as well here.
From the editor’s desk
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Gaila Sims for this month’s Coffee Shop talk podcast. Her new book, which incorporates the work she’s done over the past three-plus years at the Fredericksburg Area Museum, is going to be a must-read.
-Joey LoMonaco
