(Editor’s note: As the year draws to a close, the Free Press is looking back at some of our most important stories of 2025. We start with five reports selected by Senior Reporter Taft Coghill Jr.)
The excitement of the opening of the Free Press still hasn’t worn off for me. The publication opened in 2024, and we had an eventful first year. The second year was just as productive, signaling the need for quality journalism to continue in the Fredericksburg region. Here is a list of my top five stories from 2025:
- Although I grew up in Caroline County and lived there the majority of my life, I never knew the story of the students and families who voluntarily chose to integrate the public school division in 1965. It was eye-opening to discuss their experiences, and particularly interesting to hear the varying experiences of those who integrated the elementary school vs. the high school.
Caroline students who integrated school division 60 years ago share experiences
2. The discourse between political parties and candidates has been a national discussion for several years, but now the vitriol seems to be impacting local politics. In October, I talked with several politicians and experts about how we got to this point and explored whether there is any hope of correcting it for the future.
‘It has not been civil:’ Tensions high in Fredericksburg area ahead of Election Day
3. My top story of 2024 involved a judge ordering residents of the Hill Mobile Home Park in Bowling Green off the property within 10 days. But two sisters were allowed to continue living there. However, Mildred Tufail and Viola Medley encountered problems with property management earlier this year. I spoke with Tufail and Medley in an attempt to gain clarity on their perilous housing situation.
4. Although the Moss Free Clinic closed abruptly on June 12, a group of dedicated volunteers banded together to keep the pharmacy open in compliance with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy’s requirement of a 30-day notice before closing a drugstore.
5. The inauguration of President Donald Trump in January was met with trepidation for many federal employees. Their concerns proved to be justified after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) laid off roughly 300,000 federal workers this year. An impromptu conversation with therapist Dr. Bridgette Williams last March led to an article about the staggering number of laid-off federal workers who were seeking therapy to navigate their new reality.
Dismissed and distraught, local federal employees increasingly seek therapy
Honorable mention
Beverly’s frigid feat gets a warm reception with exhibit at Caroline museum
‘This lady is Horne’s’: Johnson has served Port Royal diners for 60-plus years
Report identifies major gaps in regional response to homelessness
Steaking a claim: Ripley’s perseverance kept ‘The Meat Hook’ afloat after tragedy
‘Yes, darling’: Sweet talk, faith and kindness key to Caroline couple’s 77-year marriage
Reframing Murphy’s law: Marine Lt. Col. graduates veterans docket
