The week’s top stories
–A former Stafford County teacher has filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against four former H.H. Poole Middle School female students, saying they assaulted her during a January 2024 brawl that began with two students arguing. Taft Coghill Jr. has the details.
-Thornburg is busy these days. Not only is the Kalahari Resorts project underway, but also there’s now a data center campus proposed there. It would have about 2 million square feet of buildings. Bill Freehling has more on this and other business news in Biz Beat Roundup.
-In his latest Coffee Shop Talk podcast, Free Press managing editor Joey LoMonaco sits down with Meghann Cotter, a friend of the Free Press and longtime executive director of Micah Ecumenical Ministries. They had a conversation on homelessness both nationally and in the Fredericksburg region.
-Two-way traffic could be coming to several downtown Fredericksburg streets, including a busy stretch of William Street. The changes are among recommendations included in a traffic study, the results of which were presented during a recent city council meeting, LoMonaco writes.
-Democratic Del. Joshua Cole and his Republican rival, Sean Steinway, debated Thursday night at the University of Mary Washington. The candidates for the 65th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates presented different styles, and the incumbent said his opponent wasn’t really answering questions.
Go figures (numbers in the news)
20 — Number of years the Richmond Folk Festival has been going on. The 21st version is next weekend, and has the scoop on it in Free Time, our weekly entertainment newsletter.
Scenes from the sideline
Photographer Jeff Kearney captured the action as Caroline celebrated a Homecoming victory Friday night.
What they’re saying
“Look, he moved into the district to run for office. So what. People do that.” –Joseph Drennan, Alexandria-based attorney for Spotsylvania School Board candidate James King. A county resident has filed a lawsuit, saying that King doesn’t actually live in the district he’s running to represent. It’s one of two such suits in the Fredericksburg area this election season.
Pressing on (a look at the week ahead)
-Elizabeth Rehm, a former three-term Fredericksburg School Board member, will be sworn in Monday to serve out the roughly three months of Ward 3 board member Jen Boyd’s unexpired term. Boyd announced her resignation two weeks ago.
Sunday read
-Eric Bach, the Fredericksburg Nationals’ play-by-play broadcaster, got his big break in Major League Baseball recently, and Free Press Managing Editor Joey LoMonaco caught up with him to hear how it went.
