‘It’s been kind of magical’; school will shut down After enjoying their “magical” property for 30 years, Susan Hoffman and Mike Biniek are seeking to sell their Belle Meade property in Sperryville and begin retirement. “It's been kind of magical,” Biniek said. “We...
Dr. McCue closing medical practice: How his departure affects community health Dr. John McCue tells the story of a visit from a patient he had come to know well. They chatted about serious science – physics and chemistry, as he remembers it – until finally McCue asked...
One day he feels fine . . . next comes a diagnosis of cancer, five kinds “I’m a very blessed man. My whole life, I’ve had everything I wanted or needed,” said Ted Pellegatta, looking back on 84 years from the vantage of his recliner in the tiny cottage next door to...
• More money for public schools — but less than requested• Residents real estate, personal property taxes would rise Rappahannock County’s budget debate is about distributing the distress. Local budgets by law must be in balance, but to get there, the Rappahannock...
Bill Dietel portrait crop Bill Dietel lived in the ripple effects he helped create. As an educator, he sent thousands of young people into the world more convinced of their own capacities to live a fruitful life. As a philanthropist, he helped convert bank accounts...
03202024_Fire_Hayes_01-web.jpgA firefighter watches a brush fire through thick smoke along Route 211 in Washington the afternoon of March 20. County official: ‘I could not have had more pride’ The Rappahannock County volunteer fire and rescue system was challenged on...
One morning after a storm, Debbie Capasso woke up to three camels standing in her yard. Little did she know, a chance encounter nine years ago with an exotic animal would turn into a lifelong commitment to another. Print_Tarpans_DMFarm_015-web.jpgDebbie Capasso pets...
Smithsonian study seeks to protect species If you spend a lot of time in the woods, but you’ve never seen a bobcat, chances are a bobcat has seen you. Virginia’s bobcat population is thriving, and these elusive creatures can show themselves—or not—with ease. Though...
‘His heart was always in Rappahannock’ John Anderson was the quintessential local kid who made good, a hometown hero who died on Jan. 31 at the age of 77, after a months-long battle with COVID and its complications. anderson-6-web.jpgJohn Anderson with his first pup,...
Residents reflect on village’s rich past What’s to become of Flint Hill, a sleepy crossroads village, that now finds itself at a crossroads? Is a renaissance on the horizon with new residents and businesses leading the way? There was a time when Flint Hill's mile-long...
For 30 years, he was Rappahannock’s game warden Jim Bankston, Rappahannock’s game warden and protector of people and wild resources for 30 years, was a conservation law enforcement officer. His first allegiance was to conservation, and his priority was education,...
Supervisor championed his beloved county Roger Allen Welch believed in service. It was a belief he practiced faithfully for a lifetime, continuing his good works through a hard-fought battle with Parkinson’s disease that ended Dec. 11 at the age of 77 in his Flint...
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