Alex Sharp VII, real estate broker and former member of Rappahannock’s Board of Zoning Appeals and Water and Sewer Authority, paid over $50,000 in back child and spousal support last week, avoiding jail time for contempt of court, according to circuit court...
Local Services
Washington man ordered to pay $50,000 in child/spouse support — or go to jail
Alex Sharp VII, real estate broker and former member of Rappahannock’s Board of Zoning Appeals and Water and Sewer Authority, has been ordered to pay over $50,000 in back child and spousal support by the end of this month, or go to jail, a judge ruled in Rappahannock...
Town council approves more parking spaces at Rush River Commons
Quick decision after planners’ recommendation The Washington Town Council voted in a brief special meeting Monday to approve the addition of seven parking spaces in the Rush River Commons’ residential area. The approval comes after a sparsely-attended public hearing...

Herd of 100 U.S. Army horses looking for a home. Will it be in Rappahannock?
The U.S. Army is looking to buy 100 acres of land in Rappahannock County for a federal equine horse training and wellness facility for a herd of 100 horses — and not just any horses, but those that participate in patriotic military funerals at Arlington National...
Benevolent Fund hires manager for home repairs
‘I want to…be able to help people who really need it’ The Rappahannock Benevolent Fund recently welcomed a new team member, hoping to expand the reach of its Safe and Healthy Homes program. Rafael Vittitow, a local contractor and Washington resident, joined the...
Washington moves to allow more guests at certain B&Bs
Final plans to be reviewed in July Town of Washington officials held a public hearing Monday to hear what townsfolk thought about possible changes to the bed and breakfast ordinance, allowing for some establishments to host as many as eight more guests. But before the...

Emerging solutions: What it takes to build affordable housing
Experts, incentives, philanthropists . . . and good will rush river common aerialThe housing part of Rush River Commons, left, is under construction at the project site in Washington, Va. Affordable housing can be built. It requires real estate lawyers, tax...

Town board approves demolishing parts of old packing shed
Plans for demolishing portions of a decaying packing shed at 330 Porter St., in the Town of Washington moved forward after a proposal was approved by the Architectural Review Board (ARB) on Tuesday. D.C. developer and Rappahannock resident Jim Abdo and property...
Abdo buys dilapidated packing shed
Town of Washington to consider developer’s plans to restore it After years of uncertainty surrounding the fate of the old apple packing shed on Porter Street in the Town of Washington, the run-down property has been sold to Jim Abdo who plans to demolish decaying...

Rappahannock building permits surge in 2022, but budgeteers remain cautious
Rappahannock home builders scaled up their plans in 2022, gaining 40 building permits, up from 28 the year before. Commercial permits also jumped in the year just ended, to 30, from 12 in 2021. Experts point to several recent trends that would explain the surge, but...

Snapshot 2021: Signs of ‘normalcy’ returned to Rappahannock
A RAPPAHANNOCK NEWS / FOOTHILLS FORUM SPECIAL REPORT The county faced a host of challenges from school masking to taking steps toward universal broadband DEVELOPMENT How to use – and not use – local land drove Rappahannock debates snapshot_thumb_development SCHOOLS...
Reassessing Rappahannock: New property appraisals — likely higher — go out Nov. 10
Supervisors expected to lower rates to keep taxes steady Rappahannock’s general property reassessment — conducted in a booming real estate market — is wrapped up, and notices will go out to residents Nov.10. The anxiously awaited numbers form the basis for setting...
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