The News That Moved Us This Past Week
March 22 - March 29
by Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The week just past saw battling medical press releases, a possibly precedent-defining sexual assault case, Spotsy schools’ maintenance woes, more resignations in King George, and - also in Spotsylvania - school board members who frequently go missing.
Number 5: Moss Clinic Releases Press Release Following Breakdown in Discussions with Mary Washington Healthcare
This evening, the Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic issued a press release in the wake of Friday’s announcement from Mary Washington Healthcare that discussions between the two healthcare providers had broken down. The Moss Free Clinic focused not on the breakdown in talks, but on the Clinic’s future.
Number 4: Case Heard in Fredericksburg This Week Could Affect How Employers are Held Liable for Sexual Assault
A case that was heard this week in Fredericksburg by the Court of Appeals of Virginia could have a wide-reaching impact on how employers are held responsible for sexual assault or harassment perpetrated by their employees, advocates say.
Number 3: Spotsy Schools’ Maintenance Issues Threaten Buildings, Instruction Copy
A decade’s worth of neglected maintenance and underfunding, paired with rapid growth and unprecedented demographic change, has left Spotsylvania County’s school system crippled, and facing an uncertain future.
Number 2: Resignations, Vacancies Trouble King George Fire Department
Just three months into 2023, the King George County Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services has seen nine employees resign.
Number 1: Chronic Absenteeism on the Spotsylvania School Board
Spotsylvania School Board members April Gillespie, Berkeley district representative, and Lisa Phelps, Lee Hill district representative, have either been absent or left early from nine out of the 10 meetings the School Board has held so far this year.
ANALYSIS: Nonprofit Hospitals Exist to Serve the Community
As a nonprofit hospital, Mary Washington is by law required to return “community benefit” to the region that it serves. Many would also argue that MWHC has a moral obligation to place people over profits. Whether the hospital is meeting these obligations is open for interpretation. But the question bears examining.
COMMENTARY: AI For Dummies: When AI Steals Your Stuff and Then Replaces You
ChatGPT and OpenAI have an IQ somewhere in the neighborhood of 85, which should only impress those with an IQ lower than 85.
HUMOR - A House of Cards: Downtown Edition
This week, Drew’s shilling for the Card Seller, begging readers to buy the Editor scotch, bemoaning Katie Britt’s speechwriter, and writing one-act plays. Confused? Just read it.
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The FXBG Advance cuts through the talking points to deliver both incisive and informative news about the issues, people, and organizations that daily affect your life. And we do it in a multi-partisan format that has no equal in this region. Over the past month, our reporting was:
First to report Mary Washington Healthcare's move to close Kid's Station Daycare
First to detail MWHC's taking actions that undermine the viability of the Moss Free Clinic.
First to detail and then expose the controversy surrounding the Riverbend High School swim team
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