The News That Moved Us This Past Week
February 9 - February 16
by Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The week just past saw the kick-off of our 2024 election coverage, twists and turns in Steve Maxwell’s legal quests, an e-mail dump that ties some people together at Riverbend, and Mary Washington Hospital in the middle of two stories - the Moss Free Clinic and KinderCare daycare.
Editor’s Note: One week from today, the FXBG Advance’s editor-in-chief and commentator will be speaking at the small “d” democratic Breakfast Club. We posted a registration link this week, but some tech issues kept some from registering. That problem has been corrected. Want to attend? Sign up! We’ll see you on February 24.
Number 5: Spotsylvania Sheriff Candidate Steve Maxwell Withdraws Case Against Sheriff Roger Harris
A Spotsylvania Circuit Court judge this week granted a motion for a nonsuit filed by Steve Maxwell, who in November lost his race for Spotsylvania County Sheriff against longtime incumbent Roger Harris. In his complaint, Maxwell—who planned on acting as his own attorney—alleged that “It is believed that Roger L. Harris is not eligible to be Sheriff of Spotsylvania County as it appears the votes may have been manipulated to produce a different result than the actual vote. It is believed that Steve D. Maxwell was the candidate chosen by the voters of Spotsylvania County, not Roger L. Harris.” According to official results, Maxwell lost 14,140 votes to Harris’s 29,051.
Number 4: Meet Eugene Vindman
Eugene Vindman is running in the Democratic primary for a chance to win the 7th Congressional District seat that Abigail Spanberger has held for almost 6 years. Eugene and his twin brother Alexander came into the national spotlight in 2019 when Alexander testified about the Trump-Ukraine scandal. Recently, Eugene sat down with FXBG Advance to discuss his personal story, who he is outside the world of politics, and what he would hope to accomplish were he to be victorious come November.
Number 3: Keene Asked to Control Meeting Narrative on December 20
Multiple text messages were exchanged among Riverbend High School employees, Spotsylvania school division leadership, and the parent at the center of unrest plaguing the swim team during the contentious December 20 meeting run by principal Xavier Downs for swim-team parents and coaches.
Number 2: Moss Free Clinic Faces Financial Cliff
The Lloyd Moss Free Clinic’s ability to continue providing services to Fredericksburg’s low-income, uninsured and underinsured population is threatened by changes in its relationship with Mary Washington Healthcare.
Number 1: KinderCare Daycare and Preschool on Mary Washington Hospital Campus to Close
The KinderCare-operated daycare center and preschool on the campus of Mary Washington Hospital will close on May 24. Families and staff were notified of the upcoming closure yesterday in a letter from Stacy Butler, KinderCare Learning Companies senior district leader. According to the letter, Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC), which owns the building at 1100 Sam Perry Boulevard through its property management company Medicorp, has plans to repurpose the building.
Humor - Drew Gallagher
Everyone loves the Super Bowl - except for Drew. He argued with his editor about Roman Numerals and lost. And his daughter's mad at him because he didn't get the last in Swiftie gear fast enough.
Opinion - The Theatre of the Absurd Needs to Yield
The election in November was a referendum on Board chaos. If last night’s Board meeting was any indication, however, we’re a long way from realizing calm anytime soon.
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