I'm the Fredericksburg Regional Editor, covering Stafford and Fredericksburg. If you have tips, story ideas, or news, send me an email!
The Virginia State Police issued a critically missing adult alert on behalf of the Fredericksburg Police Department on August 26, 2024.
The Fredericksburg Police Department is looking for Nancy Elizabeth Briesemeister, race: White, sex: female, age: 86 years old, height: 5’4″, weight: 100 lbs., with blue eyes and white hair.
The Washington Capitals announced the second season of the Capitals Inline Hockey League (CIHL), which launched in 2023 as a co-ed youth inline travel league run by the Capitals. Current inline hockey players aged 8-18 are invited to participate in the CIHL, which consists of one team per club, per division. Year two of the CIHL will also see the addition of the Winchester Revolution out of Winchester, Va., as the sixth participating club in the league.
Individual club tryouts begin in September and interested players may register to tryout by contacting their local club director.
Several residents in Stafford County’s White Oak area woke up to anti-Semitic flyers strewed across their properties. Stafford County Sheriff’s Office reported several calls about the flyers, which were placed at residences. Detective S.M. Danyluk has obtained copies of the flyer and is actively investigating the incident, requesting any residents with video footage be submitted online.
Department spokesman Ryan Wilbur said while houses were not specifically targeted, the flyers were distributed randomly along sidewalks and driveways. The flyers were inside plastic bags weighed down by rice. Wilbur said the papers “were generalized flyers” and they “contained misinformation regarding religion, media, and conspiracies.”
Fredericksburg’s Fire Department is on the scene now at 800 Caroline Street for a structure fire. The building is home to Dragonfly Yoga and Stage Door Productions, amongst others.
No injuries have been reported, but drivers are advised to use alternate routes in downtown Fredericksburg.
A residential fire broke out on Thursday afternoon in the 800 block of Walnut Drive, prompting a swift response from Stafford County Fire and Rescue (SCFR) units. The fire was reported just before 2:40 p.m., and firefighters arrived on the scene within five minutes to find flames engulfing multiple sides of the single-family home.
Despite challenges posed by the steep terrain and the distance to the nearest hydrants, the fire was brought under control within 30 minutes. Fortunately, no occupants were in the home at the time, and there were no reported injuries among the residents. The occupants, one adult and four children, are receiving assistance from the American Red Cross.
Fredericksburg Parks, Recreation, and Events will host its inaugural “Day of Play” at the Virginia Credit Union Stadium on September 21, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The family-focused event will feature a variety of activities like an obstacle course, kayak paddling pool, baseball pitch, and Ga Ga ball. University of Mary Washington’s Cheerleading team will teach cheerleading skills, while Mary Washington Healthcare will host Wellness Workshops. The event will also have a Toddler Area, designed for the youngest attendees.
In the early hours of August 21, police responded to a single-vehicle accident on the 600 block of Poplar Road at 1:10 a.m. following a report that a Toyota Avalon struck a tree and rolled over several times.
Upon arrival, deputies found four individuals in the vehicle. The driver, identified as Landon Lynn, 18, of Stafford, was pronounced dead at the scene. The three passengers were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment of their injuries.
The Stafford County School Board will hold a special called meeting on Tuesday, August 27, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public, livestreamed online, and televised on local cable channels. The public is invited to attend, but the agenda does not include public comments.
The meeting agenda includes a transportation update; Stafford Public Schools faced a chaotic first week with major software issues that left thousands of students without transportation to and from school. The board will also discuss redistricting for the county’s newest High School, which will impact students in the 2026-27 school year. The school will be located between Route 17 and Truslow Road in the southwestern part of the county. This area currently does not have a public high school, and the new facility is expected to help alleviate overcrowding in the existing schools.
The Fredericksburg Police Department has been awarded an $81,000 grant to support the FXBG Steering Committee on Teen Violence in creating a five-year strategic plan to address rising teenage violence in the community. This grant is part of a larger $475,000 funding initiative spread over two years, aimed at enhancing staffing, strategic planning, and acquiring new technologies to curb violence.
This initiative follows the establishment of a regional gang task force last year by Police Chief Layton in response to escalating gang activity in local schools and the community. The task force, which includes partnerships with neighboring counties and the Rappahannock Regional Jail, meets monthly to share information and coordinate efforts across jurisdictions.
