The Fredericksburg Planning Commission held a public hearing on May 27, 2026, regarding the Area 8 Dixon Street/Mayfield Small Area Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment.
The Commission continued the hearing without a vote, directing staff to refine the proposal based on robust community input, particularly around equity, anti-displacement measures, incentives, gateways, and implementation parity with prior plans.
Martin Davis, founder and editor-in-chief of the Fredericksburg Advance, announced his departure from the local Substack publication in a farewell column published today, along with managing editor and reporter Adele Uphaus.
Davis is launching a new statewide news outlet, Virginia Free Press, with a soft launch planned for early July. The publication is unaffiliated with the Fredericksburg Free Press.
“Something along those lines is what we’re envisioning,” Fredericksburg Free Press reported. “Maybe it’s volleyball one weekend, a basketball tournament the next weekend, soccer, indoor field hockey, all sorts of things.”
“The net new taxes generated by the higher density mixed use development can cover the debt service on the city investment required to make them feasible from a developer’s standpoint,” Woodworth said.
“The Fredericksburg Police Department is actively investigating a report of shots fired in the Bragg Hill area near Ivanhoe Court,” Fredericksburg Police Department reported. “Residents should expect a significant police presence as officers conduct searches and continue their investigation.”
“At this time, officers are looking for a group of five males who were reportedly seen fleeing the area on foot,” the department added. Residents in the Bragg Hill area are asked to review any available home security or surveillance camera footage for the group.
“When we pass a law, it is their constitutional responsibility to enforce those laws,” Del. Joshua Cole (D-Fredericksburg) WTVR reports. “I think one of the things we really do need to take seriously is if these constitutional officers are not willing to enforce the law, what type of legislation can we introduce to hold them accountable for not doing their job.”
Cole, who represents parts of Spotsylvania County, called the prosecutors’ refusal to enforce Virginia’s new assault weapons ban purely political. He argued that lawmakers pass the laws while courts determine constitutionality.
“The travel audit is still in process,” division superintendent Marci Catlett told the Advance. “During the course of our audit, we noted School Board travel expenditures which did not fall within the school division travel guidelines. We have been engaged to perform a detailed review of School Board travel.”
A special audit of Fredericksburg City Public Schools Board travel expenses, originally due by the end of December 2025, remains unfinished amid staffing changes in the Central Office. Emails and documents show the comment regarding travel in the general fiscal year 2025 audit was edited after pushback from a School Board member, with language about purchase card use and policy recommendations removed from the final management letter.
“All citizens are encouraged to mail their payments as soon as possible or to schedule their payment online to avoid penalties due to mail service delays,” FXBGgov announced. “Payments for both are due June 5, 2026.”
Payments may be made in person at the Treasurer’s Office at 715 Princess Anne Street in Fredericksburg, online at fredericksburgva.gov, or by phone at 540-372-1001.
“On May 23, 2026 at approximately 3:40 p.m. the pictured individual shoplifted several Milwaukee and DeWalt tools from the Home Depot located at 1201 Gateway Blvd,” Fredericksburg Police Department announced. “He was last seen driving the pictured 2013 Toyota Venza bearing VA Handicap tags 5284DH in Spotsylvania, VA on Patriot Highway.”
Report #2026-002480. Anyone who can identify the suspect is asked to contact police at 540-373-3122. Anonymous tips can be submitted by texting “FPDtip” to 847-411 or via the FPD Tip app.
