Fredericksburg City Public Schools will open two hours late on Wednesday, April 9, in response to a mass shooting that left three people dead and three others hospitalized Tuesday evening in neighboring Spotsylvania County.
School officials announced the delayed opening late Tuesday, citing the “profound impact this incident has had on members of our school community.”
At 5:30 p.m., the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a shooting in the area of Olde Greenwich Circle, just off Layfaette Boulevard. Upon arrival, deputies discovered multiple individuals suffering from gunshot wounds.
Three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while three others were transported to nearby hospitals with unknown conditions. The identities and ages of the victims have not yet been released.
At Old Mill Park along the Rappahannock River, there are spots where the mowers can’t reach, and to send a landscape professional in there with a weed whacker could be dangerous, so Fredericksburg has sent in the goats.
They munch the weeds until the job is done, leave a bit of organic fertilizer, and then jump on the truck to the next job, clearing invasive species at the following location.
As Fredericksburg city officials weigh budget cuts, tax increases, and federal funding uncertainties, one possible source of future financial relief came up during a joint City Council and School Board budget work session: a data center under development in Celebrate Virginia South.
Councilman Jon Gerlach (At-Large) asked whether the city could receive advance personal property tax payments from Stack Infrastructure, the company behind the project. The goal: explore whether Fredericksburg could tap into future revenue sooner to help offset current budget pressures.
Stafford County
DUI Arrests
One of Fredericksburg’s most popular parks will transform into an eco-celebration zone on Saturday, April 26, as the city hosts its annual Earth Day Festival at Old Mill Park.
Now in its 20th year, the festival draws thousands of attendees and celebrates environmental awareness through hands-on activities, live entertainment, and eco-friendly vendors.
Governor Glenn Youngkin visited Stafford County on Friday, highlighting more than 250,000 open jobs across Virginia—even as concerns mount over federal job cuts. Speaking at SimVentions, an engineering and technology services firm in Stafford, Youngkin told the crowd, “Virginia has jobs. Lots of jobs.”
The event, hosted at SimVentions’ headquarters, was organized with the help of State Senator Tara Durant (R-28, Fredericksburg, Stafford), who said the initiative behind the state’s jobs rollout has been years in the making.
Fredericksburg is getting ready to paint the town red, white, and blue to honor its hometown heroes—the Fredericksburg Nationals—after their 2024 Carolina League Championship victory.
Fans are invited to join the Carolina League Championship Celebration and Ring Ceremony on Monday, April 7, at noon at Riverfront Park in downtown Fredericksburg. The event will honor the FredNats’ thrilling 2024 season and their second league title since the team’s arrival in the city.
A new agreement between the City of Fredericksburg and its public school system will open school gymnasiums and facilities to the public, expanding access to recreation programs for children, teens, and families.
On Tuesday night, City Council unanimously approved a shared-use agreement with Fredericksburg City Public Schools that gives the Parks, Recreation, and Events Department expanded access to school buildings, including the former Walker-Grant School, now Gladys West Elementary.
