The disciplinary action taken against Patriot High School Principal Michael Bishop earlier this month is the latest chapter in a turbulent tenure at the school, Insidenova.com reports.
Bishop was placed on involuntary leave, the school announced Jan. 9.
Stafford County Sheriff’s Office
Prince William County Police Department
By Sarah Roderick Fitch
(The Center Square) – Three amendments are one step closer to being enshrined in the Virginia Constitution after passing the Senate on Tuesday. These amendments address abortion rights, marriage equality, and the restoration of voting rights for formerly incarcerated felons.
GCC was established in 1970 as part of Virginia’s Community College System and has locations in Culpeper, Locust Grove, Fredericksburg, and Stafford. The school’s website says over 13,000 students are enrolled.
The new expansion added 74,000 square feet to the campus with a $20 million investment. GCC plans to double enrollment in allied health services, like nursing. They will also expand their cybersecurity, IT, general education, and dual enrollment programs.
A recent cybersecurity incident affecting PowerSchool, a global provider of education administration software, has raised concerns for school systems across the country, including Fredericksburg City and Manassas City Public Schools. PowerSchool confirmed that its internal systems were breached in late December, resulting in unauthorized access to data involving students and educators from hundreds of school divisions.
PowerSchool, widely used by schools worldwide, supports over 18,000 institutions, serving more than 60 million students. The platform handles essential administrative functions such as attendance tracking, grade reporting, and student data management. While PowerSchool has restored its systems’ security, the breach underscores the vulnerability of sensitive educational information.
“After an eight-month national search, the Board selected [Senechal] because of her extensive knowledge and more than 15 years of experience in the electric utility industry,” Board Chairman Wade House said. “The Board also is impressed with her leadership style of prioritizing people first.”
Senechal is the executive vice president of transmission and chief operating officer at Lower Colorado River Authority (LRCA) in Austin, Texas. She joined LRCA in 2017 following nine years at CenterPoint Energy in Houston.
Janet Brown was appointed Stafford County’s citizen representative to the Central Rappahannock Regional Library Board following a unanimous vote by the Board of Supervisors during their January 21, 2025, meeting. Brown’s appointment comes as the county looks to strengthen ties with the regional library system and improve its collaborative efforts to enhance library services.
Brown, a longtime Stafford resident and active community member, brings a wealth of experience in civic engagement and public service. “I am honored to represent Stafford County and look forward to working with the library board to ensure our community has access to the best resources and services,” Brown stated following her appointment. Her term will begin immediately.
After 17 years as a teacher, Spotsylvania’s Leslie Robinson has learned how to make her students laugh. In almost two decades, Robinson has taught every grade level from pre-school to adult high school, and currently teachers High School Family and Consumer Sciences in Spotsylvania County Public Schools. She is also a popular social media content creator, with thousands of followers and views on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Robinson said she loves bringing comedy into her classrooms, saying it helps students retain more information and also lets them find enjoyment in learning. Making the jump from the classroom to the public was a logical next step – Robinson said, “it only made sense to share that same energy and approach with fellow teachers.” Robinson honed her comedy skills in the classroom, saying, “Teenagers are the toughest audience out there,” and finding the ability to both connect with them and make them laugh is akin to “surviving ‘audience boot camp.'”
Fredericksburg Police Department
Stafford County Sheriff’s Office
NOVEC sent its crew of six men, pictured above, on Jan. 7 to work for three days with SEC, which serves more than 59,000 people. The recent winter storm, according to a NOVEC press release, left 28,000 in the area without power.
“It was good to know we were helping people,” Jake Till, one of NOVEC’s lineworkers, said. “It’s a small, close-knit community. The lineworkers at Southside appreciated our support.”
