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Diane Barbara Dunlap Walters, 84, of Colonial Beach, VA passed away on October 23, 2025.
Diane was a devoted mother and a beloved first-grade teacher for more than 30 years. She touched countless young lives with her kindness, patience, and love of learning. Outside the classroom, Diane was an avid quilter who found joy and creativity in her craft.
A Stafford man was arrested following a DUI incident on the 2600 block of Richmond Highway. Deputies responded to a vehicle accident and found a visibly intoxicated individual who provided false identification. The suspect attempted to flee on foot, leading to a brief pursuit and struggle before being taken into custody. He refused sobriety testing, and a search revealed discarded beer cans nearby.
In a separate incident, a Charlottesville man was arrested for assault and battery at the Red Roof Inn on Warrenton Road. The altercation stemmed from a vehicle repossession dispute, and the vehicle owner was identified as the primary aggressor.
A robbery at a 7-Eleven on Deacon Road in Stafford led to the arrest of a 26-year-old man. The suspect initially entered the store to purchase a drink but later attempted to steal cigars. After being confronted by a clerk, he assaulted her and left with the drink. Deputies quickly apprehended him outside the store, charging him with robbery.
In another incident, a DUI arrest was made at the intersection of Courthouse Road and Richmond Highway. A 22-year-old driver was found slumped over the wheel with an open bottle of tequila in the vehicle. After failing sobriety tests, he was charged with driving under the influence and other related offenses.
“Since August, RAHD has investigated three separate outbreaks at both child daycare facilities and elementary schools across the district,” the Rappahannock Area Health District announced. “The Virginia Department of Health is seeing an increase in HFMD emergency department and urgent care visits, as well as an increase in reported HFMD outbreaks across the state in 2025.”
“While seen frequently this time of year, Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease can be very distressing to both child and parent,” said Dr. David Rose, Interim Health Director for RAHD. “It is able to spread quickly, especially in group settings such as daycares and schools, and so it is important for parents to keep their children home while sick.”
“Travelers on Parkway Boulevard in the Park Ridge neighborhood will encounter periodic single lane closures from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. over the next two weeks,” Stafford County Government announced. “Closures are scheduled Monday, Oct. 27 through Friday, Oct. 31, and again Monday, Nov. 3 through Friday, Nov. 7.”
The county advised drivers to plan for potential delays and use caution when traveling through the work zone during these maintenance periods.
“Smoke was showing from three sides of a vacant, single-story commercial building when crews arrived less than five minutes after dispatch,” Stafford County Fire and Rescue announced. “Crews worked quickly to bring the fire under control while also searching the interior of the building.”
The fire occurred around 4:55 p.m. Monday, October 27, in the 700 block of Cambridge Street [Route 1] near Enon Road, near All Seasons Landscaping & Irrigation LLC.
“Help feed a local family of four impacted by the government shutdown by dropping off items on the list 24/7 in the drop box in the church’s foyer,” Stafford Seventh-day Adventist Church announced.
The church is hosting a Food Pantry Pop-up on Thursday, October 30, from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM at 550 Joshua Rd., Stafford, VA 22556. Participants can drive through the parking lot to receive food packages. The list of needed food items is available here.