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More than 100 people packed the Aquia Harbour Inn, the community center for the gated neighborhood in North Stafford, to see Yesli Vega, whose running for congress.

The Republican seeks to unseat Democrat Abigail Spanberger to represent Virginia’s 7th District, which includes Stafford County, and Prince William County, where Vega serves on the Board of County Supervisors.


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Stafford Hospital threw a community baby shower for about 500 expectant mothers.

The event drew nearly 20 vendors and residents from around the region to the hospital’s atrium. Moms and dads learned where to get pre-natal and post-partum care, access to community health services and nutrition, and where to find books to read to babies.


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Authorities in Stafford County wrested a man suspected of drunken driving to the ground while he was armed, they said.

On Saturday, October 1, at 7:06 p.m., Sergeant G.A. Haney observed a Lincoln truck failing to maintain the travel lane on southbound U.S. 1 near Merryview Drive near Peet’s Coffee. The driver swerved in his lane and ran off the paved surface of the roadway several times onto the shoulder, said Stafford County authorities.


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(THE CENTER SQUARE) – Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin donated his third quarter salary, about $43,700, to a veteran-run nonprofit that provides services to veterans and students to help them transition to the workforce.

The governor presented the check to G3 Community Services at its Stafford headquarters during a news conference.


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The Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia sent a cease and desist letter after Stafford County Historical Society members questioned the tribe's authenticity.

Rick and Jerilynn MacGregor sent the letter to the tribe and the Stafford County Board of Supervisors in September 2022, questioning the legitimacy of the tribe, claiming that there is no documentation supporting the Patawomeck as a tribe indigenous to the region.

The letter was titled "Where is the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia Inc. Recognition Does Not Equal Legitimacy September 2022".

The tribe was granted recognition as a state-recognized tribe in 2010 by the Virginia General Assembly.

"The process through which the PITV obtained their state recognition reminds us of the little story of Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody," states the MacGregors in their letter. "Over the last 15 years or so, everybody assumed that somebody had done their "due diligence" to confirm the accuracy of the historical narrative espoused by the IPTV. From all we've seen thus far, nobody did."

The MacGregors also called into question the process in which the tribe received recognition through the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond rather than through the Virginia Council on Indians, which the tribe had applied to the council for recognition twice and was denied both times.

Rick MacGregor serves as the Stafford Historical Society President, while Jerilynn MacGregor serves as its secretary. The group is a non-profit organization dating back to 1965, charged with the historical education and preservation of Stafford County.

"We're upset about this. The tribe has tried to foster goodwill and provide education about the history of the Patawomeck," said Charlie Payne Jr., the tribe's lawyer. "The MacGregors have been invited to discuss the issue with the tribe but have declined the offer, this matter was settled back in 2010 by the General Assembly and we have historians that have looked over the evidence and support the tribe."

The tribe demanded the MacGregors stop the "dissemination of false and misleading information about the tribe" and threatened legal civil action and penalties for failure to comply.

The couple had been invited to talk to the Patawomeck regarding their questions as recently as May 2022 but declined the offer, said Payne. The lawyer also shared letters from historians at both the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg and American University in Washington D.C. that support the tribe's standing of legitimacy and dispute the claims of lack of documentation.

The letters from the college's historians, Danielle Moretti-Langholtz and Buck Woodard, respectively, show that documentation on the tribe exists through recorded interviews with tribe members who gave oral histories as well as reports from neighboring tribes such as the Pamunkey.

The letters also dispute the claims of legitimacy of Virginia tribes, especially under the auspices of the Virginia Council on Indians. Moretti-Langholtz writes in her letter that the council was never mandated to draw up criteria for recognition, to which no such standards were ever agreed upon.

Moretti-Langholtz sat on the council when she was appointed by then Governor Mark Warner in 203 and served until 2006. Moretti-Langholtz also mentioned that the council had been recently reconvened in Richmond to set up such criteria.

In June 2019, the Stafford County Board of Supervisors reached a lease deal with the Patawomeck Tribe to lease a part of Duff Green Park to build a cultural center and museum opened in the Summer 2022. The county also paid for improvements to the area, which included renovations for the Duff House estimated to cost $109,000 and various improvements to paths, roads, and gardens, which, combined with the upgrades, cost $334,000.

"The heritage and lineage of the tribe are well noted and recognized by the commonwealth and professors from noted universities. It's unfortunate that instead of working to unite Stafford in its diversity, some are choosing to be divisive," said George Washington District Supervisor Tom Coen.

According to the tribe, The Patawomeck tribe of Virginia Indians is based in Stafford County, along the Potomac River (Patawomeck is another spelling of Potomac). It is one of Virginia's 11 recognized Native American tribes.


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Tom Barkin, president of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank, spoke about rising inflation, jobs, and consumer confidence today in Woodbridge.

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The remnants of Hurricane Ian moving into our area today will bring rain and wind to the region for at least the next three days. Initially, the annual event was slated for tomorrow, Saturday, October 1, 2022, from 10 am to 5 pm. 

Jubilee planners said this year’s event includes an assortment of fun for children and adults with over 100 craft and community booths, live music and entertainment, and food.