Stafford
A new Books-A-Million store is coming to Stafford Marketplace, marking the return of a major bookstore to the busy Garrisonville Road shopping center.
The new store will open in the former Party City space, covering about 13,000 square feet, next to where a larger Borders Books & Music once operated before the chain closed its doors nationwide more than a decade ago.
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FALMOUTH, Va. – Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Sears delivered a fiery speech Saturday evening outside her campaign bus in Falmouth, near Fredericksburg, condemning what she described as a “culture of hate and violence” taking root within Democratic politics.
The event came just days after National Review first reported 2022 text messages sent by Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for attorney general. In the messages, Jones joked about violence against then–House Speaker Todd Gilbert, writing, “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” and later referencing Gilbert’s children, saying, “Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy,” according to The Washington Post. The Associated Press and Politico later confirmed the authenticity of the exchange, which Jones has since acknowledged and apologized for.
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The new elementary schools and Hartwood are part of Stafford’s broader strategy to relieve overcrowding and rebalance school boundaries. In a March 2025 article, Potomac Local noted that the division’s redistricting plan (Scenario Green) aimed to open ES-18 and ES-19 near 95 percent capacity initially, ensuring none exceed capacity in year one. (Potomac Local News)
Key takeaways:
The county has secured more than $10.25 million in federal funding to address chronic flooding along a stretch of Brooke Road, known as the “S-Curves.” The money comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s PROTECT Grant Program, which aims to tackle disasters such as flooding and extreme weather.
About 450 residents rely on this road daily—it’s the only way in or out of their neighborhood. It’s also a busy route to the VRE station and local parks.
On Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, Stafford Middle School unveiled a mural outside its main office celebrating Andrew “Norfolk” Walker and Rosie Walker, who opened Walker’s Inn in 1941. The inn became known for its music, dancing, baseball games, and Rosie’s chicken sandwiches, drawing visitors from Stafford, Quantico, Fort A.P. Hill, and beyond. The mural, painted by local artist Brenda Edwards, was dedicated during a ceremony inside the school cafeteria.
The event brought together Walker family descendants, who shared memories of growing up around the inn, where “no one ever went hungry.” Students played a central role, interviewing family members beforehand and posing questions during a roundtable discussion.