Tara Durant

Health

Durant and Youngkin announce $5.5 million for Fredericksburg-area crisis care expansion

By Uriah Kiser
Governor Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Governor Winsome Sears, Senator Tara Durante, and candidates Hung Cao and Derrick Anderson hosted a rally in Stafford.

Senator Tara Durant (R-27, Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania) has teamed up with Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) to invest in mental health resources across Virginia. As part of the state’s “Right Help, Right Now” initiative, the partnership will fund new crisis receiving centers and stabilization units to give Virginians faster access to behavioral health services.

Locally, the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board will receive $5.5 million to enhance care in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, King George, and Caroline counties. The funding will support the purchase of a new commercial property, relocation and modernization of the Sunshine Lady House adult stabilization unit in Fredericksburg, and the creation of new youth crisis care facilities. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new center is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 24, 2025, just off Route 1 near the Lee’s Hill Goodwill Donation Center, near Four Mile Fork.

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News

Doug Ollivant Just Jumped Into the VA-7 Race Against Tara Durant

By Uriah Kiser
Olivant

CULPEPER COUNTY, Va. – We just heard from retired Army Lt. Col. Doug Ollivant—he’s officially in the race for Congress in Virginia’s 7th District. That means he’ll face State Sen. Tara Durant in the 2026 Republican primary, with the winner taking on Democrat Rep. Eugene Vindman in November.

Ollivant, who lives in Culpeper County, says his campaign will focus on cutting government spending, strengthening the military, securing the border, and supporting families. He’s a father of seven, a grandfather of two, and a veteran of two combat tours in Iraq.

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Spotsylvania

One Pill Can Kill: Miyares, Durant, and Survivors Lead Fentanyl Awareness Talk in Spotsy

By Uriah Kiser

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares led a “One Pill Can Kill” town hall Tuesday evening at Salem Fields Community Church, joined by state and local leaders who warned that fentanyl remains the state’s most urgent drug threat.

Miyares told the audience that fentanyl is “100 times more powerful than heroin” and that his office has prosecuted enough cases to remove the supply that could have killed nearly seven million Virginians. He called the drug not an overdose but “poison, turned into murder,” and said just two cartels are responsible for most of the synthetic drugs entering Virginia.

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Politics

Tara Durant Launches Bid to Unseat Eugene Vindman in Virginia’s 7th District

By Potomac Local News
Delegate Tara Durant (R-Fredericksburg, Stafford)

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Virginia State Senator Tara Durant (R) announced her campaign for Congress on June 18, 2025, setting up a high-stakes showdown with incumbent Rep. Eugene Vindman (D) in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.

“As a mom, Marine wife, and conservative fighter, I’ve spent my life standing up for faith, family, and freedom,” Durant said in her announcement. “As a State Senator, I partnered with Governor Glenn Youngkin to cut taxes, back the blue, and fight back against the far-left agenda. Now I’m running for Congress to take that same fight to Washington and work with President Trump to secure our border, fully fund our police, end the reckless spending, and restore common-sense leadership.”

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Fredericksburg

Youngkin Touts Virginia’s 250,000 Job Openings at Stafford Tech Firm

By Uriah Kiser
SimVentions President Joe Caliri said the company currently has nearly job openings.

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.

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News

Stafford Leaders React to Veto of Local Sales Tax for School Construction

By Uriah Kiser

Stafford County leaders are responding to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recent veto of SB1307, a bill that would have allowed counties and cities across Virginia to hold voter referendums on implementing a 1% local sales and use tax dedicated to public school construction and renovation projects.

The legislation, introduced by Senator Jeremy McPike (D-29, Prince William, Stafford), sought to add Stafford County to the list of localities eligible to consider the tax through a ballot referendum. McPike criticized the governor’s decision on social media, calling it a move that blocks local communities from choosing how to fund needed school improvements.

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News

Diggs to roll out community servants at first town hall

By Potomac Local News
George Washington District Supervisor Deuntay Diggs is sworn into office in December 2023.

Stafford County Supervisor Deuntay Diggs will hold his first town hall meeting on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at Stafford High School.

Diggs represents the George Washington District, said he’ll be joined by elected School Board member, Susan Randall, also of George Washington, as well as residents whom Diggs appointed to several county boards and commissions.

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News

Schools press state lawmakers for more construction, renovation funds

By Uriah Kiser
[Photo: Stafford County Public Schools]

“The Superintendent and School Board provided tangible ways to improve student outcomes, urging legislators to provide Stafford County with increased funding necessary to support high expectations for student performance, provide a safe, positive learning environment, and provide better conditions to recruit, retain and develop staff. Additional discussion focused on the need for a reduction in the burden of unfunded mandates and inefficient government practices.”

“Stafford Schools urged legislators to consider Virginia’s K-12 funding formula to provide a more accurate cost of education in the local area, and to provide for additional local sales and use taxes for school construction or renovation. The School Board encouraged elimination of support position caps to allow an increase in Basic Aid funding. To support the advocation of increased funding, school administrators laid out changes to Standards of Quality caps that would provide for an increase in counselors. psychologists, social workers, assistant principals, English Language Learner teachers, and Work Based Learning coordinators.

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