Rappahannock News
Panthers, farmer break Planners COVID’s give GuinnessHIDDEN TOLL World Record cautious nod to new brewery
APage 6 Health district bringing vaccine to Rapp Page 8 See A deli in Sperryville? Maybe. A full-service grocery store? Highly unlikely. How about a community gathering space? Perhaps. These are a few possibilities raised by the newly...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
New cafe coming to Washington
For a town known for hospitality, Brian Noyes thought Little Washington was missing something surprisingly basic: a folksy gathering place for breakfast, lunch and a place to grab a last minute cooking ingredient or dinner item. “It was really boring...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Supervisors confront teacher turnover
The Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors on Monday addressed teacher concerns in a story that appeared in the Rappahannock News last month about high teacher turnover at the Rappahannock County High School (RCHS), with supervisors and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Smith exits Board of Supervisors
Christine Smith leaves the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors a er eight years de ned by the county’s most expensive and complex — and still ongoing — undertakings: the broadband expansion and the e ort to modernize the courthouse...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CITIZEN of the YEAR
A life giving back — to the kids, to the land, to us One of the rst things you learn about Stephanie Ridder is that she can’t say no — not to a child who needs a tutor, a meadow that needs restoring, a rehouse that needs sweeping or a budget formula...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Watch out Macy’s, Little Washington has balloons
Drew Mitchell, right, and Taylor Townsend of Avon Hall show o their balloons at the parade last weekend — a first for the event.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Privilege of my life’
A er representing the StonewallHawthorne District for one four-year term, Woodville resident Van Carney will step down from the Rappahannock Board of Supervisors (BOS) at the end of the year. Carney, 45, now a third-year law student at George Mason...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HAPPY CAMPERS
Residents Andrew and Jenny Leech reopen the outdoor supply store inside the Sperryville Schoolhouse.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BRUSH FIRES BREAK OUT
Rappahannock County volunteer fire and rescue crews responded to three brush fires last Sunday that were started by fallen power lines amid extremely windy weather conditions. The three fires, which all took place on Nov. 16, were located in Gid Brown...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
LIONS ON A ROLL
The Rappahannock Football League’s Lions won their second consecutive championship last Saturday in Strasburg over the Clarke County Eagles.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Could new homes reshape Sperryville?
Two families with Rappahannock roots that go back generations were buyer and seller in a land transaction last week that could result in Sperryville being the site of the most ambitious housing development in Rappahannock County to date. Longtime...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
GROUND BROKEN, INTERNET COMING?
Sto&tTNhheCeVoivmrogmtineuiafnoDilcleoapwtaioertdnmsaeSnpitreotfSrHuacpetaelrdtvhid,smoisrocsurCesshiaodn Caabmouptbell, left, and Shawn Golden — contractors for All is is extended 400 feet by adding 10-foot steel rods.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SHUTDOWN DOESN’T SLOW PEAK PEEPING
Tourists enjoy their breakfast and take photos as they watch the sun rise over the Shenandoah National Park last Saturday. The park — and some Sperryville businesses — had a blockbuster weekend.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Learning to earn
Most adults wish they had learned more about money management before life started sending them bills. In Rappahannock County Public Schools, students are getting that head start thanks to FamilyFutures, a local nonpro t that provides realworld ...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SPOOKY SPRINT SUPPORTS SCHOOLS
The Headwaters Foundation hosted the first Monster Mash Fun Run Dash last Saturday to raise money for the public education-focused nonprofit. Participants of all ages dressed in spooky attire to race through the Town of Washington.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HURRAY FOR A HOMECOMING WIN!
Rappahannock County High School celebrated Homecoming last week with varsity football ensuring that the celebration was a joyous one in Panther Stadium via a convincing win over the Fuqua School from Farmville.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Local parties gear up for November election
The Rappahannock County Republican and Democratic committees each gathered last weekend ahead of early voting to promote their candidates and raise money for this year’s election Nov. 4.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM FOR PANTHERS
Rappahannock County High School students Riley Garrido, Carmen Pond and Cole Logan cheer on the Panther football team to its first victory last Friday night.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Big power pole, line ‘upgrade’ worries residents Company contends it’s routine; others fear growing energy demands from data centers
When Kerry Sutten steps outside his Sperryville home, he is greeted by a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are power lines and poles mixed in with the trees, but they’re barely noticeable, especially in the lush summer foliage. “Now...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Ashleigh G. Cannon
Ashleigh has a deep love of the hills and hollows, and pretty much knows every road, village and family in Rappahannock and the Heart of the Piedmont. When not working, she can be found spending time with family & friends, cheering on her daughter in...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Roger Jenkins ‘has the DNA’ to serve
A er nearly three decades wearing a Rappahannock County Sheri ’s O ce badge — from his early days as a jailer to chief deputy — Maj. Roger Jenkins has closed that chapter of his life and retired. Well, for the most part. While he stepped down as...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Is flooding the new normal?
The owners of The Black Twig restaurant in Sperryville know all too well the lifethreatening impact of severe ooding. Abigail Gleason was le stranded at her home the evening of May 13 with her two young sons on one side of the roaring Hughes River...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Spring freeze means fruit season not peachy keen
Fruit orchards in Rappahannock County are persevering through the summer a er the worst spring freeze in nearly 50 years wiped out threefourths or more of their peach and apple crops, triggering a $50,000 loss of revenue and fruit for at least one...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PAWS ON PATROL
Deputy David Meade with his new partner, a German shepard brought from the Netherlands. “[The K-9] was paid for locally by drug dealers,” Sheri Connie Compton quipped.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Hooves, horns and highlights
Allison Baldwin, 10, peeks over the top of her large white steer during Saturday’s junior showmanship competition, part of the CulpeperMadison-Rappahannock (CMR) Farm Show.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Bobby G: Teachin’ by day, rockin’ at night
Bobby “G” Glasker performs with guitarist Michael Coy at the Dark Horse Tavern last month. Meet the artist — and RCES teacher — who will headline next week’s Sperryville concert.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Sperryville becoming Breweryville?
The Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors at its meeting July 7 will consider an application from Rising Water Brewing for a special permit to operate a brewery in the auxiliary building beside the Sperryville Schoolhouse. The property, at 12018...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Historical Society turns a page
Scores of Rappahannock residents gathered last Sunday inside one of the oldest buildings in the Town of Washington to celebrate a new beginning for an organization that has documented county history for more than 60 years. Originally started in 1964,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
The enduring story of Betty Kilby Fisher Baldwin
In the heart of rural Virginia, an incredible story of strength and transformation unfolds through Betty Kilby Fisher Baldwin. It twists and turns through her eight decades, but pivotal to who she is today was an act of remarkable courage by her...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Eldon Farms unveils its future
The 7,100 acres of Eldon Farms in Woodville have entered a new era, poised to become a public-private reserve that will mix ecological restoration, education, recreation and advanced farming and grazing practices. Hikers, scientists, farmers and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Thanks to her dogs…
There are any number of reasons Georgina Gri th-Yates is the new executive director of the Rappahannock Food Pantry, but let’s start with her dogs. As she tells it, two of the ve rescue dogs she shares with her spouse, Ash Yates, are runners. As in,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
After high school, then what?
Economics 101: Each time Rappahannock County High School (RCHS) senior Ryan Atkins leaves campus to work on an air-conditioning unit or heat pump, he represents the concept of supply and demand. Part of a national trend, more than half of Atkins’...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
At nature’s doorstep: a lesson in gratitude and caution
Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Rappahannock County weaves together extraordinary beauty and remarkable character. A er two decades in Los Angeles, I never imagined nding home in a place so di erent — yet that's precisely what...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Awe of nature drives Nick Lapham
From a distance, it looks like a large puddle, likely a remnant of a recent rain, shadowed by a copse of trees. A branch lies partly submerged. Nothing remarkable. But, as Nick Lapham approaches the water, with a quickening step, it’s clear that there...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Mr. (& Mrs.) Vance goes to Washington
When innkeeper Amanda Hu answered the phone at the Foster Harris House bed and breakfast last Friday morning to take a lodging reservation for the next night, she never could have imagined to whom she would be serving her fresh-baked ginger scones...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
From counterculture to county matriarchs
Many of the women who moved here during what some Rappahannock locals called the “hippie invasion” in the 1970s — a movement of peace, love and free-spirited lifestyles — stayed on. ►
Read Full Story (Page 1)
One year later, Ted Pellegatta celebrates life . . . his way
Late March last year, Rappahannock icon Ted Pellegatta went to bed feeling fine, a little achy now and then but still chipper at 84, covering two or three miles daily along Sperryville’s Thornton River with his walking buddy Ed Timperlake. But the next...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘A magical moment’
The Trinity Episcopal Church Sunrise Easter Service on Red Oak Mountain — 6 o’clock April 20 — is all about overlapping: The highest feast in the Christian calendar overlaps with the celebrated burst of spring, which overlaps with the birth of a new...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Y’all ready to play some ball?’
The Rappahannock-Culpeper Baseball League held its opening ceremony for the start of the season last Saturday, with Gary Settle throwing the honorary first pitch at Stuart Field in Amissville. Settle, who recently retired as head of the Virginia State...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Rappahannock had a little lamb — lots of them
It’s that time of year — farms across Rappahannock County are welcoming spring flocks of new lambs and goat kids. Four little lambs, only a few days old, took their first steps outside of a barn Tuesday morning, braving the cold in their fleece jackets...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Dodson’s dedication to service
► Background: Assistant chief, Amissville Volunteer Fire and Rescue (AVFR); part-time EMT medic, Rappahannock advanced life support program; longtime president and coach, Rappahannock Athletic Association/Rappahannock Culpeper Baseball (RAA/RCB),...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A cow, chicken and corgi, oh my!
The innovative “Tiebrary,” a tie checkout service at Rappahannock County High School (RCHS), was officially unveiled March 14 by students in Kristina Carroll-Farnham’s materials and processing class. Attendees clapped as students slowly peeled away...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Board of Supervisors next stop for Gary Settle?
Former Virginia State Police Superintendent Gary Settle, a native of Rappahannock County, hopes to use the skills and knowledge from his decades-long career in law enforcement as a member of the Board of Supervisors representing the Piedmont...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
DOGE freeze impacts local environmental programs
Farmers and landowners in Rappahannock and nearby counties — as well as conservation programs — are feeling the e ects of a federal freeze being implemented by the newly created Department of Government E ciency (DOGE), an initiative of the Trump...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Hunt sponsors annual point-to-point race
Bring family, friends and colleagues for a day of exciting races at the Rappahannock Hunt’s annual point-to-point race on Saturday, March 1, at The Hill, 13257 Durantes Curve in Boston, just off Route 522. This year’s event features hurdle races,...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
A mission to remember forgotten sacrifices
Howard Lambert, the first African American president of the Brandy Station Foundation, has worked throughout his life to tell the story of Black soldiers in the Civil War. ►
Read Full Story (Page 1)
The little band that could
The Panther Band is proof that greatness comes in all sizes. Led by band director Tyler Ende, the Rappahannock County High School marching band worked tirelessly this season, rehearsing, competing and performing their marching show. Through their...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Is social isolation hazardous to your health?
Jake Jones rst came to the Senior Center in Castleton about a year ago. It was his wife’s idea. He needed something to help ll his days a er a stroke took away his ability to drive. “It was something to do and a place to go.” said Jones, 87, who...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Honey I’m home!
Castleton residents Ron and Susan White only had their newly-adopted golden retriever, Honey, for a little over an hour before she escaped her harness and vanished into the woods near their home. This led to a three-month search and sleepless nights,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
From Rappahannock to Kenya with love
As international nonprofit SANGO-Kenya enters its fifth anniversary year addressing food insecurity in southwestern Kenya, founder and Rappahannock County resident Kit Goldfarb recently held a graduation for some of the first women involved in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Genho’s going for it
If there’s one thing about Stonewall-Hawthorne resident John Genho, it’s his appreciation of a large tract of land. “I just look at how much [my family has benefited from living here, and you think, ‘How do we keep taking and never take the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
2025’s opening act brings snow
Rappahannock County employees and students were able to enjoy about eight inches of snow that fell earlier this week as life as we knew it shut down — county o ces closed, students got an extended winter break and most businesses took a day o for the ...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Historic inn changes hands
Hopkins Ordinary, an historic B&B and brewery in Sperryville, is under new ownership after a young Washington, D.C. couple purchased the business and property in November. Olivia Noble, 33, and Katie Lancos, 40, are now living in Sperryville at the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
Getting to know T.C. Williams is like peeling an onion. If you ask a dozen people what Williams is working on, you’ll uncover layers of different answers. The founder of an international youth sports nonprofit, a children’s book author, amateur dress...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A GIFT FOR EVERY CHILD
CHRISTMAS PARADE | Wilder Butler sits on Santa’s lap at Avon Hall at Christmas in Little Washington on Sunday. In keeping with the annual tradition, all children received gifts.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HAY BALE BEAR WITH A VIEW
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN SILO the hay bale bear on Route 211, named after local farm Silo in Sperryville. Owner Dave Jarrell said SILO is 14 feet tall and 5,000 pounds (five round bales at 1,000 pounds each). Its back paws are 38 inches high and its eyes and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FOOD PANTRY SHARES THANKSGIVING SPIRIT
The Rush River Commons development in the Town of Washington has nearly ÿ nished its trans-formation from a pile of dirt to a community gath-ering space.More than 50 Rappahannock Food Pantry volun-teers helped pack Thanksgiving meals for 243 fam-ilies...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Students opt for ‘hands on’ careers
It wasn’t that long ago, remembers Dani Pond, when conventional wisdom had it that if you wanted a good career, you better have a degree from a four-year college. “It didn’t matter what degree,” said Pond, supervisor of student counseling at...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Jones Nature Preserve: ‘ A scenic masterpiece’
Nestled along Long Mountain Road is one of Rappahannock County's most precious jewels – the Jones Nature Preserve. Like the county’s motto, “A scenic masterpiece made perfect by nature,” the preserve is an ecological wonder, teeming with diverse plant...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TREMENDOUS TURNOUT
Political divisiveness seen on the national level did not seem to make its way to Rappahannock County on Election Day as voters across the county turned out in large numbers to cast their ballots. “We might not agree politically, but we can still live...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Campaign countdown
Rappahannock voters will head to the polls Tuesday to elect a president, vice president, U.S. senator and member of Congress as well as vote on a state constitutional amendment. The Rappahannock County Republican and Dem-ocratic committees have been...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
The strengths of Jane Bowling-Wilson
Jane Bowling-Wilson, educated in ne arts and teaching, wasn’t the obvious choice when she was tapped 10 years ago as executive director of the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation (NPCF), a regional philanthropic enterprise addressing a slew of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Stay alert to deer Collisions up at alarming rate, even before peak deer season
On a clear October night around 11 p.m., Edie and David Tatel of Castelton were traveling last year on a twisty, narrow section of Rock Mills Road toward the bridge that crosses the Thornton River. Out of nowhere a deer jumped in front of their 2022...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Saving cats – changing lives
“You have to think like a cat.” That’s how RappCats’ shelter manager Lesley Jenkins likes to describe her strategy for trapping stray cats — one of the more di cult parts of her job, but critical to controlling the stray cat population in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lots to cheer
Rappahannock County High School cheerleaders show their spirit at the RCHS varsity football game last Saturday. The Panther football team won its fourth home game..
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lively finale for summer staple
The 1000 Faces band was the final installment of Sperryville’s Summer Concert Series last Thursday, bringing out an enthusiastic crowd. The Rappahannock Association for Arts and Community (RAAC) and the Sperryville Community Alliance worked to bring...
Read Full Story (Page 1)