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High winds led to many brush fires across the region early last week, including this fire |
Winds wreak havoc throughout region
Two Fredericksburg-area counties declared local states of emergency last Sunday after high winds triggered a rash of brush fires.
Two downtown Fredericksburg restaurants suffered roof damage, and the winds caused other problems throughout the region.
Officials in King George and Caroline counties issued the emergency declarations to make their localities eligible for state assistance that would most likely be reimbursement for some of the costs of battling the fires.
Median home prices fall to 3-year lows
The housing market's struggles accelerated last month in the Fredericksburg area, with median sales prices hitting three-year lows.
The median sales price for a Fredericksburg-area home dropped to $262,500 in January, the lowest since October 2004 and a 15.3 percent decline from January 2007.
Area median home sales prices dropped 9.5 percent between December and last month. The data were recently published on the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc. Web site.
The Fredericksburg area includes the city as well as Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George and Caroline counties, and part of Westmoreland County.
Three facing charges in $1.70 holdup
Three men now face armed-robbery charges in a heist that netted only $1.70.
According to Culpeper police Lt. Chris Settle, three men wearing masks entered a shed at a Commerce Street residence about 10:45 p.m. Feb 9.
One man pulled a handgun and another a rifle on three residents in the shed, Settle said. They took all the money one man had--a total of $1.70, Settle said.
The robbers fled on foot, but a few moments later Officer Tim Chilton, using a description radioed to him by Lt. Scott Roy, saw the suspects enter a residence about half a mile away on Briscoe Street.
George C. Faulkner, 19, of Culpeper, Rashad D. Mallory, 20, of Ruckersville and Michael A. Wilson, 20, of Culpeper were arrested and charged with armed robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and brandishing a firearm.
Carter will join Spotsy Planning Commission
Former Lee Hill District Supervisor Mary Lee Carter was appointed to the Spotsylvania County Planning Commission on Tuesday night.
The appointment, which Super visor Gary Skinner requested, was one of 17 items on the consent agenda that supervisors approved on a 7-0 vote.
Medical Center work will begin April 1
Construction of the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center will begin on or about April 1.
Jim Thweatt, project manager for the new hospital, told the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors Tuesday night that land clearing has finished and that a general contractor has been chosen to start construction. Grading of the land is about to start, he said.
HCA, a Nashville-based, for-profit hospital chain, is building the hospital on a 75-acre site at the intersection of U.S. 17 and Interstate 95 in the Massaponax area.
The 126-bed hospital is expected to open in late 2009. A ceremonial groundbreaking will be held April 23.
Ice storm snarls traffic on local roads
The ice melted and traffic returned to normal Wednesday, but many commuters were left asking, "What happened?" regarding Tuesday's marathon traffic jam on Interstate 95.
Fredericksburg-area residents found 60- to 90- minute commutes stretched into four- and five-hour ordeals as they attempted to get home. Virginia State Police reported that congestion on I-95 lasted until 11:30 p.m.
Caroline supervisor charged with DWI
A member of the Caroline County Board of Supervisors was arraigned in Spotsylvania General District Court Thursday on a charge of driving while intoxicated.
Robert Joseph "Bobby" Popowicz, 39, was charged Feb. 3 after a car accident on U. S. 1 in Spotsylvania, said 1st Sgt. Liz Scott of the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office.
Popowicz's trial is set for May 27, and he is represented by defense attorney Mark Gardner, said Commonwealth's Attorney Bill Neely.
Scott said Popowicz, who was found to have a 0.13 blood-alcohol content, was arrested following the accident, which happened about 12:30 a.m. He was leaving the parking lot of BT's and making a turn onto U. S. 1 when his Hyundai Accent collided with another vehicle, she said.
