2019-11-19 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The King George County Board of Supervisors opened their meeting at 8:04pm.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

Public Comment began with Renee Parker. Seeing as it turned into what appears to be an attack on me personally and our work at Project94, we will prevent any doubt over what she said by sharing her written letter below.

Renee Parker's Public Comment with her address redacted.

Don Shelton was next to speak, reminding everyone of two things. First, the King George Historical Society has several artifacts from the Potomac Landing area that was once the site of an Indian village. Secondly, with the 300th Anniversary here, he asks that everyone be part of history and the Historical Society. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is a lifetime member of the King George County Historical Society.]

2019-11-19 - Service Authority Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The King George County Service Authority Board of Directors opened their sole November meeting at 6:30pm.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

There was no Public Comment.

Christopher Werle was absent and Richard Granger had no report.

Cathy Binder said she would try to keep her report brief and said she did a lot of things over the past few weeks. She thanked Ruby Brabo for letting her attend the Waterways Tour in the Northern Neck and enjoyed learning how the nutrients impact the waterways and their harvest. Binder also met with Lisa Hull about potential tourism opportunities. While at the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo), Binder attended several seminars including one about the Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP3). As somebody without a science degree, Binder said it was very helpful. Binder said she's also been doing a lot of research over the last week and a half and said that there really isn't an origin story for the Service Authority. She found a lot of history as has Jonathon Weakley, General Manager, but she wanted to call attention to one document she found from December 1992. Binder said that the previous stories about the state mandating the County take over the water and sewer systems seems to be incorrect and that the Board of Supervisors at the time actually voted to take it over.

OPINION - Politicians Can Legally Lie

by Neil Richard

Politicians CAN lie. How is that important to you as a citizen? Let's find out.

Origin Story

I know many of our readers are wondering why I even bother writing an article about Ruby Brabo now that the elections are over. I know a lot of people, including myself, feel that an article would be like the proverbial beating of a dead horse. But I have three major reasons to write this article. First, I need closure. This has been a tough journey for me personally and I need to put it behind me. Second, I feel it would be fiscally irresponsible of me to not write an article. I paid a lot of money to get this information and I don't want to waste it. And speaking of value, my third and final reason for writing this is to provide value to our readers. Part of our guiding principles are to provide information and to educate our readers, especially the residents of King George County. These three big reasons are what drove me to write an article that takes me down the dark road of politics, lies, and the law. Despite some claims, this is not a political witch hunt.

For those that aren’t aware of what happened, and for those that wondered why I spoke up when I did, here’s a brief timeline of sorts to put things into perspective. As a member of the press, I’ve received various tidbits of information via phone calls, emails, texts, and in-person conversations. I learned very quickly that in this role, I was at the bottom of the rumor mill cesspool. I’ve heard so many stories, large and small, true and false, that I’m surprised every day by what I hear. I’ve been approached by many people who try to exert some sort of pressure on me to cover their story, or some ribald tale, in an effort to reap some sort of personal gain. This is part of why we strive to check our facts before publishing articles. Even our opinions are rooted in facts as much as possible. For me personally, it’s my reputation that’s being published when I write. So even though the truth may hurt, it needs to be the only thing that matters.

2019-11-15 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard
photos by Yvonne Richard

The King George County Supervisors held a ceremonial meeting, called Founder's Day, on Friday the 15th to mark the beginning of a year-long celebration of the County's 300th Anniversary. Being the first of many events over the next twelve months, the Supervisors conducted no substantial business during the meeting and instead gave speeches and let other dignitaries comment.

After giving attendees time to enjoy the food and beverages, the Supervisors began their meeting. Each Supervisor gave a report as usual but focused on their history of coming to King George, how it has impacted their lives in a positive way, and how much they love being here. John Jenkins talked about his time as a student athlete and how much he enjoyed the small town feel. Richard Granger, who is often cool and collected during meetings, got a little emotional as he talked about his life here in the County. Cathy Binder, being a fan of history, focused more on the history of the County. Ruby Brabo spoke about how the people in King George were sometimes considered troublemakers because they stood up for what was right. Jeff Bueche said he and his wife loved King George so much that he was strategic in how he moved forward in his career so he could stay here.

OPINION - 2019-10-29 - Ruby Brabo Town Hall Notes

by Neil Richard

Supervisor Ruby Brabo hosted a Town Hall focused on military veterans at the Dahlgren campus of the University of Mary Washington. The main topics presented during the event were updates from Mary Washington Hospital, updates from the Navy's base in Dahlgren, and Virginia's role in helping veterans.

Jason Hamilton and Phil Brown both spoke about the pending opening of the Urgent Care center in the building behind the old Journal office. Mary Washington Hospital will open this new facility in early November and will be able to handle urgent care, blood testing, and medical imaging. Although some in the audience needed a little clarification, Brown and Hamilton explained that the facility could handle urgent care needs, but not life-threatening scenarios that would require an emergency room. They also said the center would not address long term care issues that a primary care doctor would treat. In other words, it's just like any other urgent care in the area that can handle minor emergencies like a cold or sinus infection but nothing serious like a severed leg and nothing a regular doctor would take care of over time like high cholesterol. Hamilton also said the medical imaging would include mammography, x-rays, and ultrasounds. Hours of operation would be 8am to 8pm Monday through Friday and 8am to 4pm on weekends and Federal holidays.

Veteran's Day 5k

by Neil Richard

The King George High School DECA Club will host their annual Veteran's Day 5k to raise money for the Some Gave All Foundation. The 5k will be held at the high school on Monday, November 11, 2019.

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2019-11-01 - Planning Commission Public Hearing

The King George County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing beginning at 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, November 12, 2019, in the Board Room. Due to the lengthy Agenda an additional special Planning Commission meeting will be held. The special meeting will be held on Thursday, November 21, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room.

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You can subscribe via email here. You can make a charitable donation here.