Free Republic

Published: August 6, 2009 FREDERICKSBURG — Spotsylvania County authorities say a 60-year-old woman and her Labrador were attacked by a pit bull owned by her son. The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office says the woman suffered numerous bites and broke her shin bone and finger during the Sunday attack. Her dog was euthanized because of life-threatening injuries. The victim originally stated that she was walking her dog when a dog ran toward her and started attacking her dog. Authorities canvassed the area in an attempt to locate the dog, but were unable to find the animal. An anonymous tip led authorities...

Local Presbyterian churches won't be putting candles on a birthday cake for John Calvin--500 wouldn't fit anyway. But church members recognize the importance of July 10. Sunday school classes and study groups at the Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Presbyterian Church have been reading the works of the man whose principles eventually founded the Presbyterian faith. "Calvin would be unimpressed that people were celebrating his birthday," said the Rev. Allen Fisher Jr. of the Presbyterian Church downtown, "but deeply edified that people were still reading his works." John Calvin was born July 10, 1509, in France. During his 55-year...

Bob McDonnell and 2009 Republican Ticket Hold Statewide Rallies Today "Just Say Yes" Tour of Virginia Bob McDonnell, Republican gubernatorial candidate and former Attorney General of Virginia, will be joined by Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and Attorney General nominee Ken Cuccinelli for post-convention rallies throughout Virginia today, June 1st. Rally Details Rally at Stafford Regional Airport When: 3:00 pm Where: Stafford Regional Airport 75 Aviation Way Fredericksburg, VA 22406 (540) 658-1212 Rally at Norfolk International Airport When: 5:15 pm Where: Norfolk Southern Hangar (Shares Parking Lot with Landmark Aviation Hangar) 6103 Burton Station Road Norfolk, VA 23502

DETROIT – General Motors Corp. said Monday it will permanently close nine more plants and idle three others to trim production and labor costs under bankruptcy protection. Six of the plants are in GM's home state of Michigan, which has already been hard-hit by job cuts in the auto industry.

Sarah Palin's rally Monday in Fredericksburg, Va., began with a prayer. "Thank you for all you have given us," intoned Susan Stimpson, chairwoman of the county Republican Party. If she had really wanted to help, though, she would have prayed the polls are wrong. A new Washington Post/ABC poll released Monday put Barack Obama up eight points in Virginia, one for every day left in the election. His advantage is even stronger in Northern Virginia, where he outpolls McCain 2-to-1. In the southwest, which a McCain adviser recently called "real Virginia," McCain is still leading. He's also up among veterans...

Check out the photo at Michelle Malkin's Blog - it is a great sign!

In photos: 'Sarah Palin rallies for support in Fredericksburg, Virginia'

For the third time in six weeks, the McCain campaign has to adjust where Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin holds a rally in Virginia because she is proving to be such a big draw. The campaign announced today that Palin's visit Monday to Salem, located near Roanoke, is being moved from the city's civic center to the Salem Football Field to accommodate the expected crowds. Gail Gitcho, a McCain spokeswoman, said there has been "overwhelming response" for tickets for the event. Two weeks ago, a Palin rally in Richmond had to be relocated to the parking lot of the Richmond Motor...

Campaign Calendar "I'm going to fight for my cause every day as your President. I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me." - John McCain Use this calendar to find the latest events for McCain-Palin 2008. 10/26/2008 9:00:00 AM - Tampa , FL Road to Victory Rally in Tampa, FL Please join...

Sarah Palin's visit to Salem has been moved. The City of Salem says the response to the Republican Vice Presidential Candidate's visit has been overwhelming and the rally will be moved outdoors to Salem Stadium.

The candidate of change, the shining proponent of a "new way" in national politics, says that you aren't allowed to bring a sign to his rally. So much for the right of free political speech. To add insult to injury, this rally was held at the publicly funded University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. So, now the government is lending the weight of its authority to squelch free speech. So, where is the hew and cry about this unAmerican activity? Did the media even note this heavy-handed policy? But, it is all true nonetheless. The rally was held and...

ABC’s Sunlen Miller, Matt Jaffe, and John Berman Report: The rain pouring down, his jacket off, his white dress-shirt clinging to his body, Barack Obama played to a crowd in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat since 1964. Obama and his running mate Delaware Sen. Joe Biden took the stage at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va., before a crowd of 10,000 to 20,000 people who had been waiting hours in the mud to see them. The weather in northern Virginia has been awful the last couple of days. And not long after Joe Biden’s introduction, just...

Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks during a campaign rally in the rain at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, September 27, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008 (USA)

Reader Ron e-mails that the Obama campaign has issued a decree banning all signs at a rally today at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. It is a public campus on public property.The local newspaper, the Fredericksburg Free Lance Star is up in arms: NOT ALL COUNTRIES guarantee their citizens the right to virtually unbridled freedom of speech. The United States does. Would someone please tell the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama? And the dozing guardians of liberty at the University of Mary Washington?Mr. Obama, the Democratic nominee for president, is scheduled to speak at a rally at the...

CITY PRAYER POLICY UPHELD Fredericksburg Free Lance - Star Fredericksburg Virginia http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/072008/07242008/397448 Date published: 7/24/2008 BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE Fredericksburg City Council can keep Jesus Christ out of its prayers. The 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals yesterday upheld the city's right to start its meetings with nonsectarian prayers. Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor sat on the three-judge panel hearing the case and wrote the opinion. "She didn't feel my rights were being violated, but my rights are definitely being violated," said City Councilman Hashmel Turner, who filed the case. "It removed an opportunity for me to pray...

Researchers announced Wednesday that remains excavated in the last three years were those of the long-sought dwelling, on the old family farm in Virginia 50 miles south of Washington. The house stood on a terrace overlooking the Rappahannock River, where legend has it the boy threw a stone or a coin across to Fredericksburg.

Each day, I make the dreaded drive down Interstate 35 to go to work in Fort Worth. Each day, I slug through the snarl and sludge of ceaseless traffic, which intensifies my growing desire to commit hari-kari, or at least incites a vehement curse of the highway gods. Certainly, we in Texas need more lanes, more roads, more rails, more something to deal with the ever-expanding urban population and growing international commerce. Yet how do we solve our transportation needs without carving up the countryside like some congratulatory cake? Or should the construction of a superhighway-rail-utility corridor even concern us?...

WASHINGTON, DC - Trace Adkins isn't the typical, tweedy sort of fellow who often graces Civil War history events. But this son of the South, a platinum-selling country-music star, knows plenty about what he calls the War Between the States. He brought that passion yesterday to the National Press Club to help the Civil War Preservation Trust unveil its 2008 list of the 10 most endangered battlefields. "People say the Revolutionary War defined what we want to be," Adkins said. "I think the Civil War defined who we are, and who we want to be. That's what I'm trying to...

With Virginia considered Hillary Clinton’s best chance in the Potomac Primary, Bill Clinton packed his schedule with three stops Monday in the Old Dominion, where he tried to convince voters that his wife’s experience trumps Barack Obama’s “smoke and mirrors” candidacy. Clinton’s first stop of the day was at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, where he barely referred to Obama by name but alluded to him often as the lesser choice for the Democratic nomination, a candidate who has style but lacks Hillary Clinton’s substance. “You have to decide what this election is about,” Clinton told a room...

Today the President spoke about the economy at a Rotary Club meeting in Virgina. The First Lady met with UN Special Adviser on Burma Ibrahim Gambari. Secretary of State Condeleza Rice is in Paris for an international donors conference. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

STAFFORD, Va. - President Bush is coming to Virginia next week. The White House says the president will visit Stafford County to give a speech about the economy to members of the Stafford Rotary and the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President Bob Hagan says the president's brief visit will put the Fredericksburg area in the national spotlight. President Bush will speak at the Holiday Inn North on Route 17. The event is not open to the public.

Battlefield District Supervisor Chris Yakabouski worries that Northern Virginia's illegal immigration problems will migrate south. "Will they come down to our area and should we be ready for it or are we just going to react to it?" said Yakabouski, who also is challenging Sen. Edd Houck , D-Spotsylvania, for the 17th District state Senate seat. "I see this coming our way and I want to be ready for it and not have to react after the fact." He plans to ask county staff, at next week's supervisors' meeting, if Spotsylvania can enact measures similar to those passed recently in...

I had to shake my head at Debbie Revely's letter concerning illegal aliens ["Illegal immigrants do the jobs too many won't do," July 25]. Sadly, Ms. Revely has fallen victim to two common misconceptions. First, they are "illegal aliens." That is the accepted term, the one used in congressional bills and legal writings. They are not migrant workers, temporary workers, displaced immigrants, or the like. They are illegal aliens, period. Second, this country was not magically produced. We managed to dig ditches, build highways, construct houses and skyscrapers and bridges--all without illegal aliens being paid pennies an hour. They do...

The sound and smell of the brutal cannon barrages at the Battle of Fredericksburg must have been overwhelming. The deep, rich booming of the 12-pound, smoothbore Napoleons. The high-pitched "crack, crack" of Parrott rifles. And the acrid, sulfuric stench of black powder at each explosion. "A chicken could not live on that field when we open on it," said a Confederate cannoneer atop Marye's Heights to Lt. Gen. James Longstreet as they looked down upon advancing wave after wave of blue-coated Union soldiers. Soon, visitors to the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park will get a taste of what it...

This Day In History | Civil War December 13 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia repulses a series of attacks by General Ambrose Burnside's Army of the Potomac at Fredericksburg, Virginia. The defeat was one of the most decisive loses for the Union army, and it dealt a serious blow to Northern morale in the winter of 1862-63. Burnside assumed command of the Army of the Potomac in November after George McClellan failed to pursue Lee into Virginia following the Battle of Antietam on September 17. Burnside immediately crafted a plan to move...

Mansfield Threatened by Mining Company

Now that it's officially summer, here's my advice to parents who want to continue teaching their kids during the next two months and learn something themselves: visit Civil War battlefields. I probably overdid it with my own children, visiting about 35 in all, but here are my top five: 1. Gettysburg (July 1863) Much as I'd like to make a surprise choice, there's no avoiding Gettysburg's primacy and sadness, with over 50,000 soldiers becoming casualties over three days. Driving and walking this Pennsylvania battlefield explains much: the big rocks of Devil's Den were indeed devilish, and the awesome difficulty of...

<p>The acrid aroma of burned black powder hung in the evening air as four men in blue and gray fired their muskets over the grave of a long-ago fallen soldier.</p> <p>When a bugler sounded the somber notes of taps, a pelting rain ended and a beam of sunlight broke the gloom at Spotsylvania Confederate Cemetery.</p>

Elections encourage political high jinks. Neighbors gently torment neighbors with political proselytizing, and teens goad one another into minor vandalism. And it's not unheard of in an election season for political signs to go missing. But when a 4- by 8-foot "Veterans for Kerry-Edwards" sign was stolen from its place of honor in front of Joe Broderick's hardware store on State Route 3, the Lake of the Woods Democratic Women's Club didn't think it was funny. It was a major theft, and the club members decided that it wouldn't happen a second time. While club chairwoman Angela Turvey went searching...

<p>RICHMOND, Va. - Free-speech advocates warned Thursday they will file a federal lawsuit if officials at a public park block a baptism planned for this weekend in the Rappahannock River.</p> <p>Kent Willis, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, said he has prepared a temporary restraining order against the park if officials try to interfere with an Episcopal pastor's plans to hold a baptism there on Sunday.</p>

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- The Rev. Todd Pyle thought it was the perfect spot to baptize 12 new members of his church. The river was calm and shallow, and there was a shaded area offshore for people to stand. "It was a very serene place," he said. "It was special." But officials at the Falmouth Waterfront Park, a public park just outside Fredericksburg, weren't pleased. They tried to break up the ceremony, claiming it might be offensive to nearby swimmers or other people using the park.

Public baptism sparks controversy Wednesday, June 2, 2004 Posted: 8:31 AM EDT (1231 GMT) Pastor Todd Pyle baptizes Mark Maynard in the Rappahannock River at Falmouth Beach in Virginia. RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- The Rev. Todd Pyle thought it was the perfect spot to baptize 12 new members of his church. The river was calm and shallow, and there was a shaded area offshore for people to stand. "It was a very serene place," he said. "It was special." But officials at the Falmouth Waterfront Park, a public park just outside Fredericksburg, weren't pleased. They tried to break up the...

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Naval Historical Center (NHC) recently transferred a 9-inch Civil War-era Dahlgren cannon, originally from the famous Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia, to the Fredericksburg Area Museum, Fredericksburg, Va.This cannon, named after its designer, Rear Adm. John A. Dahlgren, is one of a few surviving artifacts saved from the famous ironclad, and was one of six cannons that were used by the ship.Built from the scuttled remains of the Union sloop of war USS Merrimack, Virginia set out against the blockading Union fleet off Norfolk, Va., March 7, 1862.The next day, this particular Dahlgren cannon was damaged during...

<p>Today, Michigan will return to Virginia its spoils of war -- the Civil War, that is.</p> <p>About 50 representatives of the state of Michigan will turn over to Virginia officials a Confederate First National flag -- known as the "Stars and Bars" -- that was plundered by Union troops during the Battle of Fredericksburg more than 140 years ago.</p>

It's not just because Prem Awaes has come to this country as a legal immigrant that Americans should welcome him. No. He has a message that does not make for easy listening, but it is one that Americans, particularly those who are anxious to cast Islam as a peaceful and tolerant religion, need to hear. Awaes has come to America thanks to the sponsorship of the Virginia Council of Churches and the Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburg. He had been trained as a missionary by the Salvation Army and had operated a Christian school for in Pakistan. Because Pakistan is a...

Entertainer banned after Bush remark Presidential 'chicken legs' joke leads bookstore's customers to complain ---------- Apparently, it's become un-American--or at least highly controversial--for a woman to publicly say that the president of the United States' body is less than perfect. A Baltimore acoustic artist has been banned from playing the Fredericksburg Borders Books & Music store--apparently because she made fun of President Bush's legs between songs in her show Friday night at Central Park. Julia Rose, a singer-songwriter and a fitness advocate who often shows audiences her six-pack abs, told a Fredericksburg Borders audience Friday: "George Bush has chicken legs....

<p>FREDERICKSBURG - A Borders Books & Music store has banned a Baltimore singer-songwriter from performing there after she made an unflattering comment about President Bush's physique during a concert at the store last week.</p> <p>Julia Rose, who is also a fitness advocate, told the audience, "George Bush has chicken legs. He needs to pump some iron."</p>

Dear Lord, There's a young man far from home, called to serve his nation in time of war; sent to defend our freedom on some distant foreign shore. We pray You keep him safe, we pray You keep him strong, we pray You send him safely home ... for he's been away so long. There's a young woman far from home, serving her nation with pride. Her step is strong, her step is sure, there is courage in every stride. We pray You keep her safe, we pray You keep her strong, we pray You send her safely home...

Prayer Point remembers our troops Debbie and John Schaffer and their daughter Danielle Lloyd, 17, pray at Prayer Point recently. Prayer Point provides a service for families of those serving. OUR TROOPS MAY seem like they're a world away from the Fredericksburg area as they make their way through Iraq. But a group of churches deserves recognition for ensuring they're remembered here at home. Ministers have come together across denominational lines to create Prayer Point, a flag-adorned bulletin board where local folks can post names and pictures of their loved ones who are serving our country. Prayer Point is situated...

THE RECENT theatrical release of "Gods and Generals" marks a rare triumph for the modern film industry. The successful transition from book to silver screen is noteworthy not just for its cinematic virtues--which are plentiful--but for its fair presentation of the Confederate perspective in the War Between the States. It's about time. Since Harriet Beecher Stowe's powerful but inflammatory work in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1851, it has long been de rigueur in some circles to demonize Southerners as cruel, whip-flicking overseers, intent on preserving the institution of slavery. The film industry has all too often gleefully contributed to stereotypes...

Warner Brothers has posted the trailer link for Gods and Generals if anyone is interested. The link above will take you there.

DANVILLE, Va. - Dr. James I. "Buddy" Robertson said Wednesday that emotion is the key element in the movie "Gods and Generals."Robertson, a renowned Civil War historian, was the historical consultant on the Warner Bros./Ted Turner movie that features Confederate Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson as its main character."Gods and Generals" is an adaptation of a book written by Jeff Shaara and is the prequel to "The Killer Angels," on which the film "Gettysburg" was based.The movie deviates from the book with a healthy dose of Jackson's character taken from Robertson's biography."This is the greatest Civil War movie ever made,"...

Instead of tracking one battle, this 3+ hour epic is supppose to cover more than 2 years of the entire war. Rumor has it that the DVD version will be 6 hours in length! After seeing Stephen Lang's portrayal of General Pickett in Gettysburg i am having goosebumps envisioning him as General "Stonewall" Jackson. Robert Duvall should also be more than an upgrade to Sheen as Robert E. Lee. "They carried the same Bible They believed in the same God One side fought for God's glory The other for His Kingdom on Earth But for the duration of the...

The struggle that forged America and launched modern warfare comes to life in a major new film. By Bill Kauffman Mr. Lincoln said he liked his speeches short and sweet, so here it is: The new Warner Brothers picture Gods and Generals is not only the finest movie ever made about the Civil War, it is also the best American historical film. Period. Writer-director Ron Maxwell’s prequel to his epic Gettysburg (1993) is so free of cant, of false notes, of the politically conformist genuflections that we expect in our historical movies, that one watches it as if in a...

Jeff Shaara, author of the best-selling "Gods and Generals" and other historical novels, makes swing through town. FREDERICKSBURG has been good to him, and now he's returning the favor.That is one way of looking at today's visit to town by Jeff Shaara, author of the best-selling "Gods and Generals" and other historical novels.His feelings for the Fredericksburg area took root, by surprise, on a drive north from Richmond in 1994. He'd just paid a visit to the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, doing research for "Gods and Generals."A lot was on the line. His late father, Michael Shaara, had...

Return to story Man slain pumping gas in Spotsylvania October 11, 2002 12:00 am Free Lance-Star staff report A frantic search is on today following a fatal shooting at a Spotsylvania County service station this morning. Police are investigating to see if it is linked to a string of sniper shootings in the Washington area. Today’s victim was pumping gas at an Exxon station off U.S. 1 in the Four-Mile Fork area around 9:35 a.m. when he was shot. Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Maj. Howard Smith said he was a black man, but his name has not been released. Police issued...