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Articles by Martin Davis
Despair, hope and Jenga at Sen. Warner's roundtable in Fredericksburg
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., visited the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank for a listening session about deep federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. He heard very little, however, about SNAP. The program that helps roughly 42 million people — about 13% of the U.S. population — with their nutritional needs is being slashed by the Trump Administration by about $186 billion through 2034.
Despair, hope and Jenga at Sen. Warner's roundtable in Fredericksburg
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., visited the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank for a listening session about deep federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. He heard very little, however, about SNAP. The program that helps roughly 42 million people — about 13% of the U.S. population — with their nutritional needs is being slashed by the Trump Administration by about $186 billion through 2034.
Fast updating feedback from piriform cortex to the olfactory bulb relays multimodal identity and reward contingency signals during rule-reversal - Nature Communications
Abstract While animals readily adjust their behavior to adapt to relevant changes in the environment, the neural pathways enabling these changes remain largely unknown. Here, using multiphoton imaging, we investigate whether feedback from the piriform cortex to the olfactory bulb supports such behavioral flexibility. To this end, we engage head-fixed male mice in a multimodal rule-reversal task guided by olfactory and auditory cues.
This would seem like a simple question, and in one sense, it is. School systems in Virginia receive funding from three sources: Federal government, State government, and Local government. Here’s a breakdown of how much each of these contribute, according to educationdata.org. How the amounts that state and local governments must provide are determined, however, is far from simple.
Suspected Drunk Driver Hits Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Deputy’s Vehicle
On December 1 around 2:45 p.m., the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office received a call about a possible drunk driver in the area of Orange Plank Rd near the Orange County line. Senior Deputy T. Kreiter was in the area of West Catharpin Rd and Dulin Lane in Orange County when the suspect vehicle came into his lane of travel striking the deputy’s vehicle head-on at 3:00pm. Kreiter was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Putting the Brakes on Bullying; Lifting Kids to the Skies
When Zach Newman, aka @zachfullface, grabbed some big air inside the gym at James Monroe High School on Thursday, the students’ shouts lifted the roof. Good thing, too, as Zach seemed to flirt with the rafters each time he cleared the top of the quarter pipe and took to the sky. The thrills were a welcome break for kids heading into the Thanksgiving Break, but there was a message to be had, too.
Voter Burnout Is Real
With the 2023 election cycle behind us, and the 2024 and 2025 elections already bearing down, expect more of the vitriol we’ve come to witness during election year – which is every year in Virginia. Before the serious mudslinging begins, however, there’s a case to be made for taking a collective breath and having a serious look at voter burnout. On this issue, we are burning the candle at both ends.
Books Tore Us Apart … Now They Can Unite Us
Since Tuesday night, there have been celebrations across Spotsylvania over the demise of the School Board regime that openly supported book banning. There has also been talk of next steps among the outgoing board’s supporters who saw their 15 minutes of fame burn bright, then burn out. Both need to be wary.
Adele Uphaus joins FXBG Advance as Managing Editor and Correspondent
Two years ago, I had the opportunity to work with Adele Uphaus when I joined the Free Lance-Star as that paper’s Opinion Editor. Beginning November 1, Adele joins the FXBG Advance as both Managing Editor and Correspondent. Here’s what that means to you, our readers. Regular Hard News Stories – Monday through Friday, Adele will be posting hard-news stories about local government, education, and other matters of import to you.
It’s Election Day – Five Reasons to Care - FXBG Advance
We as Americans are consumed with national news and national elections. So much so that we often turn out for presidential elections at far high numbers than we do for any other type of election. Today is not one of those presidential elections. It’s not even an off-year election, where we don’t elect the next members of Congress. This is an off-off-year election. We won’t vote for governor or lieutenant governor or attorney general. Instead, today we vote local.
COMMENTARY: Spotsylvania Stares into Abyss, Says ‘No’
At the end of the day, voters favored people over policies in Spotsylvania County, sometimes by significant margins. This election brought Spotsylvania back from the edge of becoming a county fueled by hard-right, exclusionary politics, and brought it back into the orbit of civilized political debate. The big news of the evening was the School Board race.
Featured Local Organization: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Editor’s Note: We are pleased to feature this exceptional program to boost reading interest in young children sponsored by our sister publication, Fredericksburg Parent & Family. Want your local organization featured? Send your request to the editor – [email protected] by noon each Friday. Welcome to the Fredericksburg Area Imagination Library, serving 22401, 22406 and 22554.
Local Government Meetings for Oct. 16 – 20 - FXBG Advance
Fredericksburg Oct. 16 – Monday – Last Day to Register to Vote – See more details Spotsylvania Oct. 16 – Monday – Last Day to Register to Vote – See more details Oct. 18 – Wednesday – Planning Committee – 6:00 pm – Click here for more details Oct. 19 – Thursday – Finance Committee Meeting – 3:30 pm – Click here for more details Oct. 19 – Thursday – Parks and Recreation Commission – 6:00 – Click here for more details Stafford Oct. 16 – Monday – Last Day to Register to Vote – See more details Oct.
Spotsylvania In Trouble; Where Is The Outrage?
In 2021, then-candidate Glenn Youngkin found a winning message – “Parents’ Rights.” It’s an issue that has served him well. Youngkin played on parents’ fears and frustrations about mask mandates; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies; and curriculum during the campaign to energize his run for Richmond. After winning the governor’s race, in the case of a father who was arrested for disrupting a Loudon County School Board meeting by pardoning him before he had been convicted.
Candidate Profile: Will Mackintosh
Editor’s Note: Will Mackintosh is a history professor at the University of Mary Washington and is running for City Council as an at-large member. He’s facing off against Jannan Holmes and Matt Kelly. Their interviews will run later this week. FXBG Advance: Tell us about your journey to run for City Council. Will Mackintosh: My husband Brian and I moved here in 2010, and this town has embraced us and our family with open arms. It’s given me the opportunity to make my career as an American historian.
The Debate Nobody Loses
When candidates agree to a debate, they have one rule – don’t lose. By that standard, every candidate for Senate District 27 on the stage Wednesday night at Mary Washington University won. Tara Durant Tara Durant set the tone with her opening remarks. I’m running for senate to make Virginia more secure. More secure for us financially. More secure for our kids in education. And more secure in our communities. I got into public service two years ago because of … my daughter ….
SVG Images from Postgres
PostGIS excels at storing, manipulating and analyzing geospatial data. At some point it's usually desired to convert raw spatial data into a two-dimensional representation to utilize the integrative capabilities of the human visual cortex. In other words, to see things on a map. PostGIS is a popular backend for mapping technology, so there are many options to choose from to create maps.
Thursday March 16, 2023
by: Martin Davis The routine at The Free Lance-Star became almost comical - to me, anyway. Every week, I fought the temptation to write about the Spotsylvania County School Board’s Three Stooges (Lisa Phelps, April Gillespie, Kirk Twigg) and their stooge (Rabih Abuismail). And most every week, this group found a way to go even lower and take an action that demanded I write about it.
Wednesday March 15, 2023
At the end of February, SNAP extended benefits that were allotted in March 2020 to help those in poverty secure food are expiring. In real dollars, that translates to about $95 a month for many families, according to Food and Nutrition Services at the United States Department of Agriculture. The real tragedy of this decision to end SNAP extended benefits is that in so acting, it also hurts the overall U.S. economy, and the economy of our rural communities.
Monday March 13, 2023
Perhaps no election will be more-closely watched this November in our area than that for Spotsylvania County School Board. Board meetings last year were defined by chaos. This year, we’ve witnessed a power play to strip parents of a voice in their children’s education and a deliberate sidelining of three of the four school board members. Change is going to come, but what will it look like?
Sunday March 12, 2023
Spring seems to be bursting a tad early here in Fredericksburg, as attested by the buttercups that are springing up. Bright yellow flowers, beckoning the sun. I can no longer find a place for my eyes. I cannot hold my legs together. My heart is hollow. My head is going to burst. Mushiness all around. Nothing wants to take shape. My tongue breaks. And my mouth twists. In my skull there is neither pleasure nor goal. The sun, a buttercup, rocks itself On a chimney, its slender stalk.
Thursday March 9, 2023
"Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King Grave (Detail)" by www78 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse. by: Vicky Crawford Coretta Scott King is often remembered as a devoted wife and mother, yet she was also a committed activist in her own right. She was deeply involved with social justice causes before she met and married Martin Luther King Jr., and long after his death.
Wednesday March 8, 2023
Megan Samples still has trouble processing that day. At 19 years of age, she was beginning to feel that the pieces of her life were coming together. Raised in Woodbridge, she left the urban jungle of Northern Virginia for the placid valleys and rolling hills of Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she had enrolled as a student at Blue Ridge Community College. She brought with her a burgeoning interest in Latin American and Carribean history, and a thirst for something new, different.
Monday March 6, 2023
The race to hold the newly drawn Senate seat in District 27 is in full swing, and it promises to be not only a highly competitive race, but one of the more interesting races in Virginia. Gov.
Sunday February 25, 2023
Penny Parrish has long photographed Fredericksburg and its surrounding areas, and her eye for capturing the rich colors and beauty of our landscape is superb. Today, Penny shares some more of the beauty that is the community we are fortunate to call home. As you watch, enjoy listening to “Children of the Universe,” by John Denver. Have photos of nature, grouped around a theme, that you’d like to share? Email editoratF2S@gmail.com.
Friday February 24, 2023
by Martin Davis The announcement on Thursday afternoon that Spotsylvania County School Board member and former chair Kirk Twigg had been charged with a class 4 felony for forging a public record elicited an air of excitement among many in the county. Social media quickly filled with celebratory notes, expressing satisfaction that justice was finally being served. The joy is understandable.
Monday February 20, 2023
By Will Mackintosh It’s no secret that the pandemic has upended the way a lot of white-collar workers do their jobs. Discussions of the “turn to remote work” dominate our media and conversations in corporate boardrooms. If you do the kind of work than can be done from home, there’s a good chance that your work life has not fully returned to the form it took before the pandemic, whether in a longstanding job or a new one.
Thursday February 16, 2023
by Martin Davis While at the Free Lance-Star, I was beginning to write regularly about the upcoming race for Senate District 27. In particular, the way in which the conservative candidates in this race - Tara Durant in particular - would test the “Trump adjacent strategy” the Republican Party has adopted in dealing with Trump. In short - keep Trump’s extremist base of race-baiters and misogynists happy while working to not practice the same kind of scorched earth politics that Trump practiced. Gov.
Monday February 13, 2023
by Martin Davis and Shaun Kenney In the second part of our discussion, we explore testing, the meaning of culture, and whether school choice is a step forward in advancing education. Read Part I. SVK: This gets us down to a core question: who decides? If indeed we want more parental involvement in education, isn’t the best way of creating that space allowing parents to choose how their children are actually educated?
Friday February 10, 2003
by Ben Litchfield - Stafford Families in our area – mine included – are experiencing a considerable amount of fear and anxiety as Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (“Anthem”), the largest commercial insurer in the Commonwealth of Virginia, continues to fight with the Mary Washington Healthcare System (“MWHS”) over insurance coverage. The hospital system ended its contact with Anthem because it believes that it is not being compensated fairly.
Wednesday February 8, 2023
by Chad Williams, the Samuel J. and Augusta Spector Professor of History and African and African American Studies, Brandeis University. This article was originally published in The Conversation. PHOTO CREDIT: Public Domain: W.E.B. DuBois by Laura W. Waring (NARA) by pingnews.com is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. *** The opening days of Black History Month 2023 have coincided with controversy about the teaching and broader meaning of African American studies. On Feb.
Tuesday February 7, 2023
There are problems, and there are problems one wants. F2S has a problem that every publication wants. We have a staff of one, and a growing list of readers who are not just reading, but passing along tips, commenting, and offering their writings for consideration. The question becomes, how to manage it all? Since losing my position at the Free Lance-Star, I’ve been searching for meaningful work while continuing to report the news as I can in this area.
Thursday February 2, 2023
The Great Lives series returns to Dodd Auditorium tonight at 7:30 p.m. on the Fredericksburg campus of the University of Mary Washington. The auditorium opens at 6:30 p.m., and you’re encouraged to arrive early to secure parking. The movie “Hidden Figures” opened Americans’ eyes to the role Black women played in the development of the space program.
Wednesday February 1, 2023 - A Special Black History Month Edition
Image under of Glenn Youngkin is by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Gov. Glenn Youngkin over the past year has become the poster child for why we need Black history.
Tuesday January 31, 2023
Editor’s Note: The “Constitutional Sheriff” movement is an extremist organization that looks to be growing. The Southern Poverty Law Center describes it this way: “The concept of the constitutional sheriff is a subset of the larger antigovernment movement. Its origins are in the American county supremacy movement, which includes two concepts that often work in tandem.
Monday January 30, 2023
When Mark Taylor started as superintendent of Spotsylvania County Public Schools in November, there was an outpouring of concern about his lack of educational experience. During Tuesday night’s budget presentation, that lack of understanding and knowledge of school systems was on full display. For the first 20 minutes, Taylor spoke not of dollars and cents, but bemoaned all the problems the county schools are facing. As he spoke, it appeared that the problems he bemoaned were a revelation to him.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
A Note to Readers: F2S guarantees publication every Monday and Thursday. Throughout the week, we will work to send emails as need arises, or as local shared content becomes available. By Jon Gerlach Will City Council enact an ordinance allowing new Accessory Dwelling Units to be built in the City? It’s way too early to know.
Monday - Jan. 23
It started with a shortage of snacks. Parents and volunteers in Spotsylvania County tried to fill the need to provide students snacks when they became aware that some at the elementary-school level didn’t have them. They did what good citizens do. Raised money. Purchased snacks. Delivered them to area schools. It turns out, shortages of snacks just scratched the surface of student need.
Welcome to F2S
People enjoy no shortage of facts and information; they lack the time to read deeply and analyze what this information means to them and their communities. Enter F2S. Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford – the “F” and two “S”s in our name – is a new online publication that takes the topics of greatest importance to our region, reviews the information, and then provides thoughtful analysis that people can use to advance the public discussion.
Virginia students would pay price of new school choice bill
Here we go again. Our Republican lawmakers are blindly chanting the "school choice" mantra with all the subtlety of the Purdue Marching Band beating the Big Bass Drum. Last year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin was all about charter schools and lab schools. The former fell flat, while the latter is going to get a limited shot. With that play stopped, the governor huddled with his conservative school-choice advocates and came up with a new play: education savings accounts.
Can two Virginians fix Congress?
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives will vote for its next speaker, and Virginia may have a lot to do with who that will be. Rep. Bob Good of Virginia's 5th Congressional District is leading a charge by six hard-right, MAGA Republicans to block California Rep. Kevin McCarthy from winning the gavel. They have the votes to do it - if they stick together.
Learning lost in translation
By Martin Davis Perhaps because I make my living with words, it's not surprising that I'm fascinated with foreign languages. So my wife was nonplussed a month ago when she noticed I had purchased a book to learn Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Learning lost in translation
Perhaps because I make my living with words, it's not surprising that I'm fascinated with foreign languages. So my wife was nonplussed a month ago when she noticed I had purchased a book to learn Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Opinion: Public Schools Not to Blame for Learning Loss
However, the two share one important trait: Each faces withering criticism about student achievement from parents and civic leaders. Many of these critics promote creating a range of educational opportunities — charter, private, parochial, and lab schools, to name the most popular — and letting parents choose where to send their children.
A res Tigers hurting after rough match
Cricket A res Tigers hurting after rough match Dec 07 2022 Updated 19 minutes ago BY MARTIN DAVIS THE story of Ovens Valley's 2022/23 cricket season has been one of rain and c There's more to this story... Subscribe to Alpine Observer.
No, public schools are not to blame for learning loss
At first glance, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania school systems couldn't be more different, as a quick review of high-level data from U.S. News & World Report bears out. However, the two share one important trait: Each faces withering criticism about student achievement from parents and civic leaders.
A red wave stemmed by humility, ideas
By Martin Davis At the end of the day, ideas won out in Virginia's 7th District. When Glenn Youngkin became governor in January, Virginia looked to be abandoning civility and ideas for a laundry list of grievances and fears. Virginia's emboldened conservative leaders used the inauguration to air their grievances about liberals, "woke" corporations, school teachers, and "equity" ― the four horsemen of the apocalypse, in their minds, coming to strip mostly white conservatives of "their" culture.
A red wave stemmed by humility, ideas
At the end of the day, ideas won out in Virginia's 7th District. When Glenn Youngkin became governor in January, Virginia looked to be abandoning civility and ideas for a laundry list of grievances and fears. Virginia's emboldened conservative leaders used the inauguration to air their grievances about liberals, "woke" corporations, school teachers, and "equity" - the four horsemen of the apocalypse, in their minds, coming to strip mostly white conservatives of "their" culture.
Stop fearmongering about test scores
The abuse of testing data to make broad assertions about the success or failure of public education is what prevents us from tackling the real problems that a responsible use of testing data can help solve. There is no clearer proof of this than the reaction to this week's release of the 2022 NAEP scores. Known as the Nation's Report Card, the National Assessment of Education Progress is administered every two years to a representative sample of students across the country.
Bushfire funding to bring live music to shire
Council Bushfire funding to bring live music to shire Jul 13 2022 Updated 35 minutes ago ALPINE Shire Council has awarded an $180,000 contract to Live Nation to organise a live music event in the shire before January 31, 2023. The funding for the event was money council had set aside from the $2.3 milli There's more to this story... Subscribe to Alpine Observer.
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