Delegate Paul Milde (R-64, Stafford County) has introduced legislation aimed at closing a loophole created last year by HB 790, which inadvertently allowed underage students to possess tobacco and vaping devices on school grounds without facing legal consequences.

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By Morgan Sweeney

(The Center Square) — The average American’s energy bill could increase from 25% to 70% in the next 10 years without intervention from policymakers, according to a new study from Washington, D.C.-based think tank the Jack Kemp Foundation.

According to reports, America is facing an energy crisis, with demand for energy soaring due to the proliferation of AI and hyperscale data centers – which can use as much energy as almost 40,000 homes – the boom in advanced manufacturing, and the movement toward electrification.

Written by economist Ike Brannon, a senior fellow at the foundation, and economist Sam Wolf, the report explains partly why so many utilities and regional transmission organizations are having to get creative to meet demand.

“During the previous two decades, power demand in the United States scarcely grew as the U.S. shifted from a /;/manufacturing to a services economy,” the authors wrote.

However, the sharp increase in demand is eating up the spare capacity in the U.S. power grid, which helps protect against brownouts and blackouts in the case of extreme weather and temporary outages by power plants. That increase contributed to a huge spike in capacity market prices at the most recent auction held by the Mid-Atlantic regional transmission organization PJM.

Prices jumped from $29 to $270 per megawatt-day “across the PJM region” and from $29 to $444 in parts of Virginia, home to more than half of the nation’s data centers, according to the study.

Aaron Ruby, a spokesperson for Dominion Energy, a major East Coast utility company and the primary utility in Virginia, vehemently disagreed with the study’s claim that prices could rise to 70% in the next decade, saying the number was “way off” for the commonwealth.

“We just released a 15-year plan forecasting residential electric bills through 2039, and they’re only projected to grow by about 2.5% a year, which is lower than normal inflation,” Ruby wrote in an email to The Center Square. “Our residential rates are among the most affordable in the country. They’re 14% below the national average.”

But the surge in power demand from data centers is projected to be so great the study’s authors argue the center cannot hold (while acknowledging that rate setting is “inherently political” and “difficult to forecast” and that it’s “unclear who will bear the cost of these price increases”).

“In Virginia, the high regulation of price and capacity has kept the increased demand from data centers from impacting prices paid by ordinary consumers, but such insulation cannot hold much longer without risking service interruptions or brownouts,” the report reads. “As data center growth expands, price increases may need to flow through to consumers more rapidly.”

In Maryland, electricity bills “are projected to increase by somewhere between two to 24% in 2025, depending on the region,” the authors added.

Other states like Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Illinois and Arizona may come to resemble Virginia in the years ahead, according to the study.

The report’s authors suggest that policymakers craft and implement policy that will make data centers part of the solution to the disproportionate demand they place on the grid, including charging them more for the energy they use.

“To ease the burden on households and small businesses, AI companies should be required to bear the additional costs of the energy they consume. This could include charging data centers higher fees to reflect their disproportionate impact on electricity markets,” the report reads.

Brannon and Wolf also recommend that states and local governments stop subsidizing data center construction, arguing that the economic benefits aren’t worth the cost to taxpayers and that utility providers start including minimum take clauses in their contracts with data centers.

“A minimum take clause guarantees a minimum payment from a utility user—such as a data center—regardless of how much energy it purchases, which provides the utility with a modicum of revenue certainty,” the authors wrote.

The study concludes with several other recommendations, saying that “paying for grid modernization… can be accommodated within existing rate structures, but only if the data centers bear their proportionate share of these costs.”

Fredericksburg officials used map boards and statistics to present potential plans for another bridge across the Rappahannock River at a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

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Press Release:

Stafford offices, departments, facilities, and all courts will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from Wednesday, November 27, through Friday, November 29, 2024.

Both locations of the R-Board/Regional Landfill (Eskimo Hill and Belman Road) will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2024. They will remain open on November 27 and 29.

The following offices and facilities will remain open:

Fire and Rescue Information: (540) 658-7200

Emergency: 911

Sheriff’s Office Information: (540) 658-4400

Emergency: 911

Magistrate: (540) 659-2968

All outdoor parks are open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Stafford residents, led by former Hartwood District Supervisor Joe Brito, are rallying ahead of tonight’s Board of Supervisors meeting to advocate for transforming the closed Cannon Ridge Golf Course into a regional historical riverfront park and for transportation impact fees on developers. Brito served as the Hartwood District’s Supervisor from 2006 to 2009.

Tonight’s Board of Supervisors meeting will discuss the Transportation Master Plan (TMP), and proposed Transportation Impact Fees for developers. The board will discuss amending the Capital Improvement Plan to add the TMP as an appendix. The TMP includes projects already in process, like road repairs and safety fixes; short-term projects designed to improve safety and flow, like bike paths and pedestrian walkways; and long-term plans like a new river crossing route. The plan includes just over $1 billion in road projects.

The transportation impact fees were last updated in 2014. The supervisors will discuss amending the fees to include new service areas, update regulations, and adopt new fees. Brito encouraged public comments in favor of transportation impact fees to slow development and offset the burdens created by adding more housing. 

Brito has proposed plans for a regional park and an alternative river crossing for traffic. His  online petition for the park plans has collected over 5,000 signatures supporting the idea of turning the closed Cannon Ridge Golf Course on Route 17 into a regional park that will allow visitors to access the area’s only waterfall, which currently has no public access. Brito noted some local elected  representatives, like Delegate Joshua Cole and Stafford Supervisors Monica Gary, and Deuntay Diggs, have also signed the petition.

Brito’s proposed park plans show the existing paved golf cart trails creating a path that will pass by the waterfall, Hunter’s Iron Works, Hunter’s Island, the Rappahnnock Canal locks, and other historic sites where Civil War soldiers camped, Native Americans resided, and paths along the Underground Railroad. 

He has also drafted a new river crossing proposal, as a means to alleviate traffic congestion and reshape the entrance to Stafford County. The petition for this route has over 4,000 signatures. Brito suggests that having a strategically placed route over the Rappahannock will provide residents alternative routes to avoid heavy traffic on I-95 and Route 1, and will also improve emergency response times by providing a more direct route to Mary Washington Hospital. 

The Cannon Ridge Golf Course property is 193 acres owned by Silver Companies, which was founded in 1941 by Carl D. Silver. Although the company is now headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, it began in the Fredericksburg area developed many of the region’s largest shopping and residential centers: Central Park, Cosner’s Corner, Harrison Crossing, Quantico Corporate Center, and Celebrate Virginia North and South. 

Silver Companies owns the Celebrate Virginia subdivision, which includes the Golf Course, which has been closed since 2018. According to the Stafford’s Active Residential Projects list, another 113 homes are approved but not yet built in the development. The golf course property, 193 acres, is currently assessed at $1.4 million; in 2012, the property was assessed at $2.7 million. Stafford County assessor Bart Stevenson said the golf course is not valued as buildable land, just as open space. Stevenson said if the company submits an application to develop the land, the property can be reassessed.

Brito explained his motivation for preserving more of the area’s history and historical sites comes from watching a nearby property be demolished after a fire. The ruined home was made with stones, and had hidden passageways, a spiral staircase, and even a small moat. Brito said “the demolition of this historic home motivated me to be an advocate for historic preservation and conservation.”

Brito’s proposed park will not only help preserve historical sites, and give the public access to visit them, but will also allow space for events and festivals. He noted the Renaissance Festival has indicated they would like to host their event in the area, but currently there are no grounds large enough. The potential park would preserve Stafford’s rich historical and natural heritage while creating a recreational space for the community.

As the Board of Supervisors considers its priorities, Brito and his supporters hope to show their strong public support for less development, less traffic, and more parks.

Press release:

Virginia State Police is investigating a two-vehicle fatal crash in Stafford County. The crash occurred Saturday (Nov. 16), at 4:04 a.m. on southbound Interstate 95 at the 146-mile marker.

A 2018 Volvo XC90 was traveling in the wrong direction on I95 when it collided head-on with a southbound 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The impact caused the Volvo to overturn.

The driver of the Volvo, Jibril N. Ibn Jeter, 48, of Fort Washington, Md., suffered serious injuries and was transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital for treatment. He was wearing a seatbelt.

The driver of the Chevrolet, Patrick C. Ledoux, 25, of Manassas, Va., died at the scene. He was wearing a seatbelt.

A passenger in the Chevrolet, a 28-year-old male from Manassas, Va., suffered serious injuries and was transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital for treatment. He was wearing a seatbelt.

Ibn Jeter has been charged with involuntary manslaughter; driving under the influence but continues to receive treatment at the hospital. Once he is released from the hospital he will be transported to the Rappahannock Regional Jail, where he will be held without bond. Additional charges are pending.

Three additional vehicles crashed while attempting to avoid a collision with the Volvo. One of those drivers was transported to Mary Washington Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

It’s unknown where the Volvo entered I-95 traveling in the wrong direction.

All southbound travel lanes were closed for approximately 5 hours for the investigation and cleanup. VDOT assisted with the roadway closure and detour.

The crash remains under investigation.

Watch: This is the wrong way driver on I-95S between Quantico and Aquia early this morning that @VSPPIO say caused a crash that killed one person and seriously injured two others. The crash was near the 146 MM in Stafford County just after a.m. This video is from a traffic… pic.twitter.com/sUQXWpP1FC

— Dave Statter (@STATter911) November 17, 2024

Dr. Daniel W. Smith has been appointed Superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools following a unanimous vote during a special Stafford County School Board meeting on Monday, November 18, 2024. Dr. Smith succeeds Dr. Thomas W. Taylor, who resigned in June 2024 to become the Montgomery County, Md., school superintendent.

Since Taylor’s departure, Chris R. Fulmer, the Acting Superintendent, will return to his role as Deputy Superintendent. Fulmer, a CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner, has served SCPS for 12 years and has been pivotal in overseeing operations and collaborating with community stakeholders.

Smith, formerly Chief of Staff and Acting Superintendent for Loudoun County Public Schools, brings over 20 years of experience in educational leadership. He took over for Superintendent Scott A. Ziegler, who was fired following high public agitation and low staff morale over the school district’s handling of two sexual assaults of students by a fellow student. “I’m deeply honored with the trust you’ve placed in me, and I’m thrilled to serve as your superintendent,” Smith said during his acceptance speech.

Smith’s leadership in Loudoun County included overseeing a $1.8 billion budget and implementing initiatives that improved graduation rates, reduced absenteeism, and narrowed achievement gaps. He secured the district’s first fully funded budget in six years, said Stafford County School Board Chair Maureen Siegmund.

Siegmund praised Smith’s student-centered approach. “Dr. Smith’s vision aligns with our district’s strategic goals of fostering high academic standards and ensuring a safe, welcoming environment for every student,” she said.

Smith and his wife, Michelle, are relocating to Stafford with their daughter, Liliana, who will attend Stafford County Public Schools. Their son, Caden, is a freshman at Virginia Tech. “We are excited to be part of this vibrant community,” Smith said. “I am committed to creating opportunities that ensure every student feels seen, supported, and empowered to succeed.”

Smith emphasized collaboration as a cornerstone of his leadership. “I believe our goals can only be achieved through strong partnerships. Together, we can accomplish incredible things and ensure a bright future for our students,” he added.

Smith’s tenure begins in December.

Stafford County Public Schools unveiled a streamlined enrollment and acceptance process for its specialty programs during the November 12, 2024, school board meeting. The updated system, designed to increase efficiency and accessibility, introduces a lottery system to manage high demand and shortens the acceptance response window from 16 days to just seven.

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The National Museum of the Marine Corps (NMMC) is offering a professional development opportunity for local teachers through its Nights at the Museum program. This innovative series, led by the Museum’s Teachers in Residence, Katie Malec of Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) and Christine Russ of Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS), aims to deepen educators’ understanding of the United States Marine Corps history and its role in shaping America.

Malec said these quarterly evening events “provide a rewarding experience that brings history to life.” Malec is in her second year as a Teacher in Residence after 17 years of teaching 7th-grade U.S. history. Russ has over 23 years of teaching preschool through sixth grade and this is her first year as Teacher in Residence. Malec said the two work as a team to “empower educators with tools and primary sources that make history relevant and engaging for their students.” The program’s goal is to “promote United States Marine Corps history and its contributions in creating, developing, and defending our country.”

The Nights at the Museum program supports the Museum’s mission: “Preserving the past, influencing the present, and inspiring the future.” Each session, free to educators, includes a private experience in the Museum after hours, complete with refreshments, presentations by NMMC staff and docents, and hands-on materials.  Many of the docents are veterans, who provide personal insights and stories to complement the historical exhibits. 

Teachers can earn five professional development points while gaining ideas to incorporate Marine Corps history into their Standards of Learning (SOL)-based lessons.

In the program, the Teachers in Residence partner with various Museum experts to enhance content knowledge and improve classroom practices for local K-12 public school teachers. Malec said, “We cover the SOL content taught in schools in a way that brings the content to life for teachers with primary sources. Which in turn, the teachers can bring back to their classrooms to share with their students.“ 

Participants also gain access to behind-the-scenes areas and exclusive insights into the exhibits, offering a depth of understanding beyond a regular museum visit. “We tailor each evening to cover specific historical events involving the Marine Corps, while also demonstrating how teachers can incorporate this knowledge into their classrooms,” said Russ.

The series currently welcomes about 30 educators per session from PWCS and SCPS but is open to teachers from surrounding school districts. In addition to the evening events, the program opens doors for educators to learn about trunk programs to be brought into classrooms and customized field trips for students.

The next Night at the Museum is December 5, followed by February 20 and April 3, 2025. Educators can contact the program directors online.