STAFFORD SCHOOLS Head Start...

It's a sweet way to save homeless pets from a sour end. The Fredericksburg SPCA held its ninth annual Chocolate Extravaganza on Saturday at St. George's Episcopal Church. The fundraiser buys pet food for the 300 to 400 dogs and cats housed every day at the no-kill shelter....

The Virginia State Police account of the circumstances surrounding the shooting of a Culpeper woman by a town police officer differs dramatically from that of an eyewitness to the Thursday morning incident. In a Friday press release, the state police investigative unit stated that the unidentified officer had his arm caught in Patricia Cook's Jeep Wrangler window when he shot the 54-year-old woman....

PRIVATE SCHOOLS Grymes Memorial...

FROM STAFF REPORTS Bethel Baptist Church in Mitchells in Culpeper County will host a black history program "A Commemoration of the United States Colored Troops (USCT)" on Sunday, Feb. 12....

BY KATIE THISDELL Stafford County Board of Supervisors members say education and public safety are the priorities for the upcoming fiscal 2013 budget, with fiscal responsibility as an overarching theme....

Fred M. Rankin III, president and chief executive officer of Mary Washington Health Care, was honored as the Germanna Community College Educational Foundation's 2012 Distinguished Person of the Year on Friday night at the Fredericksburg Country Club before a crowd of about 200. Past recipients of the award include Dr. Jane Ingalls, state Sen. John Chichester and Ed Allison, according to a college press release....

Virginia registrars are gearing up for a heavier-than-usual election year, with all localities holding at least three elections in 2012. Some localities are holding even more because of special elections to fill vacant seats....

Internal disputes in a thriving medical practice in Fredericksburg were finally resolved earlier this month, but not before an audit by Mary Washington Hospital resulted in a refund of a quarter-million dollars from the physician group. A hospital official confirmed that the audit took place at Central Virginia OB/GYN, and that Dr. Joon Kil, owner of the practice, agreed to refund $250,000. The official described the incident as a "misunderstanding" on Central Virginia's part....

Army Reserve Pvt. Nicholas R. Goss graduated recently from basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga. He is the son of Tina Goralski of Stafford County, and is a 2009 graduate of Mountain View High School. Air Force Airman Kollin R. Purvis graduated recently from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. He is the son of Kathy Symborski and Richard Purvis, both of Spotsylvania County, and is a 2010 graduate of Spotsylvania High School....