hello 2015!
youth deer hunt
traditional fredericksburg event helps area residents celebrate the new year. Page 8
event helps inexperienced hunters practice shooting, swap stories and learn tricks of the trade. Page 6
T he
Volume 39, Number 2
POSTAL CUSTOMER
King George
Wednesday, Januay 7, 2015 50 Cents
helping you relate to your community
KG schools may see $300K more in aid Student enrollment trend so far would lead to division receiving extra state cash Phyllis Cook While Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s proposed education budget for 2015-16 kept state aid relatively flat, King George schools still may have received a holiday present. King George may receive an additional $300,000 in aid this year due to division growth in the number of enrolled students.
The county’s current-year budget for the school board is based on an estimated average daily membership of 4,189 students. The state currently is estimating King George schools will finish the year with an average daily membership of 4,261. That comes to 72 more students, which could add the additional $300,000 in state revenue to the current year’s school
spending plan. The state’s current average daily membership estimate is based on enrollment numbers provided by the division this past fall. The King George division reported 4,292 enrolled students Sept. 15. Enrollment is not the same as average daily membership. Enrollment is a snapshot taken on a single day. Families and students
move in and out of the county throughout the year. Average daily membership is derived by taking the enrollment number for each of the 180 days of school and calculating the average. But high enrollment contributes to high average daily membership numbers, particularly with enrollment staying relatively steady as it has since school began in September.
Last month, a Dec. 1 enrollment report noted 4,308 students, up from the 4,292 reported Sept. 15. Superintendent Rob Benson said the number may wind up being much smaller than the state is estimating. “I’m certainly going to be on the conservative side,” Benson said. “I’d rather have too much than too little at the end of the year.” Benson noted there will be a
Cops: Woman stabs would-be robber in chest
First day hikes
Richard Leggitt A King George woman is recovering from wounds she received when a 28-year-old man broke into her mobile home and assaulted her, according to the King George County Sheriff’s Department. The victim fought back and stabbed the intruder in the chest, seriously wounding him, police said. The victim, who was not identified by authorities, was alone and asleep in her home in the Princess Anne Trailer Park in King George when the alleged attacker entered the home at about 2 a.m. Dec. 29. King George Sheriff’s Sgt. Kecia Wharton identified the intruder as Lance Lamar Davis. She said Davis was wearing dark clothes, gloves and had a knife when he entered the mobile home and assaulted the victim. During the assault, the woman was able to grab a decorative knife off a wall plaque and stab Davis in the chest, Wharton said. Davis then stabbed the victim in the stomach
Richard Leggitt
Sarah Bachman, left, a park naturalist at Caledon State Park, spoke with children and their parents preparing to participate in the First Day Hike possum ornament search. In Easter egg fashion, Christmas ornaments were hidden in the park for children to find.
Caledon event offers hidden gems Richard Leggitt Visitors to Westmoreland State Park, near Montross, and Caledon State Park, near Dahlgren, took advantage of sunshine and seasonable temperatures and literally took a hike New Year’s Day. The hikes at the two state parks were part of the statewide Virginia State Parks First Day Hike events. There were hikes, contests and special events at 36 state parks across the state encouraging people to get outdoors and enjoy the first day of the New Year. At Westmoreland, hikers followed the scenic and wooded half-mile-long Big Meadows Trail down to the Potomac River to search for fossils along the river’s shoreline, an area that has been the site of a great many exciting fossil discoveries. At Caledon, more than 100
At Caledon, more than 100 parents and children showed up to participate in the Christmas Possum’s Present Hunt, a variation of an Easter egg hunt with Christmas ornaments hidden in fields and along the park’s trails. parents and children showed up to participate in the Christmas Possum’s Present Hunt, a variation of an Easter egg hunt with Christmas ornaments hidden in fields and along the park’s trails. “The First Day Hike kicks off our programs for the year,” said Westmoreland State Park Assistant Manager Steve Davis. “It gives people a reason to come to the park and see that even in the winter time, we have things going on.” Davis showed the Westmoreland hikers a 3-inch long shark’s tooth he said was found in the park by a worker several decades ago.
deduction of mid-year high school graduates numbering about 25 from the final average daily membership number. “I think we will be fine making 4,200, but will not count on more than 4,210,” Benson said. Benson’s estimate is right where the division ended up last year when it finished 2013-14 with an average daily membership of 4,202 students.
“They say a tooth of this size would have belonged to a 50- or 60-foot shark,” Davis said. The Potomac shoreline near Westmoreland has been the site of a number exciting fossil finds. In addition to shark’s teeth, crocodile and whale teeth have been discovered along with manatee teeth and fossils from dolphins and clams. Built in 1936, Westmoreland is one of the oldest state parks in Virginia. It covers 1,311 acres in Westmoreland County along the river between George Washington’s birthplace and historic Stratford
Hall, the home of the Lee family of Virginia. Caledon, off Route 218 in King George, is known for its population of nesting Bald Eagles. The 2,584acre park is home to one of the largest populations of eagles in the nation and offers unique viewing opportunities for the majestic birds that are the symbol of America. It was ornaments, not Eagles that were on the minds of Caledon hiker’s New Year’s Day. Park Naturalist Sarah Bachman told hikers the Christmas Possum had hidden ornaments around the park and prizes and awards would be given to those who found them. Bachman said park activities like the First Day Hike are a treat not only for visitors but also for the park staff. “I know I get a great deal of joy out of it,” Bachman said. “I love working with kids and I love working outside. It’s great.”
before fleeing the residence, Wharton said. When officers arrived at the scene in response to the victim’s 911 call, they said they found Davis the assailant had staggered, bleeding to a nearby residence. Wharton said both the victim and the alleged assailant were hospitalized with their wounds. Davis has been charged with aggravated malicious wounding, breaking and entering with a weapon and abduction. According to sheriff’s officers Davis has previous convictions in the county for robbery, breaking and entering and abduction. Wharton said the investigation into the incident is continuing and additional charges against Davis are possible. Davis remains hospitalized and will be transferred to the Rappahannock Regional Jail when he recovers from his wounds.
School board eyes way to improve bus driving needs Phyllis Cook The King George School Board will discuss naming four experienced bus drivers as lead and assistant lead drivers for some additional hourly pay. Those selected would serve as the first four substitute-run bus drivers each day, as needed, in addition to other additional duties. Superintendent Rob Benson explained the proposal in December, with members agreeing to discuss it again this month. “This would help our lesser experienced drivers by keeping them on a routine route rather than having our newest drivers try to find roads and turns in the dark on different routes each day,” Benson said, adding the approach has been utilized successfully by other school divisions. Benson said the idea had been brought forward by the division’s driver advisory council. In addition to driving a route each day (whether their own or as a substitute for a driver out sick or assigned to a field trip) the lead and
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assistant drivers could assist the transportation secretary with onthe- go and field trip scheduling for their specific assigned areas. The drivers will be selected via an application and interview process. There will be two for the east side and two for the west side of the county. That would mean four substitute or new drivers would be assigned to drive the runs of the lead and assistant lead drivers’ on the days they are needed to substitute. It would provide more consistency in assignments for the less experienced drivers, Benson said. “Then we’d lose less time as far as late arrivals to school,” he said. Benson suggested the two lead drivers receive an hourly increase of $2 per hour and the two assistant lead drivers see an hourly increase of See BUS, page 8