piantadosi

Roger Piantadosi is the editor of the Rappahannock News. He was an editor, staff writer and information architect at The Washington Post for almost 30 years before retiring (or so he thought) in 2008. He and his wife, Charmaine Lee, have lived in Washington, Va., since 1999.


Gun report, social media post lock down schools

May. 16, 2013

Whatever term you use – the law-enforcement phrase “lockdown” or the school superintendent’s preferred “shelter in place” – both of Rappahannock County’s schools were in the middle of it for about 30 minutes two weeks ago.
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Photo: DARE to change

May. 16, 2013
Photo: DARE to change

Nathan Corbin, a Rappahannock native who now calls Fairfax County home, delivers an emotional but upbeat talk Monday at Rappahannock County Elementary School’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program graduation ceremony. As past and current DARE officers, respectively, Jeff Brown (left) and Robbie Fincham, listened along with a roomful of fifth-graders, the sheriff and...
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Photo: Gear not! Recycle that stuff Saturday.

May. 16, 2013
Photo: Gear not! Recycle that stuff Saturday.

As a fundraiser for the Rappahannock Animal Welfare League, RAWL board members Laurie Smith and Mark Reinhardt have organized an electronics recycling drop off at RAWL’s shelter (160 Weaver Rd., Amissville, next to the landfill) from 9 to 1 this Saturday (May 18). By the time you get there, Mark, good sport that he...
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A good Rappahannock read

May. 9, 2013
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Check out restaurant reviewer (and longtime Rappahannock weekender) Walter Nicholls' amiable and informed hike though Sperryville's hotspots in the May-June Bethesda magazine.
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Covered: Cats, costs of roads and rescue

May. 9, 2013

Three things that will be covered, or recovered, in Rappahannock County soon: stray cats, secondary roads and the cost of emergency medical transportation, as the board of supervisors approved all three at its evening meeting Monday night.
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Photo: Chicken joke

May. 9, 2013
Photo: Chicken joke

The small, makeshift sign at the county landfill in Amissville actually points toward the RAWL dog shelter, where for obvious reasons no chickens reside, but since it was posted recently – reportedly the discarded sign was found by Jimmy Deal, who works at the landfill – it has made more than a few people...
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Fatal crash driver: 2 months in jail  

Apr. 18, 2013
State police and Rappahannock County Sheriff’s Office investigators at the scene of the Nov. 11 fatal accident on U.S. 211 in Sperryville. Photo courtesy of Sperryville Volunteer Fire Company.

James Warren Cox, the 67-year-old Tappahannock man whose out-of-control 1967 Austin Healey convertible crashed head-on into a group of motorcyclists on a sunny Sunday last fall in Sperryville, killing one and injuring several more, was found guilty of reckless driving Tuesday. He is appealing the decision.
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Supervisors consider $22.5 million draft budget

Apr. 4, 2013
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Rappahannock's supervisors were presented with a draft of the county’s 2013-2014 budget Monday. Though no discussion on the matter ensued – that will come at an April 29 public hearing – the $22.54 million budget is about $742,000 more than last year’s $21.8 million budget.
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Chase leads to 11 charges for 20-year-old

Mar. 28, 2013
courtcrimegavelNew

A 20-year-old from Rixeyville remains in Rappahannock County Jail today, facing 11 felony and misdemeanor charges after he allegedly chased another vehicle and tried to run it into a ditch on  Richmond Road in Amissville Saturday night (March 23).
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Photo: Future apples

Mar. 28, 2013
Photo: Future apples

  Midday on Monday, looking west from behind the grocery store at Roy’s Orchard in Old Hollow, apple trees patiently await the opportunity to blossom. As do we all.
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Update: More spring snow

Mar. 25, 2013
Horses on a farm along U.S. 522 in Sperryville as snowfall began Sunday (March 24). Photo by Gary Anthes.

The early-spring snowstorm passing through central Virginia and the Piedmont has left 4 to 6 inches of wet snow so far. In Rappahannock County at 1 p.m. Monday, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative was reporting about 460 customers without power. Most roads in the county were reported clear.
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Photos: Name that season

Mar. 24, 2013
Barn on Scrabble Road. Photo by Gary Anthes.

They say we might be having a seasonably warm weekend, but by Sunday night we might be in for more snow or cold rain. "In like a lion, out like a lamb," as they say of March. We're ready for the lamb, and the sooner the better.
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County showing signs of economic life

Mar. 21, 2013
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Hard data – and any short drive around the county with the windows down – seem to indicate that business in Rappahannock County, if not booming, is definitely hammering its way back up from the basement.
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The ‘joyfully irascible’ Louise van Dort, 69

Mar. 14, 2013
vandort-14WF

Her friends say that if you wanted something done – and it didn’t involve suffering fools gladly – there was no better way to get it done than to ask for Louise van Dort’s help.
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Photo: It’s been a weird winter

Mar. 14, 2013
Photo: It’s been a weird winter

Despite this week’s spring-like weather, it’s still technically winter in Virginia, as the snowstorm last Wednesday (March 6) vividly reminded everyone. The wet, heavy snow (up to to two feet in some areas) knocked out the power to almost half the county’s 4,800 hook-ups, with some outages lasting until Sunday (March 10). A Rappahannock...
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Late-season snow takes out power

Mar. 6, 2013
Late-season snow takes out power

It was a heavy, wet snow and it took down trees, limbs and power lines. As of 6 p.m. Wednesday (March 6), more than 1,700 Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) customers in Rappahannock County were still without power.
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Bridging the Washington gap

Feb. 21, 2013
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Rep. Robert Hurt (R-5th) met briefly Tuesday with Rappahannock County officials and talked about some of the challenges and strategies for governing the newly expanded 5th Congressional District.
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It’s Fourth (Estate) Friday

Feb. 18, 2013

This Friday (Feb. 22) is our monthly public story-conference meeting, where we’ll be talking about the county’s nonprofit organizations (with guest Bill Dietel and others), and anything else that might be on your mind.
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Family Dollar looking into Bank Road site

Feb. 14, 2013
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Representatives of neighborhood discount store chain Family Dollar have had talks in recent weeks with the owner of the 12 acres of commercially zoned property opposite Bank Road from Union First Market Bank, along U.S. 211 in the center of the county.
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Harris Hollow Road closed

Feb. 11, 2013

Harris Hollow Road will be closed at Roberts Retreat Lane for a bridge replacement through Feb. 22.
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Grove will fill in as superintendent

Jan. 31, 2013
superBudget-31WF

The Rappahannock County School Board announced Monday that Kathleen F. Grove has agreed to serve as interim superintendent. The same day, current superintendent Aldridge Boone sent a farewell email to the school division’s staff in which he said the school board forced his hand.
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At the Schoolhouse, it’s Miller time

Jan. 31, 2013
schoolhouseCliff-31WF

On the cusp of February, traditionally Rappahannock’s worst tourism month, here’s a nice change of pace: news of a restaurant opening instead of closing. Sometime this spring, Cliff Miller IV says he plans to open a neighborhood pub and lunch spot in the Sperryville Schoolhouse complex.
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The Rapp for Jan. 31

Jan. 31, 2013
theRappNature-31WF

Saying goodbye to our hard-working Sperryville columnist, spending a week at Nature and 4-H Camps, watching the newest RAAC movie, exploring the "Art of Aging in Rappahannock," celebrating Mardi Gras at the Theatre and more in this week's Rapp.
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Little things mean a lot . . . to the Inn at Little Washington

Jan. 29, 2013
Little things mean a lot . . . to the Inn at Little Washington

Washingtonian restaurant critic Todd Kliman reveals how Rappahannock’s own Inn at Little Washington edged out Komi for the top spot in the magazine’s 2013 “100 Very Best Restaurants” this year on the magazine’s "Best Bites" blog.
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Decision delayed; deciders decreased

Jan. 17, 2013
town-13WF

The town of Washington delayed a final decision on the sale and conversion of the Old Washington School to the community-action group People Inc. until Wednesday night (Jan. 23). Another investment group has approached CCLC about the sale of the building to them instead.
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Thornton Group exits Cafe Indigo for now

Jan. 3, 2013
RNThisWeekNew

Last Sunday (Dec. 30) marked the end of a four-month, weekends-only experiment by the Thornton River Group to run a second full-service restaurant in Sperryville.
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Housing plan attracts a crowd

Dec. 13, 2012
town-13WF

No one on the Washington Town Council could say Monday night (Dec. 11) why the town has not embraced a proposal by CCLC to sell its building to the community-action organization People Inc., which would use the space for new low-income apartments.
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Driver charged in fatal crash

Dec. 6, 2012
RNThisWeekNew

Virginia State Police trooper Paul Domingoes filed a reckless driving charge Tuesday against the driver of the vintage sports car that plowed into a group of motorcyclists, killing one and injuring several others.
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Former chef pleads to animal cruelty charge

Nov. 29, 2012
RNThisWeekNew

Absent the testimony of the only reported witness to the crime, former local chef Anthony Robert Ahrens pleaded guilty Monday (Nov. 26) in Rappahannock County Circuit Court to a reduced charge of misdemeanor animal cruelty.
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Tourism director is retiring

Nov. 29, 2012
RNThisWeekNew

Laura Overstreet, the tourism director hired by Rappahannock County four years ago to coordinate efforts to raise the county’s profile among potential visitors, is retiring effective Jan. 1.
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Rappahannock on the radar this fall

Nov. 29, 2012
fameBallard-29WF

It’s been true for some time that Rappahannock County’s singularly talented populace, and its mom-and-pop-and-beyond businesses, pop up often in headlines in the larger world – but November brought an exceptional outburst of attention.
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150 Years Ago This Week: Gen. Burnside moves his army south

Nov. 22, 2012
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November 1862 The Federal Army of the Potomac, concentrated in Fauquier County around Warrenton, and now commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside (for whom sideburns was named, because of the general’s luxurious sideburns) began moving on Saturday, Nov. 15, towards Fredericksburg.  His intent was to sweep his troops around the Confederate army encamped in...
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Caregiver is alleged embezzler

Nov. 15, 2012
courtcrimegavelNew

The Sperryville woman hired last year to care for the ailing former mayor of Washington was indicted yesterday on 10 counts of felony embezzlement.
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Out-of-control car plows into bikers; one dies

Nov. 15, 2012
fatality-15WF

Virginia State Police are still investigating the accident on U.S. 211 just after 1 p.m. Sunday near Sperryville that took the life of a West Virginia man and sent at least six others to the hospital.
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Va. goes blue, Rapp stays red  

Nov. 8, 2012
voteFlintHill-8WF

Statistically speaking, slightly more people are disappointed than are blue in Rappahannock County today as a majority of the state’s voters chose to give President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden four more years in office.
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County staff pleads case for benefits

Nov. 8, 2012
RNThisWeekNew

A specially convened Board of Supervisors hearing at 6 p.m. Monday (Nov. 5) was an hour-long flood of respectful but clearly heartfelt pleas that the supervisors not be hasty with their health-care decision.
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‘Super storm’ cuts us a break

Nov. 1, 2012
stormCut-1WF

Chainsaws came in handy in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, as neighbors pitched in to clear secondary roads while rescue crews cleared the rest. Power outages were widespread, but the damage wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.
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What to wear behind your mask: compassion

Oct. 25, 2012
facesAntelope-25WF

A visit with Peggy Schadler and her ever-evolving 1000 Faces mask and dance troupe, who will be performing her latest compassion play, “Protocol for Launching a Life Boat,” at 5:45 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 27) in Flint Hill.
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Planners OK Maazels’ tourist plan

Oct. 25, 2012
RNThisWeekNew

The Rappahannock County Planning Commission recommended approval of four special-use permits last week for tourist homes in and around Lorin and Dietlinde Maazel’s more than 550-acre Castleton Farms estate.
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5th district debate highlights differences

Oct. 18, 2012
debateJump-18WF

In their second debate, candidates John Douglass, the Democratic challenger, and Republican Rep. Robert Hurt defined their differences in front of a crowd of several hundred.
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