The Central Virginian

12/12/2025

Santa might be busy, but he, Mrs. Claus and a few surprise guests are still taking time to visit Bumpass-area neighborhoods in style. Starting at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, the Jolly Old Elf will once again join friends from Bumpass Volunteer Fire Department (BVFD) and Lake Anna Rescue, Inc. (LARI) in a parade through BVFD’s district. The merry makers will hand out candy, pose for photos and spread holiday cheer while spotlighting first responders, raising awareness and collecting donations.

This year, BVFD Advanced EMT Bill Padgett will don the iconic red suit of Santa Claus.

BVFD Chief Financial Officer Sandy Bickley expressed the community significance of the event.

“The Santa Parade gives us the opportunity to interact with the community in a fun way,” she said. “During emergencies, we’re focused on the situation and what we need to do in a stressful time. The parade allows us to show off our equipment, and for the community to see us in a less stressful setting. We get to have fun with our department family and the community. It’s great bringing smiles and laughter to the adults and kids. We even have a few fur kids that get excited, too.”

Bickley explained that the Santa parade also helps BVFD become a familiar face, should an emergency arise. “We can look scary in all that gear,” she said. “We want our community to see us as friends, neighbors, and most importantly, family.”

Chief Joe Gordon also shared his insights. “In a place as close-knit as Bumpass, the holidays just hit differently,” he commented. “We don’t need crowds, chaos, or big city bustle to feel the magic; we’ve got something better — each other. Instead of everyone driving out to see Santa in a crowded mall, we bring the holiday spirit right into the neighborhoods that make this community awesome.”

Read more about this BVFD holiday tradition by clicking the link below:

https://www.thecentralvirginian.com/living/coming-soon-to-a-bumpass-neighborhood-near-you-santa-and-friends/article_cf2cb0b6-8d7e-414f-bc19-818c32fe72af.html

12/11/2025

The Town of Louisa ushered in the holiday season on Saturday, Dec. 6, with its annual Christmas Festival & Parade, drawing an estimated crowd of more than 500 attendees. A lightly snow-covered scene created a postcard-worthy backdrop as bundled residents lined Main Street, ready to take in the winter celebration.

“It was chilly, but this is our tradition now and we wouldn’t want it any other way,” local resident Kelli Crawford said, expressing appreciation for the hot-chocolate stand nestled among the storefronts. “To see a small town come together for a common cause and put everything else aside — well it really just warms your heart.”

Find out the trophy winners from the parade and read more about the holiday magic on display by clicking below:

https://www.thecentralvirginian.com/living/a-storybook-christmas/article_5eadf8dc-6e29-407c-8bf6-6750e42cea22.html

12/11/2025

Happening earlier today:

The fifth-grade team at Moss-Nuckols Elementary School received a 5 Cs Innovation Grant of $1,635.31 for Derby Design: Racing into Writing and STEAM.

This award is just one of 38 grants totaling more than $40,000 that were distributed across six Louisa County Public Schools through a partnership between the Louisa County School Board and the Louisa Education Foundation.

Receive more information about these grants and their meaningful impact on LCPS classrooms in next week’s edition of The Central Virginian.

12/11/2025

The Louisa County Board of Supervisors (BoS) voted to approve a $4.05 million purchase agreement for property for expansion of the Louisa County landfill at its Dec. 1 meeting.

The landfill currently receives an average of 22,819 tons of waste a year. Annual tonnage growth is approximately 4.62% and is driven by population and industrial growth, Deputy County Administrator Chris C**n shared at a May BoS meeting.

C**n provided updated disposal numbers at the October BoS meeting; from 2023 to 2024, the increase in waste was 16.99%, and county landfill tonnage is on pace to hit 29,000 tons by the end of this year.

A landfill cell is a lined section within a larger landfill where trash is deposited. Current landfill cells two and three at the Louisa County landfill are projected to last until approximately 2031.

The county is planning on two additional cells to keep up with the pace of disposal demand. If the county doesn’t see any growth, two additional cells would satisfy the county for 53 years. But with the 4.62% growth rate trend, C**n said the timeline is closer to 34 years. The project for additional cells will cost $2.8 million for construction, permitting and regulatory compliance. Funding is provided through a dedicated capital improvement plan (CIP) with annual allocations.

C**n stated that regulatory permitting requires the county to be prepared by 2040, 20 years before the end of the approximately 34-year added disposal capacity, and that the county needs to start looking at land acquisition and initiation of the permitting process. Permitting, including groundwater monitoring, engineering design, and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) review could take over 20 years; C**n said that early….. C**n said that early site selection and coordination are essential to avoid future service disruption in waste management.

The property for the acquisition is owned by GW2, LLC and Panamint Farm, LLC. GW2, LLC is a firm owned by attorney and developer Torrey Williams. His father, Jackson District Supervisor R.T. “Toni” Williams Jr., stated at the May meeting and reiterated in December that he would recuse himself from voting on the land acquisition to prevent a conflict of interest.

The seller is the owner of approximately 450-plus acres located adjacent to Moorefield Road. In the contract, it states that the county desires to purchase a minimum of 450 acres at a purchase price of $9,000 per acre, totaling $4.05 million.

Click below to read more about supervisors skepticism regarding the price tag of the land acquisition :

https://www.thecentralvirginian.com/news/bos-prepares-for-landfill-expansion/article_f4196ce6-fa50-4ea2-aed3-b3d81b3ba1a6.html

12/10/2025

Hooves & Paws Animal Rescue is proud to announce a free community spay and neuter clinic in partnership with Mobile Vet Solutions. The event will take place on December 12, 2025, at the Louisa County Agricultural Grounds (208 Fredericksburg Ave, Louisa, VA 23093). The rescue is fully sponsoring 40 surgeries for cats and dogs from Louisa County and surrounding counties. Each pet will receive spay/neuter surgery, a rabies vaccine, a sterilization tattoo, and e-collar for dogs if needed—all at no cost to owners.

*The Issue of Animal Overpopulation*

Every year, millions of animals enter shelters across the United States. In Virginia alone, tens of thousands of cats and dogs are surrendered annually, and many face euthanasia due to lack of space and resources. Louisa County is no exception, with overcrowded shelters struggling to keep up with the demand. Spaying and neutering pets is the most effective way to address this issue, preventing unwanted litters and keeping animals from entering shelters in the first place.

*Working Together for the Community*

This clinic is a collaborative effort between Hooves & Paws Animal Rescue, Mobile Vet Solutions, Louisa CART and Louisa County Animal Control. Together, they have identified pets from families most in need—those facing financial hardships or struggling with accidental litters. By targeting these cases, the clinic ensures its impact reaches the animals and families who need it most. The last clinic was held on September 25, 2025 and successfully spayed and neutered 38 pets from members of the community who needed assistance.

*About Hooves & Paws Animal Rescue*

Hooves & Paws Animal Rescue, based in Louisa County, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of animals through rescue, sanctuary, and outreach. Beyond adoptions, the rescue provides lifelong sanctuary for farm animals, medical care for critical cases, and educational outreach programs to raise awareness about responsible pet ownership. The organization works tirelessly to promote spay/neuter initiatives, reduce pet overpopulation, and ensure that every animal has a chance at a safe, loving life.

*How to Register*

Registration for this clinic is first come, first served. Due to overwhelming demand, spots fill quickly. To register for consideration, please email [email protected] with the following information: full name, phone number, email address, full physical address, species (dog or cat), pet’s name, breed, age, and s*x.

Continue reading and learn how you can sponsor a surgery by clicking below:

https://www.thecentralvirginian.com/news/hooves-paws-sponsors-free-spay-neuter-clinics-locally/article_4f28c02b-02df-4005-b7f0-ae462ed11a44.html

12/10/2025

🚨 SPREAD THE WORD! 🚨

Good afternoon, .

Throughout the day today, our team has been evaluating roads and working closely with VDOT to identify any troublesome areas. Based on these evaluations, Louisa County Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delay for Wednesday, December 10th. Employees, please use Code 4.

At this time, there are a small number of secondary roads – specifically in the southeastern end of the county – that we will not be navigating buses on tomorrow morning. Any families impacted by these route revisions will be contacted directly by the LCPS Transportation department this evening to ensure we are able to transport your child to school tomorrow.

We appreciate VDOT for their continued work today and the work they will continue to do throughout the night to keep our roads safe!

Thank you for your continued support, and we are .

12/09/2025

*UPDATE*

With thousands of votes now tallied, the official results of the 2025 Best of Louisa Awards will be publicly released later this week…STAY TUNED !

12/08/2025

❄️🚨 Good afternoon ! 🚨❄️

Due to snow and ice-covered secondary roads – especially on the southern end of the county – as well as temperatures projected to be well below freezing overnight and well into tomorrow, Louisa County Public Schools will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, December 9th. Employees, please use Code 2.

Thank you for your continued support! We are !

12/08/2025

12/08/2025

Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) President and CEO John Hewa recently gave the keynote address at the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce Regionalism Matters Energy Forum. More than 40 attended the breakfast event, representing business, government and community leaders from across the region.

Hewa called on the leaders to partner on the large-scale, immediate action needed to ensure the Commonwealth’s energy future and mitigate the foreseeable energy shortages driven by rapidly escalating energy demand.

“The status quo is not sustainable,” Hewa warned, citing a 2025 U.S. Department of Energy Study. “We’ve got to bring new tools the table. We’ve got to build nationally to keep up with the pace, the needs and the demands to stay on top globally with AI. And supply is falling short of new demand requests which is a risk to reliability.”

Read more by clicking below :

https://www.thecentralvirginian.com/news/rec-ceo-keynotes-regional-energy-forum/article_9c647aed-7c20-43b5-b687-ff42df98cf03.html

12/08/2025

🚨 PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD! 🚨

This morning, forecasts show that Louisa County will receive anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of snow and ice later this morning and throughout the afternoon today. Per the winter weather advisory we are currently under in Louisa County, today’s weather – combined with temperatures at or below freezing throughout the day – will create icy conditions on roads throughout the county.

Accordingly, Louisa County Public Schools will be CLOSED today, Monday, December 8th. Employees, please use Code 2.

Thank you for your continued support. We are .

12/08/2025

Moments ago:

In a heartfelt surprise, fire companies from across Louisa County gathered as the Locust Creek Volunteer Fire Department honored Fire Chief Charlie Pritt for 44 years (and counting) of dedicated and “selfless” service.

Learn more about Pritt’s distinguished career in the upcoming edition of The Central Virginian.