The Central Virginian

01/15/2026

After nearly nine years of planning, fundraising, and development, the Louisa Little League is ready to debut its highly anticipated new complex. The four-field Cooke Complex will host Opening Day 2026 on March 28, offering a permanent, central home for youth baseball and softball in the county.

The project began in 2017 when the league approached the William A. Cooke Foundation with the goal of constructing a four-field, cloverleaf-style complex capable of hosting regular season games as well as regional and state tournaments. The foundation responded generously, donating 26 acres near the intersection of Routes 522 and 33 and providing $150,000 to kickstart development planning. Subsequent grants of $1,000,000 in 2021 and $500,000 in 2024 funded construction, bringing the total investment—including land donations—to more than $1.7 million.

While the foundation provided funding, Louisa Little League has led the design, planning, and construction efforts, overcoming several roadblocks along the way. Although the league initially hoped to have the complex ready in 2025, delays with parking lots and the concession stand pushed the debut to 2026. Now, the fields are officially primed and ready for action.

“We couldn’t be more excited to open up the season here, it’s been a long time coming but everything is ready to go,” Louisa Little League President Derek Hall stated. “It’s similar to the field of dreams, if you build it they will come. Now we can’t wait to see all the kids get between those white lines and break everything in.”

The new complex addresses the league’s growth, offering additional fields while continuing to use Purcell and Luck Field during the season. Families have welcomed the centralized location for those on opposite ends of the county, also noting the benefits of having a facility more secluded from busy roads. Players themselves are equally enthusiastic.

“Kids are just going to be excited to touch that grass and play in a really nice outfield,” center fielder Elway Buettner said. “The ones I’ve played on are nice but nothing like this.”

The league has also announced details for the 2026 spring season. Registration is now open for four divisions of baseball and four divisions of softball. Player evaluations will be held February 21 and 28 at the Metal Gym behind the middle school, coinciding with an equipment drive for gently used cleats, bats, and gloves. Those in need of assistance can visit https://forms.gle/mZfQEmwqBgao5sqdA.

Draft Day is scheduled for March 1, before the season officially kicks off on March 28.

Louisa Little League is actively seeking umpires, volunteers, and coaches. Interested parties can contact the league at [email protected]. Sponsorship opportunities are also available, and those interested can contact fundraising coordinator Whitney Smith at [email protected]. Board meetings are open to the public on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Louisa Library.

Click the link below to learn more about how the new Cooke Complex is set to usher in a new era for Louisa baseball:

https://www.thecentralvirginian.com/sports/louisa-little-league-s-new-cooke-complex-ready-for-26-season/article_6c9e1398-2ae0-4c76-af3b-2afeae4f96c4.html



*aerial photo taken by Lake Anna Photography during construction in 2025

01/15/2026

https://www.thecentralvirginian.com/obituaries/

01/14/2026

Right after the Pledge of Allegiance — and without first adopting the night’s agenda for the Jan. 12 Mineral Town Council (MTC) meeting — council member David Hempstead made a motion to terminate the town’s contract with Town Manager Nicole Washington.

Hempstead cited “with cause” as the reason for relieving her of the position as town manager, zoning manager, and clerk of the council. This action item was not advertised on the Jan. 12 agenda.

Council member Bernice Kube seconded the motion, but council members Michelle Covert and Rebecca “Becky” McGehee argued that a public discussion was needed before a vote. Mayor Pam Harlowe replied that a public discussion would only cause a hostile environment, but let them speak.

“I disagree that this needs to be done,” Covert said. “I don’t think it’s the appropriate place. It should have been on the agenda. We haven’t approved the agenda; [voting to terminate Washington’s contract] is not on the agenda. There is nothing that has been submitted to us to justify firing our town manager…we need to have significant consideration and evidence and not just [be] off-the-cuff firing people.”

McGehee agreed, encouraging other council members to speak with Hank Staudinger who works for the town and does its water and sewer repair work.

“[Washington] has done a great job getting this town back together after it was torn apart by [Harlowe’s previous mayorship]; and [Washington] has got the town back together,” McGehee said, turning her next statement toward Harlowe. “Your main purpose of becoming mayor is to get rid of [Washington] and I know that for a fact because you just don’t like her…it’s been nothing but a hostile environment ever since you became mayor. It’s a shame.”

A string of emails were shared with The Central Virginian regarding recent back-and-forths between Tracy Hempstead and members of town staff and council. Tracy Hempstead is council member David Hempstead’s wife.

In a 2,071-word email sent by Tracy on January 10, she called Washington a “sociopathic grifter” and claimed that she was abusing her authority by granting building permits to her husband who was allegedly only licensed to do paint and wallcoverings. Tracy also claimed that the council was engaging in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) violations.

Washington responded via email and encouraged Tracy to stop emailing the town as she is not a member of council. But she also alerted the council of a more serious situation.

Washington outlined that on Friday, January 9, a man in his early to late 70’s appeared on her front steps; her husband answered the door, and this random individual relayed that he was there to “hook up;” she stated it was “very obvious” that someone sent this man to her house.

“[No information] in his phone had my name or my address, but yet [this stranger] showed up saying that he was supposed to meet with me and ‘hook up’ with me,” Washington said. “This has [the Hempstead’s] footprint all over it.”

This follows a separate incident regarding Tracy Hempstead and an allegation that she was trying to “poison the town’s water supply,” according to a Louisa County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) investigation regarding suspicious activity.

Click the link below for comments from the Mineral mayor, the former town manager speaking on her termination, and an MTC member advocating for a recall to remove an elected council member; also read more about concerns that the vote to end the town attorney’s contract may be invalid due to procedural errors:

https://www.thecentralvirginian.com/news/mineral-council-fires-town-manager/article_3d1c8cf7-621f-4184-85ec-69fb668262a3.html

📸Debbie Moon, Mineral City Residents and Businesses

01/14/2026

The Virginia Department of Forestry is continuing a prescribed burn within a certified tree farm under a conservation easement on Table Top Alley, a private road off Roundabout Road in Louisa.

Officials say smoke is expected in the area for the remainder of the day and there is no cause for concern.

01/14/2026

Bradley Pretre, a 27-year-old game developer from Mineral, is taking on a new challenge in the world of indie gaming with his solo project, “Tinkering Is Enough”. Unlike his previous collaborative efforts, this game is entirely designed and built by Pretre himself, who has carried forward lessons learned from his earlier work while embracing the difficulties of going it alone with a minimal budget.

“I face a ton of challenges in the world of game development. Most games need massive budgets to even be noticed,” Pretre explained, a graduate of the James Rumsey Technical Institute in 2017. “It’s fairly rare for anyone to care about the smaller guy’s game in a world where teams of hundreds work together to make one single game.”

Despite these challenges, his previous game released earlier this year was played by more than 15,000 people, proving that small teams can still find a dedicated audience.

Pretre, who previously co-founded Nautica Games with three other developers across different time zones, is no stranger to remote collaboration. The team worked together on the recent release Scrap Battle 2, a sequel inspired by AlphaDream’s Mario & Luigi RPG series, which garnered a following among hardcore turn-based gamers. One member was based as far as the country of England, helping the team benefit from a distinctive combination of international perspective and specialized expertise. However, Tinkering Is Enough marks Pretre’s first fully solo development project, though he maintains contact with his former collaborators.

Continue reading and recieve details about this game by clicking the link below :

https://www.thecentralvirginian.com/news/mineral-game-developer-takes-on-challenging-solo-project/article_0d7d959e-337a-4a3c-9e31-289bfd9cfd10.html

01/14/2026

01/13/2026

The Louisa County Historical Society is pleased to announce an adjustment of its operating hours to better serve residents, visitors, and researchers to Louisa County. Beginning January 6, 2026, the History Museum & Visitor Center will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., adding regular weekend access for the public.

The updated schedule reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to improving accessibility to Louisa County’s rich history, collections, and educational resources. By including Saturday hours, the Museum aims to better accommodate working families, students, and heritage tourists who may be unable to visit during the traditional workweek.

Visitors are invited to explore exhibits, archives, and programs that highlight the people, places, and stories that have shaped Louisa County’s past.

For more information about visiting hours, programs, or research opportunities, please contact the Louisa County Historical Society or visit louisahistory.org.

01/13/2026

The Louisa Arts Center is pleased to announce that the next show in the Purcell Gallery will be entitled “Neighborhood” and will include a variety of two and three-dimensional artworks by local artists.

This show will be judged by Catherine Hillis – a renowned watercolor artist from Locust Grove, Virginia. Catherine believes that painting is the thing that she does best. She creates light and movement with watercolor paint so that viewers experience a moment in time. She often finds herself painting places that people pass everyday – places where many fail to see the beauty.

Here are a few of Catherine Hillis’ recent awards:

• 2026: Grand Prize, International Artist Magazine, Sept/Oct Best Urban Landscape for Freefalling

• 2026: Honorable Mention, Modern Impressionist Magazine, Winter Issue, Albert Handell Judge

• 2026: Upcoming articles in American Art Collector, International Artist Magazine, and Modern Impressionist Magazine.

There will be an opening reception on Friday, January 16th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm in the Purcell Gallery, and the show will run through Friday, February 20th.

The Louisa Arts Center Gallery is open free of charge to the public during box office hours, Tuesday – Friday from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM and one-hour before each performance in the Cooke-Haley Theater.

01/13/2026

The Fluvanna-Louisa Housing Foundation (FLHF), a 501(c)(3) that provides housing services, rental assistance, emergency home repairs, and ramp construction to Fluvanna and Louisa residents, is now exempt from real estate and personal property taxes. The Louisa County Board of Supervisors (BoS) approved the ordinance at its Jan. 5 meeting.

If a property is used for “religious, charitable, patriotic, historical, benevolent, cultural, or public playground purposes,” a county may exempt a nonprofit from real estate or personal property taxes, according to the Constitution of Virginia.

Other nonprofit groups that are exempt from property tax include the Trevilian Station Battlefield Foundation, Inc., Boy Scouts of America, Spay/Neuter All Pets, Inc., The Arc of the Piedmont, the Louisa County Resource Council (LCRC), The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 8947, the Elisabeth Aiken Nolting Charitable Foundation, The Journey Home, Inc. and Little League Baseball, Inc.

12 properties, one mobile home, and one trailer owned by FLHF are now tax exempt. The assessed value of the 12 properties is roughly $3.3 million, and generated roughly $24,000 in tax revenue in 2024 according to the agenda packet.

Continue reading by clicking below:

https://www.thecentralvirginian.com/news/flhf-receives-tax-exempt-status/article_d1884af6-c7da-48bb-9126-d5e59b3b50b9.html

01/13/2026

The Mineral Town Council voted 4-3 to terminate their contract with Town Manager Nicole Washington at tonight’s council meeting.

After the council voted, council member David Hempstead rolled in the way to block Washington from entering her office.

Read more in this week’s edition of The Central Virginian.