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Spotsylvania school board members skip key meetings // Court strikes down police secrecy, orders release of deputy names // Email debunks claims of wrongdoing in Warrenton Amazon data center approval

State Sen. Danica Roem has been named the government representative honoree by the Virginia Coalition for Open Government in the group’s annual open-government awards. Sen. Roem, a former journalist, has consistently advocated for better Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, processes since she first took office in the Virginia General Assembly as a delegate in 2018. She opposes new FOIA exemptions and has successfully championed improvements to the law, coalition officials said.

The Warren County Library Board convened its latest meeting on February 26, 2025, with all members present, diving into key discussions about the county’s public library funding and governance. A major topic of concern was Samuels Library’s recent actions, which board members claim undermine transparency and public trust. As the meeting continued, a major revelation was presented regarding a previously undisclosed meeting held by Samuels Library Inc.’s Board of Trustees on December 17, 2024. Library Board Chairman Eric Belk detailed how this meeting was not publicly announced, and no records of its discussion were made available. According to board members, this secretive session resulted in a major change to the organization’s Articles of Incorporation—specifically, its dissolution clause.