DOWN MEMORY LANE
April 14, 1977
Diane Bruce Musgrave of Washington has been selected by the judges of Rappahannock County Circuit Court to fill the vacancy which will be created by the retirement of the present clerk, E. M. Jones of Washington. Mr. Jones will retire in July.
According to Judge R. V. Snead, the selection was very difficult for there was a large number of well qualified applicants. These applicants were interviewed and tested April 2 by Judge Snead and Judge Carlton Penn.
Mrs. Musgrave is presently a business teacher at Fauquier High School in Warrenton. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Longwood College, Farmville in 1967 and did graduate work at Madison College, Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Virginia, and several out of state universities. In addition to her teaching positions, she has been employed in a legal office.
Rappahannock County will soon have a full-time veterinarian and she’s a lady. Fayette Witherell will formally open her practice at Fern Springs Animal Hospital in Castleton during the second week in April at the former offices of retiring Dr. William Wake.
While she plans to treat both large and small animals, Dr. Witherell hopes to concentrate on horses. “I came to Virginia to get to horses,” she said, adding that she had fox hunted and taken part in endurance rides for most of her life.
“Fayette gave up teaching, went back to undergraduate school for a year and a half and was lucky enough to get in at the University of Montreal,” Dr. Witherell said. She attributed her veterinary ambitions to the challenge of medical practice, an interest in animals and people, and a love of driving around in the county.
Dr. Witherell is a little concerned over whether local farmers and horse people will accept a woman as a large animal vet.
Aug. 6, 1997
The Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors had a hot issue on their hands at Monday’s meeting — they had to decide on whether to require fingerprinting for concealedweapon permits in the county.
As of July 1, the law changed and left the decision up to the counties as to how to handle the ordinance.
About 10 people attended the meeting to voice their opposition to the ordinance. A background check, for 45 days, is done for each application and those who spoke said this is enough and that the fingerprinting is unnecessary.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Peter Luke said, “I wish I could say that everything comes back on a background check, but I can’t. With a fingerprint check you get any criminal conviction from anywhere in the United States.”
Rappahannock Sheriff Gary Settle said, “It amazes me sometimes when we get back the information. For 98 or 99 percent of the checks we get nothing back but there are usually one or two that are flagged.”
Mr. Luke said that if the few who have records can be weeded out by the check then it’s worth doing. He said the prints are only used for the purpose of the check.
Walter Longyear is thrilled! He won the Flint Hill Volunteer Fire Department’s first prize in their raffle, a 1997 Ford Ranger equipped with power-steering, air conditioning and radio.
Casey Longyear, his 13-year old daughter, thinks the Caiman green color is perfect.
Walter said he bought the winning ticket from Nancy Jones, who was selling tickets at Kmart on a hot day in July. She said she was going to stay there until her last ticket was sold, so he and his wife, Susan bought her last 12.
In 1996, Walter was involved in an automobile accident — his Ford Escort was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler and was totaled. Amazingly he walked away from the accident.
The insurance money he received from the car wreck was not enough to purchase another one, so he and Susan had to make do with just one car.