A year unlike any other
COVID-19 comes to Rappahannock County
Closed schools, shuttered shops, layoffs, virtual government meetings, record absentee ballots. These are only a few of the dramatic changes Rappahannock County saw in the age of COVID-19. When County Administrator Garrey Curry issued an Emergency Declaration on March 17, it was anyone’s guess where things were headed. But with creative workarounds, community spirit and government leadership, county residents and businesses overcame any number of challenges. Restaurants and businesses adapted with curbside pickup and online orders, local farmers and meat processors saw an increase in sales, and schools quickly developed virtual learning curriculums. And perhaps most importantly, the county’s virus count has risen to a total of 159 cases, 10 hospitalizations and two deaths.
A COMMUNITY STEPS UP
Rappahannock residents and nonprofits generously gave their time and money to help one another this year, sewing hundreds of free face masks, joining “pop-up” personal service groups like HelpingHannock and saving summer camp for dozens of county families. To lift financial burdens caused by the pandemic, the PATH Foundation, Northern Piedmont Community Foundation (NPCF), Rappahannock Communities, the Lions Club and others donated more than $350,000 to key local service organizations such as the Food Pantry, Benevolent Fund, Child Care and Learning Center and Businesses of Rappahannock. Donations to Rappahannock’s charities from NPCF’s annual oneday online Give Local Piedmont event grew from $241,846 to $389,808, almost a 38% increase.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
• Though the COVID case count in Rappahannock has remained relatively low when compared to neighboring jurisdictions, a spike over the past month has caused the county’s numbers to double. There have been 159 cases toward year-end, with only one “super-spreader” event in June at the Massanova Pentecostal Church in Castleton where 32 members of the congregation were infected and two died, including the pastor, Lindsey D. Savage. By contrast, as of Wednesday, Culpeper had 2,954 cases, Fauquier experienced 2,330, Warren counted 1,321 and Madison reported 289.
• The county government received almost $1.3 million in federal funding under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These funds were largely dedicated to school, public safety, and county government operations to help offset COVID- related costs. Tax revenues into the county coffers remain steady with no budget shortfalls expected. County schools have had to make many unbudgeted pandemic- related expenditures, but infusions from the federal CARES Act have, midway
through the fiscal year, diminished the risk of exceeding the annual budget.
• Businesses of Rappahannock distributed more than $ 250,000 in direct grants and technical support to county businesses, helping them weather the economic downturn. In addition, the federal CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program provided almost $6 million in loans to 133 local county businesses. Almost all of the county’s restaurants, shops, businesses, wineries, breweries, distillers and art galleries continue to serve customers.
• Real estate businesses saw a spike in sales and rentals as the virus prompted people from cities to seek the quiet and safety of rural areas. By the same token, increased home sales and rental prices made affordable housing scarcer.
• With schools opting for online learning and many people working from their houses, high-speed broadband became a necessity in 2020. According to School Superintendent Dr. Shannon Grimsley, about two-thirds of school families have either insufficient or no internet access at home. Though RCPS set up 20 free drive-up hotspots at various locations around the county, high-speed internet service remains largely inadequate to meet residents’ needs.
• COVID-19 did not dampen voter enthusiasm; quite the contrary. A whopping 84% of registered Rappahannock voters cast their ballots this year. Of the 4,986 votes recorded, a record-breaking 2,143 were cast absentee. Even with brand new COVID-related election procedures like early in-person voting, officials said the election went smoothly.
• Years in the making, the county’s Comprehensive Plan was approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 7. Responding to residents’ comments, the board did not include the boundary maps of Rappahannock’s villages.