Foothills Forum

If local news – trustworthy research and reporting about Rappahannock County – matters to you, we hope you will make a donation to our organization during Give Local Piedmont.

This year members of the Foothills board of directors have committed $10,000 to match all donations made through Give Local Piedmont. Donate by May 13 to double the impact of your contribution!

Foothills Forum is an editorially independent, nonpartisan nonprofit, working in partnership with the weekly Rappahannock News, which publishes our explanatory, graphics-driven journalism in print, video and online.

We cover the issues that matter most to our rural area - from the local stories that are uniquely Rappahannock, to national and global events that impact our community. 

Among the important news coverage provided by Foothills Forum over the past year:

• DOGE cuts - in-depth coverage of the Trump administration’s global tariffs and federal cutbacks in funding and agency staffing, and what that means for farmers, schools, social services, healthcare and other programs in Rappahannock County.
• Local budgets and capital projects - following the latest developments as County leaders and the school board work to close a massive budget gap, and the continuing saga over the construction of a new county courthouse
• Growing Old and Alone in Rappahannock - a multi-part series examining the problem of social isolation, how it impacts individuals and communities, and the collaborative and neighborly approach local organizations are taking to address the issue. 
• Pathfinders - an ongoing series exploring noteworthy people who have blazed trails to a better life for all through determination and overcoming adversity, such as long-time Rapp native and Culpeper educator Jane Pollard, who shared her experience of growing up in Slate Mills during segregation; and Howard Lambert, who works to honor the often-overlooked efforts of Black Civil War soldiers.
• Rappahannock’s Trash Overhaul - a deep-dive examination of what happens with the county’s trash and recycling and how recent changes have resulted in $360,000 in taxpayer savings.

Foothills and Rappahannock News reporters and photographers recently won 46 awards for journalistic excellence from the Virginia Press Association, and we helped the Rapp News win the award for the best weekly newspaper of its size in the commonwealth for the fifth consecutive year. These prizes included:

• Ireland Hayes won five 1st Place awards for her writing, photos and videography, including her behind-the-scenes coverage of the annual 4th of July celebration in Rappahannock.
• Randy Rieland won two 1st Place awards for his “Gen Stressed” stories on local youth mental health issues. 
• Tim Carrington won two 1st Place awards in feature writing, which included his profiles of Jane Bowling-Wilson, Jim Abdo and Judge David Tatel.
• Bob Hurley and Paul McGeough led the team that won 1st Place for the “Villages,” the magazine-style special publication about the past and future of Rappahannock’s villages. 
• Luke Christopher won three 1st Place awards for photography accompanying Foothills stories.