Avery Baylor: A Cut Above for Nearly Five Decades

Long before Avery Baylor opened the doors of Sagittarius in Montross, long before he owned multiple salons and a clothing store, or invented and patented a pillow designed to protect a freshly styled head of hair, he was just …

“That Kid from Nebraska”: Jason Strong’s Journey to Superintendent

When Jason Strong first called the Richmond County School Board office in 2003, no one could have known just how long his relationship with Richmond County Public Schools would last. At the time, Strong was a college student in …

A Business Built on Relationships, Reputation, and Community

For nearly five decades, a local accounting firm has grown through changing names, changing technology and changing generations, while holding tightly to the values that mattered from the beginning.

If you spend any time with Billy Hughes …

It is a life neither of them necessarily could have predicted, but for Justin, the desire to make the Northern Neck home had been there for a long time.

Justin grew up in Fairfax, but his family's roots in the Northern Neck run deep. The land …

Creating a Place Where Everyone Belongs

For years, Heather Taylor Cash spent her days serving customers at the two Spice & Tea Exchange shops she owns in Williamsburg and Carytown. She loved the work, but every evening she drove home to the Northern Neck wondering what it would …

Trading Traffic Lights for River Views

Ron and Barbara had been married only two weeks when they pulled onto a long Northern Neck driveway lined with corn.

For Barbara, the view felt instantly familiar. Both of her grandfathers had been dairy farmers, and her grandfather Graham’s farm …

A Partnership Built on Faith, Purpose and a Love for Community

Most people know Julien Patterson and Terri Wesselman as the couple behind Front Porch Coffee House, The Office Bistro, Compass Entertainment, Objects Art & More and several other businesses that have become part of everyday life in …

Making every child feel seen, valued and loved

If you have ever walked through the halls of Richmond County Elementary-Middle School with Mary Sydnor, you already know she does not simply pass students in the hallway.

She sees them.

She calls them by name. She asks …

Following the Music and the Good News Along the Way

If you ask Faron Hamblin how a kid from Callao ended up recording in Nashville, performing at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, and earning nominations at one of independent country music's biggest award shows, don't expect him to point to …

The Summer Job That Never Ended

For 43 years, Marian Leigh Walker has greeted customers at Noblett Appliances with something that has become increasingly rare: experience, honesty, and the kind of personal service that cannot be found with an online search.

She never planned for any …