You’ve come a long way, baby! The reference is to the modest beginnings of the little town known by various names. It was first called Fairfax, then Culpeper Court House and since 1870, it has been simply and officially Culpeper.

It’s hard to believe, but the TV you watch or the iPod you listen to may be to blame for the high oil prices.

I want to relate to you the story I have heard about the exploits of a young Virginian by the name of Peter Francisco.

Completing a 5K race may not seem like a lot to anyone who is a regular runner. But for me, running — er, jogging — across the finish line at the end of a grueling 3.1 miles was an enormous accomplishment.

Independence Day night arrived on Virginia’s Eastern Shore with a stormy crash-boom-bang, lightning dispersing a crowd of more than 1,000 from the beach at Cape Charles like something out of “War of the Worlds.”

It’s been quite a week or two since I last wrote about our move to Orange and in particular the issues I was having getting the phone service connected.

Ever wonder why a particular date was selected to celebrate a particular event?

Travel agents can save you time, money and stress.

I wasn’t going to write a column this week, but all it took was a little inspiration.

During my service with Gen. Francis Marion in our battles up and down the Pee Dee River area, I came to know and admire Col. Isaac Hayne.

The first heat wave of the summer is almost always accompanied by a sudden decline in cool-season lawn quality and a rapid increase in growth rate of warm-season grasses (both lawn grasses and weeds like crabgrass).

One of our most remarkable patriots did not carry a musket, nor did he wield a sword but instead with pen and paper he did extol the peoples of our fledgling country to rise forth and fight for our freedom from the tyrannical rule of King George.

As summer begins, so does the conditioning and training of many student-athletes.

And now, the rest of the story.

A trip to my hometown of Charlotte, N.C. last weekend got me thinking: Who says you can’t go home?

Angler Development’s creation of the Culpeper Utility Partners first strikes one as shady given Angler’s recent bankrupted projects and inability to see the oncoming freight train of a housing downturn — but privatizing water and sewer in Culpeper may be the best thing.

As the planning begins for a great family vacation, consider something fun, exciting and educational.

I was driving home from the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center on March 4. I had already seen the weather forecast and I had heard the weather in Martinsville (where I live) was supposed to get pretty bad around 4 p.m. It was almost 8 p.m. as I was nearing home and the weather was, indeed, bad.

You may recall last week how I mentioned my recent move to Orange and how Anita and I were spending our time trying to get things sorted so that we could properly move in.

Our accommodations in Costa Rica ranged from 4-star resorts to very rural, charming lodges.

I first served under Brigadier Gen. Francis Nash when he was appointed a captain in the North Carolina militia by Gov. William Tryon.

Summer on the farm has always been full of mystery and adventure for me, though there are those who would claim that my idea of adventure is pretty humdrum by current-day cinematic standards.

For the first time ever, the average retail price of gasoline, at $4.02/gallon, has cracked the $4.00/gallon barrier, according to the latest research by AAA.

Are you surprised to learn that farmers receive only 20 cents from every retail food dollar you spend?

Now whatever you do this week, do not talk to me about the weather, please!

When it comes to fighting for cancer victims, Relay For Lifers are unstoppable.

It sometimes felt as though we were waging this war for our independence without the support of others, particularly here in the south where the effort has been so grueling.

This July 4 Americans will celebrate the 232nd anniversary of the declaration of our nation’s independence.

I don’t know, but much as we love America, it is really difficult to come to terms with the wild and “out-of-whack” weather we are experiencing here.

Emergency responder training with horses is set for June 27, with two sessions planned. From 8:30 a.m. to noon will be a beginners class and from 1-5 p.m. will be an intermediate class.