Morning Buzz – Jan. 25, 2011

A daily digest of what’s going on in Fredericksburg, and what news from elsewhere is relevant here. Send suggestions to ebattle@freelancestar.com.

City Council meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall. Council members will continue their public hearing on raising parking fines. They’ll also meet for a 5:30 p.m. work session with the Planning Commission on updating the residential zoning ordinance.

Fredericksburg area judges have one of the heaviest per-judge caseloads in the state. That fact is verifiable in data from the Virginia Supreme Court, and it was highlighted in an editorial in the Virginian-Pilot yesterday. The editorial is about two legislators’ interest in redrawing the boundaries of the state’s judicial circuits.

Fredericksburg is in Virginia’s 15th judicial circuit, which also includes Caroline, Essex, Hanover, King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford and Westmoreland counties.

This legislation, which would take effect in July 2012 if passed, would place Fredericksburg in the 17th circuit, which would be the same as the current 15th, minus Hanover County and adding Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, Mathews and Middlesex counties.