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LYNCHBURG DISTRICT TRAFFIC ALERT December 11-15, 2017

Yvette Stafford
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LYNCHBURG DISTRICT TRAFFIC ALERT December 11-15, 2017

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Highway work requiring road/lane/structure closures is scheduled, weather permitting. Items in italics contain new/updated information. For up-to-date information, call 511 or visit www.511Virginia.org.

Amherst County:
Route 29 Bus S over NS RR- Bridge deck overlay with one 17’ lane. Est. comp. 12/15/17.
Route 29 North to 29 Business – Crew will repair pavement markings.
Route 60 over Pedlar River –One 12’ lane in use with temporary traffic signal during deck repairs. Signs and other traffic control devices in place. Est. completion –December 22.

Appomattox County:
Route 460– Crew will perform sign maintenance.

Buckingham County:
Route 60 – Crew will perform sign maintenance.
Route 662 (Andersonville AHQ) – Crew will work on Rural Rustic project.
Various – Crews will work surfaces and respond to customer concerns.

Campbell County:
Route 460 Business, Timberlake Road – Crew will replace back plates on signals.

Charlotte County:
Route 643 over Branch of Roanoke Creek (642-746) – Road closed 11/13-2/2 for bridge replacement. Detour via 642 and 746.
Routes 807 & 820, Craftons Gate AHQ and Route 698, Phenix AHQ – Rural Rustic projects underway.
Route 1001 – Crew will repair pavement markings.
Various – Crews will work surfaces and respond to customer concerns.

Cumberland County:
Route 60 (622-45) – Sidewalk upgrades, weather permitting. Lane closures will require flagging operations. Estimated completion – December 22.
Various – Crew will work surfaces and respond to customer concerns.

Halifax County:
Route 677 over Polecat Creek (676-763) – Road closed 11/13 – 2/16 for bridge replacement. Detour via 676, and 360.
Bethel and Cluster Springs AHQs – Crews will boom axe and work surfaces.
Volens AHQ – Crew will cut right of way on secondary routes.
Pavement messages – Crew will work on maintenance and repair of messages countywide.
Various–Crews will respond to customer requests.

Lynchburg:
Route 501 S over 29/460 – Bridge deck overlay. Lane closures with 15’ width. Estimated completion 12/15/17.
Route 29/460 (Odd Fellows Rd Int. & Odd Fellows Rd.)– Equipment entering/exiting roadway. Temporary lane closures possible on 460 & Odd Fellows. Est. comp. 8/3/18. Speed – 45 mph.

Nelson County:
No items reported

Pittsylvania County:
Route 29, Gretna AHQ – Crew will clean drop inlet.
Routes 41 and 57 – Crew will repair pavement markings.
Route 694 over Banister River (703-1035) – Road closed 12/4-3/9 for bridge replacement. Detour via 703, 29 and 718.
Gretna and Rondo AHQs – Crews will clean roadsides.
Kentuck AHQ – Crew will limb trees.
Rondo AHQ – Crew will mow at various locations.
Various –Crews will boom axe, work shoulders/surfaces and respond to customers.

Prince Edward County:
Route 460 over Briery Creek – Only one 14’ lane in use during deck repairs. Signs and other traffic control devices in place. Est. completion –December 22.
Route 691, 705 & 784 – Crew will prepare for Rural Rustic projects.
Various – Crew will work surfaces and respond to customer concerns.

District-wide activities:
Bridge maintenance – Crews will perform maintenance on bridges.
Guardrail maintenance – Crews will do guardrail maintenance.
Line painting – Crews will address work orders/requests as weather/schedule permit.
Pipe rehabilitation – Crews will rehab/replace pipe at various locations.

Lovingston : After Hiatus – Christmas Parade Returns This Weekend

Tommy
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Lovingston : After Hiatus – Christmas Parade Returns This Weekend
©2006-2017 Blue Ridge Life Magazine : Photo By Jenn Rhubright : In this December 2006 photo from our NCL archives, folks line the street in Lovingston during the annual Christmas parade. After a brief vacation from the historical downtown location, it returns this coming weekend on December 9th at 6 PM.

Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia
By Tommy Stafford

After being gone for a couple of years from the main strip in Lovingston, the annual Nelson County Christmas Parade returns to the homeplace of the past this coming weekend on December 9th. Other festivities will kick off the day before including a Christmas Market at The Bradshaw Building. That starts at 3PM.

To see the 2017 parade route, click on the image above.

There will also be tree lighting and caroling in the village the day before on Friday starting at 6PM. Click here for more information.We will be there, see you this coming weekend!

Wintergreen Fire & Rescue Conducts Training Exercise For Mountain & Cliff Rescue (Video)

Tommy
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Wintergreen Fire & Rescue Conducts Training Exercise For Mountain & Cliff Rescue (Video)
©2017 Blue Ridge Life Magazine : Photos By Marcie Gates : A Wintergreen Fire & Rescue Member is lowered off the side of the Blue Ridge Parkway at Ravens Roost as part of mountain and cliff rescue training this past Tuesday – November 28, 2017.

Ravens Roost
Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia
Story By Tommy Stafford
Photos & Video By Marcie Gates

“Ravens Roost has a lot of recreational climbing and over the years there have been a number of serious accidents requiring us to go over the 100-foot cliff.” And that’s exactly why Wintergreen Fire & Rescue Chief Curtis Sheets says they train approximately once a quarter throughout the year to be ready when the call comes.


Click play above to see some of the preparations involved in going over the cliff!

“We were trying to use our ladder truck as an elevated anchor point to see if it would work. We aren’t allowed to use the ladder truck as a crane, and we can’t exceed the tip load of the basket, but we were trying it as an elevated anchor point to lower down in. At the end of the day it worked ok, but we decided as a group that there are better options and we will not use it in that way moving forward. But we needed to test it,” Chief Sheets explains.

Photo Courtesy of Wintergreen Fire & Rescue : Two members of Wintergreen Fire & Rescue are lowered over the approximately 100 foot cliff at Ravens Roost as part of their regular cliff, mountain and rope rescue training. Tuesday – November 28, 2017

“We have a rope team. We have three shifts at Wintergreen, so we have a couple of rope team members on each of the shifts and they practice in pairs when they are on duty. But then we try to come together quarterly to practice, that doesn’t always happen, with everyone in one place at one time. It’s not all about rock faces. Just imagine someone on the rooftop of a condo at Wintergreen that has a seizure or an allergic reaction. The rope work is important.” Chief Curtis Sheets – Wintergreen Fire & Rescue

“It’s kind of like everything else it comes and goes in spurts. We can go an entire year and not do any of it. Ot we can do a couple of them back to back. It’s not just at Wintergreen, we could deploy our rope team to Crabtree Falls, or any other place in the county where are needed.”

Amherst : Forks Of Buffalo : Family Loses Everything In Overnight Fire

Yvette Stafford
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Amherst : Forks Of Buffalo : Family Loses Everything In Overnight Fire
Photo By Christina Renee Simpson : This home in the Forks Of Buffalo community in Amherst County was totally destroyed by a fire during the early morning hours, Thursday – November 30, 2017.

Forks Of Buffalo
Amherst County, Virginia

An early morning fire has stolen Christmas for one family in the Forks Of Buffalo Community.

“Sometime after 2am I woke up to my worst nightmare. As much as I try to not to ask for help, I need it more now than ever. I lost everything. The girls lost everything. They lost their Christmas. I lost my home,” Christina Renee Simpson said in a Facebook post around 7 AM Thursday morning.

The family is in need of just about anything you can think of, but Christina mentioned some things in particular.

“Malaya- size 4t/5t. Toddler 10 shoes..4t underwear
Emmalin size 3t shirts 2t/3t pants toddler 7 shoes size 3t pull-up
Me- size 14 pants xl shirts 9.5 shoes”

Christina said they literally didn’t even make it out of the house dressed. “I lost my home. If anyone can help. We weren’t even fully dressed leaving the house.”

A close family friend in adjoining Nelson County is trying to help organize getting clothes and other needs to Christina, if you can help please contact Lauren Coe at:Lrpannell615@gmail.com or 540-451-1322.

A GoFundMe page has also been set up, click here.

Wintergreen : North Ridge Condo Units Totally Destroyed After Burning Again Wednesday Morning (Update 7:30 PM)

Tommy
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Wintergreen : North Ridge Condo Units Totally Destroyed After Burning Again Wednesday Morning (Update 7:30 PM)
Photo courtesy of Walter Davis Hall – Bon Air Drone : Fire crews extinguish the last remaining flames at North Ridge Condo units at Wintergreen on Devils Knob – Wednesday morning 11.29.17. The building was back on fire again around 4AM.

Wintergreen / Devils Knob
Nelson County, Virginia
By Tommy Stafford

For the second time in less than a week fire crews were back on the scene of a the same condo units that were originally on fire Monday night. We first broke the story here, and then a follow up story in this post.

Aerial Drone Photo Via Wintergreen Fire : An aerial view of the destroyed North Ridge Condos at Wintergreen on Devils Knob : Wednesday : November 29, 2017.

Here’s a verbatim press release update from WFD Chief Curtis Sheets at 7:30 PM Wednesday night : 11.29.17:

“North Ridge Fire Update 11-29
Yet again this morning Wintergreen FD was dispatched for a fully involved condo building at North Ridge building 3. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Wintergreen Police and Virginia State Police. On Monday evening agencies from Nelson and Augusta Counties responded at 5AM to provide hours of valuable assistance. During the day on Tuesday Wintergreen FD continuously monitored the structure, used thermal imaging cameras to check for hot spots, used additional water and foam, etc. to be certain there would be no rekindle. In total we believe well over 100,000 gallons of water were used.
In the pre-dawn hours today, the area near North Ridge experienced a wind event which provided sustained winds of over 10-15 mph and gusts reported above 30 mph. No matter the cause of the fire, the wind worked against us. The size of the structure as well as it’s close proximity to similar size structures created exposure risks which caused us to evacuate one building and consider the evacuation of a larger area. Fortunately, just beyond the closest row of at-risk structures lies a narrow strip of forest bordered by the ski slopes which created a buffer between this fire and other developed streets. Our crews were on-scene for over 12 hours.
Not for two decades has Wintergreen committed every single piece of fire apparatus they own to suppression/protection at one scene. That did in-fact happen last night. Additionally, the response by mutual-aid partners was larger than we have seen, perhaps ever.
Our reports haven’t been finalized which could lead to an inadvertent omission. Regardless, we’d like to get a preliminary THANK YOU out to all who assisted.
Rockfish FD – Engine
Lovingston FD – Engine
Piney River FD – Tanker – Brush
Faber FD – Brush Truck
Wilson FD – Engine & Tanker
Stuarts Draft FD – Tanker & Brush Truck
Dooms FD – Engine
Augusta County F/R – Ladder Truck
Virginia Department of Forestry – 2 Brush Trucks
Wintergreen Police – 2 Units 1 Investigator
Virginia State Police – 2 Investigators

On-Scene from Wintergreen F/R
Truck 1
Engines 1 & 2
Tanker 2
Brush 8
Attack 5
Medic 178 – Medic 151

Also lending tremendous assistance was Wintergreen Property Owners Association Road Maintenance division who provided manpower and removed burning trees. (Backhoe, Chipper, Loader) The Nelson County Service Authority also sent technicians to be sure our water supply was uninterrupted.
Total Engines – 6 Ladders -3 Brush – 6 Tankers – 4
The past few nights were significant fire events for Wintergreen. As always, we will conduct a full after-action review process to discover any items on which we need to improve. We’re thankful that no injuries were reported. We’re saddened that two persons lost their full-time home, and several others lost their special place at one of the most beautiful communities on earth.”

Around 4AM Wednesday morning fire broke out again and this time the units are a total loss.

Around 8:30 AM Wednesday crews had that blaze under control and were finishing up getting some of the adjoiing woods that caught on fire complely extinguished.

More updates as we have them.

Wintergreen : More Photos From Monday Night Fire At North Ridge Condos : Updated 4:10 PM – 11.28.17

Tommy
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Wintergreen : More Photos From Monday Night Fire At North Ridge Condos : Updated 4:10 PM – 11.28.17
Photos courtesy of Steve Southworth WPD via Wintergreen Fire Dept : Flames can bee seen shooting through the roof of a top unit at North Ridge Condos on Monday night – November 27, 2017.

Wintergreen / Devils Knob
Nelson County, Virginia
By Tommy Stafford

BRL first reported the story, and shared video, of a large fire at the North Ridge Condo unit at Wintergreen in this post Monday night.


Click play arrow above to view the video.

Updated info from Chief Sheets at 4:10 PM – 11.28.17

“Like any major fire, the cause will be investigated by professional investigators. The investigators arrive tomorrow. There is no indication of foul play.

We’re grateful as always for the assistance we received from our mutual-aid partners. Last night’s response (5-Engines, 1 Ladder, 1 Heavy Squad, 2 Ambulances) is consistent with what you would see in any city for a structure the size of North-Ridge. (Most cities would add a second ladder….but we only have one) What is noteworthy is that our response is on top of a mountain. 2 Engines, the Ladder Truck, Heavy Squad, and one Ambulance were ours, the balance of the equipment had to come from outlying areas in Nelson and Augusta Counties on the valley floor.

While we don’t yet know what caused this fire, we do know fireplaces in the building were in use. As we start into winter, lets let this incident serve as a reminder to have fireplaces professionally inspected and cleaned annually. Of course smoke detectors should be checked as well. Lastly, when in doubt please dial 911.”

The blaze was under control later that evening. Wintergreen Fire Chief Curtis Sheets tells me they are now assessing what may have caused the fire.

North Ridge is a 6 unit condo stack, 2 of those were occupied, but there were no injuries. It does look like the structure is repairable. We had a great effort by everyone that responded.

Those agencies included: Wintergreen Fire, Wilson Fire, Rockfish Fire, Piney River Fire, Lovingston Fire, Waynesboro First Aid, and Wintergreen Police,” Chief Sheets told us late Monday evening.

We will post more information as we’re update.

NEWS ALERT : Wintergreen : Fire Departments Battle Blaze At Condo Unit – (Video)

Tommy
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NEWS ALERT : Wintergreen : Fire Departments Battle Blaze At Condo Unit – (Video)
©2017 Blue Ridge Life Magazine : Photos By Paul Purpura : Many area fire departments battle a major structure fire on Monday evening – November 27, 2017 at Wintergreen in what’s believed to be in a North Ridge Condo.

Wintergreen / Devils Knob
Nelson County, Virginia
By Tommy Stafford


Click play arrow above to view the video.

Numerous fire departments from across the area (including Wintergreen, Lovingston, Piney River, Rockfish and Wilson) have been working a first Monday night at Wintergreen at a North Ridge Condo complex just off Blue Ridge Drive. Reports are that one person was inside when the fire broke out but got out safely. A roof there partially collapsed as well.

Photo By Paul Purpura : Many fire departments from across the area were still on the scene at the condo fire around 7:30 PM Monday night – November 27, 2017. But the first was under control.
Karen Palmer Johnson shot this photo from down below of the fire on Blue Ridge Drive – Monday evening November 27, 2017.

Faces & Places of Nelson County Art Show Continues Until November 30th AT RVCC

Yvette Stafford
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Faces & Places of Nelson County Art Show Continues Until November 30th AT RVCC
At a recent open house of the Faces and Places of Nelson County Art Show at RVCC, Linda Baker (left) stands with Michele Reday Cook, next to the portrait done by Michele.

Afton / Greenfield
Nelson County, Virginia

It’s the culmination of an 18 month project. Nancy Lauler began a monthly portrait session in her RVCC studio where they would hire a resident of Nelson County to pose. “Nine people modeled and about eight local artists participated. The portraits are currently on display at the RVCC’s Main Hall, along with scenes and landscapes of the area by the same artists,” Nancy said.

Enoka and Bill Perrelli standing by Enoka’s painting.

“In September of 2015, I decided to rent a studio on my own. Around March 2016, I put out the word that I would hold an open portrait session in my RVCC studio. We would call it Faces of Nelson County, a project using local Nelson residents as models. We also wanted to know a little about them, their story. The models were paid for their time and artists chipped in for that. My vision was a show that brought the community out to meet and get to know each other,” Nancy continued.

Ika Joiner, a model, reading the bio of Bill Perrelli. All the models had short biographies next to their portraits.

In April 2016, they had their first session. Teresa Eimutus was the first model. Almost every month, anywhere between 3-8 artists, experienced or novice, would come to draw, or paint. They did nice portrait sessions in twelve months.

Nancy now shares a studio with Carol Lemons and Michele Reday Cook. They’ve renamed it Sassafras Studio.

Te learn more about the art show visit nancylaulerart.com or head on over to RVCC to see it in person! The display is unp until November 30th.

Nelson : Roseland : Devils Backbone Shop Officially Opens

Yvette Stafford
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Nelson : Roseland : Devils Backbone Shop Officially Opens
©2017 Blue Ridge Life : Photos By Tommy Stafford : Heidi Crandall (Co-Founder of Devils Backbone Brewing) stands behind the counter in the newly opened shop at the brewery. It’s in the same building where the new DB Distillery will open in 2018.

Roseland
Nelson County, Virginia

Things have changed lots since the day we were there when Devils Backbone opened the doors for business 9 years ago. And they keep adding to the adventure almost weekly now!

A store dedicated to all sorts of DB merchandise recently opened in the building that will eventually house the new distillery where a variety of DB spirits will be made.
The store is primarily opened weekends currently, but will extend the hours next year as completion of the adjoining distillery is finished.
In addition to lots of DB branded clothing for sale, theres lots of the popular DB glasseware too!
The new shop is located just to the left of the original brewery that was built back in 2008.

For more info on the newly opened shop, visit DB on the web, by clicking here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tommy
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Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Day 2017 : Sunny & Cool : Warmer Ahead Into Weekend : Becerra Lawncare Update

The Blue Ridge Life Magazine Smartphone App for Iphone or Droid is here. Download yours for free. Now!

Thanksgiving Day will be sunny, but cool.

As we head into the weekend warm into the lower 60s by Saturday. The next 7 days as we head into the end of November look relatively mild with little to no chance for rainfall.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Tommy

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