Central Virginia Blue Ridge
We started seeing some mid 30s for overnight lows this past weekend and that makes everyone start thinking of fall! Our cover for October (above) certainly screams cooler weather eats!
Click above to read our story written by Victoria Godfrey and some beautiful photography by Kate Simon! It’s all about a Virginia favorite for fall eating!
And there’s much more to read in our October issue, pick it up now or read it online above.
Enjoy!
Tommy & Yvette
Roseland
Nelson County, Virginia
This weekend kicks off the 2nd annual Hoopla Festival held at Devils Backbone Brewing Basecamp Brewpub & Meadows. “We had different names for this event. But we curated it and financed it. This is the second year for Hoopla. In the previous years it was Festy in the beginning,” Steve Crandall DB founder and CEO tells us.
“During the course of Hoopla we have a bunch of different activities. We will have rides for people to visit other breweries on the Brew Ridge Trail. We’ll have hikes so people experience things here in Nelson County. A pop up beer festival. A pumpkin patch where kids can learn about all different plants and have fun and of course the music,” Steve adds.
“The idea behind Hoopla was to create a festival that expressed core values. Neighborhoods, industry, family, environment and operations. My personal favorite part of the festival. I really get goosebumps …people have been coming to this festival for almost a decade now and they bring their tiny little babies, and now those tiny babies are young kids. They get to experience this with their young children. And for our staff. It’s like having a high school reunion when I see these guys,” Steve continued.
See you at the festival starting Friday!
Richmond, Virginia
Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced 12 Virginia companies were selected to participate in the Virginia Economic Gardening Pilot Program (VEGPP). The VEGPP, administered by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), targets second-stage companies. These businesses are growth-oriented and have moved beyond the startup phase by demonstrating a notable increase in revenue or employment. By addressing strategic growth issues, such as identifying new markets and industry trends, refining business models, raising online visibility, and offering access to competitive intelligence, the VEGPP enables high-growth companies to achieve the next level of success.
“Encouraging the growth of our existing businesses is fundamental to diversifying and building the new Virginia economy,” said Governor McAuliffe. “I am confident the Virginia Economic Gardening Pilot Program will be a valuable resource to help many high-potential companies in the commonwealth reach a higher level of success. I congratulate and applaud the 12 pilot program participants as they adopt a new approach to growing their businesses.”
The participating companies in the Virginia Economic Gardening Pilot Program include: Blue Mountain Brewery, Inc. (Nelson County); Blue Ridge Optics, L.L.C. (Bedford County); C2 Management (Clarke County); Clarke Precision Machine, Inc. (Town of Wytheville); Fulcrum Concepts LLC (King and Queen County); Hepburn and Sons LLC (City of Manassas); Risk and Strategic Management, Corp (City of Manassas); R&K Cyber Solutions LLC (City of Manassas); Salatin & Cloud, L.C. (City of Harrisonburg); VistaShare, LLC (City of Harrisonburg); SanAir Technologies Laboratory, Inc. (Powhatan County); and Solid Stone Fabrics, Inc. (City of Martinsville).
“I applaud the Virginia Economic Development Partnership for developing and implementing this strategic and collaborative approach to economic development, which will be a great asset to emerging growth companies across the commonwealth,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore. “More than 70 percent of our jobs come from existing Virginia businesses, and we are excited to see the new opportunities the Virginia Economic Gardening Pilot Program will uncover.”
VEDP partnered with the Edward Lowe Foundation, which hosts the National Center for Economic Gardening, to set up a statewide network to provide each selected company virtual access to its own team of highly skilled research specialists. The research team will devote approximately 36 hours to each company and quickly deliver action-oriented information over the course of a few weeks.
To be eligible for the VEGPP, company applicants were required to meet the following criteria:
· Represent a for-profit, privately held company that has been in business for at least five years and maintained its principal place of business in Virginia for at least two years
· Generate annual revenue between $1 million and $50 million
· Employ between 10 and 99 full-time-equivalent employees
· Demonstrate growth in employment and/or revenue during two of the past five years
· Provide products or services beyond the local area to regional, national, or global markets
· Referred by a participating economic development organization
VEDP will follow up with the participating companies upon their completion of the six-to-eight-week program to determine its effectiveness addressing the business issues identified by each company during the application phase. Additionally, VEDP staff will monitor the 12 company participants’ increase in revenue and employment over the next 36 months to gauge long-term effectiveness on high-growth businesses and the value in continuing the Virginia Economic Gardening Pilot Program.
Nellysford
Nelson County, Virginia
By Tommy Stafford
We’ve been telling you about the progress of the Dollar General in Nellysford for the past year in these posts.
It appears the store is set to open this Friday – September 29th.
“We are thrilled to have the Nellysford Dollar General opening soon. At this time, a grand opening is slated for October 14 at 8 a.m. and it will be located at the new store, 2985 Rockfish Valley Highway. The first 50 adult customers will receive a free $10 gift card and the first 200 customers will receive a Dollar General tote with complimentary product samples. Event details are subject to change, albeit unlikely, so please feel free to check back for details,” Laura Somerville with DG Corporate Relations in Tennessee tells us.
Though the official grand opening is in October, the soft opening is this Friday they confirmed in an email with us on Tuesday.
“When choosing store locations, meeting customers’ needs is Dollar General’s top priority. The company looks for places where we can offer customers an easy and convenient shopping choice. We know convenience is a major factor in our customers’ shopping decisions as we generally serve customers within a three to five mile radius, or 10 minute drive. We also take demographic trends, competitive factors, traffic patterns and community concerns into consideration.
The store will employ approximately 6-10 employees, depending on the individual needs of the store. Anyone interested in joining one of America’s fastest-growing retailers may apply for available positions online at www.dollargeneral.com/careers.
Dollar General sells quality name-brand and private brand merchandise such as health and beauty products, home cleaning supplies, housewares, stationery, seasonal items and basic clothing. We also sell an assortment of packaged foods, as well as some refrigerated foods and frozen foods. In addition to high quality private brands, all which carry a 100% satisfaction guarantee, Dollar General sells products from America’s most-trusted brands such as Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, Unilever, Kellogg’s, General Mills, Nabisco, Hanes, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola.
Dollar General gives its customers more than everyday low prices on basic merchandise as part of its mission of Serving Others. Dollar General is deeply involved in the communities it serves and is an ardent supporter of literacy and education through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, which awards grants each year to nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries within a 20-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs. Since its inception in 1993, the DGLF has awarded more than $140 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than nine million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education. For more information about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and its grant programs, visit www.dgliteracy.com.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation also supports individuals in the communities that Dollar General stores serve who may be interested in learning how to read, speak English or prepare for the high school equivalency test. Referrals to a local organization that provides free literacy services are available online here or a postage-paid reply card that can be mailed in for information is available at the cash register of every Dollar General store,” Laura added.
Amherst County, Virginia
Release via VSP:
Original post:
Virginia State Police Trooper J.A. Barbour is investigating a fatal crash in Amherst County. The crash occurred at 1:34 p.m., on Saturday (Sept. 23), on Route 130, approximately one mile west of Route 812.
A 2001 Nissan Maxima was traveling east on Route 130 when it first ran off the right side of the road. The vehicle then crossed back over the road and ran off the left side where it struck an embankment and struck a tree.
The driver, Robert G. Kindle, 71, of Glasgow Va., died at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
The crash remains under investigation.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police
Central Virginia Blue Ridge
As we start heading into the fall season the festivals get into full swing across the Blue Ridge. You don’t have to search all over the place to find out what’s going on. Just hit up our handy Blue Ridge Life online events calendar. Everything is in one spot and broken down by date and time. You can even search for your favorite events easily!
Don’t already have our smartphone app? Just click on the link for your specific phone above and get it now. It’s free!
And if you have an event you want to get in our online calendar, that’s easy too. Same spot, just pick “Submit an Event” and your own your way to reaching thousands and thousands of readers each week that check our calendar out frequently. Many of our online events also get published in the print edition as space allows.
So stop spending all day hunting around in cyberspace for upcoming festivals or events and find them all right here!
Monroe Post Office
Amherst County, Virginia
Updated 9.25.17
“VIRGINIA STATE POLICE PLACE CHARGES IN AMHERST COUNTY SHOOTING
APPOMATTOX, Va. – The investigation remains ongoing into the two shootings that occurred in Amherst County Saturday night (Sept. 22, 2017). At the request of the Amherst County Sheriff, the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Appomattox Field Office is investigating the shooting of an Amherst County Sheriff’s Deputy and the subsequent officer-involved shooting that occurred during a traffic stop at the Monroe Post Office in Amherst County at approximately 11:30 p.m.
According to a press release by the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office, “During the course of the stop a passenger in that vehicle produced a handgun and shot one deputy striking them in the head. Another deputy returned fire striking the suspect.”
Late Saturday, Virginia State Police charged the passenger, Trevor D. Ewers, 22, of Monroe, Va., with one count of malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer, one count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Ewers is still being treated at Lynchburg General Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police”
Original post:
Press release via Amherst County Sheriff’s Office
“The Amherst County Sheriff’s Office has had an officer involved shooting. On 09/22/2017 at approximately 11:30 pm deputies initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle at the Monroe Post Office in Amherst County. During the course of the stop a passenger in that vehicle produced a handgun and shot one deputy striking them in the head. Another deputy returned fire striking the suspect.
The deputy has been treated and released. The suspect is still being treated. The Sheriff’s Office has asked the Virginia State Police to investigate this incident in accordance with our policy.”
Central Virginia Blue Ridge
Though you’ll be hard pressed to tell it from the temperatures in the coming days, fall officially began at 4:02 PM Friday afternoon.
As Tommy talks about in his weather, the next 7 days won’t feel very fallish, more like a continuation of summer. But, there is some indication that cooler weather is on the way in the not too distant future just beyond that.
For now, enjoy an extended summer though the calendar says otherwise!
According to the 511 VA message below the accident was clear around 5:30 am Thursday.
Earlier update:
I-81 NORTHBOUND RIGHT LANE CLOSED IN ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY
STAUNTON – (6:30 p.m.) The right northbound lane of Interstate 81 is closed in Rockbridge County just north of the Botetourt County line. This is due to a crash involving several tractor trailers near mile marker 174. Incident response crews are working to remove the vehicles, but estimate at least two more hours before the right lane reopens.
Earlier this afternoon both lanes were closed.
Motorists should expect significant delays in this area as clean-up continues.
Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at http://www.511Virginia.org.
The VDOT Customer Service Center can assist with reporting road hazards, asking transportation questions, or getting information related to Virginia’s roads. Call 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623) or use its mobile friendly website at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/. Agents are available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week.
The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at http://www.VirginiaDOT.org.
The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.
Original post 4:43 PM 9.20.17
I-81 NORTHBOUND CLOSED IN ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY
STAUNTON – (4:35 p.m.) Both northbound lanes of Interstate 81 are closed in Rockbridge County just north of the Botetourt County line. This is due to a crash involving several tractor trailers near mile marker 174. Incident response crews are working to remove the vehicles, but estimate at least an hour before a lane reopens. Traffic is currently backed up at least seven miles.
There is a detour in place for I-81 northbound. Drivers will use exit 168 (Arcadia) in Botetourt County, follow Lee Highway north and rejoin the interstate at exit 175 (Natural Bridge) in Rockbridge County.
Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at http://www.511Virginia.org.
The VDOT Customer Service Center can assist with reporting road hazards, asking transportation questions, or getting information related to Virginia’s roads. Call 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623) or use its mobile friendly website at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/. Agents are available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week.
The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at http://www.VirginiaDOT.org.
The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.
Greenwood
Albemarle County, Virginia
For years we’ve been telling you about the Misty Mountain Music Festival held annually in late summer. The 2017 even marks the 7th festival.
Huge thanks to Blue Mountain Brewery for sponsoring and providing tasty beverages and meals for the event. “Proceeds from ticket sales, donations at the gate, and money from t-shirts donated by High Peak Sportswear all go directly to the Blue Ridge area Food Bank,” John Howard the MMMF host tells us.
