Copyright 2016 Blue Ridge Life Magazine : Photo By Tommy Stafford : Nikki Chambers, manager of Ski Barn at the foot of Wintergreen Resort, began setting up to receive donations of water and canned food for flood victims in West Virgina. She’s holding up a kiddie pool here that will hold bottle water donations. Friday – June 24, 2016
Near Wintegreen
Nelson County, Virginia
By now you’ve probably seen the massive flood damage ongoing in neighboring West Virginia. We were talking about it much of Thursday evening on our Facebook page.
Ski Barn here in Nelson has organized to start taking donations of bottled water, canned goods and other items to send over to victims in West Virginia.
Canned goods, clothes, and bottled water donations are being accepted in front of The Ski Bark at the 664 – 151 intersection in Nelson.
Ski Barn is asking for donations to help out those affected by the flooding in West Virginia.
Photo courtesy of Nikki Chambers : Ski Barn has its roots deep in West Virginia. It was founded there over 25 years ago. They still have a big footprint in the state. Nikki tells us one of their main stores (shown here) was hit by the flooding as well.
She also tells us a formal fundraiser is in the works with details coming soon.
You can make a monetary contribution to help with the efforts by sending a check to the American Red Cross, 1105 Rose Hill Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903 or online at redcorss.org. Note in the memo of the check that the donation is for the West Virginia flooding.
Photo Courtesy of Lovingston Volunteer Fire Department : A passenger car and large truck collided early Tuesday morning causing the truck to jackknife blocking all of US 29 south near Ridgecrest Baptist Church – Tuesday – June 21, 2016
Near Woods Mill
Nelson County, Virginia
As we first reported early Tuesday in the tweet below, Route 29 southbound was blocked for a fairly lengthy time Tuesday morning after a major accident.
Thanks to Tom Cook for photo: Tom says traffic moving now at this accident that blocked US 29 much of AM. pic.twitter.com/EdqF4CblJx
The Virginia State Police released more details on the accident Tuesday afternoon.
At 6:25 a.m., Tuesday, Virginia State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash in Nelson County. The crash occurred on Route 29 near Ridgecrest Baptist Church.
A passenger vehicle and tractor-trailer collided, which caused the tractor-trailer to run off the road and jackknife in the median. Meanwhile, the passenger vehicle overturned. One person was injured. One driver was arrested for DUI. Cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police
Additionally, LVFD released the following information:
This morning just after 6am Lovingston VFD along with Faber VFD were dispatched for a reported single vehicle overturned on 29 south near Ridge Crest Church. As members from both departments started to arrive on scene it was updated to a multiple vehicle accident with 1 car overturned in the middle of the road and a tractor trailer jack knifed across the road. All patients were out of the vehicles and no injuries were reported. 29 South was closed for approximately 2 hours while vehicles were removed from the road. The following units were on scene.
Lovingston VFD:
Engine 10
Squad 15
Attack 16
Faber VFD:
Engine 35
Nelson County EMS:
Medic 29
Law Enforcement:
Virginia State Police
Nelson Sheriffs Office
Wrecker Services:
Stoney Creek Auto Center
Afton Service Center
Via Storm Prediction Center. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for a large portion of Central & Northern Virginia until 9 PM tonight.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 PM EDT
VA
. VIRGINIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE
ACCOMACK ALBEMARLE ARLINGTON
AUGUSTA CAROLINE CLARKE
CULPEPER ESSEX FAIRFAX
FAUQUIER FLUVANNA FREDERICK
GOOCHLAND GREENE HANOVER
HIGHLAND KING AND QUEEN KING GEORGE
KING WILLIAM LANCASTER LOUDOUN
LOUISA MADISON MATHEWS
MIDDLESEX NELSON NORTHAMPTON
NORTHUMBERLAND ORANGE PAGE
PRINCE WILLIAM RAPPAHANNOCK RICHMOND
ROCKINGHAM SHENANDOAH SPOTSYLVANIA
STAFFORD WARREN WESTMORELAND
VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT CITIES INCLUDED ARE
ALEXANDRIA CHARLOTTESVILLE FAIRFAX
FALLS CHURCH FREDERICKSBURG HARRISONBURG
MANASSAS MANASSAS PARK STAUNTON
WAYNESBORO WINCHESTER
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 278
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
105 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2016
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
DELAWARE
MARYLAND
SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY
SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA
VIRGINIA
FAR EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA
COASTAL WATERS
* EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 105 PM UNTIL
900 PM EDT.
* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE…
SCATTERED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH LIKELY
ISOLATED VERY LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 2.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER
POSSIBLE
A TORNADO OR TWO POSSIBLE
SUMMARY…SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE
AND INTENSITY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON…INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF
AN ORGANIZING SOUTHEASTWARD-MOVING LINEAR COMPLEX CAPABLE OF WIND
DAMAGE…WITH OTHER MORE ISOLATED STORMS/SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF
SEVERE HAIL.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 70
STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES NORTHWEST
OF STAUNTON VIRGINIA TO 50 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF ATLANTIC CITY
NEW JERSEY. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.
&&
AVIATION…A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 31025.
Rumors of the potential plans for a Dollar General store to be built in Nellysford were confirmed this afternoon by Blue Ridge Life Magazine. The location would be on Route 151 in Nellysford on the western side of Route 151 between Wells Fargo Bank to the south and the University Of Virginia Community Credit Union to the north.
A panoramic view of the proposed building site of Dollar General in Nellysford between WF Bank and UVACCU.
“Today Wintergreen Property Owners Association was made aware that one of the commercial lots fronting Route 151 has indeed been purchased by a firm which intends to develop a Dollar General store,” Deputy Executive Director Curtis Sheets confirmed to BRL when we made the inquiry Thursday afternoon.
BRL also contacted Dollar General’s corporate headquarters media department. Nolan Miles | Internal/External Communications Coordinator with DG provided us with the following release information:
“We are currently in the due diligence phase for a new location on Rockfish Valley Highway in Nellysford, which means we’re interested in adding a new location to Nelson County, but have not committed to doing so yet. Based on our current timeline, I anticipate a final decision will not be made on this project until late winter 2017. Feel free to check back periodically for additional details.
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 would 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.”
Back on June 9th, we actually observed what appeared core samples being taken on the property and snapped this picture. It was the first real activity seen on the property in years.
Sheets also said, “We have no determination in who the buyers, sellers or ones leasing a property are as long as they meet the criteria set forth in the Wintergreen Master Plan. That particular lot is zoned commercial in the plan.”
Building permits and other associated documents eventually get submitted to both the county and WPOA for review as the project moves along.
The counties included in the watch by the Storm Prediction Center.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch – CANCELED
Statement as of 10:00 PM EDT on June 16, 2016
The National Weather Service has cancelled Severe Thunderstorm
Watch 261 for the following areas
The District of Columbia
In Maryland this cancels 7 counties
In central Maryland
Anne Arundel Howard Montgomery
Prince Georges
In southern Maryland
Calvert Charles St. Marys
In Virginia this cancels 22 counties
In central Virginia
Albemarle city of Charlottesville
City of Fredericksburg Greene
King George Nelson Orange
Spotsylvania
In northern Virginia
Arlington city of Alexandria City of Fairfax
City of Falls Church City of Manassas
City of Manassas Park Culpeper
Fairfax Fauquier Loudoun
Prince William Stafford
In northwest Virginia
Madison Rappahannock
This includes the cities of…Alexandria…Annapolis…
Arlington…Arnold…Aspen Hill…Bethesda…Bowie…California…
Camp Springs…Chantilly…Charlottesville…Chesapeake Beach…
Clinton…College Park…Columbia…Crozet…Culpeper…
Dahlgren…Dunkirk…Ellicott City…Fairfax…Falls church…
Falmouth…Fredericksburg…Gaithersburg…Germantown…
Glen Burnie…Gordonsville…Greenbelt…Greenfield…Herndon…
Huntingtown…Laurel…Leesburg…Lexington Park…Lusby…
Madison…Manassas…Manassas Park…McLean…North Beach…
Odenton…Orange…Potomac…Prince Frederick…Reston…
Rockville…Severn…Severna Park…Silver Spring…South Gate…
Spotsylvania courthouse…St. Charles…Stanardsville…
Sterling…Suitland-Silver Hill…Waldorf…Warrenton…
Washington…Washington and Woodbridge.
BULLETIN – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 261
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
155 PM EDT THU JUN 16 2016
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 261 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
ATHENS BELMONT CARROLL
COLUMBIANA COSHOCTON GALLIA
GUERNSEY HARRISON HOLMES
JACKSON JEFFERSON LAWRENCE
MAHONING MEIGS MONROE
MORGAN MUSKINGUM NOBLE
PERRY STARK TRUMBULL
TUSCARAWAS VINTON WASHINGTON
ADAMS ALLEGHENY ARMSTRONG
BEAVER BEDFORD BLAIR
BUTLER CAMBRIA CUMBERLAND
FAYETTE FRANKLIN FULTON
GREENE HUNTINGDON INDIANA
JUNIATA LAWRENCE MERCER
MIFFLIN PERRY SOMERSET
WASHINGTON WESTMORELAND YORK
ALBEMARLE ALLEGHANY AMHERST
ARLINGTON AUGUSTA BATH
CLARKE CULPEPER FAIRFAX
FAUQUIER FREDERICK GREENE
HIGHLAND KING GEORGE LOUDOUN
MADISON NELSON ORANGE
PAGE PRINCE WILLIAM RAPPAHANNOCK
ROCKBRIDGE ROCKINGHAM SHENANDOAH
SPOTSYLVANIA STAFFORD WARREN
VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT CITIES INCLUDED ARE
ALEXANDRIA BUENA VISTA CHARLOTTESVILLE
COVINGTON FAIRFAX FALLS CHURCH
FREDERICKSBURG HARRISONBURG LEXINGTON
MANASSAS MANASSAS PARK STAUNTON
WAYNESBORO WINCHESTER
BARBOUR BERKELEY BRAXTON
BROOKE CABELL CALHOUN
CLAY DODDRIDGE FAYETTE
GILMER GRANT GREENBRIER
HAMPSHIRE HANCOCK HARDY
HARRISON JACKSON JEFFERSON
KANAWHA LEWIS MARION
MARSHALL MASON MINERAL
MONONGALIA MORGAN NICHOLAS
OHIO PENDLETON PLEASANTS
POCAHONTAS PRESTON PUTNAM
RANDOLPH RITCHIE ROANE
TAYLOR TUCKER TYLER
UPSHUR WEBSTER WETZEL
WIRT WOOD
Photo courtesy of Ronnie Claire Edwards Facebook page and Timothy Fitzgerald : Actress Ronnie Claire Edwards (center) who played Corabeth Godsey on The Waltons is flanked left by her TV character husband Ike Godsey (played by Joe Conley ) and to the right by Nelson County, Virginia native and The Waltons Creator Earl Hamner, Jr on the right. This is a photo taken in the early 1990’s at The Waltons Mountain Museum in Schuyler, VA where a replica of the old store from the TV series was built. – Ronnie Claire Edward has died at age 83. She was preceded in death by both Conley and Hamner.
Schuyler, Virginia
Dallas, Texas
Ronnie Claire Edwards best known for her portrayal of Corabeth Godsey on the long running TV series The Waltons, has died at age 83. The TV series was created by the late Earl Hamner, Jr. and based on his childhood experiences growing up in Nelson County, Virginia. Hamner died earlier this year at age 92.
More coverage from several entertainment and news outlets below.
Another beautiful soul, gone too soon, but her legacy lives. Goodnight, Corabeth. ❤️ https://t.co/tLUtDbU1av
Photo by Robert Stull : Robert grabbed this beautiful shot of the clouds dropping over Bald Mountain as seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway. It almost looks like a waterfall. Click on photo for larger view.
Near Bald Mountain
Blue Ridge Parkway – Central Virginia
There’s never a lack of beautiful pictures along the Blue Ridge Parkway regardless of the time of year. Robert Stull, the owner of Hickman’s Grocery in Beech Grove of Nelson County, recently grabbed this shot from the BRP looking toward Bald Mountain.
The clouds dropping over the cliff almost looks like a huge waterfall.
Photo courtesy of Regina Allen Campbell : This section of Dark Hollow Road in Nelson County about 3/4 of a mile of off the East Branch Loop will remain closed in the short term. Heavy rains last weekend blew out the culverts. VDOT says they are considering their options on the repair.
Roseland
Nelson County, Virginia
As we first told you a few days ago, storms that dumped as much as a foot of rain in parts of Nelson County within a five day stretch destroyed some roads.
Dark Hollow Road in Roseland was one of the worst where culverts were blown out and the that part of the road was destroyed from the flooding.
No work has taken place and a rumor has been swirling around that work had been halted due to concerns for an endangered mollusk.
While VDOT says the exact remedy to repair the damaged road hasn’t been figured out, an endangered species is not the reason for delays.
“The road remains closed at this time and will remain closed until we are able to replace the structure. We are still investigating our alternatives. VDOT has evaluated options for the structure replacement and has started the procurement process. It is currently estimated that the road will be re-opened by mid-August.
Alternate routes are available.
According to the permits, no endangered species have been identified at this location. “
Paula Jones the Communications Manager with VDOT in Lynchburg told us the morning.
Photos By Marion Kanour – Free Nelson : Art Tanderup (left) traveled all the way from Nebraska to bring corn he grew on his land to block the Keystone XL pipeline. His farm is on the Ponca Trail of Tears. He explained the planting process to others in Wingina to help block the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline this past Monday – June 6, 2016.
Wingina
Nelson County, Virginia
Within just a few hours land belonging to Samuel Woodson Sr. in Wingina, Virginia was turned into a more sacred ground. Members of Bold Nebraska along with dozens of volunteers, including many from Free Nelson’s no pipeline movement, visited his land on Monday to plant a sacred corn.
“The first “Seeds of Resistance” were planted in 2014 by the Cowboy & Indian Alliance, when sacred Ponca corn was returned to the tribe’s ancestral homeland in Nebraska for the first time in 137 years — since the tribe was forcibly removed from Nebraska.
The corn was planted on land that lies both in the path of the Keystone XL pipeline, and on the historic Ponca Trail of Tears.
The 3.5 acres of sacred Ponca corn planted in Neligh was certified by the USDA, and with the land now protected from Keystone XL, the corn planting and harvests continue to help propagate more Seeds of Resistance.”
Via Bold Nebraska.
Mekasi Horinek, of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, blessed the land in four directions using sacred tobacco and an eagle bone whistle this past Monday – June 6, 2016 in Winginia, Virginia
To see more photos and information from Monday’s planting, check out Free Nelson’s Facebook album below.
And even more coverage below on the Seeds of Resistance event held in Augusta County.
Via NWS Baltimore : There’s still the threat for more storms Sunday afternoon and evening across the Central Virginia Blue Ridge. The most likely areas for significant severe weather are east of Charlottesville toward I-95 and beyond.
Central Virginia Blue Ridge
Unfortunately, Saturday night’s flooding may have just been the warm up for another round of storms later today. As shown in the graphic above, an area from roughly Charlottesville east could see strong to severe storms. Hail and damaging winds are the most likely scenarios. By far the mostly likely areas to see the strongest storms would be to the east of the Blue Ridge Parkway, but anywhere in the area shown above is not out of the question.
Much of the development depends on how much sunshine we get. If we have several hours of sunshine that would destabilize the atmosphere and cause rapid and intense severe storms. If we stay cloudy most of the day we will see less intense weather.
Regardless, it’s warrants watching and I will be updating all across our social media platforms and here.
