Nelson County, Virginia
As we near the end of 2012, all of us here at Blue Ridge Life (formerly Nelson County Life) want to wish you a very blessed, magical and Merry Christmas! Thanks to each and every one of you for following us over the past 8 years. The next year and our rebranding / expansion will be an exciting time.
We are looking forward to bringing our neighbors in the nearby counties into the pages!
Merry Christmas,
Tommy, Yvette, Adam & Peyton
Rodes Farms
Nelson County, VA
Almost from a page decades ago, riders from Rodes Farm Stables spread Christmas cheer by caroling from horseback as they trotted around the the valley areas of Stoney Creek. Henri & Elaine Weems grabbed this shot for us as they came by.
What a great way to celebrate Christmas!
Augusta County, VA
Here is the verbatim press release via Virginia State Police – Richmond
Three adults and a child are dead following a residential fire in Augusta County Friday night (Dec. 21, 2012). The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Culpeper Field Office is investigating the blaze that destroyed a single-wide trailer on Bolling Heights Lane. Augusta County authorities were notified of the fire shortly before 10 p.m.
Four of the trailer’s five occupants were found deceased at the scene. The deceased include Charles E. Stokes Jr., 40, and Sharon E. Stokes, 47, and their son, Matthew J. Stokes, 9. A grandmother, Wilda J. Stokes, 62, also died.
Wilda Stokes’ husband, Lewis G. Stokes, 67, survived the fire and was transported to Augusta Health, where he was treated and released.
The cause and origin remain under investigation at this time.
Rockfish Valley
Nelson County, VA
A few days ago we placed an unscientific poll up here at BRL to see what people generally though about a plan by some petitioners to reduce the speed limit to 45 MPH all along Route 151 through the Rockfish Valley from Route 250 south to Route 664. 664 is the road that runs to Wintergreen Resort.
Though unscientific the poll does yield some insight into how people might be leaning.
WSET.com – ABC13
Thursday afternoon WSET ABC-13 out of Lynchburg was in Nelson shooting a story about the proposal which is being spearheaded by Peter Agelasto who lives on Route 151 just north of the Route 664 intersection. Click above to view that story.
Specifically 53.43% of the respondents said no in our poll while 42.6% said yes to a reduction in the speed limit. 2.89% were undecided and 1.08% has other views.
Peter Agelasto says he hopes to have the petitions filled with signatures by the first of the year. He’ll then present them to the VA legislature for action.
Wintergreen Resort
Nelson County, VA
Several attempts to put down snow at Wintergreen Resort few days haven’t worked out because of warm temperatures. That’s not the case now! After a strong cold front moved across Virginia early Friday morning, temps in the mountains dropped to the 20’s.
Our BRL weather station (above) on Devils Knob at The Wintergreen Nature Foundation showed a temp of 25° around 10:30 Friday morning. Cold temps are expected over the next several days right into Christmas.
There is a developing (significant) storm system that may also affect our area by Christmas night with the real possibility of wintry precipitation. Tommy’s keep an eye on this one as we get closer to Christmas Day.
To get the latest updates on snowmaking at Wintergreen check out their blog over at The Mountain Message.
Nelson County, VA
People driving along Route 151 and US Route 29 south got a surprise Wednesday night. About 75-100 police cars with their blue lights, and sometimes sirens running, streamed off of I-64, down Afton Mountain on 250 to 151 then eventually south down Route 29. We received countless emails, Facebook posts, and calls here at BRL about the high number of police running emergency down the highways. Many concerned a major incident happened somewhere nearby.
Turns out nothing bad happened and it was all for a good cause.
“About 250 officers from all over New England gathered at the Burlington Mall before sunrise to take part in a ride to Virginia.
They went as a group to visit six-year-old Nathan Norman, a young boy in Rustburg, Virginia who is fighting brain cancer.”
Amherst
Amherst County, VA
Crews are on the scene Monday evening battling a blaze at the Ambriar Shopping Center after a large explosion rocked the area nearby. Many people on our Facebook timeline have been sharing pictures and reports of hearing the loud boom.
Here is video shot by Travis Fulcher posted to Facebook of the fire then a second explosion around 32 seconds. (Warning some language is strong, but understandably.)
ABC-13 in Lynchburg is following the story as well and is reporting at least one firefighter has been injured.
Rockfish Valley
Nelson County, VA
More detail by clicking here to our updated story.
We recently told you about a move by petitioners in the Rockfish Valley along Route 151 to lower the speed limit completely along the stretch from Route 250 at Rockfish Gap, to Route 664 (Beech Grove Road). The measure is asking for the speed to be dropped from the current 45 MPH to 35 MPH in Nellysford as well.
What do you think?
Take the survey below!
[polldaddy poll=”6773395″]
Rockfish Valley
Nelson County, VA
A move is underway by some people living along and near Route 151 in the Rockfish Valley of Nelson County to make a consistent 45 MPH speed limit all along the highway with it dropping to 35 MPH in Nellysford before jumping back to 45 MPH all the way down to Route 664 (Beech Grove Road). Currently those areas along Route 151 that aren’t 45 MPH are marked as 55 MPH zones.
“Several of us in the Valley have been talking with Connie Brennan about the safety of RT 151 and the need to reduce the speed limit. Connie and Tommy Harvey have been trying to get the attention of VDOT and argue the case for reducing the speed limit to 45 from RT 250 to Beech Grove Road. They have now prepared a map showing the intersections defined as most risky by VDOT and have plans to take the case to the VDOT District representative and the Legislature. Connie has told us that petitions with signatures from as many citizens as possible would be an asset,” according to Peter Agelasto. He’s coordinating the effort by placing petitions for signature in public places such as the Nellysford Post Office. Agelasto lives along Route 151 just north of the Route 664 intersection that leads to Wintergreen Resort.
“We plan to pick them up after Jan 6, 2013 and give them to Connie and Tommy (Harvey). We want 1000 signatures or more, Agelasto added.
The speed limit was lowered on portions of Route 151 back in 2008. The reduction came after a mother and her two children were killed in August of 2007 at the intersection of Greenfield Road (Route 635) and Route 151. Two other people lost their lives that same year bring the count to a total of 5 people killed along the winding stretch of 151. Back then Project 151 brought attention to the dangers of roadway and eventually prompted action from supervisors and VDOT to make improvements to the intersection. Supervisors eventually voted to have VDOT lower the speed limit as well in critical areas.
The current move to lower the speed limit is not connected to the now inactive Project 151.
Lovingston
Nelson County, VA
Representatives from Blue Ridge InternetWorks (BRI) met with the Nelson County Broadband Authority and the Nelson Board of Supervisors Tuesday night to discuss more about their plans as they prepare to rollout high speed broadband fiber internet to parts of Nelson County. BRI was recently selected at the network operator and a provider for the service.”As of tonight we already have about 300 or more inquires about our service from people in Nelson County,” said Baylor Fooks of BRI. The BRI duo told the board most of those were in the Afton zipcode thus far.
Also discussed by BRI was a possible plan of extended the current network beyond where it’s physically in the ground by merging it with copper technology. “It’s involved, but we are looking at extending the reach of the fiber network to others by using existing phone company copper pairs. This works approximately 3 miles out from the fiber connection giving subscribers DSL type speeds,” Baylor continued. The move would allow for many others to use the network in addition to those connected directly to fiber or by wireless services. Though approval wold have to come from companies like Verizon to lease their copper, Baylor said it is allowed by law.
More discussion continued into the meeting about rates. Several supervisors and BRI representatives said that while the curent business class rate structures were a good starting point (several hundred dollars a month) a vast majority of small to medium businesses, nor residences, could budget that for internet costs.
Clay Stewart of Stewart Computer Services also told the board he’s excited about the prospects of working together with BRI and the county to widen reach of his current wireless network that is already heavily concentrated in the southern part of Nelson, but expanding quickly into Afton. He too expressed concern about having affordable wholesale rates from the county.
As the meeting closed BRI said they should have some firm numbers worked up soon to see what the exact costs might look like to consumers. Committee members will meet with BRI in the coming weeks to get into more details about rates and installation charges.
More history on the fiber internet project in Nelson County here.
