Our January 2012 cover story on Bennie Dodd. Click on the magazine image above to read the entire story.
After a serious medical condition hit Bennie requiring surgery, money became tight. Really tight. All of the friends Bennie helped out over the years decided it was time to help their friend out this time.
The crowd packed in this past Saturday night in Charlottesville to help out their friend in need, Bennie Dodd. Jimmy Fortune originally of Nelson County, returning the favor by helping out his friend Bennie at Saturday night's performance in Charlottesville.The man of the hour this past Saturday night in Charlottesville, Bennie Dodd. A guitar signed by The Statler Brothers was a special item in the silent auction. Jimmy Fortune was a member of the Statler Brothers until they retired and he began his solo career. Todd & Kim Rath of Nelson County won the bid in the silent auction and it will find its permanent home at The Blue Toad in Afton on Route 151! Jimmy Fortune dances with one of his many fans this past Saturday night at the Big, Big Bennie-Fit in Charlottesville. People enter the Big, Big Bennie-Fit this past Saturday night at Fry's Spring Beach Club in Charlottesville.
Thanks to everyone for turning out to help Bennie!
Photo By Cassidy Franklin : Cassidy sent this beautiful picture of the Friday morning sunrise along Freshwater Cove near Arrington just south of Lovingston, Virginia
Arrington/Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia
Never a lack of beautiful scenes here in Nelson County and Friday morning was no exception. Cassidy Franklin sent this gorgeous shot of the sunrise along Freshwater Cove just south of Lovingston, Virginia.
Mug Shot Courtesy of CBS-19 Charlottesville : Joshua Lee Hatter, a former deputy with the Nelson County Sheriff's Dept was sentenced in courtroom Thursday morning January 5th 2012.
Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia
Updated 1.5.12 @ 5:40 PM
Nelson County Sheriff David Brooks confirms to NCL that Joshua Lee Hatter, once a deputy with the sheriff’s department, was sentenced in a Nelson Domestic Court Thursday morning on misdemeanor charges. He was also bound over to the grand jury on two other felony charges. The court action stems from an October 2011 incident where authorities say he was involved in a domestic dispute. “It’s important that the people of Nelson County know we take an officer breaking the law very seriously. It’s a matter of trust to the public when a person in a position of authority is involved,” Sheriff Brooks said. Brooks immediately fired Hatter in October after formal charges were filed.
Above our January 2012 story (page 32) about the (NETS) Nelson Express Soccer Team. Click on the magazine image to read.
Nelson County, Virginia
In our January 2012 printed issue we tell you about NETS. Unfortunately we got the phone number wrong. Yikes! Only by one digit, but that’s enough. If you know someone interested in NETS contact Bryan Ferren at: 434-277-4952
Wintergreen Resort
Nelson County, Virginia Wintergreen Resort will not be hosting a Tough Mudder event in 2012, Resort spokesperson Dana Quillen said. In a statement, Quillen said though Tough Mudder would not return in October, the Resort is looking at the Spring of 2013 as a potential time for a Tough Mudder event.
A challenging 10-12 mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces, the event last October attracted several thousand competitors and spectators to the Resort, including 18 members of Team Nelson, a group started by NCL publisher Yvette Stafford. Fundraising efforts by Team Nelson raised $500 for Wintergreen Adaptive Sports, a local charity whose mission is to “improve the lives of people with a disability through outdoor sports and recreation,” according to its web site.
Should Tough Mudder and Wintergreen Resort ink a deal for 2013, we’ll let you know.
Wintergreen Resort
Nelson County, Virginia
Though temps neared 60° over New Year’s Weekend they spent most of Monday around 17° up at Wintergreen Resort for the 2nd day of January. Perfect weather to crank the snow making gear back up!
The snow guns were at full speed this past Monday at Wintergreen Resort. For people that didn't have to head back to work after the long holiday, it was a perfect day to hit the slopes.
Temps will continue cooperating for the next several days on the mountain. Overnight lows will dip to around 10° or lower both Monday and Tuesday nights with daytime highs only making it into the teens. Temps become milder by week’s end.
Waynesboro
Nelson County, Virginia
Proud. Yes we are of Lynn Coffey! Lynn writes a monthly column in our magazine and just a few days ago she was recognized for all of the work she has done for over 20 years. Lynn’s written more about the Blue Ridge and the people living there than just about anyone around. On December 28th Lynn was honored at The Waynesboro Country Club for her work to preserve the Blue Ridge Culture. She was also one of several people included in a film called The Truth On The Table that featured prominent local personalities in literature, agritourism, micro-industry, civic service and more according to information from the film’s maker, Alpha Vision Films.
2011 had some very hot days and some cold ones too! Click on the image to view the 2011 history of our weather station here at NCL in Greenfield.
Nelson County, Virginia
Now that 2012 is officially underway, we thought it would be neat to go back and take a look at 2011’s weather in review. No real surprises in 2011, but we did have some 100+ degree days back in the summer and there was a 10° overnight low. The hottest day of the year in 2011 was 102° on July the 22nd. The lowest temp was of 10° was set on both January 24th and again on February 11th. For the year we saw 43.95″ of rain. (though some locations in the valley and toward Woods Mill picked up nearly 50″ for the year) Snow wise we didn’t get a lot. Less than 4″ of measurable snow for the entire year.
Head up top to Wintergreen and our station at The Wintergreen Nature Foundation shows a different story. Though we are missing the month of December 2011 due to a computer outage there. (that station should be back online sometime in the month of January) Click on the image above to see the report from Wintergreen in detail.
At Wintergreen the trends were the same, but obviously the extremes weren’t as wild. The hottest day of the year on the mountain happened on July 22nd when a temp of 87° was reached. The lowest reading was 6° on January 8th. For the year Wintergreen picked up 50.75″ of rain and that doesn’t even include anything that fell in December. In the snow department 5″ of snow total for 2011 was the word. Not counting the manmade snow that is!
Oh, and we did see a wind gust of 54 MPH up there back on February 18th.
Be looking for the addition of some new stations and some web cams over the coming year.
This is the message readers see on the www.ibec.net website telling customers they will cease operation by the end of January 2012. This affects Nelson County customers served by IBEC. Click image to enlarge.
Nelson County, Virginia
After years and millions of dollars in infrastructure, International Broadband Electric Communications is apparently shutting down operations within the next month. Customer support apparently ceased for at least some Nelson County, VA customers on Friday December 30th, according to a letter below sent to a customer in Afton just before Christmas.
The IBEC cease of operations letter that was sent to an Afton resident dated December 23, 2011. Click to enlarge.
The letter and the company’s website says the events were unavoidable due to financial problems arising from April 2011 tornadoes in Alabama where IBEC is headquartered. The letter above sent to subscribers in Nelson went into greater detail saying much of the money sought in a federal stimulus package was never granted.
One shining light in this sage is the current ongoing construction of a fiber optic network being installed in Nelson County. After years in the planning, the construction kicked off in early December 2011. Fiber is being pulled from Colleen up Route 29 to Woods Mill, across Route 6 West to 151 then north toward Afton. That service is anticipated to become active within the next few months of 2012.
Via NCSD : Deputies have arrested 27 year old Danny Acord after he lead officers on a high speed chase in the Tyro area of Nelson County in late December 2011.
Tyro
Nelson County, Virginia Updated 1.18.12
Nelson County Sheriff David Brooks says his deputies in cooperation with officers from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Department and Virginia State Police apprehended Danny Acord on Tuesday night (1.17.12) around 10PM. “He was taken into custody on Fall Ridge Lane in Stuarts Draft. He didn’t resist officers and was peacefully taken into custody,” said Sheriff Brooks.
Previous story and links below.
Original post from December 30, 2011 As NCL first reported in this story Thursday night, Nelson lawmen are currently looking for 27 year old Danny Acord of Roseland. According to Nelson Sheriff David Brooks, deputies went to Acord’s home at 144 Blue Rock Lane in Roseland around 8:30 PM Thursday night on a drug investigation. “Mr. Acord jumped in his vehicle and took off as officers arrived. My deputies pursued him along Crabtree Falls Highway eventually onto Silver Creek Road where he drove up into the orchards, jumped out, and ran up into the mountains. He struck two of our police cars during the chase,” said Sheriff Brooks.
In addition to the charges mentioned in our original story, Acord now faces additional charges of:
-Felony manufacturing of marijuana with intent to distribute
-Felony possession of a firearm while in possession of 1 pound or more of marijuana
Sheriff Brooks said lawmen served a search warrant on Acord’s home and seized several items including:
-3 digital televisions
-1 tiller
-1 welder
-at least 3 pounds of marijuana
-numerous indoor grow material used for growing marijuana
-29 firearms
Sheriff Brooks said anyone with information on Acord’s whereabouts can anonymously call their toll free tip line at: 1-877-750-8477
