Faber
Near Route 617/Rockfish River Road & US 29
Nelson County, Virginia
Verbatim updated release from VSP: 12.28.21
“Virginia State Police Trooper L.G. Pingley is investigating a fatal crash in Nelson County. The crash occurred Dec. 24, 2021 at 6 p.m. on Route 29, a few hundred feet south of Route 617/Rockfish River Road.
A 2012 Honda Odyssey minivan traveling north on Route 29 when it struck a deer in the travel lane. The crash investigation has determined that the Honda abruptly stopped due to the impact with the deer, a tractor-trailer traveling behind the minivan was unable to stop in time and rear-ended the minivan.
The driver of the Honda, Michael E. Mack, 44, of Taylorsville, N.C., was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He was wearing a seatbelt. There were four passengers riding in the minivan at the time of the crash:
• Shelly K. Mack, 44, of Taylorsville, N.C., was wearing a seatbelt and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
• 8-year-old female passenger, who was wearing a seatbelt, was transported to UVA Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries on Dec. 25, 2021.
• 4-year-old male passenger, who was secured in a child safety seat, was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
• 6-year-old male passenger, who was secured in a booster seat, was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, Hugh D. Powell, 62, of New Britain, Conn., was treated at the scene for minor injuries. He was wearing a seatbelt. The tractor-trailer was loaded with 42,000 lbs. of paper.
Charges are pending at this time.
In accordance with Code of Virginia 19.2-11.2 and due to the fact that charges are still pending, the deceased juvenile’s name cannot be publicly released.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police“
“At 6:06 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2021, Virginia State Police responded to a crash in which a Honda Odyssey minivan traveling along Route 29 struck a deer near Route 617/Rockfish River Road. As the Honda slowed due to the impact with the deer, a tractor-trailer traveling behind the minivan was unable to stop in time and rear-ended the minivan.
The Honda had a driver and four passengers. All five were injured, with an 8-year-old female sustaining life-threatening injuries. She was transported to UVA Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries Dec. 25, 2021.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, which was loaded with 42,000 pounds of paper, suffered non-life threatening injuries in the crash.
The crash remains under investigation at this time.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police”
Click on the orange and white arrow play button above to listen now.
Schuyler, Virginia & Memphis, Tennessee
In what’s become our annual tradition here at BRL, enjoy this special radio interview from the December 2011 (Has it already been a decade?? !!) Christmas season as Nelson native Earl Hamner, Jr. talks with BRL Publisher Tommy Stafford and then Memphis KWAM 990 Radio host, Earle Farrell. Earle now has his own independent show found here. Press the orange play button above and listen for over an hour as Earl reminisces about his career, life in the Virginia Blue Ridge and more.
And be sure to check out one of our favorite recipes for the Christmas season. Applesauce cake made by Earl’s mother. Click here to view that.
Be sure to listen toward the end as Earl reads a special Christmas tribute remarking about the late Will Geer who played Grandpa Walton.
For the first time in over a decade, we have given the BRL website a new look! We’re getting it ready for 2022 and new things to come!
Central Virginia Blue Ridge
By Tommy Stafford
There’s not much of 2021 left. Actually under two weeks if you’re keeping count!
For the first time in over a decade we’ve redesigned the BRL website as we get ready to move into 2022. The old site served us well, but it was time to spruce things up for how we will present news and information in the coming year.
One thing we have changed, we no longer take events directly to our website, but we link to the Nelson Tourism site now. They do a fantastic job of adding events and they did the same with us for a lot of years. We’ll be adding additional links for other counties in the coming weeks. If you want to be linked from our site, let us know and we will be glad to add the link above in our menu!
Another welcome change, our mobile version is back and formatted nicely for devices like Iphones and Androids to name a few.
We will be doing some fine tuning as we head out of 2021 into the coming year, but most of the work has been completed.
Gary Wood, CVEC CEO & Firefly Broadband President, speaks at Monday’s announcement in Goochland, VA where a grant of 79 million dollars will be used to expand the Firefly initiative into Nelson and other counties. Wood was also recognized by the governor’s office in the form of a proclamation for his vision to bring broadband to rural areas of Central Virginia.
Verbatim release below from Central Virginia Electric Cooperative
Goochland, Va. – Governor Ralph Northam today announced the award of $79 million in Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grants to Firefly Fiber BroadbandSM, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Virginia Electric Cooperative, and its partner Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC). The funding will support the $288 million project which endeavors to offer universal access to gigabit speed broadband service to 36,000 unserved homes and businesses in 13 counties in Central Virginia. Elected officials from each county in the project voted to contribute funds, totaling $33.5 million. The fiber construction will take approximately three years to complete and will include 4,000 miles of fiber. Dominion Energy Virginia will support the extension of broadband to unserved areas by deploying middle-mile fiber that Firefly will use to connect end-customers to the internet.
The announcement was made Monday afternoon by the Governor at the Goochland Fire House to a group of county officials, local and elected officials, directors, supervisors, first responders, business partners, and Firefly employees. “Broadband access impacts every facet of our daily lives, from education to business to health care,” said Governor Northam. “It’s a necessity for navigating today’s digital world, and this new funding will close Virginia’s digital divide with universal broadband by 2024.”
Senator Mark Warner, Senator Tim Kaine, and Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger participated in the presentation and spoke about the profound impact Firefly’s plans for universal broadband will have on the 13 counties included in the proposal: Albemarle, Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, and Powhatan.
Wood, Firefly president and CEO states, “Today is a landmark day for broadband in rural central Virginia. Thanks to the critical funding provided by the federal government and made available through the VATI program, we can now assure that every family and business in central Virginia will have access to reliable, affordable internet service equivalent to the best in the United States. We appreciate the hard work and support of Governor Northam, Senator Warner, Senator Kaine and Representative Spanberger as well as the support of the supervisors in each of the partner counties.”
“At Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, our goal has always been to be part of the solution to enable and facilitate broadband to the households and businesses we serve,” said John Hewa, president and CEO of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative. “Being able to partner on this endeavor with the counties, Firefly Broadband and Dominion Energy Virginia is a major accomplishment allowing each of us to further the Commonwealth’s goals of making broadband access available to everyone.”
Administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), VATI provides targeted financial assistance to extend broadband service to areas that are unserved by an internet service provider. Projects were selected through a competitive process that evaluated each project for demonstrated need and benefit for the community, applicant readiness and capacity, and the cost and leverage of the proposed project. The level of funding awarded is based on the infrastructure needs in the project area.
The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) served as the lead applicant for the grant application. “The TJPDC is proud to serve as the lead applicant and grant administrator for this super-regional project, covering 13 counties and touching five different planning districts. We are grateful for the incredible partnerships that have formed to overcome obstacles to securing universal broadband coverage in our region and look forward to supporting the provision of high-speed fiber internet across the project area.” stated Christine Jacobs, Executive Director of the TJPDC.
“In a world where broadband access is more critical than ever, today’s announcements are an exciting step forward in the process of making internet access a reality for all Virginians,” said Ed Baine, president of Dominion Energy Virginia. “Partnerships like this one in Central Virginia show that when we work together, we can make a real impact, and we’re proud to work with our partners to bring this service to the communities we serve.”
Firefly’s Regional Internet Service Expansion (RISE) Project was launched this year to expand broadband to parts of 13 counties, making internet high-speed internet accessible to more than 45,000 locations and 112,000 Virginians. The RISE project includes 5,000 miles of fiber construction and will cost $330 million to complete. The project will be executed by partnering with other area utilities to complete the fiber build, using funds secured from the VATI grants and county contributions to aid with construction costs. For more information about the RISE Project, visit http://www.fireflyva.com/rise.
Firefly is also the internet service provider (ISP) for the CVEC fiber build, a $130 million plan to install over 4,500 miles of fiber-optic cable in the 14 counties it serves, providing broadband internet access to all of its 38,000 members. The fiber network will be completed in 2022 and uses laser beams and glass fibers to move data at speeds of up to one gigabit per second, delivering world-class communications to CVEC members served in their electric territory. The fiber-optic network will be installed on and adjacent to existing overhead and underground electric distribution lines, utilizing the existing infrastructure. Firefly celebrated a milestone of connecting 10,000 customers in October. More information about areas included in this build and for pricing on internet and phone packages, visit www.fireflyva.com.
Headquartered in Palmyra, VA, Firefly Fiber BroadbandSM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Virginia Electric Cooperative. Firefly offers lightning-fast internet via fiber to the premise that is reliable and priced fairly with no hidden equipment costs or special introductory pricing that increases the base cost of phone or internet later. Firefly has no contracts, no data caps or slowdowns and offers symmetrical upload and download speeds. Firefly Light offers 100 mbps for $49.99; Firefly Flash offers 1 gbps for $79.99; and Firefly Voice is $34.99 with a $5.00 discount when bundled with the internet. For more information, visit www.fireflyva.com
From NWS : Click on graphic above for the absolute latest updates from NWS.
HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
937 AM EST Wed Dec 1 2021
Washington-Extreme Western Allegany-Central and Eastern Allegany-
Augusta-Rockingham-Shenandoah-Frederick VA-Western Highland-
Eastern Highland-Hampshire-Morgan-Berkeley-Hardy-Western Grant-
Eastern Grant-Western Mineral-Eastern Mineral-Western Pendleton-
Eastern Pendleton-
Including the cities of Hagerstown, Frostburg, Cumberland,
Staunton, Waynesboro, Stuarts Draft, Harrisonburg, Strasburg,
Woodstock, Mount Jackson, New Market, Winchester, Hightown,
Monterey, Romney, Paw Paw, Martinsburg, Moorefield, Bayard,
Mount Storm, Petersburg, Elk Garden, Antioch, Keyser, New Creek,
Ridgeville, Russelldale, Headsville, Fort Ashby, Riverton,
Brandywine, Franklin, Oak Flat, Ruddle, and Sugar Grove
937 AM EST Wed Dec 1 2021
...HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...
* WHAT...West to northwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to
60 mph possible.
* WHERE...Along and east of ridgelines between the Allegheny
Front and Interstate 81.
* WHEN...From Thursday afternoon through late Thursday night.
* IMPACTS...Damaging winds could blow down trees and power
lines. Widespread power outages are possible. Travel could be
difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The strongest winds are most likely in two
rounds: early Thursday afternoon and again Thursday evening.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this
situation. Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe
location prior to the onset of winds.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH
URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
934 AM EST Wed Dec 1 2021
Washington-Extreme Western Allegany-Central and Eastern Allegany-
Augusta-Rockingham-Shenandoah-Frederick VA-Western Highland-
Eastern Highland-Hampshire-Morgan-Berkeley-Hardy-Western Grant-
Eastern Grant-Western Mineral-Eastern Mineral-Western Pendleton-
Eastern Pendleton-
934 AM EST Wed Dec 1 2021
...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING
THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR ALONG AND EAST OF HIGHER ELEVATIONS
BETWEEN THE ALLEGHENY FRONT AND INTERSTATE 81...
* WINDS...West to northwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 60 mph
possible.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as around 25 percent possible.
* IMPACTS...The combination of dry conditions, low humidity, and
strong gusty winds may result in favorable conditions for the
rapid spread of fires.
* FUEL MOISTURE...Possibly dropping to around 8 percent.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions
may occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible Red Flag
Warnings.
BRL has been able to confirm that Wintergreen Resort has once again sold. Though this particular sale is more of an acquisition sale by the managing operator, Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. PGR has been the operator of the resort for the owners, EPR Properties since 2015.
Earlier Tuesday we learned of the sale and were able to confirm it this afternoon.
A statement on the PGRI website discusses what we were hearing.
“PACIFIC GROUP RESORTS, INC. PURCHASES WISP AND WINTERGREEN FROM EPR
Resort company now owns properties it had been operating under long term leases
PARK CITY, UTAH – Park City-based resort holding company Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI) announced it has purchased Wisp Resort in Maryland and Wintergreen Resort in Virginia from a subsidiary of Kansas City-based real estate investment trust EPR Properties. PGRI has been operating Wisp since 2012 and Wintergreen since 2015 under long term leases.
PGRI now owns the real estate, lifts, and snowmaking systems at the resorts in addition to the operating equipment which it previously owned through its operating subsidiaries. Mark K. Fischer, Executive Vice-President and CFO of PGRI explained, “This is a very big step for us, and we appreciate EPR working through the process to make this a constructive path for both parties. The purchases will reduce our capital costs and allow us to invest more appropriately in the properties since we will own them instead of just leasing them. This financial restructuring is also good for our employee base because it opens up more possibilities with regard to what we can do to grow the company for the long term. As cliché as it sounds, we are very hopeful this will prove to be one of those win-win situations.”
ABOUT PACIFIC GROUP RESORTS
Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. is a geographically diversified international resort operating company based in Park City, Utah whose portfolio includes Wintergreen Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Wisp Resort in the Appalachian Mountains of western Maryland, Ragged Mountain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Mt. Washington Alpine Resort in the Beaufort Mountain Range on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and Powderhorn Mountain Resort on the Grand Mesa of western Colorado. Among the resorts, there are 4,000 acres of ski terrain, 81 holes of golf, lift served mountain biking, ZipTours, canopy tours, aerial challenge courses, five pools, water sports on two lakes, lodging accommodations for more than 3,000 people, more than 30 food outlets, and a full-service spa. For more information on PGRI, please visit www.pgri.us.”
Updated 12:10 PM 11.18.21 with additional info from VSP on Craigtown / Dowdy Road fatal:
“At 7:56 a.m. on Monday (Nov. 15), Virginia State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Craigtown Rd. and Dowdy Ln.
A 2008 Ford F450 was traveling north on Craigtown Rd. (Route 639) when it attempted to make a left turn onto Dowdy Ln. (Route 771) and collided with a 2004 Toyota Avalon traveling south on Craigtown Rd.
The driver of the Toyota, Boddie R. Williams, 33, of Shipman, Va., died at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
The driver of the Ford, Adelson O. Arriaza Morales, 25, of Chesterfield, W.Va., was not injured in the crash. He was wearing a seatbelt.
The crash remains under investigation.
Shelby Crouch
Public Relations Coordinator
Virginia State Police”
Updated 5:30 PM 11.16.21 with additional info from VSP on Lovingston fatal:
“Virginia State Police is investigating a fatal pedestrian crash in Nelson County. The crash occurred Nov. 15, 2021 at 3:35 p.m. on Front Street at the intersection of Brookside Lane in Lovingston.
A 2018 Ford F-150 pickup truck was westbound on Brookside Lane when it made a left turn onto Front Street and encountered a pedestrian standing in the southbound travel lane. The Ford was unable to avoid striking the pedestrian.
The pedestrian, Andre P. Derdeyn, 84, of Lovingston, Va., died at the scene.
The driver of the Ford, Michael R. Doucette, 66, of Lynchburg, Va., was not injured in the crash. He was wearing a seatbelt.
No charges will be placed. Sun glare was a contributing factor in the crash.
Thanks,
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police”
3:45 PM
Breaking update: Crews are now working another fatal accident in Lovingston. It appears to be a pedestrian struck by a car, but info is very fresh and more details to follow later.
Nelson County, Virginia
Different car accidents in the past couple of days have taken the lives of two people. The first was just before noon Saturday this past weekend.
Virginia State Police released the following information on that crash during the afternoon Monday.
“At 11:42 a.m. on Saturday (Nov. 13), Virginia State Police responded to a single-vehicle crash on Route 56, approximately a half-mile east of Eagle Mountain Rd.
A 2014 Toyota Camry was traveling east on Route 56 when a tree fell onto the vehicle. The Camry then ran off the right side of the road, struck an embankment and overturned.
The driver, Emmagene M. Olah, 80, of Shipman, Va., died at the scene. She was wearing a seatbelt.
The crash remains under investigation.” Shelby Crouch, Public Relations Coordinator, Virginia State Police
BRL has confirmed this was another fatal traffic accident and are awaiting the formal information from VSP. We will update that information here as soon as it’s received.
Photo by Sage Giles : Fire & rescue trucks blocks the Lonesome Pine area in East Nelson where a serious traffic accident is being worked beyond the blockade on a nearby road.
Updated at: 9:30 AM to add fatal reference below.
Shipman, VA Area
TRAFFIC ALERT : Nelson : We are getting word that the Craigtown Road and Lonesome Pine area is blocked due to a serious (fatal) traffic accident in that location. Traffic is being diverted. More as we know.
Be sure to set your clocks back one hour before turning in this coming Saturday night (11.7.21) – Daylight Saving Time officially ends this Sunday morning at 2AM.
Central Virginia Blue Ridge
Sadly the time has come once again, that is if you like those carefree long summer days! I sure do!! Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend. It officially ends at 2AM Sunday morning (November 7, 2021). But for those of us that turn in at a reasonable hour, it’s best to set your clock back one hour before heading to bed Saturday night.
Here’s to that perceived extra hour of sleep we lost last spring!
The new Bryant’s Brewery logo. The official opening of the brewery is later this month.
Roseland/Bryant
Nelson County, VA
Bryant’s is formally announcing the opening of its Farm Brewery on November 20th 2021, located at 3224 E. Branch Loop in Roseland VA.
Bryant’s, the makers of the cult favorite, Unicorn Fuel Hard Cider, is expanding into brewing beer on its sprawling 380 acre farm with an opening date of November 20th. Jerry Thornton the owner and brewer completed the University of Richmond’s craft brewing program in 2019 and has dabbled in brewing prior to founding the Bryant’s Cider.
“Adding beer to the mix will not only give our customers more options, it will allow us to attract and expose more people to our historic farm” says Thornton. “We have the most unique and authentic experience in Nelson County, with multiple spaces for friends and families to enjoy the day. Being on a working orchard farm, our “core” competency is hard cider, but sometimes you just want a beer” Thornton says.
Bryant’s Brewing will be launching with two beers on November 20th. Roseland Wheat, a light hoppy American wheat beer made with sweet orange peel. Kala’s Brown Ale, a malty brown ale with a smooth finish. Additional taps will be rolling out in the weeks following including an Imperial Stout, a hazy DIPA, and a Galaxy Hop SMASH beer made with farm grown Hops. Details can be found at www.bryantsbrewery.com
