Afton / Greenfield
Nelson County, Virginia
After a six month break, the monthly RVCC Pancake Breakfasts are back! For the past half year the older outdated kitchen was gutted and a brand new commercial kitchen was put in.
The monthly RVCC Pancake Breakfast is held on the first Saturday of each month.
Congrats on the beautiful new kitchen!
View some of the past RVCC Pancake Breakfasts over the years by clicking here.
Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia
The story of a yak on the run came to a sad ending this Friday morning after being hit by a car in Lovingston along US 29. The driver that hit the yak left the scene. The yak was so severely injured that it had to be put down at the scene.
Below the verbatim press release from VSP Richmond:
“At 9:06 a.m. Friday (Sept. 27), Virginia State Police was called to Route 29 near Cannery Loop in Lovingston for a large animal on the side of the highway. When the trooper arrived on scene, he discovered the animal was the yak that had escaped its owners two weeks ago in Nelson County. The yak had been struck by a vehicle and was severely injured. Contact was made with the owners who granted permission for the animal, which was suffering due to its injuries, to be euthanized at the scene.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia
Nelson County Commonwealth Attorney Daniel Rutherford confirmed to BRL late Friday afternoon he will bring a NC man back to Nelson to stand trial for shooting a Rockfish woman in 2017.
“I directed the Virginia State Police to proceed with securing Sean Damien Castorina from North Carolina authorities and bring him to Virginia so that he may face the charges pending against him in Nelson County, VA. Currently Castorina is charged with use of a firearm in commission of a felony and malicious wounding, which occurred on August 22, 2017.”
Rutherford stressed that charges are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Castorina was recently sentenced to life in prison for a murder there. More details on his sentencing there in this newspaper article from The Times News.
The charges stem from an August 2017 case that BRL closely reported on. We broke the story of their apprehension in this Facebook video below. The duo had been on the run after shooting a woman in Rockfish after the murder of 84-year-old Harold Dean Simpson in North Carolina a few days earlier. They were apprehended in Minnesota driving a stolen pickup from Nelson County.
More details on this story will be coming our in the next several days and we will update it here.
The complete history of the case by clicking here.
Via Google Maps : The general area of a search Sunday afternoon for a person that Nelson deputies were in pursuit of. The chase ended when the person bailed on foot in the general vicinity of Glenthorne Loop behind Bold Rock Hard Cider in Nellysford. September 8, 2019Nellysford
Nelson County, Virginia
By Tommy Stafford
Update 5:30 PM From NCSO Facebook Page:
4 PM Update : There have been no releases or information from authorities on the disposition of this search. We have no additional information currently.
Officers are looking for a person that bailed after a motorcycle pursuit that ended in the general vicinity of Glenthorne Loop behind Bold Rock Hard Cider just south of Nellysford off of Route 151.
Above a comment left on our BRLM Facebook page around 1:55 PM Sunday afternoon from a resident that lives off of Glenthorne near where the pursuit ended and the suspect fled.Officers began searching the area after the driver ditched the motorcycle near the walking trail off of Glenthorne Loop and took off on foot. Police have the motorcycle in their possession. The suspect was still at large as of 1:10 PM Sunday afternoon.
Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia
Whisky lovers in Virginia can soon taste Virginia Distillery Company’s first American Single Malt. The distillery – the largest independently owned American Single Malt distillery in the United States – will release a limited-edition preview product called “Prelude: Courage & Conviction” in September.
Aged a minimum of three years at the distillery nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Prelude: Courage & Conviction features notes of caramel and butterscotch and evolves on the palate with hints of dark dried fruit, raspberry, barrel spice and vanilla. The finish is creamy and exceptionally smooth. Prelude: Courage & Conviction will retail for $69.99 and will be available at the distillery’s Visitor Center and at Virginia ABC stores beginning Sept. 1.
For markets outside of Virginia, the distillery will offer presale purchases to be made online during September. Presales will ship when Prelude: Courage & Conviction becomes available in select markets nationwide beginning Oct. 1.
Prelude: Courage & Conviction will serve as a sneak peek to Virginia Distillery Company’s upcoming Flagship offering of Courage & Conviction, which will be released nationally in Spring 2020. The 100% malted barley whisky is matured in former Bourbon, Sherry and Cuvée wine casks, producing a uniquely nuanced profile. Virginia’s pronounced temperature swings between winter and summer accelerate the maturation of the Courage & Conviction series. The whisky’s name is a nod to a phrase the late founder Dr. George G. Moore was often heard saying: “Always have the courage of your convictions.”
“We’re thrilled to begin introducing consumers to our new, world-class American Single Malt with this limited release,” Virginia Distillery Company’s CEO Gareth H. Moore said. “Our customers have been very excited about the upcoming Courage & Conviction line and Prelude: Courage & Conviction is a way for us to give people a glimpse of what’s to come.”
As the whiskies of Courage & Conviction aged, the distillery offered cask finished Virginia-Highland Whisky series, which marries American Single Malt made onsite with whisky from Scotland. The Virginia-Highland Whisky series is comprised of four finishes, with the Port Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky as the flagship offering. The whisky won a variety of accolades, including three World Whiskies Awards. Those award-winning products will continue to be sold alongside the Courage & Conviction line.
Virginia Distillery Company’s whiskies are available in a number of states throughout the U.S. and also can be ordered online through the distillery’s website. For more information on Virginia Distillery Company, visit www.vadistillery.com.
About Virginia Distillery Company:
Virginia Distillery Company is currently crafting its ultra-premium American Single Malt whisky line, Courage & Conviction, at the distillery located in Lovingston, Virginia. These whiskies yield a complex taste, due to the influence of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains and maturation in former Bourbon, Sherry and Cuvée wine casks. The casks have been resting since November 2015 and the Flagship offering will be released in the Spring of 2020. A sneak peek pre-release product called “Prelude: Courage & Conviction” will be available beginning September 1.
Nelson County, Virginia
No other single event reshaped Nelson County, Virginia like Hurricane Camille did back in August of 1969. By the time the storm reached, and then parked over Nelson on August 19, 1969 it had already caused widespread destruction two days before after coming ashore on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
But it was here in Nelson where the storm sat and rained furiously for hours on end flooding out major portions of the county and killing dozens of people in the process. After it was all done nearly 2 feet of rain had fallen in less than 24 hours.
Above on Sunday – August 18, 2019 a 50 year remembrance ceremony was held at Nelson County High in Lovingston.
Many presentations and ceremonies have been held and published over the last several days. During the past 15 years we’ve put out our magazine we too have covered the history of Camille in many different ways. Several survivors of the storm that lost family in the floods say it’s simply too painful to talk about, even half century later.
Above photos from A Visual History of Lynchburg. Showing the damage from Camille. To see the entire collection click on the Hurricane Camille Aftermath in Nelson County – August 1969 link above or click here.
Today we honor and remember all of those that perished in Hurricane Camille. And thank all of those that assisted in the recovery as it happened, and years later as Nelson continued to rebuild.
More articles and events on Camille from our website archives by clicking here.
Davis Creek Land
North of Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia
Verbatim press release from Virginia State Police
Updated from VSP 8.10.19 5 PM
“Virginia State Police Trooper T.A. Hackenbracht is investigating a fatal crash in Nelson County. The crash occurred Aug. 9, 2019 at 7:19 p.m. on Route 623, west of Route 29.
A 2014 Nissan Pathfinder was traveling west on Route 623 when it ran off the right side of the road and struck a tree. The impact of the crash caused the vehicle to catch fire.
The driver, Tiffany A. Spencer, 44, of Lovingston, Va., did not survive the crash.
She was not wearing a seat belt.
The crash remains under investigation.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police“
At 7:32 p.m. Friday (Aug. 9), Virginia State Police responded to a single-vehicle crash in Nelson County. The crash occurred in the 1600 block of Davis Creek Lane and there is one confirmed fatality. The crash remains under investigation.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police”
Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia
Verbatim press release from VSP at 3:13 PM Friday afternoon :
“At approximately 10:47 a.m. (Aug. 9), Virginia State Police Trooper B.W. Stanley was traveling south on Route 29 and approaching the intersection at Front Street in Lovingston. The stoplight at the intersection turned red but the vehicle traveling in front of the trooper ran the red light. The trooper activated his lights and sirens and was proceeding through the intersection to stop the violator when a 2015 Chrysler 500 came through the intersection. The Chrysler was traveling west on Front Street and struck the trooper’s car in the side.
Trooper Stanley was transported to UVA Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The trooper was wearing a seat belt. He was driving a marked Ford Taurus.
The driver of the Chrysler, Robert O. Banks, 80, of Shipman, Va., was not injured in the crash. He was wearing a seat belt.
The crash remains under investigation.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police“
Original post:
A late morning traffic accident in Lovingston stopped drivers on US 29 at the traffic light. A Virginia State Trooper was involved in the accident.
Our original Facebook post here.
Information on injuries and exactly what happened isn’t known as of this post.
We have an inquiry in to our media contact at VSP in Richmond.
Lovingston
Nelson County, VA
Verbatim release from Nelson CA’s office
FROM:DANIEL L RUTHERFORD, NELSON COUNTY COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEY.
Thursday morning, Nelson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Daniel Rutherford announced that on August 7, 2019, a jury in Nelson County convicted Leslie Bishop Sr, from Staunton, of racketeering. The jury recommended a total of 5 years incarceration for the charge.
Leslie Bishop Sr. was charged with one count of racketeering for his involvement in a corrupt organization of individuals that trafficked drugs into Nelson County and Central Virginia from November 1, 2016 through November 1, 2018. This charge stems from a lengthy investigation by the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Appomattox Field Office, the Skyline Drug Task Force, the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement (J.A.D.E.) Task Force, the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Nelson County.
The jury deliberated for three hours before returning a guilty verdict. After further deliberation on sentencing, including evidence of the defendant’s previous convictions, the jury recommended a sentence of 5 years for the racketeering.
Daniel Rutherford, the Commonwealth’s Attorney and Erik Laub, the Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney, prosecuted this case. Dana Cormier from Staunton, Virginia represented Leslie Bishop, Sr.
“The jury’s finding represents a unique accomplishment by the Nelson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office. We have used a legal tool by which those that participate in complex criminal organizations trafficking drugs can be prosecuted for their participation both inside and outside of Nelson County.”
Formal sentencing is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on November 12, 2019 in the Nelson County Circuit Court.
Daniel Rutherford
Commonwealth’s Attorney
Nelson County.
Amherst County, Virginia
Virginia State Police is investigating a two-vehicle crash in Amherst County. The crash occurred Sunday (Aug. 4) at 4:56 p.m. on the Route 29 Bypass near the Route 210 on-ramp.
A Suzuki motorcycle was traveling north in the right lane on the Route 29 Bypass. According to witnesses, as the motorcycle was attempting to merge into the left lane, it rear-ended a tractor-trailer traveling ahead of it in the right, northbound lane.
The adult, male motorcyclist died at the scene. State police is still in the process of locating and notifying the next of kin.
The tractor-trailer driver was not injured in the crash.
The Virginia State Police Appomattox Division’s Crash Reconstruction Team and the state police Motor Carrier Safety Team responded to the scene to assist with the ongoing investigation.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police
