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Buena Vista City Council endorsed the resolution for a feasibility study for a general aviation airport in Rockbridge County, while Lexington City Council tabled taking action on the resolution pending discussions with the city’s Industrial Development Authority about funding the study. - Lexington’s Department of Public Works was awarded a Stormwater Local Assistance Fund grant from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality in the amount of $211,263. The grant will be used to help fund renovations to the city’s stormwater retention basin at the bottom or White Street next to Woods Creek. - High winds over the weekend of March 9-10 left a number of county residents without power. Winds were above 20 miles per hour with gusts up to 35 mph recorded.
March 20
The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to deny a special exception permit for a 5-megawatt solar array on 65 acres of Sylvia Moore’s 150-acre farm south of Moores Trail, between U.S. 11 and Interstate 81. - Goshen Town Council announced that it plans to reapply for a Community Development Block Grant to fund the proposed town community center, but will be reducing the size of the project to improve the town’s chances of receiving the funding.
-A proposed $6.2 million renovation of Lexington City Hall was among the capital projects included in the city’s capital investment plan for the upcoming years. The proposed renovation will include a complete interior demolition and will include new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as energy efficient windows and improvements to the basement for storage. -A seven-vehicle accident – including a tractor-trailer that flipped onto its side and blocked the entire interstate – blocked traffic on Interstate 81 north at mile marker 179 on Sunday, March 17.
March 27
Lexington announced that Tom Carroll will be its next city manager, succeeding Jim Halasz who had served as city manager since 2019. - The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors approved the changes to the admissions tax, reducing the tax from 10 percent to 6 percent and eliminating the $3 cap. - Lexington City Council voted 4-3 to approve a resolution in support of the feasibility study for a general aviation airport in Rockbridge County. Mayor Frank Friedman cast the deciding vote in favor. - Carilion Health announced that Lexington’sAllergy and Immunology Clinic, which it runs, will close at the end of April.
April 3
Rising construction costs and interest rates prompted Echelon Resources Inc., the company behind a plan to build apartments on Spotswood Drive in Lexington, to ask City Council for a property tax abatement. -A Fairfield man, Richard N. Harper, 51, died in a crash on U.S. 11 in front of Lee Hi Truck Stop when his north-bound 2024 Kia Soul struck a tractortrailer turning into the truck stop from the opposite direction. - The Rockbridge SPCA was overwhelmed with dogs. Most of the 37 dogs at the facility were medium-to-large in size, ranging from pit bull mixed to hound to herding dogs, from ages 5 months to seniors. - The VMI Museum opened a new exhibit on Gen. George C. Marshall, VMI Class of 1901, following renovations to the Kohen Gallery of the Citizen Soldier.
April 10
Nearly 150 timber framers from across the country descended on Buena Vista to erect a pavilion for the city’s Town Square. - The Advancement Foundation requested that Buena Vista City Council exempt the Virginia Innovator Accelerator from having to pay real estate and personal property taxes. - The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors proposed that real estate taxes stay at 61 cents per $100 value and that personal property taxes remain at $4.25 while county employees be given 5 percent pay raises.
April 17
Lexington City Council was considering implementing a stormwater fee on impervious surfaces to pay for various stormwater projects throughout the city. - The Lexington School Board heard a presentation about a proposal to keep Naloxone, a medication to treat opioid overdoses, in each of the city schools. - During a visit to VMI for the 34th annual environmental symposium, Gov. Glenn Youngkin touted the “incredible progress” state agencies were making in cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.
April 24
Hope House, Rockbridge Recovery’s transitional residential facility for men recovering from addiction, officially opened its doors in Buena Vista with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
A $650,000 Industrial Revitalization Fund grant was awarded to Buena Vista for the planned Mountain Gateway Community College’s Wilson Workforce Development Center that is going in the former Courtesy Ford building. - The newly formed Maury River Alliance held a forum at the Rockbridge Baths firehouse to address the environmental impacts of sediment releases from the Boy Scouts Goshen dam at Lake Merriweather. - Buena Vista’s public library was expected to return to six days of operation after City Council included full funding in the city’s proposed budget for next year.
May 1
Buena Vista police were investigating as a homicide the death of 64-year-old Carl Agnor, who suffered injuries inflicted on him during an attack that occurred April 23.
- Nearly 100 people came out to meet Buddy, a member of the Lexington police department’s new mounted patrol unit, during an introduction at the Visitor Center. -A 50-cent increase to Buena Vista’s sewer rate was proposed so that the city would be eligible for financial assistance to pay for a major upgrade to its wastewater treatment plant. -An undetected water leak led to a $30,991.53 bill from the Rockbridge Public Service Authority for county residents Brian and Janet Goodfellow. The PSA’s bill was for usage of 1,644,700 gallons of water over an eight-week period.
May 8
The Lexington Golf & Country Club and Washington and Lee University were in talks over a potential partnership that would expand the golf course and allow W&L competitions to be held there. - Natural Bridge State Park was named the Green Park of the Year by the Virginia Green Travel Alliance for the park’s sustainability efforts and commitment to environmental stewardship.
-A wildfire in a remote area west of Wert Faulkner Highway near Natural Bridge Station burned 36 acres and was deemed to be manmade in origin.
May 15
A Buena Vista woman, Margaret Mary Wright, 44, was charged with second-degree murder in the April 23 death of Carl Agnor, 64. Agnor died from multiple stab wounds at his Buena Vista residence. -A special events venue proposed by Lew and Kendra Hamilton for the Irish Creek area was voted down 3-2 by the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors following a lengthy, contentious public hearing. - Two people were indicted on multiple charges by a Rockbridge County grand jury in connection with the Nov. 24 death of two-month-old Holton Allen Scott Hostetter. Involuntary manslaughter was among the charges placed against Julia Elizabeth Hostetter, 20, of Natural Bridge, and Cameron Scott Carper, 31, of Bedford. - Main Street Buena Vista was elevated to the designation of affiliate status with the Main Street America program for having met significant performance standards.
May 22
Reassessments were driving Buena Vista’s property values up by an average of 40 percent. If City Council chooses to equalize the tax rate, it would be lowered from $1.27 to 91 cents per $100 value. - The fiscal year 2025 budget was adopted by the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors. Tax rates stayed the same and funding was included for three new fire and rescue captains and two new parks and recreation crew members.
- Dabney Coleman, a former VMI cadet who achieved fame as an actor with roles in such moves as “9 to 5,” “Tootsie” and “On Golden Pond,” died at age 92.
- Refurbished Greenwood Cemetery, the final resting place for many of Buena Vista’s earliest residents, was dedicated in a for mal ceremony by members of the group that oversaw restoration of the 134-year-old cemetery.
May 29
The Natural Bridge Zoo reopened after ownership was transferred from Karl and Debbie Mogensen to Gretchen Mogensen and her brothers. The zoo had been closed since December when accusations of improper treatment and negligent care were brought by the state attorney general’s office, resulting in the seizure of approximately 100 animals. -A severe thunderstorm with high winds blew through the area, downing trees and leading to power outages for hundreds of local residents. -Members of the Lexington Golf and Country Club voted overwhelmingly in favor of a partnership between the club and W&L that will bring improvements to the course and give W&L priority use of the facilities during two 3-day NCAA Division III golf tournaments annually. -UTS Systems, a Fairfieldbased manufacturer of deployable expeditionary shelter systems, got a $52 million, 10-year contract with the U.S. Air Force.
June 5
Lucas Smith, 16, of Buena Vista, died from injuries he received after being struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle in the vicinity of East 39th Street and Catalpa Avenue in the northern part of the city. -A procedural issue raised by Rockbridge County Attorney John Dryden caused the Board of Supervisors to have to revisit the contentious issue of whether to grant a special exception permit to Lew and Kendra Hamilton to operate a special events venue in the Irish Creek area. The issue was to be placed on the supervisors’ June 10 agenda.
-The Buena Vista city schools facilities committee indicated it would seek a 2025 referendum on whether the city should invest in a major school capital project. -A book allegedly taken from the Paxton House in Buena Vista by Union troops during Hunter’s Raid of the Civil War was returned to the home after 160 years by Gerald L. Maatman Jr., a 1978 graduate of W&L who is working on a biography of Elisha F. Paxton.
June 12
The Lylburn Downing Middle School gymnasium was named for Mike Burch, a beloved physical education teacher at the school who died in 2023. -Buena Vista City Council equalized the city’s tax rate, lowering it from $1.27 to 91 cents per $100 assessed value to account for reassessments that pushed property values up by an average of 40 percent.
-At a public hearing in Goshen, representatives of several Rockbridge area agencies spoke about services that could be provided at a community center proposed for the town. -The much-debated special events venue proposed for Irish Creek by Lew and Kendra Hamilton was rejected a second time on a 3-2 vote by the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors.
June 18
Water samples taken from Lexington’s Houston Street tank by the Environmental Protection Agency were found to have levels of PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, that were “below actionable levels.” Lexington was one of 10,000 localities from around the country that had its water tested by the EPA for the toxic substances.
-“Interwoven: Unearthed Stories Of Slavery,” a new exhibit at the Brownsburg Museum, was featured on National Public Radio’s “Here and Now” program hosted by Robin Young. -Jerry West, legendary West Virginia University and Los Angeles Lakers basketball player who held a basketball camp at VMI in the 1960s and 1970s, died at age 86.
June 26
Summer began with an extended stretch of sweltering heat that left area residents uncomfortable and exacerbated drought conditions. -Lexington City Council halted discussions with Echelon Resources Inc. over potential financial incentives for a proposal to develop apartments on Spotswood Drive. -The last two members to be appointed by Lexington City Council to serve on the city’s School Board, prior to this fall’s initial elections, were Katherine Shester to a second term and LaTonya Douglas to a first term. -A proposal is made to exempt fire departments and rescue squads from having to collect and pay Rockbridge County’s admissions taxes on events they hold to raise money to help offset costs of their services.
July 3
One person was critically injured and two others suffered minor injuries in a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 81 between the Timber Ridge and Fairfield exits. -The fireworks at Glen Maury Park scheduled for July 4 were postponed until Sunday, July 7 due to dry conditions. -William Hazelwood, 36, of Natural Bridge Station was taken into custody by officers from the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s office after eluding police in both Rockbridge and Botetourt counties. -Will Harris stepped down as president of the Virginia Museum of Transportation.
July 10
A six-hour standoff between a wanted suspect and officers from the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office in the Cameron Street area of Natural Bridge Station ended with the suspect in custody and no serious injuries.
-Buena Vista was awarded a $50,000 grant from the governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund, for the Virginia Innovation Accelerator’s commercial kitchen, located in the former Hermetite Mundet factory building, which was developing a shared-use kitchen facility to serve as a business incubator focused on agricultural innovation. The grant will fund equipment purchases for the kitchen. -The Maury Service Authority water treatment plant had recently experienced an overchlorination incident after an accidental double order of sodium hypochlorite was pumped into storage tanks, causing an overflow and subsequent invasion of “hypo” into the sedimentation basin and influent channel. Some workers had to work for 24 to 30 hours straight to address the spill, and they needed extra equipment and dechlorination tablets to do so.
July 17
Washington and Lee University was evacuated for around seven hours due to another bomb threat. A similar incident last happened in November 2023. -The adoption of an update to Rockbridge County’s Comprehensive Plan was recommended by the Planning Commission, sending it to the Board of Supervisors to hold a public hearing. -Allyson Finchum of Roseland began her duties as Glasgow’s first female town manager. -The VMI Museum received a donation of several items belonging to a former student, Lt. Benjamin Kearfott, who was in the first landing craft to reach Omaha Beach and was killed during the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
July 24
A strong thunderstorm took out a number of trees in the Rockbridge Baths area, including one that crushed the former Aria Antiques store building. -Due to the amendment of an ordinance governing the application of the admissions tax by the Board of Supervisors, carnivals and other fundraising events held by Rockbridge County fire departments and rescue squads are no longer subject to the tax. -Rockbridge County’s Comprehensive Plan was approved by the Board of Supervisors. -The town of Goshen received two $20,000 grants, to be put toward upgrading the town’s water system. -At a work session, the Lexington City Council considered allowing food trucks to operate in Richardson Park even when not part of a special event.
July 31
Leland David Johnson of Lexington, 44, was sentenced to 100 years in prison, with 60 years of that sentence suspended, for the murder of Stormie Markland the previous March. -On its third attempt in three years to garner grant funding from the Virginia Office of Broadband, Rockbridge County was finally successful in securing nearly $2.2 million to extend high-speed internet service to certain remote parts of the county. -Sherrie Wheeler was hired as the new principal of Parry McCluer Middle School in Buena Vista, succeeding Debbie Gilbert, who had served in that role for seven years.
Aug. 7
In a work session, Lexington City Council received an update on the plans to renovate city hall, including a list of potential sites for the city’s departments to relocate to during the renovation. -Stephen Robert Lucas, 38, of Fairfield, was arrested on 22 felony charges, including possession of child pornography and production of child pornography. -Lexington City Council heard information about a $200,000 grant awarded through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, to cover the salary of a detective who will specialize in domestic violence and abuse cases.
Aug. 14
Hurricane Debby rolled through the Rockbridge area, bringing nothing but a few inches of rain. -Officer Harlie Curry, a former nurse and first responder, began her position as the new resource officer for Lexington City Public Schools. -Rockbridge County Public Schools worked with the Rockbridge Area Health Center to launch and open a new School-Based Health Center program.
Aug. 21
A $1 million grant was awarded by the Industrial Revitalization Fund to turn the empty Stillwater Worsted Mills plant in Goshen into a museum and machinery restoration shop.
- The Rockbridge County School Board approved changes to its attendance policy in an attempt to address the problem of chronic absenteeism in schools. - Citizens aired their views on a proposed Warm Run solar array at a public hearing held by the Rockbridge County Planning Commission.
Aug. 28
Many elements of the final disposition of the Natural Bridge Zoo animal seizure case against Karl and Debbie Mogensen were settled in Rockbridge County Circuit Court, with some questions remaining, including when four giraffes would be moved from the zoo. - The Lexington Planning Commission tabled a request for a conditional use permit to lease downtown office space for use by W&L, due to concerns about “W&L creep” and the maintenance of historic buildings. - The Rockbridge County School Board toured the underconstruction Rockbridge Innovation Center, a new hub for career and technical education being built next to Rockbridge County High School.
Sept. 4
Political candidates clashed in front of a boisterous crowd for the stump speeches at Glen Maury Park as part of Buena Vista’s 53rd annual Labor Day festival. - The city of Lexington and the Lexington Police Department decided to discontinue plans to “stand up” a mounted police unit, after unforeseen costs and barriers and the hiring of a new city manager, bringing to a close a process that began over two and a half years previously. - Sherry Wallace was named the new director of communications and marketing at Virginia Military Institute.
Sept. 11
The governing bodies for all three jurisdictions were given updates on plans for the $12.6 million project to build a Rockbridge Area Department of Social Services headquarters facility behind the Food Lion near Buena Vista. - Three people, one of them local, lost their lives in two separate crashes on Interstate 81 — a single vehicle accident near Natural Bridge, and a two-vehicle crash in the northern part of the county.
Sept. 18
The Rockbridge Regional Fair returned to the Virginia Horse Center, featuring a livestock show, educational showcases, and a quilt show, among other events. - The Rockbridge County Planning Commission approved the Warm Run solar array project, sending it to the Board of Supervisors for a vote.
- Area schools outlined plans for new security equipment, including HD cameras, thanks to multiple grants awarded to all three local school divisions.
Sept. 25
A POW/MIA Chair of Honor was dedicated in Foster Stadium at VMI, meant to represent those service members who are unable to fill them because of their sacrifices.
- Hull’s Drive-in dedicated and unveiled the Buddy Derrick Memorial Stage, intended to host live music events, made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation’s Derrick Family Foundation Fund. -A federal grant of $600,000 was awarded to the Rockbridge Area Health Center for the purpose of expanding behavioral health services.
Oct. 2
The former Natural Bridge High School, which closed in 1992, was sold at auction last Wednesday. The high bid of $585,000 was accepted by the owner, the Virginia Tech Foundation. The winning bid was submitted by Seven Diamonds LLC of Vinton. -The Lexington Planning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend approval of a conditional use permit application by John Adamson to allow Washington and Lee University to utilize space in the Rockbridge Building on South Main Street for office space and a public assembly area.
--- Local community groups organized to help out the residents of western North Carolina, where Asheville and other mountain towns have been devastated by extreme flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Oct. 9
Three of the four giraffes seized by the Virginia Attorney General’s office last December – and awarded to the state in a trial earlier in 2024 – were to remain in Natural Bridge Zoo for the time being following an emergency stay order issued by the Virginia Court of Appeals. The order came just two days after Rockbridge County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Russell gave the state’s Animal Law Unit the green light to begin removing the giraffes. The zoo’s four giraffes were among nearly 100 animals seized last December, and the only ones who remained at the zoo. -It was standing room only in Virginia Military Institute’s Gillis Theater Oct. 3 as John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and former U.S. national security adviser, and Vivek Ramaswamy, former 2024 Republican U.S. presidential candidate and New York Times best-selling author, squared off in a spirited debate. -The entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia remained closed as crews continued their assessment of the damage from Hurricane Helene.
Oct. 16
A Buena Vista woman died following a two-vehicle crash in Rockbridge County. Ruby Estell Hammer, 84, of Buena Vista was pulling out of a driveway onto U.S. 501 near River Road when the car was struck by a car that was traveling on U.S. 501.
-An extreme geomagnetic storm brought the Northern Lights to many areas across the U.S., including Rockbridge County.
-The Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, which closed due to impacts from Hurricane Helene, reopened on Friday, Oct. 11.
Oct. 23
The former Bontex manufacturing plant located along the U.S. 60 corridor at the western entrance to the city, vacant since 2010, was set to undergo a site assessment that could determine the property’s future use. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality allocated up to $200,000 in technical assistance grant funds for site assessment and planning. -Lexington City Council was split on its decision regarding a conditional use permit allowing large portions of the Rockbridge Building to be used as office space for W&L. The permit was approved in a 4-3 vote, with Mayor Frank Friedman casting the deciding vote. The permit allows W&L to use the upper floor and the rear part of the main floor as office space, and the basement level of the building as an assembly space. The front part of the building on the main level will remain as retail space. -Tony Francis, superintendent of Buena Vista Schools since 2021, announced at a meeting of the Buena Vista School Board that he would step down on July 20, 2025.
Oct. 30
The proposed Warm Run solar project, recommended for approval Sept. 11 by the Rockbridge County Planning Commission, was remanded back to the Commission for reconsideration after a procedural question had been raised concerning one of the Commission members participating in the Sept. 11 meeting electronically.
--- With less than a week to go before Election Day, more than a quarter of registered voters in the Rockbridge area had already cast ballots. The offices of local voting registrars reported brisk business since early voting commenced on Sept. 20. -Area schools were preparing new additions to school policies and regulations regarding the use of cell phones and personal electronic devices in schools, to align with Executive Order 33, issued by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in July.
Nov. 6
Rockbridge County Sheriff Steve Funkhouser announced his retirement effective Jan. 1. -The emergency stay order that was keeping the remaining three giraffes at Natural Bridge Zoo was lifted by the Virginia Court of Appeals. -The Virginia Horse Center was the most recent recipient of the Spirit of Virginia Award, which was presented by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin in a ceremony held last at the horse center. -Rockbridge County and BARC Electric Cooperative were notified that a $4.4 million USDA Rural Development grant had been awarded to help fund the extension of broadband high-speed internet service to under-served parts of the county. The award was in addition to a $2.3 million in grant funding awarded in July through the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative to the county, BARC and Brightspeed for the purpose of extending broadband service to remote parts of the county.
Nov. 13
The proposed demolition of Cabell and Neikirk halls, two historic homes on the VMI campus, was the subject of discussion among members of the Lexington Architecture Review Board. While the board did not have authority to deny or halt the demolition, they agreed to draft a letter to send to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources expressing their displeasure with the potential loss of the two buildings. -Voters in Rockbridge County and Buena Vista voted overwhelmingly to send Donald Trump back to the White House and Rep. Ben Cline back to Congress in the November election. -Actor Gary Sinise was invited to VMI for its annual Founder’s Day celebrations. In addition to addressing the cadets, Sinise also spoke at the VMI Foundation’s dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Institute Society, a group of alumni, family and friends of the institute who have made significant financial donations to VMI over the years.
Nov. 20
The Warm Run solar project was recommended for approval for a second time by the Rockbridge County Planning Commission. -The Community Table launched its first official fundraising campaign. Donors were encouraged to sponsor a meal or make a recurring donation. -Parry McCluer and Rockbridge County high schools were recipients of the Virginia Board of Education’s 2024- 2025 Continuous Improvement Award. The award recognizes schools that have demonstrated consistent improvement in academic achievement over the previous three years.
Nov. 27
A months-long debate over whether to approve the Warm Run solar project came to a conclusion when the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors, on a 3-2 vote, granted a special exception permit for the 3.0 megawatts facility. The divided vote capped a four-hour-long meeting in which citizens offered their views on the project and the supervisors grilled the applicant’s representatives on particular details associated with the development. -Courthouse Square in Lexington was tapped to undergo a transformation in the upcoming year that’s intended to make it reminiscent of a community gathering area that dates to 1777, when Rockbridge County and the town of Lexington were established by the Virginia General Assembly.
Dec. 4
The first weekend of the holiday shopping season proved a busy one in the Rockbridge area. -Justin Peery was found guilty of two counts of felony embezzlement in Rockbridge County Circuit Court on Nov. 22 for failing to remit meals and lodging tax revenue owed to the county between April of 2022 and May of 2023. -Five schools in Buena Vista and Rockbridge County were awarded a total of nearly $400,000 in state funding to improve safety measures.
Dec. 11
Lexington City Council unanimously approved both a resolution to move the city registrar’s office and a contract to rent space at the old BB&T bank building at 539 Nelson St. for several other city departments ahead of the renovation of city hall which is scheduled to begin next spring. -The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors voted to exercise an option to purchase a tract of land off of Old Buena Vista Road (Va. 631) for a trash and recycling collection center to serve the South River/Mountain View community. -Dr. Lisa Coons, Virginia’s state superintendent for public instruction, visited Lexington City Schools.
Dec. 18
The Lexington Planning Commission last week unanimously approved a conditional use permit application from the VMI Alumni Agencies to use the upper floor of the Bank of the James building, located at the intersection of Nelson and Main streets, as temporary space for the alumni offices during the planned construction of a new building for the agencies’ offices. The Alumni Agencies offices are currently located in Neikirk and Moody halls, which are scheduled for demolition, along with Cabell Hall, as VMI plans to build a new center for advancement, which will include an alumni center. -Dr. William Barton Dick of Lexington died. He was Lexington’s first orthopedic surgeon and a beloved physician who cared for thousands in the community until his retirement in 2003. -Gov. Glenn Youngkin paid a visit to VMI on the last day of fall semester classes. During his visit, Youngkin met with Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85, superintendent and ate lunch in Crozet Hall with the corps of cadets.
Dec. 24
Spencer Home Center owner Eric Spencer, his employees and customers were part of an effort to ensure that hundreds of children in need in our community and in flood-ravaged areas of North Carolina received specifically selected presents for Christmas. -A proposed rezoning in the 2500 block of Sycamore Avenue in Buena Vista to allow multi-family housing raised concerns among some about the future of what is and has historically been a largely African-American residential neighborhood of single-family homes. -Lexington City Council unanimously voted to establish a stormwater fund for the city and to begin collecting a stormwater fee starting in July of 2025. The monthly fee will be included with the water and sewer bills that the city sends out each month. The money collected from the fee will be put into the stormwater fund and will be used to pay for improvements to the city’s stormwater system.
