News

When faced with an emergency situation, Virginia Military Institute cadet Hayden Rose performed an act of heroism last month.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is considered to be the most important part of the Bill of Rights. It guarantees citizens the freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. The Constitution restricts the government from taking these rights away from ordinary citizens. However, when citizens take a commissioning oath or oath of enlistment into the military, they become subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), a set of laws that governs everything from the handling of enemy prisoners to the conduct of ordinary soldiers. Riley Malone ’25, a history major at Virginia Military Institute is examining the government policy on servicemembers, and how their First Amendment rights have changed from 1900 to the present in his 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) project titled, “True Faith and Allegiance: The First Amendment in the Military.”

There is a rogues’ gallery of weeds many farmers and landowners in Rockbridge know all too well. Late summer through early fall provide an opportunity to suppress and perhaps nearly control many of these problematic weeds. The combination of mowing management, weather conditions and shortening day length all impact the susceptibility of these weeds to herbicides and late summer affords us an opportunity to treat them effectively. For those who do not wish to use herbicides, cutting, digging and other means of mechanical removal are (for most weeds) their only option. For those prepared to use herbicides and want to minimize the amount we release to the environment and achieve the most efficient use of limited time, then read on.

From healthcare to hospitality, cakes to clothing, day care to nighttime entertainment, an extensive range of businesses will be supported with new grants from the Walker Entrepreneurship Program.

Caytie Atkins has been hired to serve as the center administrator for Rockbridge Recovery. She will start Aug. 7.

The Institute for Organization Management, the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has announced that Tracy E. Lyons, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce Serving Lexington, Buena Vista, and Rockbridge County, has graduated from the program and has received the recognition of IOM.

Appointments Made

As it prepares for major renovations to the Rockbridge Innovation Center, Rockbridge County High School has recently been awarded a $125,000 career and technical education grant. These funds will go towards purchasing and upgrading manufacturing systems equipment at the center.

Pursuant to Code of Virginia Section 15.2-2204 and the City of Buena Vista Land Development Regulations, notice is given that the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to receive comment on the following matters.

After three days of testimony and three hours of deliberation, a jury found Jonathan Armstrong Watkins, 36, of Natural Bridge, guilty of murder in the second degree and use of a firearm in the commission of murder in the death of Katrina Leeann Dudley on Dec. 10, 2021. The verdict came Friday afternoon, concluding a week-long trial in Rockbridge County Circuit Court. Watkins had been charged with murder in the first degree.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation/ expansion of the Rockbridge Innovation Center is set for tomorrow, Thursday, at 10 a.m., after the Board of Supervisors on Monday approved funding for the construction project.

An ambitious proposal to develop a residential school for skilled trades on a large tract of land in Buena Vista was brought before City Council this past Thursday.

“We were borderline having to issue a boiling water advisory – that’s how close we came,” said Charles Aligood at Lexington City Council’s meeting this past Thursday. Aligood reported that the Maury Service Authority water treatment plant underwent power surges and outages amid recent thunderstorms in the area on the weekend of July 14-16. The Council member used this incident as an opportunity to remind Council of the importance of modernizing the MSA system.

Amplified music is to be allowed at musical concerts at Ecco Adesso Vineyards this summer, as long as the speakers are directed away from neighbors and the volume is at an acceptably low level.

CITY OF LEXINGTON NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND INVITATION TO BID

Lexington

The Lexington City Planning Commission last week approved a certificate of appropriateness and the site plan for the proposed expansion of Washington and Lee University’s Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics.

Another battle over Confederate imagery at Washington and Lee University has erupted, this time over Robert E. Lee’s horse.

Roanoke Firm Submitted Low Bid Of $14 Million

Rockbridge Conservation Dedicates Uncas Trail