News

Five percent pay raises for city employees and no tax or fee increases are included in a proposed budget for fiscal year 2024 that Buena Vista City Council will consider next month.

The Lexington City Council held its first budget work session of the year last week and will hold additional work sessions tomorrow and next week ahead of a scheduled public hearing on the budget on April 20.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner speaks outside the Maury Service Authority’s pump station at a ceremony Tuesday afternoon unveiling plans for the MSA’s new raw water pump station. Warner spoke of the importance of the pump station for the Rockbridge community and highlighted that it was one of several long-term projects that the MSA is working on to improve access to water for MSA customers. Warner and Sen. Tim Kaine secured a $3 million grant for Rockbridge County to be put toward the cost of the project in the Senate appropriations bill for the 2023-24 fiscal year. The bill was approved by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on Dec. 31. (Hope Huger photo)

CITY OF LEXINGTON NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO REVIEW AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ARTICLE IV. ZONING DISTRICT REGULATIONS. OF THE LEXINGTON ZONING ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE LOT WIDTH REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING UNITS AND FOR TOWNHOUSES

MSL Project Should Be Completed This Month

Timber Framers Assemble Community Pavilion

Shift To Ease Crowded Conditions At Kling

One idea that is central to ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown Buena Vista is the creation of a centrally located town square where citizens can gather and special events can be held.

Capital improvements being made at Glen Maury Park for the upcoming summer season include bringing Wi-Fi service to the upper campground, the double-decker pavilion and the municipal swimming pool.

Area youths and adults turned out for Breakfast with the Easter Bunny at the Natural Bridge firehouse Saturday morning. The event was a fundraiser for the fire department. (Lucretia VanBrocklin photos)

Fund Created To Support Local Causes

The strong winds Saturday took out trees that blocked roadways and caused scattered power outages. In Rockbridge County, there were a total of 33 emergency 911 calls for trees down, according to Rockbridge County Fire/Rescue Chief Nathan Ramsey. The Rockbridge Baths Volunteer Fire Department is shown below tackling a tree across the road in Goshen Pass. Ramsey and Raphine firefighters, meanwhile, responded to a house on Harvest Lane in Raphine (seen above) that was heavily damaged by a fallen tree. The two occupants were displaced, and Red Cross was contacted to assist with hotel room for a couple of nights until the insurance company can do assessment and provide assistance. (photos courtesy of Ian Felty and Rockbridge County Fire/Rescue)

Raffle Starts For Weekend Getaway

Jackie Harris, Lexington’s general registrar and director of elections, is stepping down June 30 after about 23 months on the job. She said this week she is resigning because of health issues of her husband.

For the second consecutive year, Rockbridge County High School instructor Jennifer Balkey has been recognized with a WISE (Working in Support of Education) 2021-22 Gold Star T e a c h e r Award.

Sexual Contact With Animal Charges Filed

The chair of the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors gave the disappointing news to the members of the Rockbridge County School Board in person when the two boards met last Thursday.

New System Includes Facial Recognition

Rockbridge County Circuit Court Judge Chris Russell Tuesday sentenced Jermale Jerome Fitz to the maximum $500 fine for a class III misdemeanor of unlawful destruction of property in relation to the fire that destroyed the Echols farmhouse in January 2022.

Second Position Added This Year

Following the Virginia Horse Center Foundation’s December quarterly meeting, the organization’s board of directors and Chief Executive Officer Glenn T. Petty ann ounced the addition of Owen Weaver of Roanoke to the board for a three-year term.