Arts & Entertainment

The VMI Community Theatre will hold auditions for its spring show, “The Night of January 16th,” Monday, Jan. 22, Tuesday, Jan. 23, Wednesday, Jan. 24, and Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7:45 p.m. in Gillis Theater located in Marshall Hall.

The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) is sponsoring a presentation by local high school exchange students at the Lexington Presbyterian Church on Monday, Jan. 29, at 6:30 p.m. in the Westfel Room (use Randolph Street entrance and follow signs) and Tuesday, Jan. 30, at 6:30, also in the Westfel Room.

Wednesday, Jan. 17 6 p.m. – Reflections of the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with meal included, Evans Dining Hall, W&L; to register, go to https:// my.wlu.edu/office-of-inclusionand- engagement/programsand- events/mlk-week.

In a bid to encourage home gardening and sustainable living, Rockbridge Area Master Gardeners Association (RAMGA) is hosting a free seed event Saturday, Jan. 20, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Rockbridge Area Relief Association (RARA) building at 350 Spotswood Drive, Lexington.

Annie Lucille Reynolds Masters Coleman of Lexington Virginia celebrated her 100th birthday on Jan. 6, 2024, at the Quality Inn in Timber Ridge, surrounded by family and friends.

The Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, the Office of Global Education, and the Dean’s Academic Speakers Program at Virginia Military Institute will present three French films this month and next as part of the 2024 Spring Albertine Cinémathèque film series.

Carolyn Bradley, 540-58-2720

Esther Pennington, 540-291-2629

The annual Christmas tree burn at Lime Kiln Theater was a considerably scaled down event this past Saturday. Postponed from Jan. 6 because of predicted inclement weather, the tree burn was met with high winds, which meant that only one tree could be burned at a time. Because of the dry conditions of the trees, each went up in flames in a matter of seconds. Complimentary chili, cornbread and hot cocoa provided by The Southern Inn proved popular with the crowd. (Joann Ware photos)

Despite windy and cold conditions, over 400 participated in or turned out to watch the Lee-Jackson Day memorial service at Stonewall Jackson’s gravesite and the parade down Main Street Saturday morning. Among the morning’s speakers were (above) Jan Lowry of Lexington, representing the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and (below row, center) Brandon Dorsey, camp commander of the Stonewall Brigade of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The SCV camp sponsors the annual activities. Among the other participants in the morning’s events were (top, right) Sam Winkler of Roanoke, portraying Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and Tiffaney Lloyd of Fairfield, president of the local Mary Anna Jackson Chapter of the Order of Confederate Rose, portraying a widow in mourning; and Michael Pursley (below row, right) of Rockbridge County who laid a wreath at Jackson’s statue on behalf of the local SCV camp. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photos)

MRMS

Washington and Lee University has been awarded the 2024 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation that indicates an institutional commitment to community engagement.

Karyn Gardner, (540) 228-2176, (540) 655-3646 [email protected]

Singing “We Shall Overcome” and joining in chants calling for justice, area residents marched in the cold, snowy Martin Luther King Jr. Community Parade Monday morning. Although the weather and iffy road conditions kept the crowd size down, organizers noted that over 600 stickers were given out to marchers. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins, Anneliese Schneider and Darryl Woodson photos)

Jaxon and Kanen Taylor of Buena Vista enjoy playing in the first snow of 2024. This was one of the many photos from the snowfall posted on The News-Gazette’s Facebook page Tuesday.

W&L Junior Will Pursue Master’s Degree At Oxford

Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington will celebrate the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas with Evensong, on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 5 p.m.

The Rosa Harris Memorial Clothes Closet at the First Baptist Church will be open on Saturday, Jan. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon in the downstairs fellowship hall of the church.

The Music at Noon concert series at Lexington Presbyterian Church will continue with a concert by organist William McCorkle on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at noon in the Lexington Presbyterian sanctuary. The concerts will present the church’s C. B. Fisk pipe organ, opus 128.

Deborah Potter McCormick, (540) 463-7652 Leading the worship service at the Collierstown Presbyterian Church on Sunday, Jan. 14, was Burr Datz. During the worship service, Janet Scott, clerk of session, installed Billy Cummings, Austin Ramsey and Frances Ruley as elders of the class of 2026.