The teenage daughter of a slain Rockingham County firefighter is a suspect in his death, according to testimony given Nov. 5 in Hardy County Magistrate Court in Moorefield.

The American Civil Liberties Union will “more than likely” support two area college journalists facing administrative charges after they interviewed residents inside an on-campus dormitory.

The American Civil Liberties Union will “more than likely” support two area college journalists facing administrative charges after they interviewed residents inside an on-campus dormitory.

A woman and her significant other have been charged in connection with the Oct. 23 killings of her ex-husband, his wife and his 5-year-old stepdaughter in their Mathias, W.Va., home, according to a statement released by the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office.

It’s about 5,000 times the median annual household income in Page County — a two with eight zeros after it. And two lucky residents of Shenandoah could claim that gargantuan sum.

Firearms dealers in town for the C&E Gun Show and Flea Market Oct. 10-11 say business is getting back to normal following the spike in sales many of them saw in the wake of President Barack Obama’s election last fall.

A Rockingham County substitute school bus driver who was fired after being arrested last week was not legally intoxicated, according to an incident report released by authorities.

The founding director of a summer camp for foster children blasted the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 23 for their “lack of ability to deliver social services to children and families in the community.”

Charlie Conrad, 77, of Harrisonburg, along with his three teammates, won the annual McDaniel Cup held at the Spotswood Country Club on July 24. This month, he donated the $1,000 in prize money to the Harrisonburg Police Department’s K-9 unit in remembrance of his late golden retriever Savannah, who had to be put to sleep after battling cancer.

The Rail First Initiative, according to its sponsor, Democrat John Lesinski of Washington, promotes developing freight rail along Interstate 81 as part of a plan to create jobs.

Police are investigating a crash after a dump truck swerved in front of a school bus Sept. 3, causing it to crash into a tree north of Keezletown, injuring several children.

On Aug. 26, police identified Joseph V. Mirenda, 49, of Virginia Beach, as the victim in the Aug. 25 fatal crash in Rockingham County.

Police are investigating a spate of racially charged graffiti that appeared in a neighborhood near downtown. Tags bearing “white power” and “KKK” were painted on telephone and utility poles and on steps in front of residences late Aug. 11 on East Wolfe Street, according to the Harrisonburg Police Department.

The owner of a cockfighting pit who may have been able to provide key testimony against former Page County Sheriff Daniel Presgraves has died, according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Harrisonburg.

A recently released report from the U.S. Census Bureau, based on 2006 data, shows that 9,455 people in the city, or 28.5 percent of the total population, do not have insurance.

A chain-reaction crash involving multiple vehicles Aug. 2 caused a 13-mile backup on Interstate 81 south of Harrisonburg.

Four people, including a teenage boy, were wounded in a drive-by shooting on Kelley Street that happened just before midnight on July 26. As of press time, three city men had been arrested.

For the second time in two years, Gov. Tim Kaine instructed state colleges and universities to prepare plans for 5, 10 and 15 percent budget reductions, and once again, Blue Ridge Community College is considering staff layoffs.

Two draft ordinances to allow backyard egg-laying chickens in Harrisonburg came before city council this week, and a public hearing is scheduled for later in the month.

Virginia has joined a growing list of states that ban texting or reading e-mails while driving. The new law, passed by the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year, does allow drivers to send and read messages when a car is legally stopped, including at red lights.

Police will not charge the driver of a minivan that hit and killed a bicyclist along U.S. 11 north of town last week. The cyclist, Dale Frank May, 40, of Harrisonburg, died instantly after being struck by a van driven by Benjamin Wilkins, 54, of Mathias, W.Va.

The Pub’s owners disputed data used to bring administrative charges against the establishment at a hearing in Staunton last week. The restaurant, accused of failing to pay sufficient sales tax and defrauding or attempting to defraud the Alcoholic Beverage Control board or government authority, is now facing its third set of charges from the ABC within a year.

James Madison University is among the top schools in the nation when it comes to graduation rates, according to a report by the American Enterprise Institute. The report ranked JMU first among “very competitive” schools in the South, with 81 percent of incoming freshmen graduating within six years.

Downtown 56, once a trendsetting establishment for Harrisonburg’s downtown revitalization-in-progress, closed at the end of May after less than three years in business.

Brian P. Bingham and Justin M. Bindel, both 21-year-old Staunton residents charged with the murder of a third Staunton man, are returning to Virginia from Florida this week.

David Huddle, a volunteer firefighter with Hose Company No. 4, may have saved his neighbor’s life when he rescued the man from a fire May 21. Huddle, who lives near the home at 861 Madison St., was the first to arrive on the scene. When he saw George Stanley Rorrer lying on the floor, Huddle pulled him out of the house.

Zackery Turner, 18, of Charlottesville, charged in the shooting death of Reginald “Shay” Nicholson last November, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and two firearms violations in Rockingham County Circuit Court last week.

The owners of The Pub have decided to accept a suspension of the bar’s liquor license rather than file an appeal. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board voted last month to suspend the popular nightspot’s license following an investigation into a fatal hit and run.

Harrisonburg’s unemployment rate increased slightly from 6.3 percent in February to 6.6 percent in March. That’s significantly higher than the March 2008 rate of 4.2 percent.

Following a March 2008 raid of the Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Dayton, a federal indictment against eight people indicated that only a handful of illegal immigrants had been working there.

A Rockingham County grand jury indicted a former Pub bartender Monday, April 20, in connection with the hit-and-run death of a Harrisonburg jogger in January.

An oversized load carried by a tractor-trailer on Port Republic Road snagged a power line April 7, ripping a utility pole out of the ground and snapping another one in half.

After months of speculation, Rosetta Stone laid out details of its plan to go public April 1 in regulatory filings. The Arlington-based company, which got its start in Harrisonburg and maintains an office here, set the terms of its initial public offering in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Dr. Jennifer Schools Moore, also known as Jennifer Schools Copeland, 38, of Harrisonburg, has been charged with 60 drug-related offenses, including felony obtaining a prescription by fraud and felony drug possession.

A Rockingham County jury found Donna Hockman, 35, guilty of first-degree murder on Jan. 30 for the July slaying of 23-year-old Dustin Stanley at her Lacey Spring home.

In two unrelated incidents last weekend, a man was stabbed outside Dave’s Taverna Express on Port Republic Road and another man was shot on the 100 block of Logan Lane.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine released preliminary figures March 6 detailing how much additional Title I funding schools will get this year through the stimulus package passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama last month. Grants from Title I, the largest K-12 federal funding initiative, supplement state and local funding for low-achieving children.

Rockingham County may soon get its first biodiesel production facility, after the Board of Supervisors approved a special-use permit last week by a vote of 4 to 1.

Xavier Pinckney, the 17-year-old accused of shooting and killing a James Madison University sophomore and his mother during Christmas break can be tried as an adult, a Prince William County judge ruled Feb. 18.

Throughout the years, local affiliates of the Crips, Bloods, Sur-13 and MS-13 gangs have made headlines in Harrisonburg for everything from beat-ins to, most recently, a fatal shooting. But a gang that surfaced in Virginia in the early 1990s, the Gangster Disciples, has avoided significant media attention until last month’s arrest of what police say was the gang’s local leader, Clinton Shawn Martin Jr.

After sitting empty for five years, the old Spanky’s building downtown will re-enter the restaurant business this summer, with a new name (Beyond) and a new vibe (Thai-heavy international).

Jurors recommended a life sentence for Donna Hockman, 35, in the murder of Dustin Stanley, 23, on Jan. 31.

Harrisonburg has been ranked the country’s 25th-best spot to find a job thanks to its low unemployment rate, according to an MSN Careers survey. The survey used figures from last September, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics listed Harrisonburg’s jobless rate at 3.5 percent. Unemployment jumped to 4 percent in November, the last month in which Virginia Employment Commission figures have been released.

Following a two-year investigation, Harrisonburg police said last week that a high-ranking gang member, known on the streets as “Casper,” is behind bars facing dozens of felony charges. Clinton Shawn Martin Jr., 24, of Harrisonburg was arrested last week as he attempted to trade drugs for guns in the Roses parking lot on Mason Street. He faces 46 charges, including drug distribution, firearms violations and gang participation.

The new Harrisonburg City Council voted unanimously this week to sell a vacant downtown building to Rosetta Stone, the language-learning company that started in Harrisonburg.

Harrisonburg police arrested a woman on Jan. 6 who they say is the driver responsible for a hit-and-run that killed a James Madison University staff member early that morning.

An independent movie filmed in Augusta and Rockingham counties opened at Court Square Theater on Dec. 12. “Familiar Strangers” is a comedy/drama about the Thanksgiving reunion of an affectionately dysfunctional family.

A Rockingham County grand jury indicted Andrew Max Eggman Jr., 45, of Harrisonburg on charges of producing child pornography and taking indecent liberties with a child, court records show.

Shenandoah National Park asked for comments on a study it did on how people affect rock outcrops and the rare vegetation that grows on them.

Reginald “Shay” Nicholson, a 19-year-old Staunton man who was shot after leaving a party in Harrisonburg died last week. Nicholson had been in critical condition at the University of Virginia Medical Center since Nov. 9, when he was shot in the early morning in a parking lot at Hunters Ridge apartments off Port Republic Road.

A 17-year-old Spotswood High School student died in an early-morning crash last week on his way to his job as a volunteer firefighter.

James Madison University released details about how it will reduce its budget to make up part of the multibillion-dollar state revenue shortfall.

The Downtown Harrisonburg Farmers’ Market pavilion opened last week under a steady rainfall, which many people said was appropriate as it accentuated the need for the structure. The Turner Pavilion stands behind the city’s Municipal Building in what was once part of the municipal parking lot.

The Harrisonburg metropolitan area had the second-highest rate of job growth in the state between August 2007 and August 2008, adding 1,700 jobs during the 12-month period, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. The job growth rate for the year was 2.7 percent, just behind the Winchester/West Virginia metro area’s rate of 2.8 percent.

Drivers making left turns have been involved in three out of every four crashes along a busy section of Port Republic Road, according to a year of crash data. The Harrisonburg Transportation Safety Commission included the statistics in its September meeting minutes, and appears to have agreed that the city should prohibit left turns on Port Republic between Interstate 81 and Devon Lane. The meeting minutes also indicate that the commission’s consensus is that left turns should not be prohibited until alternative access to the side streets is found.

A former Harrisonburg High School football player accused of selling prescription painkillers to teammates in the high school’s locker room has been charged with a dozen drug-related felonies according to police documents released last week.

For the first time in more than 40 years, Democrats have a shot at ending the GOP’s dominance in Virginia presidential politics, says Bob Roberts, James Madison University political science professor and analyst. Recent polls show Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., opening up a lead over his Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, and the Valley vote may be the difference maker.

The swings and spikes in Virginia’s gas prices in recent weeks have prompted a statewide investigation into complaints of price gouging, including some in the Harrisonburg area. Between Sept. 12-29, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services received about 2,500 complaints of price gouging throughout the state, said Marion Horsley, an agency spokeswoman. Investigators from VDACS were in town last week investigating specific complaints, she said.

The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the recent vandalism of a campaign sign for presidential candidate Barack Obama. The letters “KKK” were painted on an Obama sign in a field near Fulks Run. The same vandals apparently drew a slash over a nearby Mark Warner for U.S. Senate sign. Both signs belong to the Democratic Party.

City Council voted last week to encourage outside dining in town, including on public sidewalks, with a special license. Council also heard a preliminary report on diverting trucks out of downtown when not making deliveries there. Supporters say the two moves will help create a more pedestrian- and visitor-friendly environment downtown.

According to weather records from the Dale Enterprise Weather Station, high temperatures in Rockingham County last month were 4.2 degrees cooler than the historical average of 84.2 degrees and 6.8 degrees cooler than last year’s average of 86.8 degrees. With an average high temperature of 80.0 degrees, last month was the coolest August in more than a decade.

U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, declined an invitation by Democratic challenger Sam Rasoul to an Internet debate that would have been shown on YouTube. Goodlatte objected to the debate because it would be set up through a Web site sponsored by Rasoul. A spokesman said Goodlatte, the 6th District’s eight-term incumbent, would participate in a debate that was sponsored by a nonpartisan organization.

A petition, called the Amethyst Initiative, brought the issue of lowering the legal drinking age to 18 into the national spotlight last week. More than 100 college and university presidents signed the document, calling for discussion on whether it would reduce alcohol-related problems among young adults.

The live-in girlfriend of a Crimora man who was named as a prime suspect in his former wife’s still unsolved murder nearly five years ago, hasn’t been seen in months, police said.

A Lacey Spring woman charged with murdering her boyfriend 10 days ago, shot him five times in the back, wrapped him in a tent and put him in the back of a sport utility vehicle, according to prosecution testimony during two separate bond hearings Aug. 4.

A woman charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of her boyfriend was arraigned in Rockingham County District Court on July 28.

Dave’s Downtown Taverna will have its liquor license suspended at least 10 days, officials with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board announced on July 18. Owner David Miller said the order would be served on July 21.

An Elkton woman, accused of making up her daughter’s illness and accepting donations for her treatment, pleaded guilty on July 8 to obtaining money by false pretense.

The search is over for a second man accused of robbing a woman at gunpoint during the early hours of June 28 as she walked on Hill Street.

Two former Harrisonburg High School student athletes charged in connection with armed robbery left a preliminary hearing on June 24 with very different outcomes.

During a June 17 meeting, the Harrisonburg School Board cleared Harrisonburg High School Athletic Director Joe Carico and his coaching staff, including head football coach Tim Sarver, from any “direct knowledge” of alleged drug use among football players.

After almost two hours of deliberations in U.S. District court on June 13, jurors found Charles Leo Kingrea guilty of participating in a Page County cockfighting ring.

Local restaurants pulled tomatoes off their menus after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned the fruit might be linked to a salmonella outbreak.

Elkton officials fired Officer Rob Greer following his arrest on a misdemeanor stalking charge.

Police arrested April Smith on May 22 for allegedly hitting her boyfriend with her car earlier in the week.

Two former employees filed a sexual battery lawsuit against Shenvalee Golf Resort in New Market last week.

Rebecca Neal pleaded guilty on May 9 to the felony of misusing $91,524 of public funds between Feb. 26, 2004, and Nov. 21, 2007. A few hours after the trial, she also resigned from her position as city treasurer.

Jeff Shafer of Harrisonburg became acting city treasurer on May 2 after Rockingham County Circuit Court Judge James Lane suspended Rebecca Neal from office.

City Councilwoman Carolyn Frank filed a petition on April 22 to remove City Treasurer Rebecca Neal from office. Neal was indicted in February on eight felony and 12 misdemeanor charges of misappropriation of public funds and altering bank deposits involving $91,500.

The CHARGE Gang Task Force arrested two 17-year-olds on April 11 in connection with an armed robbery that occurred on South Avenue on Oct. 31.

Police are investigating Ronnell Brandon, 17, a Harrisonburg High School football player, for allegedly selling prescription pain pills to teammates during the past two seasons.

U.S. District Court Judge Samuel G. Wilson declared a mistrial on the most serious count in the federal drug and gun trial of the Crawford family on April 2, after the jury failed to reach a consensus.

The RUSH Drug Task Force arrested the general manager of Charlie Obaugh Pontiac Buick GMC of Harrisonburg on March 26.

RUSH Drug Task Force and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives raided the Singers Glen home of Bryan Neil Lawson on March 19. They seized nine grams of crystal meth, one ounce of marijuana, 49 firearms and more than $15,000.

Federal immigration officials raided the Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Dayton on March 11.

Two city school buses and one car were involved in a collision around 7 a.m. on March 4.

City police raided the Harrisonburg office of the Treasurer on Jan. 22 as part of an ongoing investigation.

Items seized from Vern Odell Crawford's three properties in Elkton last July were listed in search warrants unsealed on Oct. 8.

The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control enforcement division recently recommended denying a beer and wine license for Papichulo's, 20 W. Mosby Road, said Kristy Smith, spokeswoman with the ABC Central Office in Richmond.

State police are investigating a Rockingham County crash that occurred Friday, when a driver who was fleeing a police cruiser ran a stop sign and collided with an oncoming car, sending four people to the hospital.

Rebuilt stadium could enhance downtownThe General Assembly has approved funds for demolishing Memorial Stadium and building a new structure in ...

Fiery plane crash kills oneLast Thursday night, a local pilot was killed after his plane crashed along Inters...

On Tuesday, a Rockingham County Circuit Court jury sentenced Ivan Teleguz to death.

Last Thursday, Teleguz, 27, was found guilty of being an accessory to capital murder before the fact.

Last Thursday, a 14-year-old girl was found in Winchester after she ran away from her Florida home with a truck driver.

Virginia State Police received a call from Florida police at 2:18 p.m. saying that the girl was likely headed northbound on Interstate 81 with 44-year-old Jack E. Barnett, a trucker from Lawton, Okla.

Police were able to track the girl by calls she made from her cell phone en-route with Barnett, who was arrested at the tractor trailer scales just north of Winchester.

He was arrested for being a fugitive from Florida, where he was wanted for child custody interference.

Chick-Fil-A prompts chicken camp-out
Last Thursday, Chick-fil-A on Market Street in Harrisonburg opened its doors to the public only to see tents strewn about the parking lot.
More than 100 people camped outside of the chicken house Wednesday night in hopes of winning free chicken sandwich vouchers. The first 100 people in line were given 52 vouchers each, one for each week of the year, according to Dan Cathy, president of the Atlanta-based company.

Good news for boozehounds

Beer production rates will soon be increasing at a local brewery, with the addition of a high-speed production li...

Teacher national finalist

Andrew Jackson, the Harrisonburg High School teacher, not the ex-U.S. president, is one of five Virginia finalists for the national presidential awards for excellence in teaching science and mathematics.

Men charged with shooting at police

Two Harrisonburg men were arrested last Tuesday for shooting at police.

EMU grad taken hostage

A former EMU student was one of four peace activists taken hostage in Iraq last week. Tom Fox of Clearbrook took classes at Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.

Gang Activity Stems Local Assault, Police Say

Two boys were arrested last week after a police officer saw them assaulting a man coming out of a local business.

School Board lessens penalty

Last week, Harrisonburg City Schools reduced the penalty for drug and alcohol possession on school grounds.

Wreck death ruled suicide

Virginia State Police have ruled a car accident resulting in the death of a local man a suicide.

Virginia splits state offices

 Democrat Tim Kaine won the gubernatorial election last Tuesday, defeating opponent Jerry Kilgore, 52 to 46 percent.

Man dies after being pinned between cars

Kroy Sauer, 25, of Dayton, died early Sunday morning when his 1964 Mercury rolled backward, pinning him between the car and a pickup truck.

Local Soldier Dies in Iraq

The town of Grottoes remembered resident Lance Cpl. Daniel Scott Resner Bubb this week after he was killed in Iraq on Oct. 17.

Former cop sent to prison

David Berry, a former corporal with the Shenandoah Police Department, was sentenced to four years, nine months in prison last Wednesday for dealing crystal meth.

Samaritans stop at stabbing

A man stabbed his girlfriend in the neck several times after an argument in their car while on

U.S. 33...

Stone May Be Secret Weapon

The Harrisoburg-based company that produces the Rosetta Stone language learning program was awarded a $4.2 million contract with the U.S. Army last week.

JMU starts music arts grad program

JMU’s Board of Visitors has endorsed a joint master’s and doctorate degree in music.

School Board Seizes Land

The Harrisonburg School Board seized 42.5 acres between Country Club Road and Smithland Road through eminent domain last Thursday.

ALLEGED HIGHLAWN SHOOTER ARRESTED

Police in North Carolina have arrested the man accused of shooting two men at Highlawn P...

GAS PRICES SOAR, RUMORS ABOUND

Gas prices in town went up about a dollar a gallon late last week in the wake of the New Orleans disaster. On Friday, rumors of gas station closings began circulating around the city, sending many people out to the pumps.

Manhunt Ends In Suicide

After a manhunt that lasted almost a day, a Churchville man who was being sought for the murder of a Weyer’s Cave m...