Local News for Orange News

Hoping to correct a grave injustice

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:14:00 EST

Nearly 30 years ago, a couple of young boys went into a cemetery in the woods in the eastern end of the county and dug up several graves.

FoWB host 144th events: Weekend commemorates Battle of the Wilderness

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:12:01 EST

Friends of Wilderness Battlefield is thrilled to announce the roster of guest historians for the 144th anniversary Friday, May 9 – Sunday, May 11.

County industrial park awaits unexpected tenants

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:01:00 EST

American Biodiesel Corp. and Greenberry’s both have their company names on the big sign at the entrance to Lee Industrial Park, but there’s no sign of the companies.

Code red herring

Thu, 08 May 2008 08:46:00 EST

An eighth grader’s account of nearly been kidnapped by a stranger last week resulted in an exhaustive search and a frightened community. But according to Orange County Sheriff Mark Amos, the assault never took place, and the girl’s story was made up.

Long in for life

Thu, 08 May 2008 08:45:00 EST

James H. Long, Jr. was in court May 2 to be given a formal sentencing for his part in the March 2005 shooting deaths of Burr Hill residents William Browning and Vicki Truax.

Voters elect Gibson and Higginbotham

Thu, 08 May 2008 08:41:00 EST

Promoting a “contract with fellow citizens of the town of Orange” to oppose water and sewer rate and real estate tax increases, Ryan Gibson and Kent Higginbotham were elected to the Orange Town Council Tuesday.

OVFC skills on display at JMM

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:45:00 EST

Orange Volunteer Firefighters responded to a call at the James Madison Museum early Monday morning.
According to Orange Volunteer Fire Company Chief Buckshot Clements, local dispatchers were alerted to an incident in the museum by the museum’s alarm system.

Local jeweler a gem to club

Thu, 01 May 2008 09:49:00 EST

There are many ways to describe Tess Topf: goldsmith, artist, businesswoman, horse enthusiast, and the list goes on. But to the Boys & Girls Club of Orange she is simply a gem.

County reconsiders tourism corridor overlay

Thu, 01 May 2008 09:17:00 EST

After studying the planning commission’s draft ordinance for a tourism corridor overlay two years ago, county officials delayed taking definitive action; and no tourism corridor design standards, or county roads, ever made it onto the ordinance books. But there is a new board of supervisors now, and a renewed discussion of the tourism corridor overlay.

Raindrops keep falling, April 2008 ranks among wettest

Thu, 01 May 2008 09:13:00 EST

Orange County’s April showers bring May flowers (and ample mud). And this year, the extra-wet April weather brought a ranking in the record books as one of the rainiest on record

Six scramble for two seats

Thu, 01 May 2008 09:01:00 EST

Tuesday, May 6, voters will head to the polls to elect two members, for four-year terms, to Orange Town Council.

Sheriff Amos takes stock four months into current term

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:07:01 EST

Last November, citizens elected Mark Amos as sheriff of Orange County. Leading up to the election, Mark Amos promised that as sheriff, he would put a proactive emphasis on road safety, internet crime and gang prevention. Now that he’s in office, Amos has set his sights on educating the community to follow through on his campaign promises.

Route 20 sewer future cloudy

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:56:00 EST

County officials had planned to use grant money to extend a sewer line from the Orange County Airport to residences on Route 20. But now county officials are waiting for word about whether a major employers’ decision to shut down could make that grant money unavailable.

Virginia Tractor SUP given green light

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:51:00 EST

Virginia Tractor will have a permanent home in Orange County.

900-acre mixed use development

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:45:00 EST

Dotson pitches Route 3 project to supervisors

Is bypass passing Gordonsville by?

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:41:00 EST

The Town of Gordonsville put trucks on High Street in December 2001, as a temporary measure to relieve traffic congestion on Main Street, until a bypass could be built around the town.
Dreams of a bypass soon faded into the dust and diesel fumes.

Happening hotels

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:29:00 EST

The economy may not be growing, but two local hotels are.
Owners of the Holiday Inn Express on the north end, and the Red Carpet Inn on the south end of Orange, have plans to accommodate more visitors to Orange and surrounding areas.

County Boosters sign deal

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:24:01 EST

Youth sports leagues participants will play ball at Booster Park this year, and the county government has agreed to spend $10,000 to help make it possible.
For the first time, Orange County officials have agreed to provide supplemental funding towards the maintenance and upkeep of the Booster Park facility.

Bare cupboards

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:20:00 EST

A slump in the economy has everyone from governments to families cutting expenditures and tightening the purse strings.
Two local food pantries are also feeling the pinch. As more folks fall on hard times, more donations are needed.

Post office delivers?

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:19:00 EST

Barboursville postal customers have been waiting for nearly two years to get a post office in their neighborhood. And although there have been a series of false starts and stops, a deal has finally been signed--in ink.

Board sets budget, tax

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:17:00 EST

It will cost more to own land in Orange County when the next real estate tax bill comes due, because the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to adopt the $133,160,815 budget, to adopt a $.05 tax rate increase, (bringing the rate to $0.47 per $100 of assessed valuation), and to adopt a FY 2008-09 $51,049,288 capital improvements plan.

Jury: involuntary manslaughter

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:14:00 EST

After a two-hour deliberation, an Orange County Circuit Court jury found Charles Stagg Washington guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Marilyn Baker.

Washington found guilty on involuntary manslaughter charge

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:10:00 EST

A jury today found Charles Stag Washington guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a woman who was trying to break up a fight July 4.

FoWB prepare for anniversary

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:46:00 EST

Friends of Wilderness Battlefield will commemorate the 144th anniversary of the Battle of the Wilderness with “Politics and Personalities: The Wilderness Campaign, 1864,” Friday, May 9-Sunday, May 11.

Miss Orange County

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:41:00 EST

Lynnie Bresnahan was crowned the 2008 Miss Orange County Friday night.

Teen charged with shooting into home

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:49:00 EST

A Louisa County teenager was arrested last month after being accused of firing a weapon into a Gordonsville house, according to Town of Gordonsville Police

Mine Run ladies remake DAR image

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:47:01 EST

DAR chapters and bluegrass music don’t often come up in the same conversation. But the Mine Run Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) marches to a different drummer-or banjo.

Project Lifesaver

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:45:00 EST

Orange County’s Project Lifesaver was put to work Sunday morning, when an 80-year-old Alzheimer’s patient was reported missing in Gordonsville.

Tremendous resource

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:41:01 EST

Going to high school can be one of the happiest childhood experiences, or depending on the day’s events, one of the most frightening experiences. Fortunately, Orange County High School has a dedicated man on site to ensure the safety of staff and students. Deputy Garcia Madison is the school’s resource officer.

Teen pleads not guilty

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:38:00 EST

When Johnson was asked to enter a plea, he conferred with his attorney and answered, “Not guilty.” Some of Howard’s relatives began to cry.
Johnson entered his plea to firearms and drug trafficking charges Tuesday in Charlottesville’s federal court. He is a suspect charged in connection with Howard’s death.

Uncovering Woodberry Cemetery

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:36:00 EST

Nearby, well-known Maplewood Cemetery is a well-kept cemetery where an American flag waves boldly over rows of neatly maintained graves arranged between ornate ironwork and stones. But just a short drive away, at Woodberry Cemetery, the deceased are laid to rest in far more modest setting.
There’s no less love, reverence, honor or respect for those buried at Woodberry. And there are veterans buried there too, the same as at Maplewood. At Woodberry, there are simply not enough resources, but the Woodberry Cemetery Association has plans to change that.

Timber Truss closes Orange plant

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:35:00 EST

One of the county’s major employers has closed its doors, leaving the majority of its workforce without jobs.

Budget Banter

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:31:00 EST

Rec, childcare, new school highlight public hearing

Wilderness Battlefield Friends seek volunteers to help with Park Day

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:06:00 EST

The Wilderness Battlefield will be one of 110 Civil War battlefields, parks and historical sites that are participating in the Civil War Preservation Trust’s (CWPT) Park Day 2008 on Saturday, April 5.

Montpelier hosts Big Woods walk April 6

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:33:01 EST

James Madison’s Montpelier will host a guided tour of the James Madison Landmark Forest, a 200-acre old-growth forest, on Sunday, April 6 at 2 p.m.

County approves town’s SUP for wastewater treatment plant

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:31:00 EST

The Town of Orange is back on track after plans to upgrade its aging wastewater treatment plant were nearly derailed.

Arrest made in pharmacy armed robbery

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:29:00 EST

The man suspected of robbing the Wilderness Center Pharmacy at gunpoint last summer is finally in police custody, according to Orange County Sheriff Mark Amos.

Morin’s community contributions live on at Art Center

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:27:00 EST

When he thought of giving back to his community in the town of Orange, merchant Robert Luther Morin had something very literal in mind.
In the early 1980s, when he had closed down his Orange Furniture Co. and retired after 30 years, he gave the building that housed it to become The Arts Center in Orange.

Fallen Friends Honored

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:19:00 EST

A celebration of life, in honor of three Orange County High School students, Joseph Stanley, Valentina Roa and Caleb Smith, was held at OCHS on Saturday, March 29.

Assessing Options

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:16:00 EST

Displaced AB&C Optimistic

Proffer Policy Repreive

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:14:01 EST

Last year, county officials wanted to update the proffer policy so it more accurately reflected current process, and the county’s future infrastructure needs. But after a bill was introduced to the Virginia General Assembly which threatened to do away with the practice of proffers altogether, local government officials just want to protect their prerogative to collect proffers.

Budget Hearing April 8

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:59:00 EST

They may have successfully knocked a few pennies off of next year’s tax rate, but county officials may get an earful at next week’s public hearing for the decision to cut funding to several popular county programs.

Police sort sniper clues

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST

State and local police officials say they will heighten security in western Albemarle in the wake of sniper fire that struck four vehicles and wounded two travelers on Interstate 64, but warned residents and commuters to be cautious and report anyone or anything suspicious.

NHS students turn into clean team

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:40:00 EST

This year, more than any year in the past, NHS has been striving to complete numerous hours of community service.

State funding creates delays for local road projects

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:25:01 EST

What that means here in Orange is that some secondary road projects will be abandoned-at least temporarily, according to Gore.

Teen killed in tragic accident

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:22:00 EST

An Orange boy was killed Sunday afternoon after he was struck riding his bicycle on Monrovia Road.

LOW gets dam extension

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:18:00 EST

The Lake of the Woods main dam is now expected to get an upgrade involving adding a gate to its spillway by next year, with a cost presently estimated at $2.5 million. The Virginia Soil and Conservation Board approved a four-month extension to the dam’s conditional operating and maintenance certificate at its meeting last week.

Police warn of scams

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:13:00 EST

If you are unsure of the situation or someone soliciting work please call the police (540) 672-1200.

Winging it

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:10:01 EST

Suits let humans fly

Funds freed?

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:05:00 EST

State reinstates partial jail funding

Winter not wet enough

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:00:01 EST

“We’ve been watching it be continually dry, and we haven’t had it come back to where it should be. That’s kind of scary when you’re starting 75 percent down at the beginning of the growing season.”
--Northern Piedmont Agriculture Research Station Superintendent Dave Starner

Sparks fly over EMF discussion

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:38:00 EST

County officials and residents are at odds over the potential impact of high-voltage power lines on a new school to be constructed near the lines.

Rec Budget Wrecked

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:53:00 EST

Some Orange County parents might be saving a penny or two on their taxes next year, but they might be making up the difference in child care and recreational activities.

AB&C Ending Abrupt

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:53:00 EST

Eighty people were put out of a job last Friday, when the doors were closed at AB&C Group’s Orange call center.

Murder Charges Filed

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:52:00 EST

A teenager from New York will stand trial in federal court for a Gordonsville murder that occurred more than two years ago.

AB&C ending abrupt

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:07:00 EST

Eighty people were put out of a job last Friday, when the doors were closed at AB&C Group’s Orange call center.

Rec budget wrecked

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:06:00 EST

Some Orange County parents might be saving a penny or two on their taxes next year, but they might be making up the difference in child care and recreational activities.

Murder charges filed

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:05:00 EST

A teenager from New York will stand trial in federal court for a Gordonsville murder that occurred more than two years ago.

Board Shaves 3 Cents

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:56:00 EST

At budget work sessions last week, county officials looked at trimming long-term county initiatives to make short-term operation costs more realistic. By the end of the evening, supervisors successfully trimmed a few pennies off a proposed tax increase.

Building Permits Level Off

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:55:00 EST

Orange County residential building permits are down compared to the last few years, but are in line with numbers from the first part of the decade.

County Considers Future School Construction

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:54:00 EST

There are currently 5,098 students attending Orange County Public Schools. Unfortunately, the county’s eight schools were built to house 4,914 students.

Long Found Guilty Again

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:52:00 EST

After five days of testimony, evidence and arguments, it took jurors only hours to decide James Henry Long, Jr. was guilty of the March 2005 murders of William Browning and Vicki Truax.

Tough Times

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:50:00 EST

Signs of a troubled economy are everywhere. Household budgets are pared down to the bone, and Orange County Administrator Bill Rolfe said the county’s coffers are stretched thin too.

Kristina’s Wish

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:46:00 EST

There are two things 15-year-old Kristina Thomas has always wanted to do. She wanted to attend high school and she wanted to meet country singer Alan Jackson.