By Polina Noskova Local entrepreneur Jason Harris wants to open a Subway franchise on Main Street in downtown Lexington. The proposal has sparked a lively discussion among community members about the role of franchises in the historic downtown.
Author: admin
By Julia Gsell The popular Lexington restaurant Brix° has closed, the owner says. The week before Thanksgiving, silverware and glasses sat on Brix’s eight tables in the dark. A sign taped to the door read: “Due to family matters, Brix is currently closed.” The restaurant and wine bar served pan-Mediterranean small plates featuring local ingredients. Since its opening in 2009 during Washington and Lee University’s Parents Weekend, Brix°has been a favorite among W&L faculty and students and Lexingtonians alike. Its owner, Hunter Smith, has more than 20 years experience in the restaurant business. Smith previously helped open and manage several…
By Rachel Stone The number of concealed-carry permits in the Rockbridge area has dramatically increased in the last few years. From 2007-2012, the average number of permits issued by Rockbridge County Circuit Court each year was 270. But in 2013, the Circuit Court issued 521 permits. In 2014, 566 were issued, and as of earlier this week, 449 so far this year. “Would you rather be better prepared to take care of that situation or be sitting there helpless?” Lt. Tony McFaddin of the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office said. “I think the increase of concealed handgun permits is in direct…
By Kiki Spiezio Despite recent political polarization around the issue of Syrian refugee resettlement, a local refugee working group has been preparing for months to resettle refugees in Lexington. Jerry Nay is the coordinator of the refugee working group, based out of the R. E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church. He is bringing together 11 area churches to coordinate efforts and mobilize individuals in order to support refugees in this community. The next meeting of the refugee working group will be Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 5:15 p.m. in the parish hall of R.E. Lee Church. Updates on the local resettlement efforts…
By Emma Deihle Bodhi Path Buddhism center outside Natural Bridge serves all in the area who are interested in learning more about Buddhist practice. It is one of a network of such centers that take a non-sectarian approach in teaching Buddhism and offer programs both for those who are curious about Buddhism and advanced enthusiasts. Washington and Lee University professors and students have taken advantage of the serene space and local members boast of the benefits of mindfulness practice. As Buddhism becomes more mainstream, academics and regular practitioners weigh in, as you will see and hear in this audio slide…
By Katie Wildes Project Horizon hosted a Breakfast with Santa Saturday at Central Elementary School. Kids and their parents ate pancakes, decorated cookies and ornaments, wrote letters to Santa, and took pictures with Santa himself. This event and Project Horizon’s Deck the Halls gala raised roughly $25,000 for the organization’s fight against sexual and domestic abuse.
Mac Trammell Since the office of economic development took over the city’s digital marketing in 2014, Buena Vista’s web traffic has increased and so has the number of visitors to the city. Brian Brown, director of economic development, began focusing efforts on digital advertising in August, filling a void. Previously, Buena Vista had almost no online footprint. But in the last three months, activity on the city’s official website as well as the Glen Maury Park web page has increased dramatically. “We looked at [Buena Vista’s social media imprint] from a very detailed social marketing platform in terms of where we were…
By Anna Akins The Virginia Horse Center hosted a rodeo last weekend, which drew cowboys and cowgirls from all over the country. This event is an example of the center’s new direction and a signal of a possible new direction for some horse center programming.
By Mary Michael Teel It is a Thursday night at The Palms, a popular Lexington restaurant and bar. Tables have been pushed aside to make room for performers who are sitting side-by-side as they strum their guitars. This is the Thursday Night Sessions, a weekly live music event held from 7:30 to 10 p.m. since this past July. Set up as a “writer in the round,” the sessions include three singer-songwriters taking turns performing acoustic versions of original and cover songs. They also occasionally accompany each other instrumentally and vocally, along with adding comments in between songs. The format of…
By Rachel Adams-Heard and Jason Cleary The Rockbridge area got a new pawn and payday loan shop last month when Valley Pawn opened in the previous Café Michel on Lee Highway North. Owner Joshua Davis, who bought Valley Pawn’s original Staunton store in January, said the Lexington location will sell more electronics and higher-priced products than the Staunton store, which has been open for about 30 years. “This is going to be set up like a regular retail outlet,” said Davis. The store, which opened Nov. 9, will carry TVs, smart phones, jewelry – and even guns, once it obtains…