By Katie Wildes Jim Berger, a Virginia Military Institute alumnus, died on Oct. 9. He was a prisoner of war for six years and eight months in Hanoi, Vietnam, alongside John McCain. Berger’s Lexington Building Supply & Mill, which the family has owned since 1984, is now up for sale. Scott Berger, son of Jim and Carole Berger and general manager of Lexington Building Supply, is working to increase sales, assuming the store will remain open. But if there is a strong enough offer, he says, the family is willing to sell.
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By Lindsay Castleberry and Laura Waggener There is no shortage of banks in Lexington, but one type of financial institution has been missing from town: a credit union. That’s about to change. DuPont Community Credit Union, or DCCU, will open a “Lexington Member Center” on Thursday. The building — located on Route 11, just north of I-64 — will mark the 12th branch of the Waynesboro-based credit union. The credit union may be new in town, but some area residents are already DCCU members. Nick Martino, retail branch manager for the Lexington “member center,” said the credit union decided to…
By Polina Noskova Applewood Inn, a bed and breakfast about six miles south of Lexington, takes its guests on llama treks. These two-hour hikes are available in the spring and fall on Wednesday and Saturday mornings and allow for guests to experience what it’s like being around an animal that many people don’t know much about.
By Anna Akins Boutiques along Lexington’s Main Street have gained a new competitor. Gladiola Girls, in the refurbished R.E. Lee Hotel storefront at 34 S Main St., offers contemporary spin-offs of runway apparel for women of all ages.
By Mac Trammell Buena Vista saw its city council stay mostly intact after election night—only one newcomer will join the council while two incumbents won back their seats. The council will have to appoint an interim councilmember by Jan 1. Larry Tolley was set to serve a two-year term on council, but won the city’s mayoral race. In order to take his new job as mayor, Tolley will have to give up his seat on council. That open seat will have to be filled by an appointment from council. The appointed seat will be temporary. When the council appoints its interim…
By Mac Trammell The Chessie Trail is a disconnected 7.2 mile path that follows the Maury River from Lexington to Buena Vista. Virginia Military Institute, Lexington and Buena Vista are all seeking trail improvements in the former rail line to lure hikers to Rockbridge County. Officials believe the trail could become a destination and a tourist gem.
By Anna Akins Incumbent Ben Cline (R) garnered 71 percent of the vote to defeat challenger Ellen Arthur (D) and retain the 24th District Virginia House seat. Cline has served as House Delegate since 2002. Cline sketched out his plans to tackle education, infrastructure, jobs and economic issues during his seventh term in office.
By Lindsay Cates and Lyssa Test On Saturday, John and Carole Spence sat on a bench facing Virginia’s Natural Bridge, the exact spot where they said their wedding vows to each other 25 years ago. Carole brought her sketchbook and John brought a camera in an attempt to take the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley back home to Richmond. Soon visitors to the Natural Bridge may be visiting a state park, despite the financial setbacks facing current owner Tom Clarke. “I don’t want to say it was a well planned out decision,” Clarke said. “I think it may be like…
By Emma Deihle The dream of an energy-efficient, affordable new neighborhood with scenic country views will have to find another dreamer. Lexington is looking to sell the 14 remaining Thompson’s Knoll lots to a private developer after years of failing to secure qualified buyers for the housing project. At its Aug. 20 meeting, the city council voted to have City Manager Noah Simon negotiate reimbursement terms for the $700,000 federal community block grant the city received in 2011 from the state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to fund land acquisition and infrastructure. At the city council meeting on…
By Katie Wildes You can start training for the police force early. The Lexington Police Department and Lylburn Downing Middle School have converged to create the Junior Lexington Police Academy. Starting Sept. 1, 13 eighth-grade students took part on a six-week program in place of Physical Education classes. Detective Robert Smith of the Lexington Police Department contacted Steve Eckstrom, the Lylburn Downing principal, to initiate the program. Smith said the program is based on a national program called the Junior Police Academy. The goal was to educate middle school students not only on law enforcement topics, but also on good…