The fiber, conduit and drop installations for the Nelson County broadband project is about 99 percent complete. Two of the three remaining towers are on their way to be installed. Despite this progress, there are still things to be done before the network is operational and residents can receive Internet service.
Across the state, on-time graduation rates increased by about one percentage point this year, according to information released by the Virginia Department of Education on Tuesday. Just over 89 percent of students graduated on time. Graduation rates increased at nine of 12 Lynchburg-area public schools as well.
The inky black hole carved out of greenstone opens into an elliptical tunnel underneath Rockfish Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Drips of water sparkle in the cool air in front of the Blue Ridge Tunnel’s east portal in Afton, heralding the soon to come restoration and reopening of the tunnel to the public.
Nelson County is moving ahead with its quest to get a Virginia Scenic River designation for a northern section of the Tye River, although there has been some concern from the public. At its meeting Aug. 13, the Nelson County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 after a public hearing to seek designation for the approximately 12.7-mile section of the Tye River from Virginia 738, or Tye Depot Road, to the confluence with the James River.
Despite dark national economic clouds, Central Virginians still see silver linings. A University of Virginia study released Tuesday showed the Consumer Sentiment Index – how happy consumers are – rated 91.8 of 100 in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties.
Midway through 2013, overall home sales in the Charlottesville region are up 11.2 percent — the seventh consecutive quarter of year-over-year gains — and half of the 815 homes sold in the second quarter were on the market for 40 days or less.
In 1928, Corbin Glass incurred a $25 fine for violating a traffic ordinance in Lynchburg, with clerk and attorney fees totaling another $5. The court records don’t show Glass’s age or the particulars of the charge, but they do contain one important piece of information. Glass only paid half of the $30 he owed. He’s a drop in the ever-increasing bucket of those who owe court-related money to localities and the state.
Three Nelson County orchards are among nine throughout the state being awarded cost-share funds for contributing to the growing market of hard-cider apples. Saunders Brothers, Drumheller's Orchard and Silver Creek Orchards each will receive up to $3,000 to reimburse costs associated with the effort.
Starting Monday, all Nelson County students will spend an extra 10 minutes in school, in an effort to make sure they are properly prepared for upcoming benchmark testing and to make up for classes canceled due to inclement weather. The school division has had to cancel classes nine days due to weather. So far, only four of those days have been made up. To be in compliant with state law, school divisions must have students in school either for at least 180 days or for 990 total clock hours.
The population in Lynchburg and surrounding counties grew by about 3,180 residents combined since the 2010 Census, a recently released report from the Weldon Cooper Center in Charlottesville shows. Every locality in the area except the city of Bedford experienced an upward population swing, according to figures.