Local News
New and improved Ressie Jeffries Elementary School rededicated
On Tuesday afternoon, August 7, county and public-school officials and staff gathered to rededicate Ressie Jeffries Elementary School after a year-plus, $12-million renovation project.
Speakers included Warren County Board of Supervisors Chairman Tony Carter, County Administrator Doug Stanley, School Board Chair Cathy Bower, and Public Schools Superintendent Greg Drescher.
Their remarks followed a moving invocation by Reverend Alfred Woods. Woods opened the 4 p.m. ceremonies by asking for Divinely-inspired assistance for administrators and teachers in beginning the educational preparation of county students they encounter for the myriad and increasing challenges of the world they will grow into.
Carter also read a letter from South River District Supervisor Linda Glavis, absent due to conflicting commitments, whose constituents the renovated, 60-year-old facility will now continue to serve for perhaps another three decades. Also acknowledged were Project Managers Michael Riley and Jeffrey Hayes.
Present for the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony in the newly-refurbished gym were the school’s teachers, administrators and facility support staff, some future students and their parents, and Front Royal Rotarians – the latter who were acknowledged for an ongoing financial commitment to the project.
As County Administrator Stanley noted, the renovation project including a new playground, state-of-the-art energy efficient heating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, expanded parking area and internal improvements, “was a complete community project.”
Speakers acknowledged various aspects of the history of the school first opened during the racial segregation era in 1959 as “The Criser School” for grades 1 through 12; then rechristened as the Ressie Jeffries Intermediate School for grades 4 through 6 from 1976 to 1988; before becoming Ressie Jeffries Elementary School thirty years prior to the August 7, 2018 re-dedication of the renovated facility.
A plaque near the school’s refurbished main entranceway noting the original dedication of Ressie Jeffries Intermediate School, calls the school’s namesake an “Educator, Neighbor and Friend”. Dated December 15, 1976, that original dedication to the school’s namesake is signed by the sitting Warren County School Board.
Current County Board Chairman Carter read a letter sent by South River Supervisor Glavis in her absence: “This school has been an integral part of my South River District and served the community well for many years. It really needed a lot of improvements, and I was so happy when I visited there yesterday to see the wonderful work that has taken place on the building, playground and parking areas. I’m sure the students and their parents will be pleased with the transformation. It’s beautiful. The classrooms and gymnasium are beautifully equipped and ready for South River Warren County students’ ‘Trek to Excellence’.
“I’m sure Mrs. Ressie Jeffries, for whom the school is named, would be very proud of her renewed legacy,” Glavis wrote, adding a reference to the community-wide nature of the project.
“I want to thank Warren County taxpayers, Mr. Stanley, the school board and my co-supervisors for sharing in this dream and the renewed Ressie Jeffries School. It will now serve future generations for many more years,” Glavis concluded.
Carter concurred with his colleague’s appraisal of the school’s future. Noting his own attendance there as an eighth and ninth grader, Carter observed, “Even back then this school’s better days were in the past. Now that the renovations have been completed, its better days are in the future.”
Noting the county government’s commitment to public schools capital improvements over the past decade-plus, Carter said, “As you look at the improvements we have been able to make over the past 15 years, the school system is a top priority for the Board. I am not sure I could have said that when I first came on the Board in 2003 but working together (with the school board) we have greatly improved the facilities and environments that our children and their teachers occupy each day…
“We know that we are not finished with our school capital improvements, but with the most significant of those behind us we hope to be able to start work on addressing the needs to improve teacher and faculty compensation to keep us competitive in the local region and reduce our turnover rate,” Carter observed of the operational aspect of the County’s commitment to its public educational system.
Of specific improvements to the Ressie Jeffries complex, County Administrator Stanley said, “The project consisted of an Energy Savings project to provide a central HVAC system, new windows, doors, wiring and finishes; a new 1200 square-foot entrance addition that not only allows parents and visitors to find the front door, but provides security to our students and staff; a new roof, an expanded parking lot with 62 additional spaces to allow room for people to park; and finally the installation of new basketball goals and scoreboards in the gymnasium … and a new playground for students.”
Stanley noted a funding split of $5.3-million directly from the County, with another $6.7 million through the public school system – “The project has completely transformed this 60-year-old elementary school and added 20 to 30 years of new life to it.”
In addition to the official ribbon-cutting ceremony moved indoors to the brilliantly air-conditioned gym due to sporadic rains and oppressive heat and humidity, and a facility tour and open house following the ribbon cutting, there were also some moments of comic relief.
County Board Chairman Carter called his eighth and ninth-grade years at the school “the best six years of my educational career.”
Referencing the county administrator’s citing of the school as 60 years old, Drescher offered a correction – noting he was born in 1959 the year the school initially opened, the school superintendent protested that he was NOT yet 60, so the school must still be 59 years old too (how many months OR weeks do you have left, Greg?).
And continue your visual tour of the new and improved Ressie Jeffries Elementary School…
Local News
POLICE: 7 Day FRPD Arrest Report 4/28/2024
Front Royal Police Department’s arrest report for the past 7 days:
Local News
VDOT: Warren County Traffic Alert for May 6 – 10, 2024
The following is a list of highway work that may affect traffic in Warren County during the coming weeks. Scheduled work is subject to change due to inclement weather and material supplies. Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving tractors during mowing operations. When traveling through a work zone, be alert to periodic changes in traffic patterns and lane closures.
*NEW* or *UPDATE* indicates a new or revised entry since last week’s report.
INTERSTATE 66
*NEW* Mile marker 0 to 15, eastbound and westbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for pavement marking installations, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday and Tuesday nights.
*NEW* Mile marker 0 to 2, eastbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 31.
*NEW* Mile marker 8 to 7, westbound – Right shoulder closures for sign work, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Mile marker 9 to 7, westbound – Overnight right lane closures at Shenandoah River bridge for utility work, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Thursday night.
INTERSTATE 81
*UPDATE* Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for overhead sign repairs, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday night.
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 31.
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound and southbound –Overnight lane closures and traffic-lane shifts as needed, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. through December 2024. Shoulder closures 24/7. Work zone speed limit: 55 miles an hour. Work is related to southbound acceleration ramp extension and bridge widening, with estimated completion in late 2024.
PRIMARY ROADS
*NEW* Route 55 (John Marshall Highway) – Flagger traffic control between Front Royal town limits and Route 647 (Dismal Hollow Road) for guardrail upgrades, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday (May 2) and Tuesday (May 7).
*NEW* Route 340 (Stonewall Jackson Highway) – Flagger traffic control between Route 674 (Limeton Church Road) and Route 607 (Rocky Lane) for pipe replacement, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 7 – May 14.
SECONDARY ROADS
Route 658 (Rockland Road) – Closed to through traffic between Route 340/522 (Winchester Road) and Route 705 (Fishnet Boulevard) for the construction of a bridge over Norfolk Southern Railway. Estimated completion December 2025.
Vegetation management may take place district-wide on various routes. Motorists are reminded to use extreme caution when traveling through work zones.
Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511 or at www.511Virginia.org.
Local News
VSP Investigating I-81 Dump Truck/Sheriff’s Vehicle Accident
The Virginia State Police are investigating a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Shenandoah County. The crash occurred Friday, May 3, at 5:46 a.m. at the Route 646 overpass at the 292-mile maker of I-81.
A 2005 Kenworth dump truck was traveling north on I-81 when the driver accidentally engaged the dump bed, which raised it and caused it to collide with the bridge overpass. The collision caused the dump bed to detach from the truck, slide backward, and land on a northbound 2022 Ford Explorer, which was driven by a Frederick County Sheriff’s deputy.
The dump truck driver, Gaylon R. Miller, 71, of Toms Brook, Va., was not injured in the crash. He was wearing his seatbelt.
The sheriff’s deputy suffered minor injuries and was transported to Winchester Medical Center for treatment.
Miller was charged with reckless driving.
(From a Release by the Virginia State Police)
Local News
WCSB Approves New LFK Principal; Accepts Scholarships for Baseball, Softball Seniors
The Warren County School Board unanimously approved the appointment of a new principal who will take over at Leslie Fox Keyser (LFK) Elementary School starting this summer and accepted baseball and softball scholarships being offered by the Front Royal Cardinals for four seniors attending Warren County Public Schools (WCPS).
Board chair Kristen Pence, vice chair Antoinette Funk, and board members Andrea Lo, Thomas McFadden, Jr., and Melanie Salins, during their regular meeting on Wednesday, May 1, voted 5-0 to have Jennifer Cameron appointed as the LFK principal effective July 1.
“Ms. Cameron is an experienced educator and leader in Warren County,” said WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger in recommending her appointment to the School Board.
Previously, Cameron has taught as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher and has experience as a literacy coach who supported grade-level teachers in her school building, Ballenger said, adding that as an administrator, Cameron has served as the dean of students and as an assistant principal.
“During her years of service, Ms. Cameron was selected as the Rotary Teacher of the Year in 2008 and was the [WCPS] Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2015-2016,” he added.
As a leader, Ballenger also said that Cameron has been integral in transforming E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School and has served as the chair for the division’s Attendance Committee for the past two years.
“Ms. Cameron is a great fit for LFK, and I know that her skill set will continue to move LFK forward,” said the superintendent.
Following the board’s vote, Cameron told board members she was honored to accept the LFK principal position and said she’s excited to rejoin the Lil’ Cat family.
“Thank you for entrusting me with this opportunity to nurture young minds and to foster the continued excellence of LFK,” she said. “I look forward to working with you to continue the path to excellence at Warren County Public Schools. I’m truly humbled at this huge responsibility that you have entrusted to me, and I look forward to the coming school year and this new adventure that awaits me.”
In other action items, the School Board unanimously accepted four scholarships with gratitude from the Front Royal Cardinals and approved the donation of auditorium seating from E. Wilson Morrison (EWM) Elementary School.
Donna Settle, president of Front Royal Cardinals Baseball, a nonprofit organization that is part of the Valley Baseball League, said that as part of the group’s fundraising activities, the board will sponsor Little League for both girls and boys and will give back to the WCPS baseball and softball programs.
“This year, our board has voted to bring scholarships back to Warren County,” Settle told the board. “I know we’re a little late in the season, but we have enough money set aside for the scholarships for the 2024 student-athletes.”
There are four new $500 scholarship opportunities beginning with the Class of 2024 that are available for a Skyline baseball and softball senior who plans to continue their education and for a Warren County baseball and softball senior who plans to continue their education.
The School Board also voted 5-0 to permit two auditorium seats to be donated to Robert MacDougall, founding principal of Transform Development, a commercial landlord and developer based in the Shenandoah Valley.
Seating in the EWM auditorium, which is being renovated to provide an indoor facility for students and staff, has been removed and is set to go to auction. MacDougall offered a facility to store the auditorium seating until they could be auctioned.
With the School Board’s blessing, WCPS will now donate two seats to MacDougall, who will display them in the theater once its renovation is completed.
Regarding a request to have the Warren County Board of Supervisors (BOS) appropriate the fiscal year 2022 School Operating Fund Surplus, the School Board voted unanimously to table the item to a work session and FY2025 budget resolution.
Ballenger explained that the total fiscal year 2021-2022 school operating surplus is $973,098, and said it was being requested that the Warren County Board of Supervisors (BOS) appropriate $300,000 of the surplus to the School Transportation Fund that is held by the County and the remaining $673,098 to the School Capital Improvement Fund that is also held by the County.
The $300,000 designated for the Transportation Fund was originally included in the FY2025 Proposed School Operating Budget to purchase replacement buses and vehicle(s) but has since been removed contingent upon the funding appropriated to the Transportation Fund, he said.
Of the $673,098 requested for the County’s School Capital Improvement Fund, $40,000 was originally included in the FY2025 Proposed School Operating Budget to cover the repair/replacement of the chiller at Hilda J Barbour Elementary School and to upgrade the HVAC management systems at several schools. The remaining balance ($633,098) being requested for the Capital Improvement Fund would be requested at a future date for other capital priorities, such as the replacement of the tennis courts at the high schools.
As the budget process continues unfolding for both WCPS and the BOS, the School Board members agreed to work more on the item before taking action.
During the School Board’s community participation portion of its meeting, Leslie Mathews (above), a parent with two children attending Skyline Middle School, said that some of the School Board members are using the concerns expressed through emails by parents as “a crutch” for their own political motives. She called it a disgrace.
“I and we parents are only given three minutes a month [during School Board meetings] to get up here and express our concerns to you, or we’re told we can email you,” said Mathews. “But I no longer trust that method of emailing.”
Mathews, who last fall unsuccessfully challenged School Board incumbent Pence for the South River School Board seat, said “it’s such a disgrace for you as a public servant to go and encourage others to FOIA the concerns of parents who are not like-minded as yourself.
“So, therefore, our concerns are going public,” said Mathews, who didn’t name names. “If we want more positive in Warren County Public Schools, then we need to start at our leadership.”
Chamber News
Front Royal Welcomes CBM Team of Supreme Lending with Enthusiasm and Optimism
Front Royal, Virginia, celebrated a significant business merger that marks a promising future for local economic development. The CBM Team, a longstanding local business entity, has officially joined forces with Supreme Lending, expanding its reach and capacity to serve the community more effectively.
Nike Foster, Executive Director of the Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce, and Mayor Lori Cockrell welcomed the CBM Team to our community. The event underscored a vibrant community spirit and the potential for economic growth. Byron Biggs, Chairman of the Chamber, highlighted the merger as a symbol of positive evolution in the local business landscape. It is now poised to extend its influence beyond Virginia.
Mayor Cockrell shared personal anecdotes, reflecting on the profound local ties and the exceptional character of the individuals involved, particularly noting the entrepreneurial spirit of Cory Michael, a former student of hers and now a regional manager for Team CBM. Her words painted a picture of a community that values deep personal connections and collective growth.
The merger promises substantial benefits to Front Royal, bringing enhanced services and opportunities for home ownership that were previously out of reach for many residents. This union is a merger of two companies and a fusion of cultures and aspirations, aiming to enrich the local community while maintaining the cherished CBM brand identity.
Attendees left the event with a sense of excitement and anticipation for the future, confident in the continued prosperity and communal strength of Front Royal.
Local News
Congratulations to Warren County High School Seniors – Class of 2024
Royal Examiner presents the Warren County High School Class of 2024. Congratulations to these wonderful seniors on their hard work and deserved accomplishments! We wish you the best in your next big endeavors. Photos courtesy of Victor O’Neill Studios and Tolliver Studios, LLC.
If your Warren County senior is not listed, please send in their Name and Senior Picture to news@royalexaminer.com.