Local News
Skyline High School Scholarship Winners – Class of 2020
The Royal Examiner congratulates the following Scholarship Winners from Skyline High School. These scholarships will help students lessen the impact of college tuition costs, and decreases the number of loans that may be needed.
Carl and Emily Thompson Charitable Trust Foundation – Top Academic Female Student – Taylor Bolt
Carl and Emily Thompson Charitable Trust Foundation – Top Academic Male Student – Jake Ross
Acorn Scholarship – Adrianne Kinsey and Mia Ralls
American Legion Auxiliary Unit #53 Scholarship – Kirsten Renz
Angel’s Korner Scholarship – Chloe Phillips
Beautification of Front Royal – Chloe Phillips and Walker Wilkins
J. Berkeley Pomeroy Memorial Scholarship – South Warren Ruritan Club – Kristal Nguyen
Beta Rho Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa Scholarship – Andrew Thompson
Calvary Episcopal Church Scholarship – Zane Clark and Kristal Nguyen
Cedarville Ruritan Club – Roberta Close Grove Memorial Scholarship – Kristal Nguyen
Dr. Craig Zunka & Joellen McNeal Scholarship – Matthew Presley and Kristal Nguyen
Francis “Lou” Clark Powell – Warren County Retired Teachers’ Association Memorial Scholarship – Victoria Dunivan and Andrew Thompson
Front Royal Axalta Scholarship – Taylor Bolt
Front Royal Chapter #6 Order of the Eastern Star Scholarship – Mia Ralls
Front Royal Church of the Brethren “Circle of Love” – Thomas Stelzl
Front Royal Elks Lodge #2383 Scholarship – Teagan Johnson and Thomas Stelzl
Front Royal Little League Scholarship – Samuel Harris
Front Royal Moose Lodge #829 – Mackenzie Amos
Front Royal Rotary Club – Jenna Stanley
Izaak Walton League Scholarship – Jordan Kenney
John W. Evans V Memorial Scholarship – Carrie Gibson
Kiwanis Club Scholarship – Ashleigh Dickman
Loyd Family Education Foundation Scholarship In Memory of Cody Loyd – Kristal Nguyen
Madelyne Rose Memorial Scholarship for Justice – Destinee Manning
OH Yeah! Keith Sanker Honor Scholarship – Wyatt Spiker
Royal Fury Basketball Scholarship – Heather Brogan and Andrew Thompson
Shenandoah Area Secular Humanist Scholarship – Mia Ralls
Skyline Caverns – Sabrina Wilkins
Skyline High School “Band Aids” Scholarship – Reid McMillin-Goodwin
Sodexo Scholarship – Sophia Conrow, Hudson Fortney, Bryona Foster, Alexandra Haffer, Kayla Hudson, and Reid McMillin-Goodwin
“The Mat Time Award”/Outkast Wrestling, Inc. Scholarship – Morgan Robinson
Town of Front Royal Scholarship – Andrew Thompson
Harry G. Turnmeyer FR Credit Union Scholarship – Jacob Lowery
Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute Scholarship – Teagan Johnson
Warren County Girls Little League Scholarship – Carrie Gibson
Warren County Sheriff’s Scholarship – Morgan Robinson
Warren County Youth Cheerleading Association Scholarship – Aaliyah Chunn
Warren County Education Association Scholarship – Jordan Kenney
Warren County Farm Bureau – Ashley Foster
Warren County Retired Teachers Association Memorial Scholarship In Memory of Robert Leonard, Frank Moxie and Fern Perry – Jordan Kenney
Warren County Rotary Club – Zane Clark, Jordan Kenney and Mia Ralls
Warren Memorial Hospital Foundation Scholarship – Megan Haun, Adrianne Kinsey and Matthew Presley
Wells Fargo National Bank Scholarship – Kristal Nguyen
Wells Family Scholarship – Jordan Kenney, Adrianne Kinsey and Thomas Stelzl
WHAT MATTERS “Hometown Scholarship” – Andrew Thompson
Winchester Frederick County Conservation Club, Inc. Scholarship – Chloe Phillips
Women of the Moose Scholarship – Heather Brogan
Lord Fairfax Community College Scholarships
Michael E. Smith Principal’s Scholarship – Chloe Phillips
SHS College Career Pathways Scholarship – Avery Smith
SHS College Board Scholarship – Mia Ralls
Blue Ridge Technical Center Awards
Pam McInnis Award – Teagan Johnson
Senior Carpentry Award – Benjamin Mandiak
Senior Nurse Assistant Award – Emily Nicola
Skyline High School Athletic Honors & Scholarships
SHSAA Scholarship – Emma Benson, Heather Brogan, Aaliyah Chunn, Zane Clark, Sayf Smadi, Andrew Thompson
Hawks Water Scholarship sponsored by Air Serv of Front Royal, Jack Evans Chevrolet of Front Royal, and Skyline Athletic Association – Mackenzie Amos, Lauren Heflin, Morgan Robinson and Andrew Thompson
Students who have earned a credential or certificate through Lord Fairfax Community College:
Samuel Baugher – Certificate: General Education & Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Emma Benson – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Taylor Bolt – Associate of Science Degree: Science; & Certificate: General Education
Heather Brogan – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Charles Carey – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Owen Chenery – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Kierstyn Cornwell – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Sydney Crafton – Certificate: General Education
Ashleigh Dickman – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Eve Fincham – Certificate: General Education
Hudson Fortney – Certificate: General Education
Ashley Foster – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Alyssa Foxwell – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Marcus Funk – Career Studies Certificate: Basic Electrical Tech; HVAC; & Industrial Maintenance Tech – Basic
Megan Haun – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Lauren Heflin – Certificate: General Education
Kayla Hudson – Certificate: General Education
Alex Lalumondiere – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Destinee Manning – Certificate: General Education & Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Seth Mills – Career Studies Certificates: Emergency Medical Technician & Pre-Allied Health
Kristal Nguyen – Certificate: General Education & Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Jasmine Payton – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Mia Ralls – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Ethan Reinhardt – Career Studies Certificates: Basic Electrical Tech; HVAC; Industrial Maintenance Tech – Basic
Kristen Renz – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
David Shenk – Career Studies Certificates: Basic Electrical Tech; HVAC; Industrial Maintenance Tech – Basic
Jenna Stanley – Associate of Science Degree: Science; & Certificate: General Education
Jaime Stewart – Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Sabrina Wilkins – Certificate: General Education & Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
Walker Wilkins – Certificate: General Education & Career Studies Certificate: Pre-Allied Health
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.
Local News
Fairfax Police Officer, Son of WC Deputy Jim Williams One of This Year’s Fairfax Valor Awards Recipients
At the Thursday, April 11 Fairfax County Valor Awards ceremony, Fairfax County Police Officer Cody Williams, son of Warren County Sheriff’s Office Deputy and Bailiff Jim Williams, and two colleagues were among the 2023 honorees. We asked proud father Jim about the incident late last year that led to his son and fellow officers’ recognition. This is what he told us:
“On December 25th, Christmas Day, at 9 p.m., members of the Fairfax County Police Department Reston District Station responded to a shot person call. According to his wife, the homeowner had accidentally shot himself while cleaning his handgun. Officers Cody Williams, Andrew Craven, and Anthony Galindo arrived on the scene to find the homeowner unresponsive. The gunshot wound was to the victim’s left calf, resulting in an extreme loss of blood. Williams and Craven applied two tourniquets, and Galindo performed CPR. The victim was transported to the local hospital. He was able to make a full recovery.”
We were also informed of comments by Fairfax Police Chief Kevin Davis, who made an analogy to his officers’ Christmas Day call and the 1947 Hollywood movie classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart. As fans of that great and timeless film will recall, it had its own Christmas day event of a somewhat miraculous nature involving a Guardian Angel. And indeed, it will be “a Wonderful Life” for the injured man and his family moving forward due to the prompt actions of their “guardian angels” Officers Williams, Craven, and Galindo, among others at the scene.
We found this background on the Fairfax Valor Awards website:
“The Fairfax County Valor Awards recognize the remarkable achievements in service of our community’s dedicated first responders. Since 1979, members of our police, sheriff, fire and rescue, and public safety communications have been honored for exceeding the call of duty with their lifesaving acts. The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce is proud to host this prestigious event.” In attempting to get photos of the Christmas Day “guardian angels” from even sponsor the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, we were informed individual shots were not taken due to the number of recipients from the past year. This year, a total of 240 awards were presented, including 84 Lifesaving Awards, 131 Certificates of Valor, 22 Bronze Medals of Valor, and 3 Silver Medals of Valor.
Congratulations to Officers Williams, Craven and Galindo for a Christmas Day first response well done, and one that at least two Reston residents may remember as their very own Christmas miracle, circa 2023.
And thanks to our own WCSO Deputy Jim Williams for alerting us to this nearby Happy Ending Christmas story. And also a nod toward our own first responders in Warren County and the Town of Front Royal for all they do daily for us. You’re ALL Valor Award winners to us!!!
Community Events
Valley Chorale Announces Upcoming Spring Concerts in Middletown and Front Royal
The Valley Chorale presents “Wishing On a Song – Music in the Key of Hope”, a spring concert exploring aspirations of love, home, spirituality and compassion that unite and uplift us all. With styles ranging from light classical and sacred to vocal jazz, spirituals and pop, The Valley Chorale strives to capture the hopes that unite us.
The Valley Chorale is known throughout the Shenandoah Valley for innovation and excellence, with piano, cello and percussion accompaniment, and their concerts are often a heart-warming experience for all. They welcome babies and tots, so no need to hire a babysitter.
Tickets can be purchased on their website TheValleyChorale.org — $15 for age 21+ (free under age 21) or at the door for $17.
SATURDAY, MAY 4, 3:00 – 4:15 PM
Belle Grove Plantation (Bank Barn), 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA
SUNDAY, MAY 5, 3:00 – 4:15 PM
First Baptist Church, 14 W. 1st Street, Front Royal, VA (Community Reception to follow)
For further information, visit the website: TheValleyChorale.org: follow them on Facebook; email them at TheValleyChorale@gmail.com or call at 540-635-4842.
(From a Release by The Valley Chorale)
Local News
Gifted and Exceptionally Motivated Former Students of Mountain Vista Governor’s School Inducted into Foundation Hall of Fame
On the evening of Saturday, April 27, beginning at 5 p.m. in the cafeteria at Warren County High School, the Mountain Vista Governor’s School Foundation hosted a donor reception followed by an induction of two former MVGS students into their hall of fame. In the names of those former students, two scholarships will be awarded in the amount of two hundred dollars each to students in need.
One of nineteen regional governor’s schools in Virginia, Mountain Vista Governor’s School for Math, Science, and Technology, is present at two locations, on Laurel Ridge Community College’s Warrenton campus and the Middletown campus. MVGS draws and actively seeks out gifted, exceptionally motivated students from the thirteen base schools it serves in Clarke, Frederick, Warren, Culpeper, Fauquier, Rappahannock, and Winchester. Splitting their time between their base schools and MVGS, these students, in Middletown or Warrenton, depending on the counties in which their base schools are located, are given a chance to take advanced courses, including ones in humanities that, if they opt for dual enrollment, may help them skip the first two years of college. Government funding allows MVGS to welcome students into its tuition-free program. But if the students desire dual enrollment in connection with Laurel, wherein they receive college credit for their courses, then tuition becomes necessary. Attendance at MVGS involves an application, and there is a limit to the number of student places that can be filled in during any given school year.
Saturday evening was a showcase of rising talent in the MVGS system, as well as testimonies to the caliber of its program as two former students who benefited from MVGS and have gone on to have brilliant careers were given the opportunity to speak about how much they value their educational history at the governor’s school and how it uniquely prepared them to excel. The Foundation, separate from the school itself, is concerned with fundraising on behalf of the school so that students can be supplied with the tools and other resources they need to receive their education. Because of those assets made accessible by the Foundation, the two students who spoke were effusive about what a great foundation they had for future success. The rigor they underwent prepared them to maximize the challenges ahead.
A good example of the type of excellence students are encouraged to achieve in the program is the artificial intelligence project undertaken by Tamara Otten, which was displayed at the event. Tamara will soon take her project to an international competition in Los Angeles. She is exploring the possibility that AI could be trained to detect filtered images. This has ramifications for mental health as young people would then be able to discern that many of the images that they are being bombarded with on the Internet are not genuine. Therefore, they should not compare themselves to those unrealistic standards. In Tamara’s mind, this is just the beginning.
The evening also featured an auction of student-created artwork and a bag raffle. The members of what was an intimate gathering went home with leftovers of Devin Smith’s culinary art. Smith is an expert chef known for his involvement with Reaching Out Now, another organization reaching young people, specifically in Warren County.