Connect with us

About Us

The Royal Examiner provides news and information for Front Royal and other communities in or near Warren County, Virginia.

Launched in November 2016, the Royal Examiner values collaboration and transparency. It serves as a “public square” for Warren County and the surrounding region.

Community contributed content forms the heart of the Royal Examiner. We encourage fair, responsible and true contributions from all members of the greater Warren County community. The Royal Examiner’s staff also covers news and produces multimedia content. The Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics guides us in our work.

Based in Front Royal, Virginia, the Royal Examiner is updated constantly.

We welcome suggestions, contributions and criticism. We want to improve every day and seek your help in doing so.

Royal Examiner
A service of National Media Services, Inc
613 N Commerce Avenue | Front Royal, VA 22630
540-635-4181 ext 246

Meet the Staff:

website-friendly-nc6_4216

Mike McCool | Publisher
news@royalexaminer.com
Mike McCool, owner of National Media Services, Inc., established the Royal Examiner in the summer of 2016 to provide detailed coverage — "The News Behind The News" — of important local stories.

Roger Bianchini | Staff Reporter; Editorial Consultant
rogerb@royalexaminer.com

Roger Bianchini, a multiple VA Press Assn. award-winning journalist, was managing editor and co-founder of Warren County Report. He served as a reporter on Rebecca Poe’s Warren Times, and as reporter and editor at The Warren Sentinel and The Front Royal News.  A native of Washington, D.C., and graduate of VCU, Roger has lived in the Shenandoah Valley for 30 years.

Brenden McHugh | Staff Reporter
Brenden McHugh holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Thomas Edison State University. The local government beat he covers, as a reporter for Royal Examiner, is in his mind the best way to use that background.

Malcolm Barr, Sr. | Staff Reporter
Malcolm Barr, Sr. has worked for newspapers in the U.K., Canada, and the U.S., and for The Associated Press in Wash., DC. He was press secretary to U.S. Sen. Hiram L. Fong (R-Hawaii) in the 1960s, and a director of public affairs in the departments of Labor, Justice, and Commerce, retiring from the federal government in 1996.

Mark Williams | Staff Videographer
Mark Williams is a seasoned camera operator and media expert, with a sharp eye for storytelling and decades of visual design experience.

Duane “Dok” Henderson | Staff Photographer
Dok Henderson is a Front Royal–based photographer with a lifelong interest in photography. He has spent the last five years pursuing the craft seriously, with the past three years working professionally. You will rarely catch him without his camera, focusing his work on people, community, and real moments through honest, natural storytelling.

Contributed content:

Stories, opinions, calendar listings, photographs and videos from the community form the heart of RoyalExaminer.com.

Our Terms of Service govern contributions and their use. But, we want to be clear: You give us permission to use and share contributed material on RoyalExaminer.com, as stipulated in the Terms of Service. We will not, however, sell your photos or other contributions. You retain ownership, and we will refer to you anyone who wishes to buy a photo reprint, for example.

Front Royal, VA
75°
Cloudy
6:11 am8:27 pm EDT
Feels like: 75°F
Wind: 7mph NW
Humidity: 58%
Pressure: 29.75"Hg
UV index: 0
ThuFriSat
86°F / 63°F
88°F / 66°F
90°F / 70°F
Local News2 hours ago

Warren County Welcomes Nearly 50 New Teachers, Looks Ahead to New School Year

Obituaries2 hours ago

Naomi Ruth Davis Eaton (1934 – 2026)

Obituaries2 hours ago

Scott Edward “Scotty” Taylor (1971 – 2026)

State News3 hours ago

Brown Water, Dust and Loud Noises: Louisa Homeowner Sues Amazon Over Data Center Construction

State News4 hours ago

Does Extreme Heat Cause Train Derailments? A Virginia Railroad Expert Weighs In

National News4 hours ago

Administration Asks US Supreme Court to Uphold Sweeping Trump Order Restricting Vote-By-Mail

Obituaries4 hours ago

Nicholas A. “Nick” Riedel (1996 – 2026)

Local News9 hours ago

Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: Chimney Swift

Local Government1 day ago

The Urgency of Two Readings Felt Acutely at Town Council Meeting

State News1 day ago

Virginia’s New Pay Transparency Law Changes the Rules for Job Postings

Legal Notices1 day ago

Legal Notice: Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Authority

Health2 days ago

Check Your Back Fitness

Punditry & Prose2 days ago

In Celebration of Royal Cinemas: The Odyssey and More

Community Events2 days ago

Town Official Post: It Was ‘So Much Fun’ Last Year ‘We Just Had To Do It Again’

State News2 days ago

Virginia Co-Owner’s Donation of White’s Ferry Paves Way for Potomac River Crossing’s Reopening

State News2 days ago

Goochland Residents Rebuff Data Center Developer Tract Ahead of Permit Application

Obituaries2 days ago

Douglas Wilbie “Doug” Canard (1946 – 2026)

Opinion2 days ago

Scott Lloyd is the Best Candidate to be Elected Chairman of the Warren County Republican Committee (WCRC) 

Local News2 days ago

Browntown Community Center Unveils Renovated Kitchen During Grand Reopening Celebration

Legal Notices2 days ago

Legal Notice: Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Authority

Automotive3 days ago

Are You Ready for a Flat Tire?

Interesting Things to Know3 days ago

Three Flags, One Crater: We’re Going Back

Local News3 days ago

Santa Brings Christmas Cheer Early During Christmas in July at Spelunker’s

Food4 days ago

Chicken and Zucchini Skewers Make an Easy Summer Meal

Crime/Court4 days ago

Virginia State Police Seize Eight Firearms and More Than $357,000 in Drugs