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:

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.
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Why We Must Approve Redistricting
Grow Your Own: Seedlings Offer Simple Start to Gardening Season
From Lanterns to Liberty: Warren County Celebrates 250 Years of American Independence
Trendy Haircuts for People Aged 50 and Over
Front Royal Council to Hold Public Hearing on Taxes and Utility Rates
Community Meeting to Highlight Amendments and Voter Participation
I-81 Lane Closures Expected as Construction Ramps Up in Harrisonburg
State Launches Initiative to Boost Disaster Readiness Across Virginia
‘Barks & Bags’ raises $50,000 for County Humane Society and Animal Shelter operations!
New $15.3M GO Virginia Funding Aims to Strengthen Economy Statewide
Meth, Marijuana Lead Large Drug Seizures in Virginia Weekly Report
Patricia Ann Millar (1935 – 2026)
VDOT: Warren County Traffic Alert for April 20 – 24, 2026
1968 and Now: When Space United a Divided Nation
Ask the Expert: The Seller of a Home We Like Says Assuming His Mortgage Would Be a Good Deal For Us. Would It?
3 Surprising Benefits of Summer Camp
When America Almost Introduced Hippos to the Bayou
Town-County Liaison Committee Takes Decisive Steps on Tourism
National Guard ‘Follows the Constitution,’ General Says of Troops Possibly Deployed to Polls
Learn to Save a Life: Free Fentanyl Awareness Event Set for April 29
Valley Health Changes Staffing Contracts, Trims Service Citing ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Conservation Groups Raise Alarm as Potomac River Named Most Endangered in the Nation
Business Growth Series: Are You Easy to Find — or Easy to Forget?
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