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.

McKenna Adkins

Peyton Ahmed

Isaac Amor

Kristina Andrews

Seana Andrews

Diego Aponte

Dillon Arndt

Sydney Arndt

Dalton Ayers

Ebony Bailey

Marshall Barton

Shelby Bell

Kaydria Bennett

William Bergmann

Roberto Berrios

Hannah Bonner

Beatrix Boudreau

Arianna Bourgoin

Jeremiah Bright

Darnel Caison

Levi Campbell

Autumn Carofano

Joshua Carroll

Bradley Chaffin

Angel Chan

Jaclyn Clark

Jessie Clegg

Madison Clowser

Trenton Coffelt

Katherine Ramirez Colato

Nikolai Compton

David Miramontes Correa

Isaiah Cossio

Cash Cox

Joseph Cross

Landon Deese

Connor Deisch

Palmer Dellinger

Marcellis Diamond

Raymond Dingess

Eliza Dorsey

Christopher Doyle

Lillian Doyle

Aiden Dunnet

April Lopez Escobar

Catherine Farley

Benjamin Farris

Caroline Feldhauser

Gabriel Ferris

Alaysia Flora

Jasmin Portillo Flores

Christopher Flynn

Silas Foster

Calyssa Foxley

Elijah Frame

Isabella Freiland

Madison Funes

Aiden Gates

Austin Grady

Matthew Grant

Elizabeth Greenwell

Kayla Haase

Sarah Hardin

Alexandria Harris

Delaney Haw

Brayden Heflin

Andrea Hernandez

Sophia Hill

Keandre Hogue

Anastacia Hrbek

Collin Huston

Emily Jackson

Kaleb Jackson

Jadyn Jeffries

Colby Jenkins

Lillian Johns

Anna Johnson

Olivia Kelly

Avayda Kemp

Alice Kent

Sofia Kozhenevsky

Camren Kyle

Riana LaFrenierre

Olivia Lambert

Vincent Lamendola Jr.

Joselyn Leyva-Gamez

Sophia Logan

Emma Lord

Phillip Maddox III

Blaine Mansour

Mackenzie Mardeusz

Jacob Martin

Blake McCarty

Sophia McCurry

Cameron McGee

Shawn McGinness

Luke McIntire

Titus Messineo

Jossue Gonzalez Miramontes

William Moreno

Christian Morey

Keyshawn Morgan

Spencer Nelson

Charlize Noel

Christian O’Donnell

Emily Oldland

Joseph Ortman

Veronica Pak

Jonathan Panciera

Italia Panzica

Dragan Pead

Malachi Pinner

Steven Pugh

Blake Ramsey

Eric Rapp

Alaura Repass-Nardone

Brandon Reynolds

Lucas Riley

Xander Ring

Tyler Roan

Kierstin Robertson

Nicholas Robison

Samuel Rock

Caitlyn Rotenberry

Morgan Sajeski

Laney Schenher

Joshua Schneider

Kira Shaver

Bradan Shifflett

Molly Sims

Tristen Sine

Simon Skube

Destiny Smith

Marcus Smith

Brendan Snapp

Jacqueline St. Clair

Brady Strickler

Devin Swearingen

Morgan Sweeney

Robert Swisher

Kaley Tanner

Madelyn Tennant

Johnny Thomas

Aiden Thompson

Joseph Thompson

Eva Thornberg

Owen Thorpe

Jose Ulloa

Malcolm Vinson-Proctor

Alijah Waters

Dagan Wayland

Payton Weaver

Sharlit White

Aliyah Whitman

Taylor Wickham

Marcus Williams

John Williams III

Dejaun Winston

Hunter Winters

Grant Wolf

Militza Woloszyn

Sydney Woodward

Suleman Zewar

The Samuels Public Library’s annual fundraising event, Taste for Books, themed “British Invasion” this year, witnessed an unprecedented turnout, bringing the community together for a night of themed costumes, classic British dishes, and unique games like tee pong. Held last week, the event served as a cultural festivity and exceeded its fundraising goals, amassing over $25,000 to support library programs and services.

In this Town Talk, Machal Ashby and Grace Green, affectionately known as the library ladies, discussed the overwhelming success of the event and the exciting activities planned for May. The duo expressed their delight at seeing first-time attendees and veterans diving into the British theme, sporting everything from mod outfits to Scottish kilts.

The library’s May calendar is bustling with activities tailored for all ages. Among the highlights are the monthly Bad Romance Book Club, which will tackle sports-themed literature, and Books and Beyond, exploring nature-related reads. The Genealogy Club continues to engage history buffs, while the What the Tech sessions offer tech assistance every Tuesday, proving invaluable for those needing help with modern gadgets.

The library has planned engaging educational activities for the younger audience, including a Bird ID and photography event at Shenandoah River State Park and a Free Comic Book Day at Main Street Geek, promising fun giveaways. The Children’s Garden will also host a special event, “Unpacking the Garden with Wee Ones,” facilitated by master gardeners to teach children about planting and caring for gardens.

Looking ahead to the next big theme, the library has already announced “Movie Magic” for next year’s Taste for Books, promising an evening of Old Hollywood glamour. This forward-looking approach and enriching programs underscore the library’s commitment to fostering a vibrant community spirit and a love for learning across all ages.

In anticipation of summer, the library also teased the upcoming Summer Reading Club, which traditionally attracts over a thousand young participants and several hundred adults. The kickoff event will feature face painting and a petting zoo, ensuring it’s not just about reading but creating a memorable community experience.

As the library gears up for these events, it continues to be a cornerstone for community engagement in Front Royal, showcasing the power of books and shared experiences to bring people together.

Town Talk is a series on the Royal Examiner where we will introduce you to local entrepreneurs, businesses, non-profit leaders, and political figures who influence Warren County. Topics will be varied but hopefully interesting. Let us know if you have an idea topic or want to hear from someone in our community. Send your request to news@RoyalExaminer.com

On Monday, April 29, at 7 p.m. in the Front Royal Town Hall on 102 East Main Street, the Front Royal Town Council and the Planning Commission met to discuss vape shops, Planned Neighborhood Development District (PND) zoning, and short-term rentals. Planning Director and Zoning Administrator Lauren Kopishke supported the mayor in guiding the discussion.

A special joint work session is held between the Town Council and the Planning Commission on the evening of Monday, April 29. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

While vape shops and short-term rentals drew similar sentiments from everyone in the room, the more contentious item and perhaps the driving force behind the gathering was PND zoning. This type of zoning allows for mixed-use development in higher densities, on parcels rezoned to PND, and it is in many ways an improvement on by-right development as it potentially offers affordable housing for those in Front Royal who are struggling to cope with inflation and the cost of living in general. The challenge to PND zoning, which Planning Commissioner Chair Connie Marshner sees clearly, is the scarcity of lots large enough within Town limits to meet the acreage requirement for a planned neighborhood development district, as it is currently regulated by the Town Ordinance. This may explain why, in an application from a developer for PND rezoning that involved a proposed amendment to the ordinance reducing the acreage threshold for PND from twenty-five acres to two, the planning commission passed the application to the council, recommending a reduction to five acres in the case that the council felt uncomfortable with two. In the words of Councilwoman Amber Morris, the two-acre prospect was “offensive.” Indeed, the council denied any amendment to the ordinance and the application.

Planning Director and Zoning Administrator Lauren Kopishke helps Mayor Lori Cockrell guide the Town Council and the Planning Commission through a discussion of vape shops, PND zoning, and short-term rentals.

To do justice to Morris’s position, it is offensive because it would open a “floodgate” to untrammeled development that may neither respect the Town’s rustic charm nor be sensitive to the needs of its infrastructure and the way of life that its natives have built here. At the same time, Kopishke has emphasized that there are so many other stipulations in the rezoning to PND that the floodgate would never be opened. Having provided the council and the commission with extensive reading in their agenda packet that highlighted how other localities are handling this type of development, localities from which she is actively gathering information in staff’s ongoing PND enterprise, Kopishke urged those present to discuss what they like about the current ordinance and what they do not like. After a somewhat tangential conversation, most of the council members said they would like to leave the ordinance the way it is, with a threshold of twenty-five acres for PND mixed residential and fifty for PND commercial.

Morris said it is not the government’s job to provide affordable housing. Also, there is nothing wrong, in her opinion, with preservation. Just because a parcel is undeveloped does not mean it needs to be developed. The evening ended with the sense that things were as much as before. There is only one PND zone in Front Royal, and it is undeveloped. The Comprehensive Plan does indeed call for higher density development, but what that looks like seems to be a matter of degrees in which some are prepared to be more extreme than others. Consensus between these two bodies would be a very rare diamond.

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.”

Recipient and son of WCSO Deputy Jim Williams, Fairfax, Reston Division Police Officer Cody Williams. Below is Officer Andrew Craven (slightly out of focus). Apologies for not having access to a photo of Officer Anthony Galindo. Courtesy Photo(s) WC Deputy Jim Williams

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!!!

Deborah Lynn “Debbie” Coronel, 70, of Maurertown, Virginia, passed away on Monday, April 29, 2024, at Winchester Medical Center.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 3, 2024, at Maddox Funeral Home, 105 W Main St. Front Royal, Virginia, with Pastor Danny Hensley officiating. A visitation will take place the evening before the service from 6-8 p.m. at Maddox Funeral Home. The burial will follow all services at Prospect Hill Cemetery.

Debbie was born on February 15, 1954, in Front Royal, Virginia, to the late Warren H. Thompson and Charlotte M. Miller. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Gary Thompson, and her granddaughter, Megan Knicely.

Surviving Debbie is her loving husband of 30 years, Gaudencio Coronel; her children, Deanna M Creekmore (John) and Warren Beaty (Donna); her step-son, Manuel Coronel (Alicia); her siblings, Eugene H. Thompson (Isabel) and Shirley Stonebreaker; her grandchildren, Christopher Knicely, Andrew Paniagua (Bethel), Selena Paniagua, Cheyenne Howdyshell, Sylvia Paniagua (Lamar Cheek), Manuel Coronel, Lupe Coronel, Daniela Coronel, Sevastian Coronel, and Juan Coronel; her great-grandchildren, Kyrie Paniagua, Jackson Wyant, Addelynn Howdyshell, Ava Paniagua, Zakai Cheek, Waverly Woodell, Kolter Kisamore, Zamyah Cheek, and Gracie Woodell; and her nephew Ian Thompson.

Debbie was a Front Royal Seventh Day Adventist Church member and loved bible study with her daughter, Deanna. She also enjoyed computer games and Sudokus.

Pallbearers will be Ian Thompson, Andrew Paniagua, Lamar Cheek, Dijohn Jackson, Manuel Coronel, and Angus Shipe.

Linda Grey “Nana” Spangler, 67, of Front Royal, Virginia, passed away on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at Winchester Medical Center.

Linda Grey “Nana” Spangler

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 27, 2024, at Maddox Funeral Home, 105 W Main St. Front Royal, Virginia 22630, with Joan Knox officiating. The family invites guests to visit one hour before the service. Linda’s ashes will be privately scattered at a later date.

Linda was born on October 16, 1956, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to her late father, Carl Mack Smith Jr. She was also preceded in death by her grandmother, Nina Grey Smith, who raised Linda.

Surviving Linda are her loving husband of 24 years, Patrick “Pat” Spangler; her children, Amanda Nyholt Linder (Josh), Matthew McCartney, Douglas Spangler (Debra), and Daniel Spangler; her siblings, Carl Mack “Buddy” Smith III, and Carla Rusk; and her grandchildren, Savannah McCartney, Sawyer McCartney, Aedan Spangler, Daniel Spangler, Jameson Spangler, Ryan Spangler, and River Spangler.

Linda loved photography, guitar, and Tennessee football. She was a Junior Olympic Swimmer.

Honorary Pallbearers will be her boys, Matthew McCartney, Douglas Spangler, and Daniel Spangler, and her grandchildren, Savannah, Sawyer, Aedan, Daniel, Jameson, Ryan, and River.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.