William E. Clevenger, 82, of Linden, Virginia, passed away with his family on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg.

William E. Clevenger

He was born September 22, 1941 in Peterstown, West Virginia a son of the late Edsel Ogden and Nellie Catherine (Lewis) Clevenger.

A graduate of Greeley High School, he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Northern Colorado in 1965.

Bill was a proud veteran of the U.S. Air Force from 1965 to 1974, in positions of Supply Operations Officer and Missile Engineer, and served as a Captain in the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged after the war ended and was credited for his time in the military.

Most notably, William worked for the Central Intelligence Agency as a Logistics Operations Officer in later years. During his tenure, he had many overseas assignments, including two tours in Afghanistan, and completed many temporary tours of duty in several countries. His outstanding support through the years earned him many accolades. Bill retired from the CIA in July 2014 after 14 years of service.

Outside of his professional life, William was a lover of the great outdoors and was an avid fisherman. He enjoyed the challenges of fishing various waters and was always looking for the next river or stream to try his luck. Bill also loved to travel, having spent time in Alaska, Hawaii, and many U.S. destinations. He loved living in the Blue Ridge mountains, raising a garden, and considered all God’s creatures his friend. Known for his caring nature, William was always available to help others and offer advice when asked. He believed in hard work and was dedicated to his job, home projects, and his family. He lived a full life of fun and adventure. He was a devoted family man and a loving husband and cherished his time with his children and grandchildren.

Bill will be remembered for his charm, kindness, and unwavering love for his family. His legacy will continue to inspire all those fortunate enough to spend time with him and live on in the hearts of those blessed to know him. He will always be truly missed and remembered.

He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Judy (Deutschman) Clevenger, daughter, April Michelle (Clevenger) Kackley (Kinzel), step-son, Jack Allen Smith; grandchildren. Lexx Jaxon Clevenger, Kinzel R. E. Kackley, and Harley Mae K. Kackley; siblings Christine (Clevenger) Wood, Mike Clevenger (Debbie), and Ed Clevenger (Karen); and numerous nieces and nephews.

James Thomas Brown, 81, of Browntown, Virginia, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Sunday, May 5, 2024.

James Thomas Brown

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, May 14, at 11:00 a.m. at Front Royal United Methodist Church with the Rev. Rachel Plemmons officiating. Interment will follow in Panorama Memorial Gardens at Waterlick.

Mr. Brown was born October 2, 1942, in Tazewell County, Virginia, the son of the late Walter Bernard and Lena Ettus Puckett Brown.

Mr. Brown was a Front Royal United Methodist Church member for 26 years. He was very active in the church, always there when the doors were open, delivering food to shut-ins, and helping with many projects at the church.

He retired after 35 years from Navy Federal Credit Union, one of the first 30 when the credit union began. He worked for Shenandoah Valley Golf Club and spent time with his friends on the course playing a round or two of golf. He was a U.S. Army Reserve Veteran.

Mr. Brown will be greatly missed by his loving family and his many friends.

Surviving is his loving and devoted wife of 58 years, Jean Marlene Brown; one son, Michael James Brown and wife Christine of Ashburn, Virginia; one daughter, Lynda Kay Steele of Bealeton, Virginia; one sister, Elizabeth Ann Santolla of Dale City, Virginia; three grandchildren who were the apples of his eye, Kelsi Steele, Victoria Steele, and Jason Brown; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents: two brothers, Billy Brown and Ralph Brown, and a sister, Hazel Underwood.

Pallbearers will be family and friends.

The family will receive friends on Monday, May 13, from 6-8 p.m. at Maddox Funeral Home.

Memorial donations may be made to the Front Royal United Methodist Church, 1 West Main Street, Front Royal, Virginia 22630.

Virginia officials are instructing healthcare providers to start keeping track of “adverse events” involving children and teens being exposed to cannabis products.

Attorney General Jason Miyares displayed a bin of THC edible products from Virginia stores. Experts say the products have caused a spike in poison control calls involving young children and teens. (Photo by Graham Moomaw)

In an April 24 letter to clinicians, State Health Commissioner Karen Shelton said her agency had received enough reports of minors getting sick from products containing CBD and THC, chemical compounds found in cannabis, that the state was establishing a “special surveillance system” to keep tabs on the issue.

“Reported symptoms for these adverse events have included vomiting, hallucinations, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, altered mental status, and anxiety,” Shelton wrote, adding that “some hospitalizations have occurred” as a result of minors consuming cannabis products.

The letter specifically asks that local health departments be made aware of any cannabis-related hospitalizations in patients under 18 years old and any “clusters of adverse events” affecting multiple minors.

“After a hospitalization or cluster is reported, VDH staff will collect information about the illness(es), possible exposures, and laboratory results,” the letter says.

State data shows an increase in emergency room visits involving minors and cannabis. (Source: Virginia Department of Health)

The Health Department provided data showing an increase in emergency room visits involving minors being exposed to cannabis and said the new surveillance system will help bolster those tracking efforts. In 2019, there were 52 ER visits. By 2023, the number had grown to 377.

That data only covers emergency room visits and doesn’t reflect every incident reported to health officials.

“As a result of these data, the special surveillance system was established in order for VDH to receive these reports directly and better assess the impact of adverse events related to consumption of products containing THC or CBD among children in the Commonwealth,” said Health Department spokesperson Cheryle Rodriguez.

The letter also points to an online portal allowing anyone who had an adverse experience with cannabis products to submit a report to the Health Department with information about what happened, where the product was obtained, and how it was labeled. The agency also noted that lab testing is available to “support patient and product testing.”

The tracking system set up by health officials is the latest government effort to mitigate the downsides of cannabis, as policymakers continue to debate what to do about adult use of marijuana and products close enough to weed to produce a similar high. Earlier this year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin pointed to health risks to children as one of his reasons for vetoing legislation that would have legalized retail sales of marijuana for purely recreational use.

“The most concerning consequence of cannabis commercialization is its impact on adolescents and our children,” Youngkin said in his veto statement, which also cited data showing increases in calls to poison control centers for children who consumed cannabis edibles.

There have been numerous news stories in the past few years of THC-related overdoses at Virginia schools, some of them being serious enough to require hospitalization. Last year, a high school in the city of Richmond took the unusual step of banning all candy after four students suffered “medical distress” after eating edibles believed to contain a form of THC, the intoxicating element found in marijuana, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

As lawmakers have relaxed Virginia’s laws on adult possession of small amounts of marijuana, they’ve taken steps to crack down on legally murky products like delta-8 THC, which produces a high similar to marijuana but has gone largely unregulated because it’s typically derived from hemp plants.

Michelle Peace, a forensic science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University who specializes in vaping and cannabis research, said data collection and better testing will help health officials “get their arms around” the issue.

“It’s important to know how pervasive the problem is,” Peace said in an interview.

Peace has been doing her own research into the vaping habits of Virginia K-12 students by testing the contents of vape equipment confiscated by school officials. Out of 369 submissions, 82% contained nicotine, and 18% had some form of THC.

Much of that THC was “very highly concentrated,” Peace said, making it more likely that the user would experience negative effects.

“At the end of the day, there needs to be proper attribution as to what the child actually consumed,” Peace said.

Editor’s note: This story was updated after publication with additional information from the Virginia Department of Health.

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The legendary harness horse Foiled Again will celebrate his 20th birthday this Saturday, May 11, at Shenandoah Downs. The festivities will include a “Happy Birthday” singalong, free cake and cupcakes, and a Meet & Greet with the beloved equine star, where fans can snap photos with him.

The son of Dragon Again retired six years ago after a stellar career, earning over $7.6 million — more than any other standardbred horse. His legacy includes 109 victories and 225 top-three finishes out of 331 starts, with his 104th win occurring at Shenandoah Downs on September 29, 2018.

Foiled Again has made two post-retirement appearances at Shenandoah Downs, including a lap around the half-mile track with Hall of Fame driver John Campbell in 2019. Fans can also meet Montrell Teague, the driver who piloted Foiled Again to his 105th victory. Teague will make his debut appearance at Shenandoah Downs in a promotional role.

Shenandoah Downs, located at I-81, Exit 283 between Winchester and Harrisonburg, is steeped in a 106-year harness racing tradition at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds. Visit shenandoahdowns.com for more event details.

In response to my recent letter explaining some of the work of the Front Royal-Warren County EDA cleaning up the mess left by Jennifer McDonald, the former EDA executive director, I have received good questions from members of the public. All of the relevant information for answers is freely available, but the situation is more than a little complex. I’ll do my best here to summarize the financial impact of the McDonald thefts, and where we are today from my perspective. Rather than attempt to cover all the litigation, I want to focus on the money.

It has been established in court that the EDA lost approximately $21 million as a result of unlawful conduct by a group of individuals and entities working with Jennifer McDonald. Some individuals and entities admitted their culpability, while others reached financial settlements without admitting wrongdoing. Still others contested liability and were found liable by Warren County juries. Many claimed they were also duped by McDonald. McDonald herself confessed to a judgment of $9 million, which I understand cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. That amount will hang forever over McDonald’s life, until she pays back the citizens of the Town of Front Royal and Warren County.

The situation is indeed complex. How could it happen? In fairness to all who were around McDonald, at the heart of her schemes were a series of forgeries, some of which were very clever, and using the latest in online technology for the time. That’s something difficult for the best of us to keep up with.

The EDA filed lawsuits and claims against more than two dozen individuals and companies. In each case that went to trial, the EDA won, although one defendant’s debt was discharged in bankruptcy. Numerous defendants settled out of court either ending or avoiding a lawsuit. In some of those settlements the terms of the payments remain confidential. That kind of confidentiality is common in these types of financial settlements but perhaps not very satisfying to the public. In the interest of recouping as much public monies as feasible, the EDA has taken cash over the smug – but brief —  satisfaction of seeing a “scarlet letter” painted on the proverbial bad guy’s forehead in a public shaming.

To date of my leaving the EDA (April 2024) about $7.9 million in cash or property has been recovered from the EDA’s claims. Some of the recovered amount is cash, some is figured in the value of real estate returned to the County that can now be sold. Another $20 million was awarded by the court but has not yet been collected. Some of that amount is subject to appellate court review. Specifically, Truc “Curt” Tran” and IT Federal, LLC, the company he owns, are appealing the civil court judgments of more than $12 million in liability. And as a practical matter, some amounts awarded may never be collected.

In other twists and turns, amounts owed to the County by the Town of Front Royal are in dispute over issues including construction of the Town’s police station and improvements to Leach Run Parkway. (Together about $875,000.)  Also, interest costs continue to accrue related to loans which were tied to the original McDonald schemes. Potential disputes with banks have not yet been resolved. But for the sake of simplicity here, I will focus only on the McDonald-related misappropriations.

The cost of all this in legal fees paid by the County? Extremely high, but we are told that they are due to the length of litigation and its complexity, which the County wanted to pursue because of the impact of the McDonald actions. In my view, these were necessary expenses. Legal costs, including the forensic accounting to figure out what had happened, were about $9 million. It’s important to note that there would be no recoveries at all – we would not even know what happened – without the excellent legal representation by the firm of Sands Anderson. Pandak & Taves has represented the EDA in daily matters. Together, they have been brilliant. As I have stated before publicly, my personal view is that the County should continue to pay for the best lawyers and pursue these cases to their end.

Sands-Anderson legal team of Cullen Seltzer and Kimberley Paulsrud outside the WC Courthouse where they have pitched a shutout on civil liability cases related to the EDA financial scandal. Royal Examiner File Photo

So, the addition of amounts stolen, and spent to find the losses, amount to about $30 million. Legal recoveries noted above are roughly $9 million. Yep, your math is right – that leaves a big hole of about $21 million blown through our public budgets. With additional recoveries after appeals the losses might be “only” $15 million.

I want to again applaud our Warren County Supervisors for moving toward tax increases. As a true Reagan Republican, I am not in favor of high taxes. But I am in favor of good government. Good government – like freedom – is not free. We cannot ignore the McDonald mess, and we cannot just sweep it under the rug. The cost to our teachers, our firefighters, our children, and our fellow citizens will be too high. Replacing much of the losses must come in the form of tax revenues.

The wheels of justice turn slowly, but exceedingly fine. At least that’s how the popular phrase goes. Here, our work may never be complete. Speculation runs rampant about other connections to the McDonald case. Rumors aside, I fear there were other related illegal acts that may never come to light.

And the lessons from all this? From my perspective, be vigilant. Be a good citizen. Pay attention to facts (alternative facts aren’t – they’re fiction). Take a little time to read and go to public meetings. Get to know your representatives at all levels of government. We can have smart economic growth in Warren County. I know some don’t want any growth – but that’s not happening. In my opinion, the only alternative to good economic development is bad development. That would mean ugly strip malls, silly proposals for deafening racetracks inside the Town, McLean slumlords running things, and maybe your grand-kids living on the dole for lack of local jobs after we are gone.

Warren County – and you – deserve a better future than that.

Jim Wolfe
Front Royal, VA

(The author served as treasurer of the EDA from April 2020 through April 2024, when he stepped down at the end of his term. Jim Wolfe is an Associate Professor of Management at George Mason University. He is a former consultant to the Prime Minister of Estonia on economic development, and previously was an aide to Republican US Senator Dan Quayle.)

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