Local News
FRPD plans to separate dueling gun violence demonstrators on Saturday
‘The vigil is about honoring people who have died. Speakers will be reading the names of people who have died and I would hope they will be respectful of that,’ WC Indivisible VA organizer Heather Davis says of events planned for March 10 at the Front Royal Town Gazebo. Photo/Roger Bianchini
An organizer of Warren County Indivisible’s “Vigil and Protest for Victims of Gun Violence” scheduled for Saturday afternoon, March 10 in Front Royal say they will proceed despite the promise of an open-carry, pro gun-rights counter-demonstration. Multiple responses indicating a desire to participate in the suggested pro-gun counter-demonstration were posted online in recent days, some of a nature reported to raise safety concerns among some planned participants.
Heather Davis confirmed that some vigil against gun violence activities scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at the Town Gazebo, including the bulk, if not all of the planned Selah Theater group presentations by local high school students have been cancelled out of fears of what might develop from the presence of armed, pro-gun rights advocates. However, as of Friday one student essay is still slated to be read as part of the program, Davis told Royal Examiner.
Davis said that she had spoken to Front Royal Police Chief Kahle Magalis about FRPD’s planned handling of what has developed into dueling demonstration agendas revolving around gun violence. Davis said Chief Magalis told her FRPD planned to cordon off the Gazebo area where the vigil will be held, while placing gun-rights activists in the vicinity of the nearby train caboose.
Royal Examiner contacted Chief Magalis, who confirmed the plan to separate demonstrators while not infringing on anyone’s right to express their opinion.
“We will have extra personnel, security and guidance so that both sides can have a platform to express their beliefs in a manner that everyone is safe, secure and that the businesses downtown are not disrupted,” Magalis said. He noted that social media posts had indicated a potentially sizable turnout for both demonstrations, and that FRPD would assign personnel accordingly.
Vigil against gun violence organizer Davis noted that the event’s major focus is the acknowledgement and honoring of victims of gun violence and a move toward more sensible gun laws, not a call to strip American citizens of their right to own guns.
“I hope they won’t be disruptive,” Davis said of pro-gun rights activists, “The vigil is about honoring people who have died. Speakers will be reading the names of people who have died and I would hope they will be respectful of that.”
The March 6 Warren County Indivisible press release announcing the event noted that the names of two of the most recent, and worst mass shootings in U.S. history, the Las Vegas concert shooting of October 1, 2017 (58 dead) and the 2018 Valentine’s Day massacre at a Parkland, Florida high school (17 Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS students and teachers dead) will be read aloud at the vigil.
Sixth District Congressional candidates Peter Volosin, Jennifer Lewis and Charlotte Moore are still slated to appear. Also invited but not indicating they will participate were Warren County’s three Republican state delegates, Michael J. Webert (18th), Chris Collins (29th) and Todd Gilbert (15th), as well as members of their staffs. Indivisible of Warren County, VA bills itself as “a non-partisan group of concerned citizen activists who put country before party, and stand against any erosion of our historic democratic principles of liberty, justice, and equality.”
On Thursday, this reporter spoke to one person expressing an interest in participating in the pro-gun rights demonstration. Told the other demonstration was “against gun violence” of the kind students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School experienced last month, rather than against the right of law-abiding citizens to own guns, he replied, “Well, I think everyone is against gun violence.”
I guess at least on the local front here in Front Royal and Warren County, Virginia, we will find out tomorrow afternoon if he is right.
Local News
VDOT: Warren County Traffic alert for August 8 – 12, 2022
The following is a list of highway work that may affect traffic in Warren County during the coming weeks. Scheduled work is subject to change due to inclement weather and material supplies. Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving tractors during mowing operations. When traveling through a work zone, be alert to periodic changes in traffic patterns and lane closures.
*NEW* or *UPDATE* indicates a new or revised entry since last week’s report.
INTERSTATE 66
Mile marker 0 to 15, eastbound and westbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Saturday (August 13).
Mile marker 8 to 7, westbound – Right lane closures for utility work, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Saturday (August 13).
INTERSTATE 81
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound and southbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Saturday (August 13).
PRIMARY ROADS
Route 55 (Strasburg Road) – Shoulder closures for utility work in the area of Route 664 (Whipporwill Road), 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through August 19.
SECONDARY ROADS
No lane closures were reported.
Vegetation management may take place district-wide on various routes. Motorists are reminded to use extreme caution when traveling through work zones.
Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at www.511Virginia.org.
The VDOT Customer Service Center can assist with reporting road hazards, asking transportation questions, or getting information related to Virginia’s roads. Call 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623) or use its mobile-friendly website at my.vdot.virginia.gov. Agents are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Local News
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over: The results of drunk driving could be crushing
During the Labor Day holiday, including the end of summertime and the busy Labor Day weekend, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working alongside the law enforcement community in Warren County to decrease impaired driving. From August 19 through September 5, Warren County Sheriff’s Office will be participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement period. In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, you’ll see officers working together during this time to take drunk drivers off the roads. No matter how you plan to celebrate the end of the season this year, make sure you plan it safely.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2016 to 2020, and one person was killed in a drunk driving crash every 45 minutes in 2020. This is why Warren County Sheriff’s Office is working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, but also a matter of life and death. As you head out to festivities during the end of summer and Labor Day weekend, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. The Warren County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a DUI Checkpoint August 19, 2022.
During the 2020 Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. September 4 – 5:59 a.m. September 8), there were 530 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty-six percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were drunk (.08+ BAC), and one-fourth (25%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC). Age is a particularly risky factor: Among drivers between the ages of 21 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2020, 44% of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of .08 or higher.
For more information on impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.
Local News
VSP seeking public’s assistance with a crash involving a pedestrian in Fauquier County
Virginia State Police is seeking the public’s assistance with identifying one of the two vehicles that struck a pedestrian Saturday, August 6, in Fauquier County.
Senior Trooper D. Mabie is investigating the crash that occurred at 11:20 p.m. at the intersection of Route 29 (James Madison Hwy) and Route 28 (Catlett Rd).
A pedestrian was walking east across Route 29 when he was struck by a northbound 2017 Alfa Romeo sedan. The driver was unable to avoid the collision and immediately pulled over. A second vehicle then struck the pedestrian and continued on without stopping. This is possibly a white SUV or truck of unknown make and model.
The pedestrian, a 21-year-old male, of Bealeton, Va., suffered life-threatening injuries as a result of the crash and was transported to INOVA Fairfax Hospital for treatment.
The driver of the Alfa Romeo, a 24-year-old male, of Locust Grove, Va., was not injured in the crash. He was wearing a seatbelt.
The pedestrian was wearing dark clothing and not in a crosswalk. The Alfa Romeo had a green light.
The crash remains under investigation.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has any information related to this incident is encouraged to call Virginia State Police Senior Trooper D. Mabie at 540-347-6200 or email questions@vsp.virginia.gov.
Jenspiration
Donations to aid Kentucky still accepted at Aders Insurance Agency
Donations will be collected for the second week in a row at Aders Insurance Agency, located at 23 Church Street in Front Royal, from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, until August 12.
Please help those who suffered due to the flooding in Kentucky. Towels and blankets must be NEW. No more clothing in needed.
Jenspiration
Rugged Terrain Crossfit takes home the trophy at the Waggin’ for Dragons 2022 race
Waggin’ for Dragons 2022 is a wrap.
Thank you to all of the participants and volunteers who spent their day with us down on the Shenandoah River with the 22Dragons crew. This year, this fun boat race benefited the Humane Society of Warren County, Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, and United Way of Front Royal.
Check out the lineup of teams this year! All of these boats raised at least $1,000 as an entry fee. There were several fierce rivalries that added to the energy and fun!
- Humane Society of Warren County – Foster Fleabags
- Rotary – Rotary River Rats
- Warren County Sheriff’s Department
- State Farm – Good Neighbors
- Element Risk – Risky Business
- Rugged Terrain Crossfit
- Valley Health
- Skyline High School
- Coldwell Banker Blue
The winner of the race on the water was Rugged Terrain Crossfit! Congratulations!
Team Rugged Terrain Crossfit
This tough crew came out and gave it their all. Fun banter was held between the Sheriff’s team and Crossfit, as there was wife vs. husband action on the two boats! Be sure to stop by the Rugged Terrain gym to see this gorgeous Waggin’ for Dragons trophy in person. Bragging rights and good luck will live at this gym for the next year!
- GOLD: Rugged Terrain Crossfit 1.01.4
- SILVER: Warren County Sheriff’s Department 1.01.88
- BRONZE: Coldwell Banker Blue 1.02.08
(Numbers are appropriately correct)
There were two other categories that were judged: Most Funds Raised, and Most Spirited teams. The Rotary River Rats brought home both of these honors, netting a total of $5,011 in funds raised, a full $2,000 more than next in line. All three of our local Rotary clubs were represented on the boat – Rotary Club of Warren County, Rotary Club of Front Royal, and the Rotary Club of Northern Shenandoah Valley. The team had a representative from the House of Hope, Department of Social Services, and I’m Just Me Movement (a local non-profit that supports our youth through mentoring and positive reinforcement) rowing as well!
Chamber News
Chamber welcomes Kells Belles to Front Royal
The Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce, along with Town Mayor Chris Holloway, Councilman Gary Gilespie, and friends welcomed Kells Belles to Main Street in downtown Front Royal. Kells Belles is the dream of Kelly Wahl to provide a women’s fashion boutique to the Front Royal community.
Kells Belles is located at 213 E. Main Street in downtown Front Royal. Kelly says she will be open on Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and on Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Find out more on Facebook or call 540-551-3157.
Thank You to our Local Business Participants:
