A Madison County man reportedly attacked and seriously injured two Madison County women Sunday, choking and kicking them, throwing them against a wall and beating them with a concrete landscape block, authorities say. The man, David F. Campbell, 45, of Poorhouse Road was arrested and charged with aggravated malicious wounding, simple assault and destruction of property, according to a Madison County Sheriff’s Office news release

If you’re thinking about rezoning your property – think again. As of July 1, it now costs Madison County property owners at least $2,000 to rezone a piece of land – five times greater than the county’s previous $400 flat rate fee.

Later this year, most Madison County residents will be forced to fork over more money to cover their tax bills. The board of supervisors recently approved a 10 percent increase of the equalized real estate rate – bringing it to 44 cents per $100 of assessed value. 

In terms of zoning and planning in Madison County – “density” is usually frowned upon. But increasing the number of homes and businesses in certain areas can be a good thing for a community, according to some of those who spoke at the 2008 Living Towns Planning Workshop, which took place in Madison last week. 

Madison high school and middle school students may present plays and perform music in a brand new auditorium in the near future. That’s just one idea school officials are looking at as part of possible plans to improve the Madison County High School-Wetsel Middle School complex. 

Madison County’s shooting range will re-open to local law enforcement officers July 1. The supervisors recently approved a temporary policy – that expires Dec. 31 – which will cut back the range’s hours and the number of days it can be used each month.

At about 3:40 p.m. on June 16, Aroda resident Ken Angus was sitting in a rocking chair on his porch when he saw a disturbing sight. High winds blew by bending a large maple tree in his front yard sideways and forcing rain to fall horizontally, he said. “It was like a wall of rain,” Angus recalled of the June 16 storm, which ripped through his Elly Road property.

With most Madison County taxpayers’ everyday expenses increasing, residents are pleading for county officials to cut spending during the coming fiscal year. Officials hosted a second – and final – public hearing June 16 regarding the proposed 2008-2009 budget, which totals $37.9 million and includes a 12.5 percent increase of the equalized real estate tax rate – bringing it to 45 cents per $100 of assessed value. 

Two new 199-foot tall “monopole” cell towers will soon be up in Shelby and Radiant. At a June 4 meeting, the Madison County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1, with Supervisor Bob Miller casting the lone no vote, to approve two special use permits allowing the construction of these new towers, according to officials. 

Earlier this week, the school board approved yet another revised budget – its third revision this year – which includes the same amount of county money as it received during the 2007-2008 fiscal year. In order to offset decreases in state and federal funding and increases in fuel and electricity costs, officials eliminated a proposed average salary raise of five percent for all employees.

It’s a mix of bittersweet emotion in the halls of Madison County High School as seniors prepare to don their caps and gowns. The 2008 high school graduation ceremony – which is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, June 7 in the Wetsel Middle School gym – will honor approximately 140 graduating seniors, according to MCHS Principal Mike Sisler. 

Madison County residents will likely face increases to most county tax rates and fees later this year. The proposed $37.9 million budget contains a 12.5 percent increase of the equalized real estate tax rate – bringing it to 45 cents per $100 of assessed value. Officials estimate the rate and fee increases will provide the county an additional $1.78 million for the 2008-2009 fiscal year – including an additional $195,500 to support Madison County Public Schools.

Next spring, Madison County drivers will scrape off county auto decals from their car windows for the last time. Officials recently announced that they will stop using the county stickers this coming year. 

Wireless service providers are continuing to try and increase their offerings in Madison County. Multiple residents have submitted a total of 10 special use permit applications in order to erect antennas and poles to provide wireless cell service in the area. Officials will consider these applications at the Madison County Board of Supervisors-Madison County Planning Commission joint meeting set for 7:30 p.m. June 4 in the auditorium of the County Administration Center.

Brightwood resident Leigh Purdum is this year’s recipient of Virginia Coalition for Open Government’s Laurence E.  Richardson award for individual citizen contributions to open government. The award honors the memory of a longtime Charlottesville broadcaster and VCOG founding director. Purdum, a former part-time Madison County Sheriff’s Office public information officer, won a landmark court decision against Madison County Sheriff Eric J. Weaver for willfully violating the state’s Freedom of Information Act, imposing a $250 fine and court fees. The decision possibly represents the first finding by a Virginia district court that a public official willfully violated FOIA.

Officials propose to re-open the county’s shooting range and shrink its usage. The range was shut down in June 2007 reportedly due to a noise complaint from a nearby property owner. Following the complaint, the zoning administrator and county attorney looked into the allowed usage of the county-owned property off Route 662 (Shelby Road) where the shooting range is located. Officials determined that the county’s zoning ordinance requires the supervisors to apply and be granted a special use permit in order to operate the range on a portion of the 240-acre agriculturally zoned site.

Madison County road fix-ups have hit a pothole – there’s less money than expected for road paving and widening this year. Virginia Department of Transportation officials recently changed the county’s six-year plan so it only lists projects that are set to receive money during the coming fiscal year. The change resulted in three road projects being cut from the roadwork priority list, leaving seven projects set to receive some money this year. 

UPDATE

Madison County supervisors and school officials argued May 20 about the trust issues and communication problems between the two groups that have “gridlocked” this year’s budget process. 

Most summer school students will be forced to make other plans this year. Due to decreases in state and federal money and rising costs, Madison County school officials announced Monday that they are cutting back summer school, usually open to children in kindergarten through 12th grade during the month of July.

The Madison County Board of Supervisors voted May 13 to deny a request to pay for Sheriff Erik Weaver’s appeal of a lower court ruling that he willfully violated Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act. The appeal, which had been set to go to trial late last month, was postponed to first decide if the county must pay the sheriff’s attorney fees – to the tune of $250 per hour. Earlier this month, Harrisonburg attorney Mark Obenshain, representing the sheriff, sent the board of supervisors a formal request that the county agree to pay for Weaver’s “retention of counsel to defend the [Freedom of Information Act] action asserted against him by [Brightwood resident Leigh Purdum].”

Madison County residents blasted officials at a May 6 meeting for proposing a budget they say includes “flawed priorities.” A standing-room only crowd filled the County Administration Center for close to two hours while the board of supervisors listened to more than 40 local residents sound-off on the proposed 2008-2009 fiscal year budget.

BREAKING NEWS
Town voters swept Madison Mayor Willie Lamar to a third four-year term Tuesday. The Church Street resident and Madison Drug Company pharmacist fended off a challenge by South Main Street resident Zane Byram, owner of Byram’s Automotive Works Inc. Lamar defeated Byram in the May 6 election by a seven-vote margin, 38-31.

UPDATE
Authorities are working to establish a timeline leading up to Madison County shootings that left a couple dead. A preliminary report released earlier this week confirmed that Manuel Paul Nicholson Jr., 35, of Madison County, died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the upper torso. He was found dead in the garage of his Ridgeview Road home shortly after 10 p.m. May 2, according to Madison County Sheriff Erik Weaver. His wife, Cynthia D. Nicholson, 34, was also found dead at the home with a gunshot wound to her upper torso. 

Taxpayers may have to foot the bill for Madison County Sheriff Erik Weaver’s appeal of a lower court ruling that he willfully violated Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act. The appeal had been set to go to trial this week, but a judge postponed it Monday to first decide if the county must pay the sheriff’s attorney fees – to the tune of $250 per hour.

After about 90 minutes of deliberation April 30, an Albemarle County jury found Oscar Robert Lemen guilty of both forcible sodomy and object penetration. The jury suggested the Madison County man spend 35 years in prison—15 on the sodomy count and 20 on the penetration charge. Lemen was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs after his bond was revoked. 

UPDATE
Huge boulder cleared Wednesday, major Syria artery now open for travel.

Proposed plans to build a new parking lot in Nethers to serve one of the state’s most popular hiking spots are moving forward. Citizens are invited to comment on a recently completed study regarding how nearby residents, wildlife and waterways will be affected by the construction of a new parking area to serve Old Rag Mountain hikers. A meeting to gather comments from the community about the lot’s effects on its surrounding environment is set for 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, April 25 at the Belle Meade Schoolhouse located at 353 F.T. Valley Road in Rappahannock County just past Etlan.

Residents of Wright’s Lane (Route 700) in Radiant say they have been waiting for improvements to their unpaved, curvy road for years. Some of the road’s homeowners were elated when they saw Virginia Department of Transportation workers preparing recently to begin the long awaited road improvement project, according to Wright’s Lane resident Brenda Ryder. But their joy was shortlived—they soon discovered that the tar and gravel was only going on a section near new homes.

Lassie, the longtime “greeter dog” at Yoder’s Country Market in Pratts that went missing in January was found — but died a few days later. A woman who runs a rescue dog operation and who is a friend of the Yoders found Lassie tied to a gate outside her Rappahannock County home on April 1 – April Fools Day – Michael Yoder said.

Community representatives blasted both proposed budget cuts and possible tax increases at the supervisors meeting April 7. The board was met with criticism regarding the proposed 2008-2009 budget, including a proposal to “flat line” funding for Madison County Public Schools.