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.

Budget cuts may force officials to slash summer school. In addition, students in after-school programs – such as sports, band and clubs – may see less money next school year to support their hobbies. April 14 the Madison County School Board discussed a laundry list of items that may be cut back if the board of supervisors “flat line” the school system’s 2008-2009 fiscal year budget.

The crowning of Ashlyn Jenkins as 2008 Miss Madison highlighted the April 12 Miss Madison Scholarship Pageant at Madison County High School.

Officials are considering re-opening the Madison County Sheriff’s Office shooting range after it was closed this past year due to a noise complaint.
The range, which had been in use since the mid-1980s, is located on a portion of county-owned land off Route 662 (Shelby Road), also home to the county transfer station and its animal shelter.

UPDATE

Firefighters arriving on the scene of blaze Thursday at 170 Shiffletts Corner Lane in Rochelle found the home there engulfed in flames.

Twenty Madison County Sheriff’s Office employees filled the county auditorium Tuesday requesting the supervisors higher their salaries. Sheriff Erik Weaver told officials mid-year salary increases would help him retain his current staff and would be covered by money leftover in his budget due to recent vacancies.

Hunter Weaver, the longtime chaplain of the Madison County Volunteer Fire Company, received its prestigious James O. Clore Award Saturday. Citing Weaver’s skill inspiring others, MCVFC President Robert “Radar” Finks presented the award at the company’s 52nd annual banquet, which was March 22 at the Madison fire hall.

Two men were arrested in Madison County recently on sex charges in unrelated cases. Fifty-six-year-old Wolftown resident Donald Wayne Merritt was arrested March 4 in connection with a forcible sodomy charge, according to a Madison County Sheriff’s Office news release. In an unrelated incident, 29-year-old Jason A. Dyer, who authorities say is originally from Madison County although he has no fixed address, was arrested March 23 on a forcible sodomy charge, according to Weaver.

County officials have proposed to “flat line” the school board’s budget. This proposal would keep local funds to support the schools’ 2008-2009 budget the same as the current one, rather than accepting its requested 13.7 percent increase. 

A Madison County man died after his truck slammed into a three-foot-wide oak along the 1500 block of West Hoover Road (Route 609) in Haywood March 29. The man, Robert Lee Jenkins, 50, died at the scene, Virginia State Police Sgt. F.L. Tyler reported.

Graves Mountain Lodge’s annual Kids Day fishing event has undergone a makeover. Besides being pushed forward a few weeks, the yearly Syria trout-fishing affair has been expanded to include a variety of educational offerings for the whole family.

The Hoover Ridge athletic field complex project has stretched about 10 percent over its original price, according to officials. Since this past December, the Madison County Board of Supervisors has approved a total of about $77,000 of additional money toward the $772,000 project to construct 11 athletic fields on a section of the 182-acre county-owned site behind Madison Primary School.

Madison County officials are considering a noise ordinance for small home businesses. A public hearing to discuss this proposed change to the county’s zoning ordinance, and two other suggested amendments, is set for Wednesday, April 2.

Death, spiders and blood all fall behind public speaking as the country’s No. 1 fear, according to national surveys.

Proposed county spending for the coming fiscal year is $6 million more than Madison County’s estimated 2008-2009 income.