School resumes for Madison County public school students Aug. 20. The Eagle gives an overview of what the new school year has in store for students, plus follows with a complete list of Madison County school bus schedules.

Motor vehicle accidents in Madison County jumped by almost a quarter from 2006 to 2007 – they went up 21 percent. The number of people killed or injured in a traffic crash also increased during that same period, according to statistics recently released by the Division of Motor Vehicles. “Our traffic calls have increased,” Madison County Sheriff Erik Weaver told The Eagle.

Officials plan to advertise the former Criglersville Elementary School property on a regional real estate Web site. Montague, Miller and Company Managing Broker Bud Kreh has volunteered to list the Route 670 site on two separate Multiple Listing Service systems – which are databases of properties for sale used by real estate agents.

Rows of towering, green cornstalks are a common sight on numerous Madison County farms this summer. The healthy produce is in stark contrast to 2007’s crop that was left thirsting for relief from high temperatures and little rain. “We’re definitely in a different moisture situation than we were last year at this time,” Madison County Cooperative Extension Agent Brad Jarvis told The Eagle last week.

School officials are searching for a new principal to head Madison Primary School this coming school year. Now-former MPS Principal Jamie Mathieson is leaving the Madison County school system and journeying to Venable Elementary School next month. Mathieson – who had worked at the primary school since 2002 – recently made the decision to switch jobs, he said.

UPDATE
New details were relased about a Saturday evening car crash that wiped out power for more than a thousand Madison County homes for more than five hours.

Madison County’s school board may expand outside use of its buildings. Officials are considering revising an existing policy to allow local organizations to pay to lease its property on an ongoing basis.

While many Madison County residents have cell phones, most say reception in the county is limited. Earlier this year the three-person committee – including commissioners Jacki Eisenberg, Ray Gooddall and David Jones – met and discussed what types of guidelines should be included in a possible ordinance regarding towers to provide both cell phone and wireless broadband Internet services.

As the economy slows, many Madison County families are struggling to keep food on the table. Rising costs have put low-income families in a crunch – forcing many to reach out for assistance from local organizations. 

Taxes should be fair, simple and easy to collect, according to a finance committee established by Madison County officials.In order for the county to boost revenue and offset increasing costs, the group suggests officials eliminate some hard-to-figure out taxes and jointly purchase goods and services among separate county departments.

Madison County may soon charge for ambulance rides. An eight-person finance committee – established by the board of supervisors this past November – has recommended that the county start a “revenue recovery” program, which would bill patients’ insurance providers between $300-$500 per emergency ambulance trip to a hospital.

Winners in the July 15 fair kick-off 2008 Madison Firemen’s Parade entry competition in downtown Madison are announced.

Tax hikes will fund school employees’ salary increases this year. Part of the additional money collected by Madison County’s four-cent tax rate increase will support an average salary raise of two percent for all public schools staff, according to Superintendent Brenda Tanner.

Sheriff Erik Weaver of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office announced July 2 that a joint investigation by Blue Ridge Task Force, DEA, Virginia State Police and Madison County Sheriff’s Office, after a three-month investigation, had executed a search warrant on July 1, in the 900 Block of Leon Road.

A big professional wrestling match is coming up. At Madison Square Garden in New York City? Maybe on the strip in Las Vegas? No – the Young Farmers site in Madison, Va.

Those curious to see if the board of supervisors will approve the construction of a third new 199-foot tall cell tower this year will have to wait. The application to build the tower in Brightwood – which was first postponed in June following the board’s approval of two other cell towers in Shelby and Radiant – has been put off by the applicant once again.

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.