The blanket of bright green that has covered Madison County throughout the summer is giving way to shades of red, orange and yellow. “What I’m hearing and seeing is that fall color will be good this year,” said Madison County Extension Agent Adam Downing. 

More should be done to protect trout fishing in Madison County’s Robinson and Rose rivers – the beautiful streams that tumble from headwaters high in the mountains surrounding Syria. Scientists say acid rain is sharply reducing numbers of the fish – it’s already said to have wiped out wild brook trout in a third of Virginia’s 500 trout streams. This is particularly alarming because brook trout – the Virginia state fish – are more pollution resistant than many other types of fish.