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The Roanoke Times •

8 candidates to run for Radford City Council and School Board seats

Eight candidates have qualified to run for the now competitive Radford City Council and School Board elections. Two weeks ago, no candidates had filed for either.

There are two seats each on the November ballot for the city council and school board.

For the Radford City Council, there are three candidates who qualified to appear on the ballot: W. Guy Wohlford, Kellie Artrip and Carl Mitchell. Artrip is a current city council member and Mitchell is a former school board member.
The Roanoke Times •

Shah Development purchases the Claytor Lake Boy Scouts Aquatic Center

The general manager of Shah Development, Christie Weddle, said Thursday the company currently has no plans for the property. The company intends to clean it, make repairs and research and then come up with a plan for the property, she said.

The Blue Ridge Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America began trying to sell the property almost three years ago, said Kenneth Lyons, the council’s chief development officer. Before the sale, the council had more than $2 million in debt but is now debt-free.
The Roanoke Times •

Pulaski County's water park to reopen for summer of 2025 after fire last year

“It was heartbreaking that this carelessness has cost the community so much, but it’s also a teachable moment,” Pulaski County Administrator Jonathan Sweet said. “It teaches us to value and appreciate the things that are important to us that we may take for granted.”

The county plans to build the facility back even better, Sweet said. The shelter will double in size and be extended to the pool deck. Previously, the shelter had been outside of the pool and disconnected from the deck.
The Roanoke Times •

Good Samaritan opens the region’s first hospice house on Cove Road

“My hope is not that all of the beds are full, but that the patients and families that come here get all of the experience they deserve at the end of life,” said Aaron Housh, the CEO of Good Samaritan. “I think we’ll be seeing that before the end of this year, so I’m really excited about getting to do that for our community.”

The Good Samaritan Center for Caring has two wings — one that has administrative offices and conference rooms, and the other that houses patients in their final days.
The Roanoke Times •

Friends of Old Lick Cemetery, 48 State Tour join to help future of historical cemetery

Appell is the CEO of Atlas Preservation and the founder of 48 State Tour, which travels each year. It goes to every state in the continental United States to teach about cleaning gravestones with the hope of inspiring people in each community to care for their cemeteries.

Appell said he was curious about Old Lick after driving by and seeing it and the tour’s goal is to help as many people as it can.
The Ring-tum Phi •

A behind-the-scenes look at administration

At Washington and Lee, change is visible. But the administrators behind it often are not.

“I feel like ideally, if a school is well run and administrators are good at what they do, it should largely be invisible to students,” University President William Dudley said in an interview with the Phi.

Change is present on every corner of campus. The new Williams School is currently under construction. The Marketplace is expanding. And, the university announced that construction will begin on a new c
The Ring-tum Phi •

Dean of students will retire after 24 years at W&L

Sidney Evans, the vice president for student affairs and dean of students, is retiring after 24 years at Washington and Lee University.

Alex Miller, the Vice President of Student Life at Denison University, is replacing Evans starting July 1.

Evans’ favorite part of her job is the students, she said.

“I love our students in particular because they are so bright; they keep me on my toes,” Evans said. “I think about the world through their eyes now, too.”

Evans started at the university in 200
The Ring-tum Phi •

Registrar’s Office loses top staffers

The University Registrar’s Office lost its two top staffers in December, slowing down major declarations right before fall registration.

However, potential replacements have already applied, said the Interim Registrar Fred Rodriguez.

The former registrar and former associate registrar left their positions in December, Rodriguez said. He took up his position at Washington and Lee in January after previously serving as University Registrar at Trinity University.

Former University Registrar Kim
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Rockbridge Report •

Four Lexington School Board candidates vie for three open positions - Rockbridge Report

Four Lexington residents are running for school board: Kasey Potter, Meghan Ferguson, Katie Masey and current chair Tammy Dunn. Potter and Ferguson want to create a smooth transition for city students attending the county high school. Masey and Dunn are focused on students’ mental health. It is the first time Lexington School Board members will be elected instead of appointed.

Photography

The following photo essay was published in the Ring-tum Phi, Washington and Lee University's school newspaper.