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I realize this is at least a day late, but I just found out that Fred Hutchins, Sen. Jim Webb’s regional aide (who frequented Harrisonburg) was recently found dead in Botetourt County. Investigators are trying to determine if it was a suicide.

I had a long conversation with Fred last year at Massanutten Regional Library, during one of the “Webb Sites” he was conducting. I was struck by how young and sharp-witted he was.

National Farmers Market Week is August 3 through 9. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is challenging everyone to eat local for a day. The Downtown Harrisonburg Farmers Market is open Tuesday August 5 and Saturday August 9 from 7am-1pm. Read more »

The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed evidence of salmonella contamination in Mexican Serrano peppers through an “intensive investigation” stemming from the Salmonella Saintpaul Outbreak. Domestically grown Serrano peppers, however, have not been tied to any contamination and are still reportedly safe to consume.

The multi-week investigation began after this previously rare strand of Salmonella began being reported throughout the United States. Since April, over 1300 cases have been reported nationwide with 31 cases confirmed in Virginia. Read more »

While some Democrats are reporting stolen Obama yard signs in the city, someone on Craigslist rants about political fliers littering the streets after the McGaheysville parade.

It makes me wonder just how effective signs and fliers are, and where one would even find a McCain yard sign to steal. The vast majority of yard signs I’ve seen in the city have been Obama and Rasoul signs.

I have received several emails (some forwarded) from a reader in Rockingham County that informs me there is a “strange” man traveling door to door in county neighborhoods, reportedly selling various items — at times stating that he is conducting a survey for the school system — and is looking for households with children.

But that may sound worse than it actually is… Read more »

A friend of mine who works at JMU got this message in their e-mail last week:

“Just a friendly reminder that D-Hall will close after dinner July 22 to upgrade the tray return area.  The renovation will increase capacity, making the process faster, and will include installation of a pulper, laying the groundwork for composting and other sustainability efforts.” Read more »

A water main burst beneath East Market Street downtown Saturday (between Federal and Court Square). The city just announced that the street is expected to be opened later this evening, but that both lanes will be “restricted” tomorrow while temporary repairs are completed.

Read more »

Recently, an 8-year old boy was allegedly assaulted in the bathroom of the Dayton Wal-Mart. The suspect was an employee of the store, 30-year old Felix Alberto Martinez-Pacheco. Martinez-Pacheco, originally from Puerto Rico, told police that he had previously served 9 years in jail over a similar allegation involving a 7-year old boy, according to the DNR.

Martinez-Pacheco is listed in the National Sex Offender Registry. Wal-Mart says it started performing background checks on pre-hire employees in 2004. How did a sex offender who served significant jail time for a previous offense get a job which put him in contact with children? Read more »

This morning I was having trouble connecting to the Internet in two separate locations (both Comcast). I Twittered, “I’m starting to get the feeling that Comcast is down all over H’burg last night and this morning.” A few hours later, Twitter user “comcastcares - Frank” replied, “DM the phone number on the account and I can take a look.”

Now I read on the front page of the NYT that Frank is Comcast’s liaison to bloggers with Comcast problems. Sounds like a very full-time job.

The City of Harrisonburg, along with other Shenandoah Valley localities, was featured in the July-August issue of Stormwater Magazine in a article titled “Heritage and Promise”. The article describes the City’s cleanstream campaign which includes “A Doodie-Free Harrisonburg” campaign and “Harrisonburg’s Best Tips for Yard Care”. Read more »

“The first is usually in New York City or San Francisco, but we have it in Harrisonburg, and I’m proud of that,” says Brad Driver with a smile. Driver, a Bridgewater native and owner of the 9-store “Backstage Video” chain, is talking about his newest endeavor, which is located in the same shopping center as McAlister’s Deli near Harrisonburg Crossing. The centerpiece of the new store, and the first thing you notice when you walk inside, are the giant computer kiosks that take up almost a quarter of the space. These kiosks are what set the store apart, and they’re what make several of the store’s technological innovations possible. Read more »

JMU reports Main Street will reopen Thursday. Early.

On June 19, a group from the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries led by Steve Reeser & Paul Bugas went out to take several fish samples in Blacks Run. The group sampled at three locations in Blacks Run - one near Our Community Place, one in Purcell Park, and one just south of City limits off the Route 704 (Cecil Wampler Road) bridge just beyond where Blacks Run converges with Cooks Creek. What they found was both very promising and yet also showed that there was more to be done by our community to improve water quality. Read more »

Due to a combination of rising gas prices, greater awareness about carbon emissions’ impact on the environment, and individuals looking for healthier lifestyles, I’ve been seeing a lot more bicycles on the road and a lot more people walking. Although admittedly Harrisonburg doesn’t have the most ideal bicycle facilities (yet) and many neighborhoods were designed when cars dominated the American life leaving few sidewalks, many improvements have been made over the years to better accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians thanks to the efforts of citizens, citizen groups, bicycle clubs, City Council & staff, and business owners. Read more »