Supervisors declare Augusta drought emergency, new WARM executive director: THE DIGEST

Augusta supervisors declare drought emergency

VERONA – The Augusta County Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency over the ongoing drought during its July 24 meeting.

“There continue to be extremely dry conditions coupled with high temperatures throughout Augusta County, Virginia, which have caused widespread agricultural issues and have the potential to affect private and municipal water supply,” reads the declaration .

The declaration asks the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare Augusta County a disaster area, qualifying those affected for relief assistance. It also approves all actions taken by county staff and the emergency management coordinator working to mitigate damages caused by the drought. The resolution was passed as part of the board's consent agenda.

“As of July 9, 100% of our county is in extreme drought,” explained County Administrator Tim Fitzgerald. “What this resolution does is it declares a local drought emergency for Augusta County and it asks that programs be made available to our farmers in regards to financial help with the reduced crop that they may see from that drought.”

“That’s all the farmers?” asked Supervisor Butch Wells.

“That’s all our farmers,” Fitzgerald responded.

WARM selects new executive director

WAYNESBORO – The Waynesboro Area Refuge Ministry (WARM) has a new executive director. The WARM Board of Directors selected Alec Gunn to lead the organization, beginning July 22.

“Alec Gunn is everything whom the WARM Board was looking for in its new leader,” said Brian Edwards, WARM board chairperson and the previous acting executive director. "The depth of knowledge and skill that was evident to the board at the start of our hiring process was none that we had seen before. He blew us away!"

The WARM program includes:

• The Ruth Van Cleve Anderson WARM House for Women and Children, a shelter offering transitional housing to mothers and children.
• The Cold Weather Shelter offering emergency shelter during the coldest months to unsheltered men and women.
• WARM Outreach, which provides necessities nearing the Cold Weather Shelter off season.

Gunn has a 17-year career in education and counseling. He works as a health and physical education teacher at Kate Collins Middle School, Commandant at Fishburne Military School, and a program counseling coordinator at the New Directions Center in Staunton. In addition to working for WARM, Gunn will maintain a counseling practice and lead counseling and outreach at New Valley Church.

“Alec was the blessing that we have been praying to find over the last two years. God led Alec to WARM and WARM to Alec at such a critical time in the life of our ministries," said Edwards. "With scarce affordable housing and homelessness not abating, WARM needed someone who could lead WARM in our next ten years. We look forward to serving God’s ministry together.”

Augusta supervisors decline to continue streaming meetings on Facebook

VERONA – The Augusta County Board of Supervisors will soon no longer stream to Facebook.

Currently, the board’s meetings are streamed to Facebook and a video hosting website linked to by the county website. According to County Administrator Tim Fitzgerald, the county is switching to new software, Civic Plus, that will link the streamed video to the agenda.

“The meeting will be occurring,” said Fitzgerald. “You can watch the meeting and you can also pull up the agenda with it, and you can follow along the agenda. You can look at the attachments. You can move back and forth between the attachments and the video of the live feed of the meeting.”

The board is now using Granicus . According to its website, the “cloud-based platform” allows “government agencies to connect, engage and serve their constituents with website, online services, digital communications.” Fitzgerald said the platform “presented a lot of challenges for the county, such as user issues.” As the cost was approximately the same as Civic Plus, county staff started working towards the shift.

Supervisor Scott Seaton asked if not streaming directly to Facebook would reduce the number of people who watch the meetings and if viewers could comment online. Fitzgerald said he didn’t think it would reduce the number of views and comments would not be available.

Seaton moved the board continue streaming on Facebook. The board rejected the motion five to one, with Supervisor Gerald Garber absent.

VDOT traffic alerts from July 29 to Aug. 2

STAUNTON – The following is a list of highway work that may affect traffic in the Staunton transportation district during the coming weeks. Scheduled work is subject to change due to inclement weather and material supplies. Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving tractors during mowing operations. When traveling through a work zone, be alert to periodic changes in traffic patterns and lane closures.

INTERSTAT E 64

• *NEW* Mile marker 87 to 89 , eastbound and westbound – Overnight alternating lane closures including narrowing of Exit 87 off-ramp for pavement resurfacing operations, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. nights August 4 – September 26.

INTERSTATE 81

• Mile marker 205 to 211 , northbound – Overnight single lane closures for pavement resurfacing, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. nights through August 15.
• Mile marker 207 to 210 , northbound – Right shoulder closures for shoulder repairs, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
• Mile marker 220 to 221 , northbound and southbound – Overnight northbound closures and traffic detours Monday through Wednesday nights. Overnight southbound slow-roll closures Thursday and Friday nights. Traffic restrictions are for bridge-girder placement from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night. Shoulders closed 24/7 for bridge replacement and roadway construction as part of I-81 southbound auxiliary lane project. Work zone speed limit 60 miles per hour. Expected completion summer 2025.
• *NEW* Mile marker 221 to 223 , northbound and southbound – Right shoulder closures for litter pickup, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday and Friday.
• *UPDATE* Mile marker 221 to 227 , northbound and southbound – Overnight single-lane closures for barrier wall installation, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Thursday nights. Right and left shoulder closures in place 24/7 through spring 2026. Work zone speed limit 60 miles an hour. Traffic restrictions are for I-81 widening project .
• *NEW* Mile marker 223 to 221 , northbound and southbound – Overnight right lane and shoulder closures including along Exit 221 for resurfacing operations, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. nights August 4 – September 27.
• *NEW* Mile marker 227 to 230 , northbound and southbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for inspections of Middle River bridges, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. nights of August 4-5.

PRIMARY ROAD S

• *NEW* Route 250 (Richmond Avenue/Jefferson Highway) – Eastbound and westbound overnight left lane closures between Route 1427 (Rowe Road) and Route 644 (Frontier Drive) for barrier installation, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Friday nights. Traffic restrictions are related to I-81 widening project .
• *UPDATE* Route 250 (West Main Street, Waynesboro) – Eastbound and westbound overnight alternating lane closures between Route 1007 (Stoneridge Drive) and Hopeman Parkway for soil testing, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. nights Sunday (August 4) through August 8.
• *NEW* Route 254/262 (Hermitage Road/Woodrow Wilson Parkway) – Flagger traffic control between Route 795 (Saint James Road/Glover Circle) and Route 790 (Lewis Creek Road) for soil testing, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Thursday.
• *NEW* Route 262 (Woodrow Wilson Parkway) – Overnight northbound right lane closures between Country Club Road and I-81 interchange for installation of construction entrance, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday night. Traffic restrictions are related to I-81 widening project .
• *NEW* Route 262 (Woodrow Wilson Parkway) – Southbound overnight alternating lane closures between Route 11 (Lee Highway) interchange and I-81 exit 220 interchange including ramp narrowing for pavement resurfacing operations, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. nights August 4 – September 26.
• *NEW* Route 285 (Tinkling Spring Road) – Northbound right shoulder closure between Foursquare Lane and Route 1315 (Wilson Lane) for commercial entrance construction, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 29 to August 26.

SECONDARY ROADS

• Route 602 (Summerdean Road) – Flagger traffic control between Route 603 (Cales Spring Road) and Route 876 (Mish Barn Road) for overhead utility work, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through Thursday.
• Route 610 (Howardsville Turnpike) – Flagger traffic control between Route 916 (View Drive) and Route 634 (China Clay Road) for overhead utility work, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through Thursday.
• Route 624 (South Delphine Avenue, Waynesboro) – Shoulder closures between South Oak Lane and Chinquapin Drive for work related to construction of Waynesboro Southern Corridor , through May 2025.
• Route 635 (Barterbrook Road) – Closed between I-81 frontage roads (FR-217 and FR-218) for bridge replacement as part of I-81 southbound auxiliary lane project. Follow posted detour. Expected completion summer 2025.
• *NEW* Route 640 (Goose Creek Road) – Northbound shoulder closures between Route 834 (Hickory Hill Road) and Route 285 (Tinkling Spring Road) for commercial entrance construction, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 29 to August 26.
• Route 664 (Reeds Gap Road) – Flagger traffic control between Route 814 (Love Road) and Blue Ridge Parkway for overhead utility work, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through Thursday.
• Route 664 (Mount Torrey Road) – Occasional flagger traffic control between Route 624 (Lyndhurst Road) and Route 610 (Howardsville Turnpike) for utility work, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through September 30.
• Route 664 (Lyndhurst Road, Waynesboro) – Shoulder closures between Miami Avenue and Purdue Street for work related to construction of Waynesboro Southern Corridor , through June 2025.
• Route 682 (McKinley Road) – Flagger traffic control between Route 252 (Middlebrook Road) and Route 679 (Campbells Hollow Road) for overhead utility work, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through Thursday.
• Various roads – Mobile traffic control for mowing operations. Flagger traffic control for drainage work, tree removal, shoulder repairs, pavement patching and brush cutting, 7:30 to 3 p.m. on weekdays.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Supervisors declare Augusta drought emergency, new WARM executive director: THE DIGEST