Category: Harrisonburg Issues
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The good, the bad and the ‘trending in the right direction’ of Hburg High School’s online learning
Earlier this fall, the percentage of Fs in Harrisonburg High School classes was more than twice as high as usual. So officials had an intervention. Meanwhile, while some students have found mostly online learning to be challenging, other students have thrived in unexpected ways.
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Study shows the extent of Hburg’s housing crunch
The types of housing units available in Harrisonburg — and the competitiveness of the housing market — particularly disadvantages lower-income residents, which the initial findings of a comprehensive housing study confirmed.
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Harrisonburg schools want to bring more students back to the classroom
In the wake of some students’ struggles to adapt to online learning, the Harrisonburg City Public Schools are working on a plan to bring more of them back into classrooms in the coming weeks, with priority given to the youngest students.
Innovative local farm serves as a classroom for area students
“Soil is meant to be covered,” reads the stitching on Rockingham County farmer Mike Phillips’ hat. Along with his wife, Susan, Phillips owns Valley View Farm, where they raise cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs and pay special mind to soil heath through the use of cover crops, rotational grazing, and no-till planting techniques. For four years, the farm has partnered with Rockingham County Public Schools (RCPS) and Massanutten Technical Center’s (MTC) Agriculture Program. The growing program currently enrolls 26 students in the 10th through 12th grades from RCPS, Eastern Mennonite School, Harrisonburg City Schools as well as homeschooled students. The farm has been Phillips’ family for well over a century.
With demand unabated , local groups continue supporting newcomers to the area
When Omar Al Sadoon told the case worker from the Department of Social Services that he wanted work as an electrician, she was incredulous. It was too much, Omar recalls her saying. He needed much better English and training in U.S. electrical standards before he could think about getting a job as an electrical tradesman in Virginia.
Masks behind bars? Local jail has avoided COVID-19, but some raise concerns about mask use
The Rockingham-Harrisonburg Regional Jail so far hasn’t seen any COVID-19 cases among inmates or staff. But some are concerned about the degree of mask wearing.
Open Doors reopens Red Front’s doors
From outside, the dark red bricks and scarlet facade of what used to be Red Front Supermarket are unchanged, and the sign bearing the name of the grocery store, which closed last spring, still looms over Chicago Avenue. Inside, though, is a completely different sight than what anyone who had shopped at Red Front for more than 60 years would recognize. In the entrance, bags of donated clothes are piled where the teddy bear claw machine and free newspaper racks stood. The checkout counters have been replaced with shelves stocked with hygiene items and other essentials, while 45 beds extend across what once were grocery aisles.
Council approves solar farm as well as bonuses for city workers
The Harrisonburg City Council made a few steps toward increasing residents’ access to solar and wind energy on Tuesday night, as council members unanimously approved the lease for a solar farm on the north end of town, and adopted a resolution that aims to have 50% of the city’s electricity come from renewable energy by 2025.
