Author: Andrew Jenner
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Andrew Jenner, Publisher
Andrew spent most of his career as a journalist in the Shenandoah Valley, working as a freelancer for a decade. He covered many things for many media outlets, including The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Roads & Kingdoms, Discover and WMRA. He returned home to Harrisonburg in 2018, after three years living and writing in Brazil.
While debate over local criminal justice continues, voters won’t have much say on top law enforcement jobs this fall
Last Tuesday’s primary election day was also deadline day: the last opportunity for candidates to file paperwork to run for local constitutional offices — such as sheriff and commonwealths’ attorney — that will appear on this November’s ballot. Aside from the incumbents, however, no one else did, meaning Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst and Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson, both Republicans, will be unopposed in their reelection campaigns once again and are all but assured of serving again until 2023.
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Organizers of effort to memorialize the victim of a local lynching set their sights on Court Square
Charlotte Harris was in the custody of local law enforcement in Rockingham County on March 6, 1878, when a mob seized her and hung her from a tree – the only documented lynching of an African-American woman in Virginia’s history. The next month, a grand jury in Harrisonburg ended its investigation of the murder without returning any indictments. Judge Charles T. O’Ferrall, who oversaw that investigation, went on to become governor in the 1890s.
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In crossing the road, ICE causes a stir
Local Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel wanted to reconfigure the office in a way that wasn’t possible in their current building. By moving across the street, ICE is getting that new layout – and lots of new scrutiny from community members who say the agency should “have no place in the Friendly City.”
City spending on incarceration continues to climb
Harrisonburg’s total cost to prosecute, try and incarcerate people has risen by $1.8 million – roughly 29 percent – over the past five years, according to city finance documents.
Propelled by Rockingham Co. Republicans in Saturday’s primary, Chris Runion looks ahead to fall’s 25th House District race
Each of the three candidates for the Republican nomination to represent the 25th House of Delegates enjoyed a home-field advantage in Saturday’s firehouse primary, and the candidate with the biggest home field emerged the overall winner. Chris Runion, a businessman from Bridgewater, won with 1,299 total votes across the district — roughly 42 percent of 3,084 total votes cast.
Chris Runion wins GOP nomination in 25th House District firehouse primary
Chris Runion defeated two other Republicans to win that party’s nomination in the 25th state House District after a sprint of a campaign that ended with Saturday’s firehouse primary.
Justice planner included in proposed city budget that will get a public hearing at tonight’s council meeting
A tiny fraction of the proposed $274 million city budget amounts to a big deal for community groups that have been calling for reforms in the local criminal justice system.
Democratic 26th District candidates both try small-donor approach — but reveal different campaign spending philosophies as they try to chase Del. Wilt.
By emphasizing small, individual donations and not seeking corporate money from power companies such as Dominion Energy, the two Democrats running for the party’s nomination in the 26th House of Delegates seat this fall are following larger trends within the party.
