Author: Liesl Graber
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Liesl Graber, Contributor
Liesl is an emerging writer on the freelance scene, after spending four years writing for Eastern Mennonite University’s student newspaper The Weather Vane. She graduated from EMU in June 2018 and aspires to use her degree in English and writing studies to craft stories about the city she calls home. Eventually, Liesl wants to get her Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing and pursue her passion for writing children’s literature.
‘Real change’ — JMU students and halfway house residents team up to craft stories of hope and redemption
Male residents of the Gemeinschaft Home — a halfway house — created powerful songs and emotional messages after teaming up with JMU music and social work students. The result was Story Table, in which many of those stories and songs were shared Monday night at Merge Coffee Co. and Bowl of Good.
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Decision on community justice planner position on hold until at least July
Creating a community justice planner position — a major priority for activists, including the groups Valley Justice Coalition and Faith in Action — won’t happen until July 2019 at the earliest, if it happens at all.
Members of the Community Criminal Justice Board said during Monday’s meeting that they mostly agree with the goals of data analysis but still have to figure out if it warrants adding a new government-funded job.
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Jail’s $1-a-day fee sparks debate over how costly incarceration is for everyone involved
As some in Harrisonburg call for criminal justice reforms, debate over a fee in local jails has opened up wider conversations about how best to help those caught up in the legal system.
Emotions and experiences of war remain fresh for Tom Showalter, one of the U.S. Army’s remaining survivors of WWII
Farm life prepared Rockingham County native Tom Showalter for the strength required for enduring World War II, but not for the terror he would face — when landing on Utah Beach in one of the subsequent waves after D-Day, then facing German soldiers or when a shell exploded near him while on guard duty sending shrapnel through his leg.
The no-fluff, ‘real issues that need to be fixed’ campaign of the council race’s only incumbent
Democrat Chris Jones is seeking re-election with a core platform of prioritizing school development, environmental sustainability, community justice, and helping the 60 percent of people in Harrisonburg considered “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed,” or ALICE, as outlined in a 2017 report from the United Way.
Environmental committee will try to convince council to act on long-term sustainability plans
Community volunteers and city staff who are part of a key environmental committee will present their Environmental Action Plan to city council Tuesday, which the group says will serve as a blueprint for ways Harrisonburg can help save energy, money and the planet. As part of that effort to encourage the council to act, committee members are urging residents to turn out to Tuesday’s council meeting.
Changing approach to jails can save money and improve lives, residents and activists say
As a crowd gathered on the corner of High and Market Streets Monday evening, Jennifer Davis Sensenig, president of Faith in Action, urged the more than 80 people to march and make their case for local justice reform.
“We’re coming in force because we think the [CCJB] has the power to make local changes,” Sensenig said. The crowd responded with cheers.
