Category: Harrisonburg Issues
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Strained by overcrowding, Middle River Regional Jail begins planning for expansion
The Middle River Regional Jail Authority took a first step this week toward expanding its overcrowded facility in Verona, by voting unanimously to hire Moseley Architects to conduct a needs assessment for the jail. The move comes as jail officials have warned that overcrowding in the jail is having a ripple effect on both the facilities’ budget and infrastructure.
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School board considers whether boosting amount of sick pay buyout at retirement will discourage teacher absences
The Harrisonburg City School Board is considering increasing the amount retired teachers could receive for unused sick days but will continue to debate the merits of the proposal during a future work session.
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‘Trying to do the right thing.’ How Hburg’s new police chief approaches the job — and his role as a youth basketball ref
When Eric English was kid, he identified two roles he said he would never take on: becoming a police officer and officiating basketball games. After 29 years of police work — including his last five months as chief of the Harrisonburg Police Department — and 15 years of experience refereeing youth basketball games, that declaration from his younger self makes him chuckle.
Council crafts vision for Hburg to be Valley’s ‘capital’ by 2039 and charts first set of priorities to get there
After first crafting their vision for what they want Harrisonburg to be in 20 years, city council members and top city leaders emerged from their three-day retreat on Sunday with a clearer idea of their priorities — including building the new high school and developing a comprehensive housing plan. Overall, the council members identified 22 priorities during their retreat at Hotel Madison that they hope to act on in the next three years.
On I-81 improvements, legislators detour around tax-or-toll decision and opt for more time
Committees in both chambers of the General Assembly on Thursday approved revised versions of bills by Valley legislators that outline $2.2 billion in needed improvements to I-81 but now no longer explain how to pay for them. The new legislation, which Sen. Mark Obenshain called a “pale shadow of its former self,” was meant to keep I-81 in the foreground of public discussions amid continued disagreement over funding methods.
HEC General Manager explains utility budget shortfall that city schools’ solar project is expected to cause
As reported last week in The Citizen, HEC says the planned schools project will result in a $225,000 net operating loss to its budget – even though the electricity generated by the schools’ solar panels will reduce the amount of electricity HEC buys from Dominion. That’s because HEC doesn’t sell electricity to the city schools, or any of its customers, at the same price it buys it.
Some scooters might be hibernating — but for how long? The next month will be key for the future of shareable rides.
The scooters showed up suddenly last fall, sparked intense debate and then many of them disappeared when college students left for winter break. Did the “Birds” just migrate? Did city council’s decision to regulate the scooters cause them to fly the coop?
City’s population estimate declines for the first time in more than 40 years
For the first time since Gerald Ford was president, Harrisonburg’s estimated population has decreased – if only ever so slightly. According to figures just released by the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center, Harrisonburg’s July 1, 2018 population was an estimated 54,606. That’s 83 fewer people than the July 1, 2017 estimate of 54,689, a decrease of 0.2 percent.
