Category: Harrisonburg Issues
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All hands on deck: Inside the city’s response to COVID-19
Each Tuesday and Thursday morning, Helmuth and City Manager Eric Campbell hold a conference call with the heads of every city department to provide updates and share how the pandemic is affecting their work. It’s one of the many ways COVID-19 has affected — and changed — city government.
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DN-R building under contract; redevelopment planned if city approves rezoning
After spending ten months on the market, the Daily News-Record building at 231 South Liberty Street is under contract. The pending sale, to Matchbox Realty & Management LLC, could see the historic building join the growing list of downtown structures being repurposed as commercial and retail space – while continuing to house the DN-R.
Board delays new high school project
Harrisonburg’s new high school will not open by fall 2022 as planned. In light of local revenue lost because of the pandemic, the Harrisonburg School Board voted unanimously in a virtual meeting Tuesday to suspend the project until the city attains the necessary funding.
City infection rate is by far the state’s highest, for reasons that are unclear
After a sharp increase in local COVID-19 cases over the past week – including an outbreak at the long-term care facility Accordius Health that has infected 81 residents and left 10 dead – Harrisonburg has by far the highest per-capita rate of cases in the state.
Hburg group organizes virtual and old-school ways to mark Earth Day’s 50th anniversary
While the traditional marches and celebrations can’t happen for the 50th Earth Day on Wednesday, one local organization is encouraging people to participate in social-distancing-friendly ways, such as making homemade signs to display in windows and post on social media.
Downtown culinary district gets creative
Harrisonburg restaurants are finding creative ways to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic – supporting not only themselves, but their customers and community, too. Magpie & Friends drive-thru market is one new service cheering up a now-eerily quiet downtown.
City police prepared to enforce social distancing, but no citations issued yet
After a spike last week in the number of local COVID-19 cases (soon followed by the city’s first confirmed outbreak in a nursing home) Harrisonburg officials used a press release to emphasize the importance of “strict social distancing measures” and remind people that compliance isn’t technically optional.
