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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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Townie Summer comes to this college town
At the entrance, a metal sign proclaims, “Townie Summer.” Once a simple bit of local vernacular, some downtown businesses have begun to embrace the phrase. Susan Keeler, creative director at Pale Fire, says it’s about Harrisonburg having “that sleepy, small-town feel again.”
“It’s quiet,” Keeler said. “I think that’s what really sums up Townie Summer: it’s this calm.”
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Council again asks sheriff to consider ditching the jail ‘keep fee,’ also passes 2020 budget
The Harrisonburg city council ratcheted up pressure on the Rockingham County sheriff regarding the $1-a-day “keep fee” at the local jail. After a lengthy discussion about wording and efficacy, the council unanimously adopted a resolution on Tuesday evening to formally ask Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson to “examine the possibility of eliminating the $1-day jail fee.”
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Hoodies, music therapy and pick-up basketball. This school has found different ways to reach students.
For students the Rockingham Academy, a sweatshirt emblazoned with the school’s logo is more than just a token of school spirit. It’s a badge of honor. “In their home schools, they probably … were never seen as part of a team, athletically or otherwise, they weren’t in a group. They were probably disenfranchised, disassociated,” said Scott Bojanich, the academy’s principal.
In the grip of Harrisonburg’s housing crunch, some families keep getting squeezed
When Shannon Porter, executive director of Mercy House, pictures someone who’s homeless, the mental image that springs to his mind isn’t a loner with gray hair and well-worn wrinkles.
Community Perspective: Recycling is more difficult than ever, but JMU students can spark the change
With the 50th anniversary of Earth Day approaching in April 2020, James Madison University students should contemplate how we can implement the university’s mantra of “being the change” when it comes to our environmental impact. Whether making small or large changes, there is much we can do both individually and collectively right here on campus and in Harrisonburg.
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.”
At Democratic forum, candidates largely in agreement on the issues – and critiques of Republican policies
At last night’s forum, Cathy Copeland and Brent Finnegan, running for the Democratic nomination in the 26th House of Delegates District disagreed little on topics like education, the environment, the economy, abortion, and gun control. And they spent lots of time criticizing Del. Tony Wilt, the Republican incumbent one of them will face in the general election.
