The Valley Today

"I didn't even know there was a radio station over here." That sentence — or some version of it — came up so many times on this episode that it became the unofficial theme. On a special episode of The Valley Today recorded on the first day of the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber's Arising Leadership Program, host Janet Michael sits down in the studio with 16 high-school participants and program di...

A rainy spring turned into a packed season at The Barns of Rose Hill. On this Tourism Tuesday Berryville/Clarke County edition of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael catches up with Martha Reynolds, Executive Director of The Barns of Rose Hill, to walk through what's coming next — and there is a lot. Two simultaneous gallery exhibitions, a VA250 concert series tied to traditional American roots m...

Crisis aid keeps the lights on this month. The THRIVE Project is built to make sure there isn't a next crisis. On this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael sits down at the United Way office with longtime friend Andrea Cosans, Executive Director of Winchester CCAP, to talk about the most ambitious project of her CCAP tenure — a multi-agency, grant-funded initiative that will take up to...

The shelter season may end with the cold weather — but homelessness doesn't. On this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael catches up with Robyn Miller, Executive Director of WATTS (Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter), to talk about what the organization is doing right now in June — the year-round case management, the two transitional homes, the cooling center that currently...

The Virginia Code is full of one-word differences that change everything — and on this Public Safety Thursday edition of The Valley Today, Captain Warren Gosnell of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office walks host Janet Michael through some of the most common ones. "May" doesn't mean "shall." A speed limit is a maximum, not a target. A red light isn't the same as a red arrow. And driving an inspec...

A parking-lot pop-up two years ago is now a full storefront with a now-famous 11-foot Amish blow-up greeting visitors at the door. On this Valley Business Today edition of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael sits down at the Front Royal-Warren County Chamber with Chamber Director Niki Foster and Zach Burke, owner of Lancaster County Connection, to talk about how the business grew from a single TL...

Retirement, it turns out, doesn't come with a handbook. On this Tourism Tuesday Winchester/Frederick County edition of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael and Justin Kerns finally talk an avowed dog person into stepping inside a cat café — and what they find on the Piccadilly corner of the Old Town Walking Mall is something more carefully built than they expected. Chris Goebel, who retired to Vir...

You can't complain when a farm goes up for sale if you're not supporting the farmer. On this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael is back on the Zooms with her Frederick County Homesteader friends — Sam Armel (founder of Frederick County Homesteaders), Jaclyn Mommen (Laurel Grove Wine Farm and Patti's Place), and Kristin Tesdall (Five Roots Farm) — to talk about the inaugural Love Your...

Over 100 patients in four days, many of them experiencing a professional dental cleaning for the very first time. On this bonus Laurel Ridge Community College edition of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael connects via Zoom with a team live from Negril, Jamaica — Brandy Hawkins Boies (Director of Communications and Outreach at Laurel Ridge), longtime Rotarian Kathy Kantor, and three recent gradua...

A two-year YouTube rabbit hole, a heart-tugging keynote in Norfolk, and one perfectly-timed introduction — that's the unlikely path that brought Cycling Without Age to Winchester. On this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael sits down at Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury with Steve Policastro (founder of Cycling Without Age Winchester), Jeannie Shiley (Westminster-Canterbury's Pr...

Three thousand people came out last year — and the team is just getting started. On this Valley Business Today edition of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael sits down at Winchester Regional Airport with Top of Virginia Regional Chamber Director of Events Kaleigh Fincham and Airport Executive Director Nick Sabo to talk about the return of Wings & Wheels on Saturday, October 3rd — a free, family-f...

Sometimes the right business finds you. On this Shenandoah County Tourism Tuesday edition of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael and Kary Haun head to Natural Art Garden Center on Route 11 to talk with new owner Jess Steyn — a former hairdresser, homeschooling mom of three boys, and unlikely garden center owner — about how a casual conversation with previous owner Lynne turned into the next chapt...

On this Friends of Old Town edition of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael and Brady Cloven are joined at Hideaway Café by Stephanie Novak — owner of Ritual Spa at the George Washington Hotel and Coven Salon on Millwood Avenue — for a wide-ranging chat about pampering, pirates, and a packed June in Old Town Winchester. Steph shares what's behind Ritual Spa's nearly-two-year run inside the histori...

For 20 years, Valley Health's Metabolic and Bariatric Program has been changing lives in the Northern Shenandoah Valley — and it's almost never about the number on the scale. On this Community Health Day edition of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael sits down with Dr. Christopher Reed (Medical Director and Surgeon), Tiffany Sommer (Nurse Practitioner), and Jennifer Adsit (Registered Dietitian) t...

This isn't your kid's old YDC. On this episode of The Valley Today , host Janet Michael sits down with Sarah Fishel, Executive Director of the YDC , to talk about how the organization is rethinking what a youth center can be — and how a year in their new building at 302 South Loudoun has opened up the possibilities. The conversation digs into Summerfest , the YDC's 10-week summer program kicking o...

Finding help shouldn't be the hardest part of being a veteran. On this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael talks with three women working to change that: Ashley Moslak, Nicole Hess, and Patricia Young — the people behind the Northern Shenandoah Valley Community Veterans Engagement Board (CVEB) and The HIVE at Shenandoah University . They explain how CVEB acts as a connector that links...

You wouldn't build a house without an architect or have surgery without the right medical team — so why leave your financial future to chance? On this Luray-Page Chamber edition of The Valley Today , host Janet Michael and Chamber President Gina Hilliard talk with senior financial advisor Mandy Leeth of Being Financial about treating money management as intentional life design — not just data and...

Host Janet Michael sits down (virtually) with Candace DeLong, Frederick County Extension Agent, and Master Gardeners Carolyn Sinclair and Jeff Wingate (class of 2025) to talk all things GardenFest — the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardeners ' biggest event of the year. Event Details What: GardenFest 2026 When: Saturday, June 6, 2026 | 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Parking opens at 7:00 AM) Where: Belle...

Host Janet Michael sits down (virtually) with two outstanding graduates from Laurel Ridge Community College , joined by Sally Voth, Public Relations Coordinator for the college. This episode celebrates academic achievement, resilience, and the transformative power of community college education. Guests Maria Valle – Outstanding Graduate, Fauquier Campus Mary Herter Nelson – Outstanding Graduate, M...

In this episode, Janet sits down with Kim Herbstritt of Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity to discuss the 8th Annual Northern Shenandoah Valley Housing Summit . The conversation covers the deep and often overlooked connection between housing conditions and community health, what to expect at this year's free summit, and how Blue Ridge Habitat's home repair program is helping seniors and veterans stay...

Host Janet Michael welcomes back Jill Savory, founder of The Typewriter Studio in Old Town Winchester, VA, for an update nearly a year after the studio's grand opening. They dive into how the business has grown and evolved, the surprising benefits of making art, and everything you need to know about summer camps and studio memberships. Topics Covered How The Typewriter Studio has changed since ope...

Host Janet Michael sits down (virtually) with VDOT 's Ken Slack for a wide-ranging update on major road improvement projects along Interstate 81 in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. From bridge replacements to public meetings, Ken breaks down what drivers can expect in the months and years ahead. Topics Covered I-81 Widening at Strasburg Project is approximately 40% complete Key work includes replacin...

Host Janet Michael sits down with Winchester City Parks Director Chris Konyar at Jim Barnett Park for an update on everything happening in Winchester's parks system — from a brand-new playground to a 250th anniversary drone show. Topics Covered 🛝 New Familyland Playground Replaced the aging "Children's Dream" playground, which was at end of life Features significantly safer, cushioned surfacing (...

Host Janet Michael sits down with Captain Warren Gosnell ("Goz") from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office for another edition of Public Safety Thursday. The two kick off with some relatable chaos — a mic that wasn't turned on, a misplaced phone, spring allergies, and a hilarious on-the-way-in story involving blue lights and a very startled driver. Then they get into the real meat: why Frederick...

Host Janet Michael sits down (virtually) with Niki Foster from the Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce to preview the 38th Annual Virginia Wine and Craft Festival , happening Saturday, May 16th in downtown Front Royal. They cover everything you need to know before you go — tickets, vendors, wineries, food, entertainment, and more. Highlights The festival sold out vendor space nearly a mo...