The Valley Today

Our conversation for The Valley Business Today - Front Royal/Warren County edition - with Niki Foster from Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce also featured serial entrepreneur, Shelly Cook.  Shelly walks us through her journey of entrepreneurship and highlights her efforts to improve and give back to her community through her businesses, including a motel renovation, a vineyard with edu...

Our conversation today for Tourism Tuesday - Shenandoah County edition - with Kary Haun from Shenandoah County Tourism gave lots of details for several events happening in the coming months across the county. Theatre Shenandoah opens their production of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," on April 19, 2024. Kary tells us about her experiences with the production in the past, and explains what thea...

Our conversation today with Lauren Clouse, Director at Winchester Rescue Mission showcases the comprehensive services and significant impact of the Winchester Rescue Mission in addressing homelessness and poverty. Joining Lauren was Clay Perry. Clay is the chairperson for the Kiwanis Club of Winchester's Community Pancake Day happening on April 20, 2024. Winchester Rescue Mission is the main benef...

Our conversation today with Elise Stine Dolinar from Bright Futures gives details about the organization's mission to help school-age children in the community by providing them with basic needs like food, clothing, and hygiene items. Elise shares stories of how they support students in crisis situations, including a high school girl in need of clothing and food. She also shares information about...

As part of our community health partnership with Valley Health , this month we talked with Dr. Devin Flaherty , Director of Surgical Oncology for Valley Health about colon cancer and the importance of awareness and prevention strategies. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Dr. Flaherty explains the prevalence of colon cancer, the importance of colonoscopies for early detection, and the sig...

Our conversation for The Valley Business Today features Cynthia Schneider, CEO of Top of Virginia Regional Chamber and two Greater Good award-winning guests. In the first segment, we talk with Bob Claytor from HN Funkhouser about being recognized with a Lifetime Community Impact Award. Bob shares insights about his family history and the success of HN Funkhouser. He shares advice for residents and...

Our conversation for Tourism Tuesday with Justin Kerns from  Winchester/Frederick County Convention & Visitors Bureau features Mark & Dani Canoles. They are the owners of Back to the Media, a v ideo game/vinyl record store located on the Old Town Walking Mall in Downtown Winchester. Mark & Dani explain the store's 10-year history including the move to Old Town. They highlight  Back to the Media's...

Our conversation today with Tyler Hinkle, Shenandoah County's Planner is part of an ongoing series following the work on Shenandoah 2045 - Shenandoah County's comprehensive plan. The planning process will unfold over the course of four years with the majority of the community collaboration occurring from 2020-2022, with input in 2023-2024. Today, Tyler walked us through the recently released repor...

Our conversation today with Suzi Smith, General Manager for the George Washington Wyndham Grand Hotel includes a bit about the hotel's history and details about their "Century of Harmony" concert series to celebrate 100 years of the GW in Old Town Winchester. Suzi talks about the renovations and their event spaces which are ideal for weddings and corporate events. We discuss the dining options and...

Our conversation for Tourism Tuesday - Luray/Page County edition - with Gina Hilliard from Luray/Page County Chamber of Commerce gave lots of details about a chamber-sponsored trip to Italy happening in October of this year. Gina details the itinerary, pricing, accommodations, activities, and registration information. We discuss the benefits of the trip, October weather in Italy, the excitement ar...

Our conversation today is part of an ongoing partnership with the US Small Business Administration highlighting small businesses in the Shenandoah Valley as well as offering advice and resources to all small businesses. My co-host for this monthly series is Carl Knoblock , Virginia District Director for the SBA. We met at Winchester Brew Works to talk with Holly Redding, one of the co-founders of...

Our conversation for Tourism Tuesday - Luray/Page County edition - with Edison Emmons from Luray/Page County Chamber of Commerce also includes Megan Pettit, Events & Marketing Coordinator for the Town of Luray . Megan gives details for various events  including the Trout Derby, Movies on Main, Concerts on Main, and the 4th of July celebration. She also touches on the community engagement, coordina...

Our conversation today with Holly Roberts, founder of the nonprofit 'Love to Nic' gives us the history and background of her organization. Holly shares the heartfelt story behind the nonprofit, dedicated to helping the homeless by providing shoes and other essentials in memory of her son, Nic. She talks about the inspiration behind the nonprofit, their focus on shoes, meals, partnerships with othe...

We pre-recorded today's Extension Office Friday conversation via Zoom with Karen Poff , Senior Extension Agent, Family & Consumer Science, Virginia Cooperative Extension office. Karen is based in the Warren County office , but serves all five surrounding counties. She also manages the Northern Shenandoah Valley Financial Education Program. Joining Karen was Emily Schultz. Emily manages the 4H prog...

Our conversation today with Guy Curtis from Laurel Ridge Community College included Monica James, Professor of Art & Program Lead to talk about the art programs at Laurel Ridge as well as a few art-related events that are happening in the coming weeks. We discuss the vibrant arts program at the college, emphasizing the diverse career opportunities in the art field beyond traditional painting. Moni...

Our conversation for The Valley Business Today features Ben Savory from Summit Events, who was recently named Top of Virginia Regional Chamber 's Entrepreneur of the Year . Ben shares his journey from humble beginnings selling bean bags to building a successful event services company. He highlights the importance of creating memories through events and the impact of music and photos. He also touch...

Our conversation for Tourism Tuesday - Clarke County edition - featured Martha Reynolds, Executive Director of Barns of Rose Hill. We discuss various topics including the recent Citizen of the Year Award from Top of Virginia Regional Chamber to Barns of Rose Hill founder, Diana Kincannon, the Inspired by the Nation's Capital Quilt Exhibition , and upcoming events such as the Jazz and Blues concert...

Our conversation today takes us onsite to NW Works to talk with Skip Phillips, President/CEO, and Morgan Towle, Communications Coordinator. March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month . We discuss the purpose, programs, and initiatives of NW Works, which focus on helping adults with developmental abilities gain employment and social skills. We delve into the organization's approach to help...

Our conversation today with Chris Konyar, Director of Winchester City Parks & Recreation took place at Jim Barnett Park and included details for several new programs. Chris gave an update on Preston's turf fields which are now open and in use. The new lights will be installed later this month. He also told us of future plans for new lights and gave details on the progress of the pollinator meadow...

Our conversation for Traffic Safety Thursday with Lt. Warren Gosnell from  Frederick County Sheriff's Office gives details about the process involved with adding traffic cameras to school zones. He talks about why it's needed, how it works, and the fines associated with violations.

Our conversation for The Valley Business Today with Niki Foster from the Front Royal Warren County Chamber of Commerce included Charles Nowlin & Karen Monroe, owners of Main Street Geek. We discuss the store's history and the wide range of merchandise that includes comic books, jewelry, toys, dice varieties, lego, and more. Charles also shares insights on running the business, participating in con...

Our conversation today for Tourism Tuesday - Shenandoah County edition - with Kary Haun also includes Katie Mercer, Director of Marketing & Events for the town of Woodstock, and Zach Hottel, archivist at Shenandoah County Library . We learn details about the Civil War Trails ® marker that was recently installed in Woodstock. The marker tells the story of the "Valley Turnpike," which was influentia...

Our conversation today with Stacy McFarland, Executive Director for the Greater Shenandoah Valley chapter of the American Red Cross includes a discussion about the significance of Red Cross Month and the various services provided by the Red Cross. Stacy explains the need for disaster responder volunteers in Shenandoah and Page County and what's required of them. Learn more by clicking here . We al...

Our conversation for United Way Day with United Way Northern Shenandoah Valley 's CEO, Kaycee Childress, and Jeff Stern, Director of Community Engagement includes a variety of topics. We talk about the distribution of impact grants and the vital role of community volunteers to help make those decisions. Volunteers are still needed to serve on panels for Shenandoah & Page Counties. Learn more about...

Our conversation today with Kayla Wright, Director of the Color Guard for Sherando High School gives details for the 2024 Sherando Showcase , a band competition that includes indoor percussions and winter guards. The competition event takes place on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at Sherando High School. Kayla explains who is participating, the judging process, and the opportunity for promotion to a dif...