The Valley Today

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...

Host Janet Michael celebrates a personal milestone — her 2,633rd consecutive episode, breaking Cal Ripken Jr.'s record of 2,632 consecutive baseball games — while sitting down with Winchester Frederick County CVB 's Justin Kerns and restaurateur Shawn Steffey to discuss the highly anticipated opening of Miso Tori Ramen Company on Boscawen Street in Old Town Winchester. What We Cover 🍜 The New Res...

Host Janet Michael sits down with Deb Fleming, Executive Director of the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of American Red Cross to discuss how they're rethinking its role in the community — moving from an organization that serves communities to one that is truly  part of them. They cover community mobilization, the maturity matrix self-assessment, and the upcoming Disaster Leadership Academy. Key...

It's a bonus Friends of Old Town episode, recorded right in the thick of Apple Blossom! Janet sits down with Brady Cloven from Friends of Old Town and Holly Redding from Winchester Brew Works to cover everything happening in Old Town this weekend — from parade logistics and parking tips to brand-new businesses and a major announcement about a summer event you won't want to miss. Topics Covered 🍺...

Janet sits down with Elena Jeannotte to learn about Special Love for Children with Cancer , a nonprofit serving families across the Mid-Atlantic with free camps, family programs, financial assistance, and scholarships. Elena shares the organization's history, its flagship camp programs, and how the community can get involved. Topics Covered The History of Special Love Founded in the 1980s by Tom a...

Host Janet Michael sits down with her dear friend Ashley Woodall to talk about raising her son Aiden, who is on the autism spectrum. Ashley opens up about the road to diagnosis, the therapies that have made a difference, what life really looks like day-to-day, and an inspiring community initiative to help first responders better serve individuals with autism. Topics Covered Aiden's Early Signs & D...

Host Janet Michael sits down with Shenandoah County Tourism Director Kary Haun and Abby Walters, President of Strasburg Mayfest Inc., to talk all things Mayfest — one of the Shenandoah Valley's most beloved community festivals. Plus, Kary shares highlights from her morning kayak trip on the Shenandoah River. In This Episode What is Strasburg Mayfest and how did it start? The full schedule of event...

Host Janet Michael sits down with Les Sinclair, Communications and PR Manager of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank to explore how older Americans are both the backbone of the food bank's volunteer workforce and one of its most vulnerable populations. With May designated as Older Americans Month — and the 2026 theme being "Champion Your Health" — the conversation digs into rising food insecurity number...

Let's Be Friends: An Affair to Remember Video -   Recorded at An Affair to Remember | Walking Mall, Winchester, VA Guests: Ian Rushing — Owner, An Affair to Remember (AATR Video) Brady Cloven — Executive Director, Friends of Old Town Winchester What We Talked About: An Affair to Remember (ATR Video) Located at 39 South Loudoun Street on the Walking Mall Offers media digitization: VHS, 8mm, 16mm, r...

Host Janet Michael sits down with Melanie Mullinax, Communications and Event Manager at Blandy Experimental Farm , to get all the details on the 36th Annual Garden Fair — one of the Shenandoah Valley's most beloved Mother's Day weekend traditions. Event Details 📅 May 9th & 10th, 2025 ⏰ 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM both days 📍 Blandy Experimental Farm / State Arboretum of Virginia 🎟️ Tickets: $12/car onlin...

Host Janet Michael sits down with Missy Spielman to discuss the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber 's Arising Leadership Program (ALP) — a free, two-week summer program designed to expose local high schoolers to career opportunities right in their own backyard. What You'll Learn in This Episode What the Arising Leadership Program is and how it got started How the ALP differs from the Chamber's Commu...