For most people March Madness refers to college basketball but for a local group of equestrians it is a week of unparalleled fox hunting and social events. Bull Run Hunt, a local fox hunting club based in Madison, Orange and Culpeper counties has hosted the annual event for over two decades and it brings horses and riders from all over the United States to experience the region’s picturesque countryside and warm hospitality. SLIDESHOW: March Madness. MadRapp/GreeneJournal photos by Becca Pizmoht. Playwright Oscar Wilde once described foxhunting as "the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable”. The traditional country sport of following hounds chasing a fox on horseback began several centuries ago in Great Britain. Farmers...

William Monroe’s softball team had its second consecutive double-digit win Tuesday night after defeating visiting Culpeper County, 12-2. The Dragons (4-2) are off until April 5 when the team opens Valley District play at home against Broadway. SLIDESHOW: Culpeper Softball at WM. GreeneJournal photos by Erin Rocha.

Greene County held a town hall event at the Four Seasons Club House Tuesday evening, specifically to discuss Greene’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget. It was well attended and there were some excellent questions and dialogue. I look forward to the second event to be held at the Dyke Volunteer Fire House at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Town hall events are not common; however, other county meetings take place regularly. The board of supervisors meets twice monthly and the school board meets once a month, as does the planning commission. Regular occuring topics, such as public hearings regarding special use permits and planned unit developments, are presented to the planning commission. The item then goes before...

The Virginia State Police (VSP) Sex Offender and Firearms Investigative Unit is seeking the public's help with locating a convicted sex offender who is registered as living in Orange County. Sheldon Locke Davis, 63, is wanted on four counts of failing to re-register as a sex offender, as required by Virginia law. Davis was previously living in the Rhoadesville area of Orange County but has moved and has failed to update State Police with his new address. It is believed that Davis may still be living in Orange County or a surrounding county. Davis is 5-foot-9 in height and weighs approximately 175 pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes. Anyone with information about Davis's whereabouts is encouraged to contact state police by using the "TIPS" link located under the offender's picture on the Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry website.

*****UPDATE***** SNP re-opens Byrds Nest Shelter 4, all trails and lifts fire pan At 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, Shenandoah National Park will open Byrds Nest 4 Shelter, all closed trails, and lift the parkwide fire ban which prohibited all open-air fires including any type of wood fire, charcoal fires, wood-burning camp stoves, charcoal grills, gas, and propane cooking stoves. Reopened trails include Appalachian Trail from Elkwallow to Beahms Gap, Rocky Branch, Neighbor Mountain, Jeremys Run, Hull School Trail from Skyline Drive to Thornton River Upper Trail, Thornton River Upper Trail from intersection of Hull School Trail to Skyline Drive. __________ Shenandoah National Park (SNP)...

William Monroe High School is hosting a College and Career Expo Thursday in the high school’s cafeteria and outdoor commons area. The event will showcase various career options from approximately 60 businesses and post-secondary educational institutions in and around the central Virginia area. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with professionals in fields they are interested in and gain a better understanding of each workplace. Students have been preparing for the event with their teachers and other instructional staff. They have covered topics ranging from career exploration to networking and will have updated resumes to present. Organizers say they are excited to present rewarding local careers and extend the opportunity to those outside the school community. Students can participate from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. and community members are welcome from 3:15-4 p.m. For more information, please contact Greene County Public Schools Coordinator of Communications Chad Saylor at (434) 939-9000 or csaylor@greenecountyschools.com.

Monday night, Greene County Board of Supervisors held a town hall at the Four Seasons of Charlottesville clubhouse in Ruckersville related to the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget. More than 40 county residents attended the event along with 10 staff members and the five supervisors. The GreeneJournal video recorded the event. GreeneJournal VIDEO: Ruckersville BOS Budget Town Hall. County Administrator Cathy Schafrik opened the town hall and the four supervisors in attendance at the start of the event (At-Large Supervisor Francis X. McGuigan, MD, arrived 11 minutes late) thanked the attendees for seeking information about the budget process and wanting to learn more how the budget will affect them. Schafrik the gave an overview how the budget came together, noting while supervisors have advertised real estate tax rate of 71 cents on $100 assessed value and personal property of $4.50 per $100 assessed value, the budget still could see some changes. However, Schafrik pointed out, tax rates cannot be increased above the advertised rate. She then opened the townhall to participants questions with several offering direct points that the administrator answered. Schafrik added she would also put the questions and answers on the county website. Another townhall has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday at the Dyke Volunteer Fire Company in Dyke.

andnbsp;

Wednesday night the Greene County Planning Commission held public hearings where no county resident spoke for or against three items up for discussion. Rezoning of next-to-last A1 parcel at Ruckersville intersection Mae G. Shiflett and Quattlebaum Development Company’s rezoning application for a 2.41-acre parcel of the next-to-last Agricultural (A-1) lot surrounding the Ruckersville intersection of Seminole Trail and Spotswood Trail appeared first on the agenda. Deputy Planning Director Stephanie Golon proffered the county’s presentation, explaining the applicants desired upzoning of the parcel that currently houses the office of Legacy Church to B3 (Business Highway and High-Intensity). Golon noted Quattlebaum Development wanted to construct an upscale multiple-story self-storage unit facility. County planning and zoning informed...

Gives underage prospective officers an opportunity to reserve spot in upcoming academy The Virginia State Police (VSP) is offering a first-of-its-kind employment opportunity for those interested in becoming a state trooper, but are too young to apply. VSP policy requires state trooper applicants to be 21 years of age by the time they graduate the Academy. The new Virginia State Police "Pathway to Trooper" program helps those aged 18-20 who need to find employment while waiting to apply to the Trooper Basic Session Academy. Under "Pathway to Trooper,” a young adult can join state police as an emergency dispatcher in one of our seven Emergency Communications Dispatch Centers. In return, VSP will...

The physical footprint of the Rocky Branch Wildfire in Shenandoah National Park (SNP) hasn’t changed since Saturday’s rain but improved mapping of the area had delineated a smaller land mass, officials said Monday morning. Officials said Monday the fire "is 25 percent contained. "Decreases in acreage of the fire reflect better mapping,” a park official said. "The rain has decreased fire behavior and firefighters continue to refine mapping by walking the fire perimeter.” Officials state they are now in "mop-up mode.” Sunday’s weather brought cold temperatures, low humidity, and mild winds following Saturday’s rain event. Officials believe Monday’s weather is expected to be sunny with temperatures 50- to 60-degrees and 20- to...

A Greene County family and associates of a Charlottesville-based towing company have been charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor charges in Stafford County following a March 21 incident at a South Stafford McDonald’s restaurant. Two Stafford County deputies were injured in the altercation. Stafford County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) reported it received a call at 6:24 p.m. for a fight in progress involving 10 people at the restaurant located at 44 Stanstead Road in Fredericksburg. The disturbance originally evolved over alleged bad French fries. Once law enforcement arrived it was quickly determined no assault had taken place and the Ace’s Towing employees were asked to leave the restaurant’s lobby. The incident escalated...

Town Halls scheduled Monday and Thursday nights Ahead of Monday and Thursday night’s Budget town halls in Ruckersville and Dyke, Greene County government has issued a Citizen’s Guide for the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. Greene County FY2025 Citizens Guide FINAL CMS by news on Scribd "This was an incredible team effort and I appreciate the diligence and hard work that went into it,” County Administrator Cathy Schafrik said Sunday. "I think this well help the public understand what is often an underappreciated and complicated process.” Schafrik admits the proposed budget still doesn’t address the many requirements agencies have to optimally operate. "We’re all sharing the pain,” Schafrik added. Greene Budget Summary by news on Scribd Monday’s Town Hall will begin 6 p.m. at the Four Seasons Clubhouse, located at the end of 4 Seasons Drive in Ruckersville and Thursday’s Town Hall will begin 6:30 p.m. at the Dyke Volunteer Fire Company located at 9144 Dyke Road, Dyke, Va., 22935.

Get up; get dressed; go to work; come home; get undressed; go to bed. Lather, rinse, repeat. Year after year. You pay the bill this month and a few days later another one pops up. You’re relieved to meet your monthly quota, but now must meet the next month’s quota. You clean only to have to clean again the next day. And is there ever a day there isn’t something in the laundry hamper? The Seven of Pentacles has obviously come out of a two-hour meeting featuring some clod reading out loud what is already printed on the screen of the Power...

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will begin construction this week on the $4.8 million Shelby Road RCUT project in Madison County. The project is funded by a Fiscal Year 2017 Highway Safety Improvement Program grant and a FY20 SMART SCALE (Round 3) grant. VDOT has not released an anticipated project completion date. ***** The following highway work is scheduled, weather permitting, in the Culpeper District during the next week. Traffic movements may be restricted and speed limits reduced in work zones. (NEW) or(UPDATE) indicate revisions since last week’s report. Culpeper District traffic information is also available onTwitter and on VDOT’s website. Albemarle County Route 641 (Frays Mill Road)– Other bridge work. Road closed...

Prior to Tuesday, Edison Pilgrim Crawford did not exist; at least according to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Crawford was born one of 15 children to James Monroe Crawford and Polly Jane Morris on a Bacon Hollow farm in Dyke in the early 1950s. That information is certain as the family Bible says so. From there, however, it gets trickier. Since no hospital was involved in the birthing, no birth certificate was issued, even though the state code has had a law on the books requiring a certificate of birth for each live birth since March 12, 1912. Tuesday’s establish boundaries hearing in Greene County Circuit Court sought to rectify that. Crawford’s...

Shenandoah National Park (SNP) provided an update of the ongoing Rocky Branch Fire that began Wednesday and has now spread to over 1,000 acres in Page and Rappahannock counties. Firefighters from the National Park Service (NPS), Virginia Department of Forestry (VDF) continue focusing on fire control and containment. Members of the Southern Area Red Complex Incident Management Team – part of the U.S. Forest Service based out of Atlanta, Ga. – arrived onsite Saturday morning and has taken the lead command. More firefighters are expected. Personnel and equipment on the fire currently include 15 firefighters and an engine. A steady rain overnight into Saturday morning aided in that effort, officials say. SNP’s remote weather station reports 1.16-inches of rain within the past 20 hours which has slowed the fire’s spread. Skyline Drive remains closed from Thornton Gap (milepost 31.5 to Mathews Arm Campground at MP 22.1. Additionally, Byrds Nest 4 remains closed. Trails closed include the Appalachian Trail from Elkwallow to Beahms Gap, Rocky Branch, Neighbor Mountain, and Jeremys Run. Officials now have closed Hull School Trail from Skyline Drive to Thornton River Upper Trail and Thornton River Upper Trail back up to the drive. A complete fire ban also remains in effect throughout SNP.

High winds Wednesday toppled a tree onto the pavilion at Greene Commons and knocked down a grove of trees at Greene Hills Golf Club in Stanardsville. Guttering was ripped from the pavilion’s roofline but county Administrator Cathy Schafrik reports county maintenance crews cut the large tree off the roof and repaired the guttering. She added a few dimples can be seen on the roof. SLIDESHOW: Greene Mutual Aid to Surrounding Counties. GreeneJournal courtesy photos. Greene County Director of Emergency Services Melissa G. Meador reported Friday the three fire companies in the county were kept busy with six relatively small brush fires. Meador added all three companies provided mutual aid to Madison, Albemarle, Culpeper, and Page counties all whom experienced large, out-of-control wildfires caused when power lines were hit by trees. Dyke, Ruckersville and Stanardsville volunteers went to Madison and Culpeper counties and Stanardsville also was dispatched to Page County. "We currently have no active fires in Greene County,” Meador said. "We still have one unit in Page County assisting with their fires [as of 6 a.m. Friday morning.”

But, you say, it’s more than two weeks to April 15. That’s true but between now and then there are only five more days in the RappTaxFree volunteers’ schedule. So go to RappTaxFree and register for an appointment; or call (540) 227-0493. The tax counselors have already put in more than 85 hours for training, certifications, and preparing returns. Other volunteers have given an additional 50 hours or more to take care of administrative tasks necessary for free tax filing to function. Thirty individual tax payers have been served. Another nine are on the schedule. Unfortunately, RappTaxFree could not help a few others because regulations do not permit free preparation of...

William Monroe sophomore Emma Taylor and senior Riley Rocha each hit homers Friday night giving the Dragons enough runs to beat host Madison County in a non-district softball game played at Hoover Ridge Park. Monroe easily won 18-3 in a five-inning slaughter-rule game, ruining the Mountaineers’ home opener. Taylor’s second-inning, two-run homer over the centerfield fence gave Monroe (3-2) a 2-1 advantage and Rocha’s grand slam over the left-centerfield fence in the third inning put the Dragons ahead 10-1. GreeneJournal/MadRapp VIDEO: Riley Rocha post-game interview. Freshman pitcher Olivia Frazier started for Madison (0-4) and lasted three innings. Frazier walked four and struck out one Dragon batter. She also threw two wild pitches....