The Rockbridge Report

The Rockbridge Report The only local news website and television broadcast for the Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge community since 1985. At 4:30 p.m.

The Rockbridge Report is the only local news website and television broadcast for the Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge community and has been since 1985. Produced weekly by journalism students at Washington and Lee University, The Rockbridge Report seeks to provide the community with fair, accurate and accountable news coverage and in-depth analysis of local issues. While the content is produ

ced by Washington and Lee students and overseen by their professors, The Rockbridge Report focuses on news outside of the college campus. In three out of the last four years, The Rockbridge Report has won awards in the Society of Professional Journalists’ Region II Mark of Excellence Competition. Last fall, the converged news website also won an award in the category of “Best All-Around Independent Online Student Publication.” The Rockbridge Report has been a national runner-up in two of the last three years. on Thursdays, the television show is broadcast live on Channel 18. The website is published shortly thereafter. For more information about The Rockbridge Report, please e-mail the staff at rockbridgereport.wlu.edu or call The Rockbridge Report newsroom at 540-458-8432.

A Rockbridge County judge on Wednesday sentenced a Fairfield woman to six years and two months in prison for attacking a...
10/03/2025

A Rockbridge County judge on Wednesday sentenced a Fairfield woman to six years and two months in prison for attacking a woman who had nearly hit her with her car at a shopping center on East Nelson Street in Lexington last year.

“What this sentencing is about is protecting our community from unprovoked attacks from strangers,” Circuit Judge Christopher Russell said.

Read Cami Knott’s full story here:
https://rockbridgereport.academic.wlu.edu/2025/10/02/fairfield-woman-sentenced-to-six-years-in-prison-for-parking-lot-assault/

10/02/2025

The Rockbridge Historical Society has a new exhibit, Rockbridge at Play, which shows what 19th and 20th century childhood was like in the area and across the globe.

10/02/2025

SVU’s proposed plans to build a new residence hall will be presented at the Buena Vista City Council meeting tonight. The university has decided to start enforcing parking permits and add more parking spaces to address concerns raised by the city and residents. James Ballstaedt says he hopes the council will approve the plans so the university can move to the next step, which is securing the rest of the funding to pay for the project.

10/02/2025

Seasons Bakery and Cafe opened its doors to Lexington two weeks ago. But its owners are already considering where they could expand next.

09/29/2025

The city of Buena Vista has received a $72,000 state grant to create a flood resiliency plan.

“We know that there are going to be floods in the future," said Tom Roberts, Buena Vista's director of community development. "We know that the climate is changing. We know that certain storms are more frequent, but we can't predict them very well.”

09/29/2025

It might sound like something out of a Star Wars movie.
But in Lexington, a company is using laser light beams to connect people to the Internet.

“I’m so grateful for the sale to General Dynamics, but if that hadn’t happened, it wouldn’t have meant any less about what we’ve done," said Tom Chaffee, the founder and CEO of Attochron.

09/29/2025

The Trump administration made changes to visa rules. International students at Washington and Lee University worry about their futures.

“It just seems like every other thing that I want to do, there’s another bottleneck or another hurdle,” said Abid Jeem, an international student from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The city of Lexington plans to select a headhunting firm by the end of the week to help fill its police chief vacancy.Ci...
09/28/2025

The city of Lexington plans to select a headhunting firm by the end of the week to help fill its police chief vacancy.

City Manager Tom Carroll said the city received over 10 proposals from firms since the end of August.

He said Lexington plans to choose a firm Friday, Sept. 26. He said the city’s choice of a firm will begin work as soon as a contract is finalized.

Read Cami Knott’s full story here:
https://rockbridgereport.academic.wlu.edu/2025/09/25/lexington-to-hire-national-firm-to-lead-search-for-new-police-chief/

Carol Wheeler has lived in Virginia for over 40 years and always votes early in an election.“There’s so much politics in...
09/28/2025

Carol Wheeler has lived in Virginia for over 40 years and always votes early in an election.

“There’s so much politics in the news, and if you make up your mind and you know how you want to vote, it’s just nice to be able to vote and get it registered,” she said.
Virginia’s 45-day long early-voting period began Sept. 19. Voters don’t need a reason to cast ballots in person before the Nov. 4 election. The state has one of the longest early voting periods in the country.

This year, voters will get the chance to select a new governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and all members of the House of Delegates. There are also several local races across the commonwealth.

Read Isabella Custard’s full story here:
https://rockbridgereport.academic.wlu.edu/2025/09/25/45-day-period-of-early-voting-begins-in-rockbridge-area/

Lexington city officials are figuring out which neighborhoods they will prioritize in addressing stormwater runoff and f...
09/28/2025

Lexington city officials are figuring out which neighborhoods they will prioritize in addressing stormwater runoff and flooding.

For years, residents have experienced flooding caused by concrete and paved surfaces that do not absorb heavy rain. The situation has gotten so bad that the city imposed a fee based on the square footage of impervious surfaces on property.

From June 17-24, the city experienced several intense storms that overwhelmed its stormwater infrastructure. Between 4 and 5 inches of rain fell in one 24-hour period, which caused what is known as a 100-year storm event.

Read Skyler Hollins's full story here:
https://rockbridgereport.academic.wlu.edu/2025/09/25/new-fee-helps-start-needed-stormwater-projects-in-lexington/

Bob Hopkins, Camille Reed and Eric Wilson showed up to tell their stories for “Our American Story,” America250’s effort ...
09/27/2025

Bob Hopkins, Camille Reed and Eric Wilson showed up to tell their stories for “Our American Story,” America250’s effort to document life in the Shenandoah Valley to commemorate the nation’s birthday next year.

The three area residents shared their experiences as “everyday Americans” in Virginia that America250’s producers want to capture.

Read Cate Wachholz's full story at: https://rockbridgereport.academic.wlu.edu/2025/09/25/america250-brings-our-american-story-to-lexington/

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