and Dutchess County residents are preparing to cast their vote If you haven't already voted early or by mail, you will want to check where your local polling center is. From time to time, these centers may change, and according to the Dutchess County Board of Elections Voters residing in the City of Poughkeepsie Beekman and Pawling may vote at any poll site in their city or town Voters in any other town must vote at their assigned poll site Assigned poll sites are categorized by districts. To find your district, visit voterlookup.elections.ny.gov Who's running? Check out our New York Voter Guide 2024 for top races For the general election on Nov. 5, Dutchess County polling sites will be open from 6 a.m Dutchess County 2024 polling sites: Where to voteAmenia polling sitesFor voters of the Town of Amenia all election districts will go to the polling site at Immaculate Conception City of Beacon voters have the option to use any of the City of Beacon poll sites listed below Voters from any district of the City of Beacon can go to one of these centers in Beacon: BeaconBeacon Memorial Building: 413 Main St. BeaconRombout Middle School: 84 Matteawan Road BeaconBeekman polling sitesTown of Beekman voters have the option to use any of the Beekman poll sites listed below Voters from any district of Beekman can go to one of these centers: Beekman Community Center: 31 Recreation Center Road, Hopewell JunctionBeekman Town Hall: 4 Main St., PoughquagBeekman Elementary School: 201 Lime Ridge Road, PoughquagMore: Give these 6 new restaurants and bars in the mid-Hudson Valley a try this fall all election districts will go to the polling site at the Clinton Town Hall at 1215 Centre Road in Rhinebeck voters from Districts 1 and 2 will go to the polling site at the Dover Town Hall at 126 East Duncan Hill Road in Dover Plains Voters from Districts 3 and 4 will go to the polling site at the Dover Middle School at 2368 NY-22 in Dover Plains East Fishkill polling sitesIn the Town of East Fishkill 2 and 3 will go to the polling site at Fishkill Plains Elementary School at 117 Lake Walton Road in Wappingers Falls 5 and 8 will go to the polling site at the East Fishkill Town Hall at 330 NY-376 in Hopewell Junction Voters from Districts 6 and 7 will go to the polling site at the Stormville Fire House at 112 Old Route 52 in Stormville 10 and 11 will go to the polling site at the East Fishkill Fire Training Center at 2502 NY-52 in Hopewell Junction Voters from Districts 12 and 13 will go to the polling site at Mission Church at 4101 NY-52 in Holmes voters from Districts 1 and 2 will go to the polling site at the Fishkill Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing at 22 Robert R Voters from Districts 3 and 4 will go to the polling site at the Fishkill Town Hall at 807 NY-52 in Fishkill Voters from Districts 5 and 9 will go to the polling site at the Van Wyck Hall at 1095 Main St Voters from Districts 6 and 7 will go to the polling site at Brinckerhoff Elementary School at 16 Wedgewood Road in Fishkill Voters from Districts 8 and 10 will go to the polling site at the Slater Chemical Fire House at 76 Old Glenham Road in Glenham 1-2 and 4-1 will go to the polling site at North Park Elementary School at 1593 state Route 9G in Hyde Park Voters from Districts 2-1 and 2-2 will go to the polling site at the Board of Elections Training Facility at 4280 Albany Post Road in Hyde Park 3-2 and 3-3 will go to the polling site at Roosevelt Fire House #3 at 830 Violet Ave Voters from Districts 4-2 and 4-3 will go to the polling site at Roosevelt Fire House #2 at 265 Cream St voters from Districts 1 and 4 will go to the polling site at Overlook Primary School at 11 Mapleview Road in Poughkeepsie Voters from Districts 2 and 5 will go to the polling site at the Freedom Plains Presbyterian Church at 1168 state Route 55 in Lagrangeville Voters from District 3 will go to the polling site at the LaGrange Fire House #3 Voters from Districts 6 and 7 will go to the polling site at the LaGrange Town Hall at 120 Stringham Road in Lagrangeville all election districts will go to the polling site at the Milan Town Hall at 20 Wilcox Circle in Red Hook all election districts will go to the polling site at the Northeast-Millerton Library Annex at 28 Century Blvd Pawling polling sitesTown of Pawling voters have the option to use any of the Pawling poll sites listed below Voters from any district of Pawling can go to one of these centers all election districts will go to the polling site at the Stissing Mountain High School at 2829 Church St Pleasant Valley polling sitesIn the Town of Pleasant Valley voters from Districts 1 and 3 will go to the polling site at the Salt Point Fire House at 30 Cottage St Voters from Districts 2 and 5 will go to the polling site at West Road Intermediate School at 181 West Road in Pleasant Valley Voters from Districts 4 and 6 will go to the polling site at Traver Road Primary School at 801 Traver Road in Pleasant Valley City of Poughkeepsie voters have the option to use any of the City of Poughkeepsie poll sites listed below Town of Poughkeepsie polling sitesIn the Town of Poughkeepsie voters from Districts 1-1 and 1-2 will go to the polling site at the East End Fire House #2 at 2886 state Route 9D in Wappingers Falls Voters from Districts 1-3 and 1-4 will go to the polling site at Sheafe Road Elementary School at 287 Sheafe Road in Wappingers Falls Voters from Districts 2-1 and 2-2 will go to the polling site at Vassar Road Elementary School at 174 Vassar Road in Poughkeepsie Voters from Districts 2-3 and 2-4 will go to the polling site at Oak Grove Elementary School at 40 Kerr Road in Poughkeepsie Voters from Districts 3-1 and 4-4 will go to the polling site at the Poughkeepsie Community Room at 19 Tucker Drive in Arlington Voters from Districts 3-2 and 3-3 will go to the polling site at the rear entrance of the Lutheran Care Center at Concord Village at 965 Dutchess Turnpike in Poughkeepsie Voters from Districts 3-4 and 6-1 will go to the polling site at the Poughkeepsie Town Hall at 1 Overocker Road in Arlington 4-2 and 4-3 will go to the polling site at Violet Ave 5-3 and 6-4 will go to the polling site at Spackenkill High School at 112 Spackenkill Road in Poughkeepsie Voters from Districts 6-2 and 6-3 will go to the polling site at Vassar College Voters from Districts 6-5 and 6-6 will go to the polling site at the Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church at 2381 New Hackensack Road in Poughkeepsie voters from District 1 will go to the polling site at the Tivoli Fire Company at 2 Tivoli Commons in Tivoli Voters from District 2 will go to the polling site at the Bertelsmann Campus Center at Annandale Road in Annandale-On-Hudson Voters from Districts 3 and 6 will go to the polling site at Mill Road Intermediate School at 9 Mill Road in Red Hook Voters from Districts 4 and 5 will go to the polling site at Red Hook High School at 103 West Market St voters from Districts 1 and 4 will go to the polling site at the Starr Library at 68 West Market St 3 and 5 will go to the polling site at the Pavilion at Brookmeade at 34 Brookmeade Drive in Rhinebeck all election districts will go to the polling site at the ground level of the Stanford Town Hall at 26 Town Hall Road in Stanfordville all election districts will go to the polling site at the Union Vale Fire House voters from Districts 1-1 and 1-2 will go to the polling site at the Wappingers Falls Village Hall at 2582 South Ave 2-1 and 2-2 will go to the polling site at the Hughsonville Fire House at 88 Old Hopewell Road in Wappingers Falls 3-5 and 3-6 will go to the polling site at the Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church at 306 All Angels Hill Road in Wappingers Falls 3-2 and 4-1 will go to the polling site at Ketcham High School at 99 Myers Corners Road in Wappingers Falls Voters from Districts 3-3 and 3-4 will go to the polling site at Myers Corners Elementary School at 156 Myers Corners Road in Wappingers Falls 4-3 and 4-4 will go to the polling site at New Hackensack Fire at 217 Myers Corners Road in Wappingers Falls all election districts will go to the polling site at the Millbrook Fire House at 20 Front St Md — In an effort to preserve its place in the community locally-owned shop in Parkville has launched a campaign urging residents to support local businesses With the rise of online shopping and declining foot traffic owner Randy Myers took to social media to emphasize the importance of shopping locally and the impact it has on the neighborhood which has been a staple in the community for 23 years has seen a significant decline in foot traffic prompting Myers to rally for support from the community "It was more just kind of a call to action to get people to realize the kind of things you have in your neighborhood," said Myers While Collectors Corner is not facing closure Myers stressed the significance of staying open to continue being a part of the community's cherished memories 'The first comic book I bought was at this store; my father or my grandfather brought me into this store or this is my child's first introduction into the world of comic books'.. it’s the kind of thing you can’t put a value on," expressed Myers The campaign has resonated with local residents like Melissa Dawson who emphasized the importance of supporting the community so we want to support our community," said Dawson The initiative has also garnered attention from younger residents who has been visiting Collectors Corner since he was young we want to do what makes our children happy and fun and it’s a bonding moment," said Melissa Dawson speaking about her son's interest in the store Myers hopes that the push to shop locally will secure the shop's place in the community for at least 20 more years the only thing that I feel like I’d like to do Myers emphasized that supporting local businesses doesn't always require a purchase or even tell a friend about any local small business you had a great experience at," he said The initiative not only aims to support small businesses like Collectors Corner but also to strengthen the community and preserve cherished neighborhood establishments for future generations so one day hopefully when I’m a grandparent I’ll be up here with my child and my grandchildren and we can reminisce about when we were here when he was younger .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Advance Local Weather AlertsThe National Weather Service issued a report at 9:13 a.m an area of heavy snow was along a line extending from Granby to near Tillson and moving south at 25 MPH," says the weather service Expect heavy snow in the following locations: "Use extra caution if you travel into or through this area of heavy snow Rapid changes in visibility and potentially slick roads may lead to accidents." Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices June 20th involving an SUV and motorcycle required medevac helicopter response the Hughsonville Fire Department reports being dispatched to the area of Route 9 and Myers Corners Road following an SUV versus motorcycle accident with a victim pinned under a vehicle New Hackensack FD and Wappingers EMS also responded to the scene First responders were able to confirm that there was a victim entrapped under the SUV and due to the 'mechanism and seriousness of injuries,' requested a medevac helicopter and then began working to rescue the trapped person Firefighters from Hughsonville and the New Hackensack Fire Department worked to stabilize and lift the vehicle from on top of the victim freeing him within 7 minutes after arrival Town of Wappinger EMS then provided first response care before the copter arrived in Wappingers Reports of road closures came in almost immediately following the news of the accident as Route 9 both north and southbound were closed in order for Hughsonville Fire Department to create a medevac landing zone in front of the Wappinger Plaza just north of the accident scene near the intersection of Rt Life Net 2 medevac then arrived to take over patient care departing for Westchester Medical Center at 7:21am the northbound side remained closed for approximately three hours in order for accident investigation to take place a group on Facebook with more than 23,000 members posted an update late on Thursday the 20th that the motorcyclist involved in the accident was confirmed to be the group's founder and administrator Dutchess County Scanner Feed Member and Moderator Patrick O'Dell shared the following update I just spoke to him & he has a couple serious injuries that will take time to heal This group would not exist had he not started it Now in about to years we are close to hitting 24,000 members within the next few weeks the crew of Air-2 & everyone else who came to his aid He is not asking but I am that everyone keeps him in your thoughts & Prayers for the fastest He truly appreciates everyone in this group & even thanked me for keeping things updated This story is still developing and will be updated as more information becomes available An SUV versus motorcycle accident near the intersection of Rt. 9 and Myers Corners Road just before 6:30am on Thursday June 20th required medevac transport of the motorcycle operator to Westchester Medical Center.\nRead More Dutchess County Scanner Feed Member and Moderator Patrick O'Dell shared the following update FISHERSVILLE - Staunton isn't the only place moving dirt for larger shopping centers A development in Fishersville — Myers Corner — is expanding its footprint Motorists can see the newly constructed plots from Interstate 64 and Lifecore Drive Crescent Development Group began construction on Myers Corner in 2010 The group has two projects — the Village on Goose Creek and Myers Corner Goose Creek is home to Mary Baldwin University’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences and the Apartments at Goose Creek a luxury apartment community with more than 200 units Myers Corner is a mixed-use development with a 30-acre business park and a residential community that will include almost 300 homes the development is seeing an expansion to its business park and has started to pave the way to the soon-to-be-residential community "Our sold lots and under contract lots will bring us to having sold about 50 percent of our commercial land which itself represents about 25 percent of Myers Corner," he said More than a dozen businesses call Myers Corner home is under construction and is expected to open in the spring "Of the projects that are pending that we can talk about is a proposal for an office condominium which will front on U.S "Office condos are good opportunities for businesses or people to purchase space with out having to buy a lot and build their own building — the cost of entry is much lower than the more traditional stand-alone building The condo project will ultimately have three buildings and offer up to 34,000 square feet of space offering both retail and professional office opportunities." Williams said they are just finishing up the road and utilities for the first phase of the residential project which will have single-family homes and villas Construction on the homes is slated to start February or March "We are very excited about beginning our residential sections as we see demand for homes in a pedestrian friendly community close to schools and increasing going forward," Williams said "The residential areas will have sidewalks With the addition of Lifecore Drive Fishersville has now become a hub for new business development "Fishersville is ideally located for development as evidenced by the growing momentum in that area especially along Lifecore Drive corridor," said Amanda Glover Augusta County economic development director "Key anchors including but not limited to Augusta Health Murphy Deming and the Wilson Workforce Rehabilitation Center make Fishersville a growing employment center which is complemented by a variety of quality housing options as well as top-rated schools Fishersville’s easy interstate access and close proximately to Staunton Waynesboro and even Charlottesville further complement the community’s attractiveness." Williams said Myers Corner helped contribute to the construction of Lifecore Drive "The development of Myers Corner is beneficial to Fishersville as it provides an opportunity for businesses to locate in a growing area so that they can be in the path of growth," he said "This helps the county because it focuses growth in the places where the infrastructure exists to serve the growth We chose Fishersville for both our projects because we believed that the area would grow helped by the continued expansion of Augusta Health "We also felt there would be opportunities to help create a corridor of health and wellness and related professional growth and believe that providing residential options for the employees and owners of those businesses will lead to a balanced community," he added "We certainly did not foresee the creation of the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences but it did fit very nicely into the vision we had for the area." p.p1{margin:0px;font:12px lucida grande}span.s1{text-decoration:underline;color:#042eee}span.s2{font:12px Helvetica}span.s3{font:12px lucida grande;color:#042eee} Follow Laura Peters @peterslaura and @peterpants. You can reach her at lpeters@newsleader.com or 213-9125 An official website of the United States government VA|News Women Veterans This month’s Center for Women Veterans Book Corner features author is retired combat Army Veteran Ina Johnson Myers The Professional Women’s Guide to Identifying His Brokenness.” MST and “narcissistic abuse.” Through her own healing journey she learned to use her voice with the hope of helping other women identify the mannerisms and traits of narcissistic disorders She wants other women to not ignore the red flags they see and hear in their search for that perfect partner and cautions that red flags don’t turn green with time Myers learned to use her voice with the hope of helping other women The following are highlights from her interview with the CWV Army, 94G and 25R I am a radio host and certified life coach specializing in “narcissistic abuse” awareness My proudest moment was my mother watching me graduate from basic training I had a very significant life experience and I didn’t want other women to think they were alone in their struggle with pain The military helped me see things from a more global and diverse mindset; I see options and possibilities that are always available if I seek them The healing of many nations is in your voice Someone is waiting and needing your experience to heal I believe that women Veteran authors are expressive creatures… we paint relatable pictures on a global canvas Exposing myself to the world through my words and pain It forced me to evaluate and identify my own issues pertaining to being of service and to why I chose to be in the relationships I did But I refuse to be reduced by it.” — Maya Angelou I heard the military stories growing up about her time in service during the 1940’s but I didn’t pay attention like I wish I would have Book CornerCWVminority Veterans The comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article; this is not a customer support channel. If you are looking for assistance, please visit Ask VA or call 1-800-698-2411 never put personally identifiable information (SSAN etc.) or protected health information into the form — it will be deleted for your protection Having a maternity care coordinator at your side means you’ve got an advocate to ensure you and your baby receive the best care Have you recently transitioned from military service or are you looking to better understand the benefits and services available to you or a Veteran in your life Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can apply for your earned benefits and services we recognize and honor the Americans who served during the Vietnam War But there is a group of Veterans whose contributions have too often gone unrecognized—the women who also served in Vietnam and resilience laid the foundation for future generations and shaped history Get more resources at VeteransCrisisLine.net An official website of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Looking for U.S. government information and services?  Visit USA.gov Summer has been and always will be my favorite season I don't like being cooped inside all day while the beautiful day teases me through the window One thing I could always look forward to and day dream about would be the fall community carnivals that would happen either put on by local towns or by my school the Town of Wappinger is holding an extra special event that's making me day dream here at my desk at the radio station After a successful first year filled with fun attractions and smiling faces the Town of Wappinger brings back their Carni"fall" for Community Day Brexel-Schlathaus Park in the Myers Corners hamlet is once again the venue for the four day event happening Columbus Day weekend (October 7-10th) The town is sparing no expense on the attractions for they are partnering with McDaniels Borthers Shows to offer carnival rides throughout the weekend The Community Day celebrations will include live music vendors and games and activities for everyone of all ages they will be holding a large bonfire at Schlathaus for residents to enjoy they will kick off their Community Day Parade marching down Myers Corners Road toward the park Don't forget about the fire works which are set to go off Sunday night the Town encourages folks to stop by Meadowbrook Farms for apple picking Gallery Credit: YouTube/Morbid Midnight/Fleabitten Adventures The leaves may be falling, but the spirit of The Town of Wappinger is only going up in anticipation of their second annual Community Day Fall Festival.\nRead More FISHERSVILLE - When your growing town doesn't have a designated main street That's what Myers Corner may become in Fishersville Fishersville is essentially building their main street community from the ground up — and in a location that close to its main hubs: Augusta Health Mary Baldwin University's Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences the Wilson schools complex and the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center.  Myers Corner is at the junction of all these things and will be bringing what you'd see in a more traditional main street: businesses Crescent Development Group began construction in 2010 on the development there's been significant growth in the decade since it was first established business is 55% built out or sold making it more than halfway done.  Augusta Kitchen, will be opening in the development It also has a medical office building and two separate mixed-use office and a number of other retail buildings This isn't something entirely unique to Fishersville manager of Crescent Development Group He says the development speaks to a larger trend that has been developing through the years where developers and localities are looking to develop and approve mixed-use developments.  Your support makes our coverage of local meetings and community stories possible It's something Augusta County is specifically planning for Mixed-use development are desirable in Fishersville The reason: the developments receive public investment and services that help the development's potential including road, water and sewer capacities what comes first: the development or the services?" Tate said. "The Comprehensive Plan has encouraged 80% of future residential growth in our Urban Service Areas of which Fishersville is included. In order to achieve that concentration of growth Fishersville has a population of approximately 8,252 The Fishersville area is approximately 13.5 square miles with approximately 611 people per square mile the vision and goal is to maintain the majority of it for agriculture and rural development under the comprehensive plan higher density residential and industrial uses within areas that have the needed public services Weyers Cave and Stuarts Draft are all designated growth communities within the county’s comprehensive plan," Tate said.  Like in Stuarts Draft, the county has completed a draft of the Stuarts Draft Small Area Plan, which recently approved by the Planning Commission and will be coming to the Board of Supervisors soon.  That plan is a detailed planning effort for the Stuarts Draft community It's a 20-year vision for the Stuarts Draft community plans for both industry and agriculture: boosting urban development in a thoughtful way that also preserves the area's agricultural roots "The community input and guidance is important in addressing how that growth will occur," Tate said over Afton Mountain it can be seen at Old Trail in Crozet and Forest Lakes North and South in Albemarle County Those projects have tended to follow comprehensive plans and zoning districts "I know that it may sound counter intuitive but the more density that can be located in these hubs where sufficient infrastructure exists the less pressure is placed on the overall network of roads and utilities," he said.  The group has completed the construction of two of four office buildings totaling 20,000 square feet that will be called Myers Corner Professional Center Williams said. That center has four owners so far — Shenandoah Valley Home Health, Old Dominion Realty, Comprehensive Behavioral Health and F&M Mortgage.  The other two buildings will total another 21,000 square feet of office space The group will be starting construction on a 5,000 square foot building addition for an existing building to accommodate the expansion of one of the center’s businesses The construction of that addition will begin in the next month with a summer completion There's also a 7-Eleven with a Shell gas station at the corner of the main intersection A yoga and fitness studio opened up in one of the buildings last year called Phoenix Fitness and Yoga below Parrott Orthodontics in the development.  Construction on an 8,000 square foot office building on the lot next to the restaurant has been almost completed That office building has 2,600 square feet occupied by Legacy Hospice and the remaining square footage will be for lease — ideally for medical or other professional office uses one third of the building is occupied and a second third will be finished for a new tenant That finish work will start in February and will be completed by June  That leaves approximately 2,700 square feet that is available to lease Myers Corner also a 65-bed assisted living facility called The Retreat at Fishersville with 53,000 square feet built on 5 acres in the center of the business park.  The Retreat at Fishersville is a one-story building that will have 54 apartments – 32 for assisted living and 22 those needing memory care in a secured neighborhood It also offers the area's seniors a service-enriched assisted living and state-of-the-art memory care The business park also has a plan for a retail building for restaurants coffee shops and other retail uses that will be built on a lot that fronts on Lifecore Drive The group has two projects — the Village on Goose Creek and Myers Corner Goose Creek is home to Mary Baldwin University’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences and the Apartments at Goose Creek a luxury apartment community with more than 200 units A second phase of the Apartments at Goose Creek that will include 148 units Myers Corner is a mixed-use development with a 40-acre business park and a residential community that will include almost 300 homes It is home to various businesses ranging from doctors The development was named after Stan and Jean Myers Cline "It just felt like an appropriate to memorialize the impact of the Myers Family on the land and the project," Williams said.  One of the internal roads in the development was named after another family that the Crescent Development Group purchased land from — the late Alice Gosnell Oleska "Both of those families should be made a part of this project in perpetuity," he said.   Keppel Crossing was also named for the late Paul Keppel "He passed away suddenly and unexpectedly," Williams said. "Paul’s contribution to the project was immense." You can reach reporter Laura Peters at lpeters@newsleader.com. Follow her @peterslaura This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page An apartment developer is hoping to get the combined 31.5 acres at the southeast corner of Winkler Road and Gladiolus Drive in south Fort Myers rezoned to commercial before buying it Alabama-based Arlington Properties is looking to build a 319-unit apartment complex with a 4.68-acre lake fronting Summerlin Road and a commercial/retail building at the southeast corner of Winkler and Gladiolus The developer did not return calls seeking comment A Lee County hearing examiner recommended approving the project July 14 The Lee County Board of County Commissioners has yet to vote on the rezoning both plant nurseries and U-Pick produce operations for decades but has been in the works to be something other than a farm for a while the Lee County commission approved the rezoning of the land from agricultural to mixed-used commercial with “Summerlin Towne Centre” proposed shopping center that never came to fruition that would be combined into one if Arlington Properties decides to purchase the land and proceed with the apartment complex The western portion at 8691 Gladiolus is 13 acres and owned by R&K Farms LLC The eastern portion at 8591 Gladiolus is about 18.55 acres and owned by Margie Geddes who bought it in March 1994 for $1.5 million an 11.6-acre parcel was bought by Florida Storage Gladiolus LLC for $4 million and a new self-storage facility has broken ground there at the southwest flyover intersection of Summerlin Road and Gladiolus Rumors circulated that Costco was looking to move from its U.S 41 location in south Fort Myers to the parcel being considered Arlington Properties general manager of the Fort Myers Costco store confirmed there’s no news about any imminent relocation of the store adding  he has been scouting other locations because the current one has a cramped parking lot and could use more space inside But there isn’t any alternative for Costco to relocate at this time Big-box retailers are running into challenges in finding land to build new stores founding partner of the LandQwest brokerage company “For a box the size that we’re talking about— any of those guys— you’re looking at 20 acres You cannot find 20 acres with 41 frontage in the corridor you would want to be in Mounce pointed to Home Depot getting ready to build a new store not near U.S was asked if Costco can’t go on the farmland “My answer to that is I would be shocked if there’s any piece that’s more than 10 acres in all of Lee County that’s not being eyeballed for apartments,” Thibaut said That’s not a small parcel that they need for all of the parking that they require they’re up against the guys who are doing multifamily more per square foot than a traditional big-box store does But we have pressure on available housing now which is driving up what multifamily buyers can pay for the dirt.”   Typical ebbs and flows of the single-family home market do not have much of an impact on the ultra Four restaurant chains and a cake shop will join seven other businesses coming this year to the new Tree Farm.. the May 5 opening of the Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH takes the health care.. Not only has Chef Brian Roland physically and emotionally returned to public life in Southwest Florida after his life-altering tragedy.. Beeline is counting on thirsty folks making a beeline to its new upscale cocktail bar at Mercato in North Naples... The 72-unit Verandas III opened and is fully occupied on Airport Road marking the final phase in the redevelopment of.. Police say an 83-year-old is responsible for the death of a 22-year-old outside a Hudson Valley supermarket For all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile App and sign up for the Hudson Valley Post Newsletter. The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office reported an investigation into a fatal crash that occurred over the Labor Day weekend deputies responded to the area of Myers Corners Rd near Route 9 in the Town of Wappinger for a crash with serious injuries it was discovered that the actual location was on Myers Corners at the southern entrance to the Hannaford’s Plaza and one person appeared to be seriously injured A preliminary investigation revealed that a 2019 Subaru Outback operated by an 83-year-old man from Poughkeepsie was making a left-hand turn out of the plaza making onto Myers Corners Road when it was struck by a 2005 Yamaha motorcycle operated by Ryan A which was traveling westbound on Myers Corners Road of Dutchess County was transported via ambulance to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital where he later passed away from his injuries The investigation is continuing by members of the Sheriff’s Office Crash Investigation Unit and Detective Division and at this time the primary factor in the crash appears to be a failure to yield the right of way on the part of the Subaru the 83-year-old was issued two traffic tickets; one for failure to yield right of way and the other for failure to obey a traffic control device (stop sign) The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by members of the New York State Police and Hughsonville Fire Department and more information may be released as it becomes available Police say an 83-year-old is responsible for the death of a 22-year-old outside a Hudson Valley supermarket.\nRead More For all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile App and sign up for the Hudson Valley Post Newsletter. WAPPINGERS FALLS - Sean Burlingame loved Spider-Man so Lisa Dwyer and Angela Luhrs decided it only seemed right they adorn their sign with stickers of the spidey superhero After the 7-year-old died in a house fire on Aug. 31 the Myers Corner Elementary School community has come together for the late student, from memorializing him in classrooms to collecting donations for the family At the Wappingers farmers market on Sunday Dwyer and Luhrs — both Myers Corner parents — continued that support by presenting their colorful sign covered not only in Spiderman stickers but stickers of other costumed crime-fighters Sean liked such as Captain America and Iron Man in blue and red letters: “Donations for the family of Sean Burlingame.” who lives only blocks away from the family’s Wappingers home came to the market after she heard about the booth “They’re in hard times...you’ve got to do what you can to make it easier,” she said “It’s hard enough having to deal with losing a child.” A cause has yet to be announced in the fire that engulfed the Wappinger home Dennis Chute determined Sean's cause of death was smoke inhalation told the Journal she tried to run back into the home to get him but was held back by her fiance and oldest son Family members asked those planning to come to his wake on Sept. 3 to wear a superhero shirt rather than formal attire the booth for the Burlingame family had no shortage of superhero imagery including a table with a Spiderman tablecloth has been about attempting to bring light to a terrible situation that also came at a terrible time “It being the week before school started was tough,” said Dwyer who's president of the Parents-Teachers Association “The way that the whole entire community has rallied around this family has been special.” Dwyer and Luhrs stood at the booth that sat alongside food vendors and the Wappingers police booth As people walked through the park on the somewhat chilly morning someone would occasionally stop to give some money There was also a station at the booth with scraps of paper and crayons so any person “I just want to give money to hopefully help them rebuild and make them feel like people care,” she said “So they know they’re not alone.” who donated $15 as she stopped at the booth said “my heart goes out to the family.” The 69-year-old said it saddens her to think of that morning with all the firetrucks she saw followed by the devastating news “It’s not going to do anything for the sadness...but to help them it’s very important,” she said “It’s a community getting together.” Dwyer has also started a GoFundMe page that has raised $11,000 as of Sunday the PTA hopes the school can have theme days in which students wear superhero attire for Sean “The whole community is here,” Dwyer said Jack Howland: jhowland@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4870; Twitter: @jhowl04 HOUSE FIRE: Wappinger 7-year-old died from smoke inhalation in house fire SUPPORT: Wappingers offer support to family of 7-year-old who died in house fire SUPERHEROES: Wappinger boy who died in fire loved superheroes, playing in dirt FISHERSVILLE - It's been nearly four years in the making for PK Kamath's restaurant The idea first started baking that long ago but Kamath and his partners at F&B Restaurant Management LLC broke ground on the restaurant almost two years ago in Fishersville's Myers Corner located at the intersection of Lifecore Drive and U.S 250.  Augusta Kitchen is a build-your-own dish restaurant with a Southern twist You pick your base (either grains or greens) sauces and then "soppers" like biscuits or cornbread to soak up all the left over juices from the dish.  Customers can order things in a bowl or on a plate both around $10 Everything is made in-house including the proteins which are cooked either on a large smoker out back or on rotisserie inside the restaurant.  More: Fishersville's Myers Corner serving as the town's city center: How do these developments work? The company runs three other restaurants in Charlottesville — Fry's Spring Station Kamath and Thompson are heading up Augusta Kitchen in Fishersville and have brought on Joe Wilkins formerly of the Bryce Resort, as the head chef Kamath has a background in real estate and marketing and Thompson comes from a long culinary background Kamath starting diving into the restaurant business back in 2009 General Manager Greg Lesler said the company made the jump over the mountain because they felt Fishersville needed something that offered good food and a bar for gathering call Augusta County home — another reason to locate on this side of Afton Mountain "What we bring is kind of a unique restaurant," he said.  Your hunger for stories like this makes our coverage possible More: New mercantile shop in Waynesboro; New Dollar Tree; Art center expanding — The buzz More: Take a look inside: Staunton High School renovations well underway The new restaurant also includes a full bar featuring local beers and ciders the restaurant can accommodate 70 to 75 people and the patio fits 15 to 20 people this restaurant is a totally different concept than their other three.  "The fact that we have these other restaurants — two are full service and one is counter service — we were able to learn enough about those two to be able to understand that there are great ways to provide really good service consistently in this format," he said.  Kamath and Lesler said the response from the public has been good.  people are happy to have another option," Lesler said.  Kamath said the concept is similar to Chipotle the fast-casual Tex-Mex chain, or CAVA which serves Mediterranean-style food in a fast-casual style they have pimento cheese instead of queso or black-eyed pea style spread instead of humus.  "We wanted to have the efficiencies and the interaction of that service when you get to interact with the employees and see the food," he said. "At the same time have people come in and make really healthy decisions." Kamath said people can go the healthy route They have lots of vegan and vegetarian options especially with their cheddar drop biscuits and cast iron corn bread.  He also wanted to provide the Fishersville area with more dining options that were open later a later night menu and is currently open until 10 p.m Kamath also wanted to provide a non-chain option for the area "We're hoping being first to market will be advantageous," he said but the community is growing like wildfire." To learn more, visit Augusta Kitchen at 12 Old Oaks Dr. in Fishersville or on Facebook Kirsten Deirup drives from her Hopewell Junction home to Myers Corners Elementary School every day to drop off her 4-year-old son at the Wappingers Universal Pre-Kindergarten program.  Daycare costs can be more than $1,000 a month Some of them were really close and convenient but the safety precautions just didn't feel great to me and the cost is a lot of money," the mother of two said "Even the cheaper ones are a big financial commitment even though the day is shorter (than daycare) it feels like enough time for the kids to be in school." part of a drastic shift in educational opportunities this fall for Dutchess County's youngest students With an influx of millions in state funding nine area school districts were able to start universal pre-kindergarten The boost is enabling several hundred students to enter a group academic setting earlier than would have been otherwise possible offering kindergarten preparation at a time when parents and childcare experts are touting the importance of socialization amid the ongoing pandemic. It's also offering a service to parents many of whom could not otherwise afford to balance childcare with employment First day relief: What students, teachers in Dutchess had to say about classes resuming Trapped in a cycle: In Poughkeepsie, spike in gang violence arouses longtime anguish, fear Mask mandates: Do you have to wear a mask at school board meetings? Officials say yes but the focus is on preparing students to learn literacy social skills and basic academics necessary to excel when entering the elementary classroom.  the Pine Plains district this year teamed with the Anderson Center for Autism to create a pre-K program for children ages 3-to-5-years old for autism and related disorders The program at Cold Spring Elementary School has 20 spots available New York's 2021-22 budget included a $105 million increase in funding UPK programs with roughly $4.4 million coming in to Dutchess districts Arlington and Poughkeepsie each received more than $1 million and Spackenkill each received between $100,000 and $250,000. The programs are available to children who turn 4 prior to Dec Poughkeepsie used its roughly $1.4 million to expand it's program from half-day to a full-day and add spots The district has roughly 120 students enrolled with 10 on its waitlist Supervisor of Elementary Education Janet Bisti said the district is working on creating another class to enroll the students on the waitlist.  At a district that has struggled for years with the lowest high school graduation rates in the county Bisti referred to the program as a head start for students "Early literacy is the foundation for academic success moving forward so it's really important that our students are entering kindergarten knowing their alphabet what the expectations are and how to put their best foot forward," she said Many districts have enlisted local community organizations and spaces to create more classrooms and spots in their programs Myers Corners is one of 10 locations throughout the Wappingers district — four in school building and six through partnerships with community organizations — serving more than 200 students half of its program is run by Healthy Kids out of the Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie The demand in both districts has overwhelmed the availability of spots Wappingers Teacher Amy Perrone said having her students located at Myers Corners Elementary School gives her the opportunity to show her students how to function within the school setting.   "It's nice because a lot of pre-schools are smaller and they are getting to see the older kids walking in the hallway and saying "Oh they are using equipment outside at recess they know how to appropriately use the playground materials Richard Jones is a father of a 4-old-old in the Poughkeepsie program His schedule working with DoorDash is flexible but his hours are still limited by parenting The expansion of the Poughkeepsie program — it was half-day four days a week and now runs from 8 a.m "I can get in more hours at work and then come and pick him up," he said but for me the full-day program is very convenient.. he's learning. Everyday he comes to me and tells me what he's learned at school Esther Hernandez picked up her daughter from the Smith Early Learning Center on Tuesday with her 1-year-old in tow.  The Poughkeepsie woman is a stay-at-home mom but having full-time care for her oldest daughter gives her the ability to complete tasks that she would have not been able to do when her daughter was in a half-day program.  "It’s a great help because the single moms have the ability to put their kids in school and the parents that don't work have more time to do other things that before were done in a shorter time and the schedule is really good," she said in Spanish. "And but going to school at and earlier age allows her daughter the opportunity to learn to speak Spanish and English simultaneously "I like it a lot because they give the service for free and the teachers put a lot of attention into the kids," she said Dana Tompkins said he was drawn to the structure that Wappingers UPK program had to offer his daughter.  The father of two said he and his wife had to switch their schedules to accommodate the 9 a.m but it's worth it when he sees the curriculum and structure set by his daughter's teachers.  "The structure was our favorite part of it to get her into something that is structured and getting her into a school so that she can start the process," he said but daycare is just a bunch of kids playing around and there is no curriculum or anything like that."  The primary goal of UPK programming is to prepare students to enter kindergarten in a holistic way Teachers say the curriculums used in their classrooms are more structured and closer to what students will learn next year in their kindergarten classrooms than traditional daycares can provide.  "It's very student-centered and it's about guiding them and letting them figure out things with their own curiosity cognitive skills," Perrone said. "We have all different centers throughout the room They build different things with their hands for motor skills We break them up into groups to work with different students."  Poughkeepsie this year introduced a pilot curriculum by Scholastic called "Pre-K on My Way." Bisti said the program focuses on literacy services through play and with diverse texts She noted the programs used in the classroom are available digitally for students at home The district said it's in the process of securing one-to-one touchscreen Chromebooks for UPK students.  "In an environment where the parents don't have access to as much of the literacy as we would want or we don't have access to bring the students to the library to be able to provide that for them digitally and at home is going to help them be prepared for Kindergarten enrich that love of learning that they already have and bring it into the school system," Bisti said.  Cold Spring Elementary School Principal Gian Staff said the focus of Pine Plains UPK program is to emphasize age-appropriate academics with play mixed in and little bits of science and social studies but its age appropriate," he said. "We prioritize play we want our kids to develop social and emotionally So the pre-k instruction focuses on all of those areas with the goal of having to take on kindergarten."  The traditional UPK programs do not cover services for preschool students with special needs Chief Operating Officer for the Anderson Center Tina Covington said the idea to begin a pre-K program began two years ago when she approached several districts looking for a classroom to lease out and was located in an area with limited resources for students with special needs.  She said students on the spectrum often struggle with transitioning into the public school setting.  "(Districts) said their biggest hurdle is finding students that are ready to go into the kindergarten classroom because it's much different," Covington said "They find the students transitioning into the public school didn't have the necessary skillset those transitions were difficult for our little guys plus they didn't have skillset to just come in sit at a table and be ready for work."  The program out of Pine Plains is available to kids ages 3 to 5 from anywhere in Dutchess County there is one student enrolled but teachers are in the process of screening students to fill additional spots Covington said she expects all 20 available spots to be filled by November.  She said her teachers work with districts to create curriculums that will give students the tools to go into public school in a less restrictive environment one a self-contained class in which students have a classification as a preschooler with a disability and an integrated class in which half of the kids are diagnosed with a disability and half are without a classification physical and speech therapists from its center to work with it's pre-K students.  "A good preschool program can change the trajectory of that child's life To have all of those specialty professionals working with that child to increase their language that combination can lead them to move to less restrictive environments," Covington said. "You can see the students that have really good early intervention preschool services they come with more skills and are more independent."  When Wappingers Superintendent Dwight Bonk was notified about state funding for a UPK program it came as a pleasant surprise Creating a program was a discussion the district had internally for years funding and structure at the time.  The district has more than 200 kids enrolled in the program but Bonk noted that is just a fraction of the number that were interested. He said the issue preventing the district from expanding is the lack of space but "we want to evaluate how things are year one and then we are looking to expand it."  Poughkeepsie is already in the process of expanding its programs with priority of finding space in the north side of the city and leasing additional classrooms at the church.  "We are looking at locations on the north side so there is a location that is within their neighborhood so parents can walk there with their children or just have very close access in a way that is safe and comfortable for them as well," Bisti said.  Many leaders are looking to expand from the programs created this year Pawling Superintendent Kim Fontana said her district had 20 available spots but that was only provided for about half the families interested.  "Early childhood education is important to our society as a whole as it benefits the students and the community," she said. "We will certainly hope that the state will continue to see value in expanding funding for universal pre-kindergarten." Many district leaders said they learned from districts with already-established programs such as Pine Plains where the program started six years ago without state funding; this was the first time it received funding "We made the decision that when we started the program we would have it available to any student whose parent wanted them to come," Pine Plains Superintendent Martin Handler said of the five-day program. "We didn't have a lottery We thought that was an equity issue and didn't want to be in the position of picking and choosing."  He said the program has evolved to provide one-to-one devices for its students incorporating technology into a curriculum that focuses on early learning.  Poughkeepsie Assistant Superintendent Gregory Mott said the program is a key for providing a foundation that will lead to academic and lifelong success for students.  "Research does show that children that graduate from pre-K have proven academic readiness and they also have lower incarceration rates and higher earnings," he said. "So children in involved in pre-academic skills that they received in pre-K have lifelong increased supports and benefits to kids." Katelyn Cordero is the education reporter for the Poughkeepsie Journal: kcordero@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @KatelynCordero.  FISHERSVILLE — A new Mexican restaurant with a bit of a twist on the traditional offerings this area is used to will be coming soon to Augusta County Mariscos El Barco Bar and Grill will be opening soon at 12 Old Oaks Drive in Fishersville's Myers Corner It will be located in the former Augusta Kitchen said the owners are still waiting on a few licenses but the plan is to be open to the public in April Alicea Saez is with the consulting firm Elevate which works specifically with Latino entrepreneurs It's a family owned business with locations in Charlottesville Alicea Saez said the owners — Carlos and Leopoldo Lugo — are from the Richmond area and have resisted offers to open up locations outside of Virginia "They started out three years ago in Richmond," Alicea Saez said The name — Mariscos El Barco — translates into English as seafood boat a state in Northwest Mexico that borders the Gulf of California Alicea Saez said El Barco will also be offering items from the grill enchiladas and burritos for those who want more traditional Mexican food When the family first opened the restaurant it featured seafood almost exclusively catering to Latinos who couldn't find the style of seafood in Virginia that they enjoyed They slowly added some items from the grill for those who came into a Mexican restaurant expecting traditional food "But definitely people will be able to experience Mexican-style seafood," Alicea Saez said Included among the many seafood dishes on the Fishesville menu are: and French fries.LANGOSTINOS— Prawn shrimp cooked in Sinaloa style sauce.CAMARONES AL GUSTO — Grilled shrimp cooked your style served with rice garlic bread.MOJARRA CUCARACHA— Whole fried tilapia salad and French fries.SNOW CRAB LEGS— Snow crab legs in a house blend mojo cucumbers.CHICHARRON DE PESCADO— Lightly battered fried fish served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce.GRILLED SALMON— Grilled salmon served with pico de mango grilled vegetables and garlic bread.COCO RELLENO— Shrimp and octopus cooked in a creamy mushroom sauce and topped with melted cheese.Other There's also a lunch menu that will be served between 11 a.m and a kids menu that includes chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese among other items El Barco will also have a drink menu with margaritas aqua fresca and Mexican Coke made with real cane sugar "Fishersville was a growing area," Alicea Saez said about the reason for choosing the new location "There seemed to be a need for something different We just thought Fishersville was a good fit for the concept." More:Steve Morelli resigns from Augusta County Board of Supervisors, but questions linger More:Ex-DuPont Community Credit Union employee guilty of embezzling $22,000 — Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com STAUNTON – The selection of Staunton’s new mayor and vice mayor are planned for next week The Staunton City Council will hold an organizational meeting early next week the council will vote to elect the mayor and vice mayor from among the council members The board will then set the regular meeting times and days for 2025 and appoint councilmembers to their respective boards and commissions Cline appointed, new Art Hive artist, data center report: THE DIGEST VERONA – The Augusta County School Board will consider its leadership during the first meeting of the new year on Thursday According to the board agenda the board takes its annual vote for its chair and authorization for the superintendent to assign personnel The board will also review the proposed agenda for the School Board Retreat scheduled for Jan at the Center for Instruction and Professional Development 'One person can make a difference:' Staunton's Spider-Man works to improve the community Augusta zoning appeals take up first requests of the new yearVERONA – The Augusta County Board of Zoning Appeals will meet on the second day of the year to take up the first batch of rezoning and permit requests in the county for the new year More: Cline appointed, new Art Hive artist, data center report: THE DIGEST Lyra Bordelon (she/her) is the public transparency and justice reporter at The News Leader It’s welcome through email to lbordelon@gannett.com Their afternoon includes a cocktail recipe showdown and fast-food dip taste-off In a delightful segment from the most recent episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers, the show’s host spends an afternoon drinking and snacking at NYC’s famed Corner Bistro with Food Network legend Ina Garten From the beginning of their midday meeting Seth proves to be a must faster drinker than Ina And while you never really know if the hosts are actually boozing it up during segments like this Meyers does seem convincingly buzzed throughout most of the clip — particularly in one part where he has to transition between the drink-making portion of the afternoon to the snack-eating part — while Ina remains cool as a cucumber when Ina says she likes the cocktail Seth made for her you have a face you make that’s a liar’s face?” That’s definitely the type of thing you might hear in a barroom between two friends when one has been imbibing more than the other Perhaps the funniest part of this segment is when Seth and Ina sample various dips from fast-food restaurants alongside the Barefoot Contessa’s versions where the McDonald’s recipe is up against the made-from-scratch dip “That tastes like a million McNuggets I’ve had in my life.. and the other one’s okay.” And after sampling KFC’s signature sauce Ina remarks that it “tastes like gravy,” to which Meyers replies Their afternoon at Corner Bistro ends with a “match the celebrity to their bare feet” challenge and Seth presenting Ina with a lopsided pink cake he made as an early birthday present Watch their boozy lost afternoon in the clip above • Seth and Ina Garten Go Day Drinking [YouTube] The freshest news from the food world every day The former Lilian Smoke Shop in the City of Poughkeepsie has been boarded up for months Having lived in the City of Poughkeepsie for a number of years there are small stores or bodegas up and down Main Street I kinda got spoiled having a place right on the corner Also See: "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Star Spotted in Hudson Valley Lilian Smoke Shop and Deli had been a fixture for years at 558 Main Street in Poughkeepsie At some point way back they must have served up deli sandwiches there was a sign in the front window indicating that they offered burgers and cheesesteaks That must have been a long time ago because no food was being served out of there in the time I've visited for several years I'd pop into the corner store to grab a beer or water or some necessities like paper towels and toilet paper I saw that it had been boarded up and Lilian Smoke Shop was no more things always seemed a little shady over there I'd see arguments occuring between store staff and patrons and altercations with people out on the street I'd go in and get what I needed and keep to myself I was just happy for the convenience of the corner store that was just a hop now a Cornerstone Realty Group sign hangs in the window of the former Lilian Smoke Shop indicating that the space is for rent What do you think should go in the new spot The former Lilian Smoke Shop in the City of Poughkeepsie has been boarded up for months.\nRead More Also See: "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Star Spotted in Hudson Valley   New York’s 22nd Congressional district is getting a new representative this year Democratic candidate Kim Myers tells WAMC’s Alan Chartock why she’s confident Be one of the first to know what's coming up on WAMC See additional subscription options Nearly a month after postponing the vote the Wappingers board decided to change Fishkill Elementary School's boundary lines Starting in the fall, newly enrolled students who live in certain areas of Baxtertown Road Round Hill and Osborne Hill Road will attend Myers Corners Elementary instead of Fishkill Elementary Current Fishkill Elementary students will be "grandfathered" into the boundary zone Younger siblings of current Fishkill students who haven't started kindergarten yet will also be grandfathered in on a "case-by-case" basis POSTPONED: Wappingers postpones Fishkill Elementary boundary vote CHANGES: Wappingers ponders Fishkill Elementary boundary changes MURAL: Wappingers school to replace mural depicting Confederate flag Eight members of the Wappingers Central School District board voted to redraw attendance zone boundaries for Fishkill Elementary and Myers Corners Elementary at its Monday meeting The vote to move the specific Fishkill communities into the Myers boundary was postponed from early January The new attendance zones won't result in any changes to current feeder patterns which designate the schools that students attend as they graduate from one level to the next, said Daren Lolkema, assistant superintendent of compliance and information systems The boundary change did not see the same level of public outcry as the district's controversial K-6 realignment plan in 2015 Officials attributed that to the grandfathering of current students and siblings the "case-by-case" language of the resolution worried district mom Kory Ricotta whose youngest child is set to enter kindergarten in the fall She wants to make sure her 4-year-old has a place at Fishkill Elementary the school her other children attended or attend now we do not separate siblings," said Superintendent Jose Carrion after the meeting. "It's on a very rare occasion that would occur." Incoming students who have siblings in Fishkill Elementary "would be the students who would be strongly considered or will be able to get into the school based on numbers," Carrion added you still have to take and review and just make sure." The cost of grandfathering in current students and siblings is not expected to exceed $6,000 a year in staff time and vehicle usage Some trustees asked how Carrion could justify keeping current Fishkill students in place after nearly 600 children had to change schools as part of the K-6 realignment Carrion said he looks at Fishkill Elementary as having a unique situation that should have been squared away long ago And Fishkill Elementary families experienced the same changes as other school families did 140 Fishkill students were sent to Brinckerhoff Elementary caused by an unbalanced geographic alignment has been an ongoing issue in Wappingers for years Myers Corners Elementary has room to accommodate additional students About 460 students are enrolled at Fishkill Elementary, which has 19 full-size classrooms, according to district records. It can offer three sections per grade in five grade levels and two sections per grade in two grade levels The number of sections a school offers per grade help determine class size; the fewer the sections the higher the number of students in each class Fishkill can only offer two kindergarten sections The "ideal number" of students in each section about 120 fewer students would be enrolled at Fishkill after seven years (a full K-6 cycle) District records show that's about the same number of students who are currently enrolled in the school and live in the affected areas.  Nina Schutzman: nschutzman@poughkeepsiejournal.com A 17-acre lot is being cleared at the southeast corner of Idlewild Street and Plantation Road in south Fort Myers Pulte Homes paid $2.4 million for the land in a deal brokered by Chuck Mayhugh of Mayhugh Commercial Advisors The homes will start at more than $500,000 and will range from 1,600 to 3,400 square feet of living space with most of the homesites clustered along a large Construction of the model homes is expected to begin by the spring with some of the homes expected to be finished by the summer “Pulte is excited to offer consumer-inspired single-family homes in this great location,” Josh Graeve president of PulteGroup’s Southwest Florida Division “Residents will enjoy a true sense of community.”   The bulk of the acreage last sold for $315,600 in August 2011 when the late Sylvia Davidson who held ownership after the death of her husband sold it to Idlewild of Southwest Florida LLC That company bought the remaining acreage for $6,200 in December 2011 and held onto both lots as investments until earlier this year “I sold the property originally to these investors with the idea it would go single-family instead of multifamily,” Mayhugh said “All of these single-family home projects have been going in to that corridor That’s really the way we wanted to see it go I’ve spent so much time working in that area for single-family.” Restaurants and food-and-beverage vendors are continuing to do whatever it takes to get by in this pandemic.  From a kombucha bar opening inside a craft-beer bar to a barbecue joint adding pizzas to its lineup here's a look at the latest restaurant news from around Lee County in A La Carte.  Flying Eagle Kombucha will debut its new onsite taproom this weekend at Millennial Brewing Co This bar-within-a-bar has taken over a corner of the brewery offering Flying Eagle's hand-crafted probiotic-filled kombuchas on tap.  Flying Eagle's beverages are naturally fermented and non-alcoholic Kombucha has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years thanks to its touted health benefits provides micronutrients and promotes gut health.  More restaurant news: Jungle Bird pops up in Cape Coral, food trucks roll into Alliance And: 17 Lee restaurants get zero violations on health and safety inspections The grand opening takes place Friday and Saturday with special small-batch and collaboration kombuchas craft beers from Millennial and food from the Arekie Fusion food truck. All staff will be masked and a 50% capacity will be enforced.  Flying Eagle made its local debut two years ago selling its hand-made beverages wholesale and through local farmers markets.  Find Flying Eagle and Millennial at 1811 Royal Palm Ave., Fort Myers. Visit flyingeaglekombucha.com and millennialbrewing.com for more.  A new German restaurant is coming to the classic zigzag-roofed building at 3674 Cleveland Ave. HJ German Corner is awaiting its final inspections and permits who plans to open the restaurant later this month.  we are now just waiting on the city of Fort Myers," Weyer said.  From 2018: Germans are buying SWFL restaurants, and they're not serving schnitzel HJ will offer traditional German and Eastern European dishes including meat-and-cheese plates HJ shows more than a half-dozen German beers on its menu Find more at handjgermancorner.com.  More: In the Know: Joe V's Farm Market coming to Cape Coral Find the church at 8210 Cypress Lake Drive.  Rib City fires up Estero pizza ovensRib City’s Estero location at 10431 Corkscrew Commons Drive has added six varieties of specialty brick-oven pizzas to its lineup of barbecue Prices for the personal-sized pizzas start at $8.99 More: Rib City chain celebrates 30 years of 'brilliance in the basics' “The Estero location was formerly an Arizona Pizza but until now we had not put the custom-made brick oven to use,” Rib City's managing partner Paul Peden said in a news release “With COVID-19 changing the way we operate all our stores and the restaurant industry in general we need to take advantage of every opportunity we have in these unusual circumstances and felt it was the perfect time to add specialty brick oven pizzas to our menu at this location.” Rib City launched in Fort Myers in 1989. The chain now operates 12 corporate restaurants in Florida with 11 locations in Southwest Florida, and 12 franchise restaurants across the country from Tennessee to Virginia, Colorado and Washington. Visit ribcity.com for more.  A La Carte is a roundup of food and restaurant news from around Southwest Florida. Send ideas to atometich@news-press.com for possible inclusion.  The Wappingers school board has postponed a vote to change Fishkill Elementary School's boundary lines but it will likely be back for consideration soon The board was set to vote Monday on the redistricting of specific Fishkill Elementary School communities. Starting in the fall, newly enrolled students who live in certain areas of Baxtertown Road Round Hill and Osbourne Hill Road would attend Myers Corners Elementary instead of Fishkill Elementary Myers Corners Elementary has room to accommodate additional students CHANGES: Wappingers ponders Fishkill Elementary boundary changes MURAL: Wappingers school to replace mural depicting Confederate flag START TIMES: Wappingers will change school start times Current Fishkill Elementary students would be "grandfathered" into the boundary zone Younger siblings of current Fishkill students who have not yet started kindergarten would also be grandfathered in on a case-by-case basis The boundary change resolution was pulled from Monday's meeting agenda after  schools Superintendent Jose Carrion asked the board to consider tabling it Carrion told the Journal he anticipates it coming back for board consideration "by the first meeting in February." Registration for 2018-19 kindergarten students is set for early March About 460 students are enrolled at Fishkill Elementary, which has 19 full-size classrooms, according to district records. So it can offer three sections per grade in five grade levels The number of sections a school offers per grade helps determine class size; the fewer the sections classes in the grades with only two sections have anywhere from 28 to 32 students The boundary change proposal comes nearly three years after the district implemented a controversial K-6 realignment plan according to Daren Lolkema, assistant superintendent of compliance and information systems "I know we're bursting at the seams," said Carla Ninos including a sixth-grader at Fishkill Elementary I don't think neighbors should be divided." Ninos on Monday implored trustees to delay the vote prior to their decision to pull it from the agenda While her own children would not be affected by the changes "We have a very tight-knit community and I feel like I have to advocate for the people coming into our community," Ninos said "I just want you to slow down a little bit." Kory Ricotta's four children range in age from 4 to 27 has been going on since my oldest was here," Ricotta told the board "There were five of us pregnant at the same time, all thinking these kids would be part of the same school," Ricotta added I just ask that you think of alternatives." some Fishkill Elementary students needed to be reassigned every year to Brinckerhoff "We had one year where 23 or 24 students from that (Fishkill) boundary had to attend Brinckerhoff," said Carrion said at the meeting. "Since we have the configuration "I'd rather show the board everything that has been vetted" before it votes on the proposed changes "I would hope that we could just table the item." Trustee Ed Sloshower asked that the resolution be pulled "my understanding" is that it would have to be brought back at the next meeting "Based on comments from the superintendent," he said I want to give him ample opportunity to put together what he wants to show us." if the proposed boundary changes are implemented FISHERSVILLE – All the digging and paving projects for car traffic between the Woodrow Wilson complex to Interstate 64 could one day include a trail that would make it easy to walk or bike from Wilson to the Augusta Expo area Augusta County received a grant recently for preliminary work on a walking path near the hospital that would link two pedestrian and bike trails under construction alongside major road projects that link would be part of a 2.5-mile shared-use path that would start at U.S 250 across from the Wilson complex and wind southward past the hospital and over Interstate 64 to Expo Road Commercial and residential growth is expected to speed up once the Myers Corner development across from Wilson connects U.S The pedestrian trail would bring a long-term recreational path and driving alternative with it a planner with the local office of the Virginia Department of Transportation "We didn't want to miss the opportunity to facilitate the types of infrastructure now that will last 100 years … and to support the continued land development pattern going out there," said Short planning manager for VDOT's Staunton District The county gave its blessing to the Myers Corner development plan off U.S 250 in part because the builders agreed to include a road from the highway's intersection at the Wilson complex to the hospital Grading has already reached the highway across the traffic signal from Wilson Avenue Augusta officials had for years wanted a more direct route for emergency services from the cluster of public buildings at Wilson to Augusta Health The $15 million Myers Corner road project will have a pedestrian trail shadow it for its mile of length construction to widen and improve a mile of Tinkling Spring Road at the I-64 interchange will also build a walking path alongside the lanes The 8-10 feet trail will run along the western side of the new interstate overpass to the terminus point of road improvements at Expo Road was a stretch about three-quarters of a mile The $273,040 in federal and state Transportation Alternatives grant awarded Augusta County this summer is for preliminary engineering and rights-of-way for a path that would link the two under construction The area between the Augusta Health and U.S 250 is planned as mixed-use development expected to draw health care-related businesses as well as homes that would be in close proximity to those who work or study along Lifecore The southern end of "Lifecore Trail" is adjacent to Mary Baldwin College's new Murphy Deming College Health Sciences VDOT has encouraged connective trails as part of road construction within developing areas to make it safer for those who don't drive "We wanted to facilitate that type of infrastructure now rather than waiting for folks to be walking in the streets," he said The Exit 91 and Lifecore Drive projects are both expected to be finished next year The total cost of the connecting path is about $765,000 Augusta County would have to wait a year to apply for the remaining $490,000 or so needed to build it that trail segment would open two years from now at the earliest Andrew Rowsey admits he still doesn't get the respect he probably deserves but that just motivates him to continue proving people wrong Coming out of Rockbridge County High School there were not many big-name colleges interested in the Lexington native so he ended up in the Big South Conference at UNC-Asheville He scored 1,244 points in his two years there before transferring to Marquette in the Big East.  Are local sports important to you? The coverage we provide is possible only if you help. Subscribe to The News Leader and get unlimited access to all of our stories.  In his final season at Marquette he broke Dwyane Wade's single-season scoring mark for the school and he also broke the single-season mark for 3-pointers made he's hoping for another shot at the big time the official minor league for the NBA He's currently averaging 20.2 points a game for the Lakeland Magic "I'm really enjoying it," Rowsey said by phone Wednesday on an off day for the team "It's different basketball than I've ever been a part of and played against Part of what keeps Rowsey going is that doubt or at least perceived doubt, people have about him "That's what's gotten me to this point," he said "I feel like if I didn't have that I wouldn't be where I'm at That's what keeps me motivated just to know that you get to prove people wrong every time." Rowsey had 12 workouts with NBA teams and played summer league for the Toronto Raptors but after talking it over with this agent and his family Rowsey decided the best path for him might be international ball Rowsey signed to play with Szolnoki Olaj in the Hungarian League He averaged 12.2 points a game during the 2018-19 season The team is located just outside of Budapest.  "That was an experience in itself," he said More: ‘Street Outlaws’ car gets sweet racing body job in Staunton The basketball was more physical in Europe With a smaller court everything was more compact which is not Rowsey's preferred style of play That forced him to change the way he played a little he feels like he'll get a taste of both worlds professional basketball in Europe and pro ball in the U.S.  "After this year I want to see which one I like best," the 25-year-old Rowsey said.  He was acquired by Lakeland in December and played his first game with the Magic just before Christmas he's only missed scoring in double figures twice He hit 8-of-12 3-pointers in that game.  The team doesn't play again until Saturday when the Magic host the Capital City Go-Go.  while the Lakeland team is tied to the NBA's Orlando Magic any team can call him up if there's a need He said all he can do is play hard and hope things work out "I feel like this is the best I've played in my life," he said Follow Patrick on Twitter @Patrick_Hite Support community journalism by subscribing to The News Leader The nearly century-old Myers Building in downtown Springfield is going up for auction one of its heirs and minority owners confirmed to The State Journal-Register The ten-story building at the southwest corner of Fifth and Washington streets was the longtime location of Myers Brothers Department Store, which later became Bergner's before closing in 1989 The building had been for sale, said Michael Myers, 79, a Springfield attorney, and its last major tenant was the Illinois Treasurer's Office More: Nearly $50M renovations at Springfield housing complex are finished Myers said Marcus & Millichap is handling the auction and it is expected to go live in early December "We just felt this was the opportune time to see if someone could buy it," Myers said Myers said 15 to 16 people have minority ownership in the building The department store occupied the basement and the first four floors It was converted into offices after Bergner's closed The Myers Brothers name started in Springfield in 1886 when Albert, Louis and Julius Myers bought Samuel Rosenwald’s men’s and boys’ wear outlet and renamed the store, according to SangamonLink A fire destroyed the building in March 1924 but it was rebuilt at twice its size two years later Myers Brothers was bought by Phillips-Van Heusen though the Myers family continued to run the operation Phillips-Van Heusen sold Myers Brothers to the Bergner department store chain in 1978 and the Bergner's name went up on the downtown store in 1983 (This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.) Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788: sspearie@sj-r.com: X NEWARK – Glenn’s Market is just one of those places Owner Greg Myers describes it as an old-fashioned “general store.” Others look at it as the area gathering place “They always had what they called the ‘liar bench,’” said Scott Stradley a lifelong friend of Myers’ who now lives in Fairborn near Dayton “A lot of the fellas in the surrounding area would go there just for a bull session more than anything So it’s just like a big community-type center Glenn’s Market is at a widening of the road called Wilkins Corner you’ll come straight into our parking lot.” but even Myers said it’s really in the countryside north of town “was founded in the early 1800s when the Wilkins family came here from Virginia.” There’s been a store at Wilkins Corner ever since It was originally in a much older building “It’s a more modern building,” Myers explained as to why the move in 1982 then this building right across the street came up for sale so we moved over here.” you have to wonder: Why has there been a store in that location since the early 1800s “We’re just guessing,” Myers said “but we think maybe the 1830s.” “why there?” is not easy to answer even for a lifelong resident like the 59-year-old Myers “it’s when the Wilkins’ just started congregating here with other families.” “The old store we came out of used to be a post office,” he continued “And at one time it was a meeting place for the Masons There’s a lot of history in that old building It was built in 1860 and there was a smaller one before that Myers does know it was previously called Lane’s Grocery before his dad bought it in 1975 “after the previous owner died unexpectedly.” His dad renamed it Glenn’s Market in 1977 And he knows he’s been working there since he was a teenager since before he graduated from Licking Valley High School in 1977 “People go there,” Stradley explained or if they need lunchmeat for packing their lunch.” Myers had to admit that’s about the size of it – except for that “gathering place” thing “About 6 or 7 people,” he confirmed “get here early every morning to hash out the day’s plans.” “Yeah,” he finally concluded in a very understated sort of way Glenn’s Market is located at 6085 Fallsburg Road NE in Newark call 740-345-2003 or check out their Facebook page Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary If you have a suggestion for a future profile let us know at advocate@newarkadvocate.com or 740-328-8821 STAUNTON - Kati Hebert spent months coming up with different themes for each of her four rentable rooms purchased the historic home at 208 Kalorama St The Heberts have owned the circa 1880s home for over two years and opened their extended stay about a year ago after extensive renovations "We had people always staying with us — short-term or long-term," Kati Hebert said "We would give up our room to our guests and make it really nice for them because it was really important to us for people to have an experience that just makes them feel better and feel good." The two have been investing in real estate in the area for a number of years either flipping homes or renting the properties out they have about 45 units in the Staunton and Augusta County areas.  Keith Hebert currently works as a hail damage repairman so he's often chasing storms in around the country and overseas.  The Heberts have traveled for work for much of their lives taking them to a variety of different AirBNBs and short-term rentals Kati said that their travel experiences have led them to be more detail oriented especially in their own rental Staunton Stays.  Want to read more stories by The News Leader but hit your article limit? Click here to get a subscription and support local journalism. More: Mercantile in Waynesboro; New Dollar Tree; Art center expanding — The buzz More: New Southern-style build-your-own dish restaurant in Fishersville opens in Myers Corner Each room has a different theme: whimsical All of which Kati spent months ordering and picking out things for swapping things out and re-arranging multiple times She also wanted to put some personal touches in there Every room has a bottle of wine for guests multiple throw blankets and designated HVAC split units in each unit to allow the guest to set the thermostat as high or low as they desire.  but I also like heavy blankets," she said.  The kitchens are equipped with the basics: spices utensils and even larger baking dishes.  The 15-month renovations on the home were more than $350,000 including sound proofing all the rooms. They also uncovered eight non-working fireplaces and refinished some of the original wood floors.  The Heberts grew up in Massachusetts and moved to Virginia in 1992 Keith was in the Marine Corps for over eight years and was stationed at Quantico. A decade ago the couple decided to call the Shenandoah Valley home and moved to Swoope They wanted to raise their four children in the Valley which was reminiscent of how they had grown up in a rural area of Massachusetts 'Are we going to regret not raising our kids in a small town community like we were raised.' And our answer was yes "We lived in Stafford and you know there was nothing wrong with it To learn more about Staunton Stays visit StauntonStays.com More: 'Internal mismanagement' fuels major disruption at Valley Community Services Board, leader claims You can reach reporter Laura Peters at lpeters@newsleader.com. Follow her @peterslaura. A 70-acre development site at the intersection of Colonial Boulevard and State Road 82 in Fort Myers sold for $21,970,097. Crossroads Commerce Center, which is approved for 355,000 square feet of commercial use, was purchased by Fort Lauderdale-based real estate investment firm Elevate Partners LLC from Summit Properties SW LLC in a deal that closed on Feb. 25. Bill McGee III, senior vice president of Berger Commercial Realty/Corfac International, represented Elevate Partners, which has a multifamily project portfolio that includes the 25-story, 260-unit 4 West Olas luxury apartments in Fort Lauderdale as well as projects in Boca Raton, Destin and Charleston, South Carolina. Brandon Delanois with Jones Lang LaSalle represented the seller. Exact plans for the project are unclear, Berger Commercial Realty officials said. Although the project is still under review, plans for the site include a commercial, multifamily, mixed-use or retail development. With proximity to Interstate 75 and across from a Publix-anchored shopping center, Crossroads Commerce Center has nine outparcels along Colonial Boulevard and two existing, fully constructed median openings. The property also has a median opening along State Road 82. Typical ebbs and flows of the single-family home market do not have much of an impact on the ultra, high-end... Four restaurant chains and a cake shop will join seven other businesses coming this year to the new Tree Farm... For Naples Comprehensive Health, the May 5 opening of the Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH takes the health care... Not only has Chef Brian Roland physically and emotionally returned to public life in Southwest Florida after his life-altering tragedy... Beeline is counting on thirsty folks making a beeline to its new upscale cocktail bar at Mercato in North Naples.... The 72-unit Verandas III opened and is fully occupied on Airport Road, marking the final phase in the redevelopment of... PRATT — There's ax throwing, zombie hunting, indoor shooting range, archery targets and much more at Shooter's Corner, a new business in Pratt put together by local businessman Dale Withers and accomplices. All venues will be open Nov. 1 except for the indoor shooting range, which will open as part of a grand opening celebration 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 2. "We really just wanted to create a place where we could educate kids about how to properly use guns and provide something to do. We needed a place where old folks could have some fun too, all with a high emphasis on safety," said former Pratt Chief of Police Gary Myers who will be managing the business. Myers said training experts in a variety of genres will be on hand regularly to provide hunter's safety courses, conceal and carry registrations, personal protection skills and much more. "We are doing everything according to the law, under scrutiny of federal agencies, so there will be background checks on things like gun sales," Myers said. "We also will be meeting all EPA, OSHAA and HIPA requirements for things like lead contamination. This will be a very safe place for families, individuals, couples, anyone to come in and let off some steam, have some fun and learn the value of weapons and how to use them." A special HAVOC system collects all the lead from the indoor shooting range, and filters all powder, residue and contaminants in the air out of the building. The state-of-the art ventilation system was put together by Larry Martin and others who visited numerous indoor gun ranges and put together the best ideas for this one-of-a-kind facility in Pratt. "Larry, he was the instigator of this all," said Withers. "He had some fun at a shooting range in Grove, Okla. and came back and told me we needed to have something like this in Pratt. It's all been a work in progress since then." Withers said Shooter's Corner was now the only place in Kansas where a person may test bow strings on an archery target, rent a gun and shoot manual or electronically controlled targets, use laser pistols to blast watermelons, pumpkins and zombies, buy or trade guns, get ammunition and reloading supplies or take classes in self-defense and gun safety. Ax-throwing leagues will be formed as interest is expressed. "We needed a place to for young people to learn about guns," Withers said. "This place came together as a lot of collective ideas that just fell into place as we began construction. We've worked out a wide variety of activities for all ages." You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles. Steve Potter, co-founder of online bookseller Wordery, is joining Far Corner as managing director of its global wholesale and e-commerce book businesses. Based in the American company’s UK offices, Potter will oversee global operations with a focus on European supply chain growth and e-commerce expansion into Asia. The company’s c.e.o., Chris Myers, said Far Corner was “absolutely thrilled” to have Potter on board. “He has a unique track record in our field. Our customers will benefit greatly from his experience. His reputation for true innovation is a natural fit for Far Corner as we expand our presence in Europe and Asia,” said Myers. Potter’s career includes a range of roles at WH Smiths, Waterstones and The Book Depository. When The Book Depository was sold to Amazon, he and four colleagues founded Wordery in partnership with The Bertrams Group. Founded in 1991, Far Corner has been active in the industry for more than 25 years. The company delivers services across e-commerce, wholesale, logistics, publishing and media, backed by infrastructure, technology and its global team. Testing at the Duke University Parapsychology Laboratory, undated. Courtesy Duke University Photo Archives/David M. Rubenstein Library is the Geoffrey Tilloston Chair of Nineteenth-Century Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London. He is the author of Gothic: An Illustrated History (2021) and Graveyards: A History of Living with the Dead (forthcoming Edited byMarina Benjamin SaveSYNDICATE THIS ESSAYEmailSavePostShareIn 2016 Elon Musk launched Neuralink with the aim of manufacturing an electronic implant in the brain that could link it directly to the computer network Musk’s company was joining the race to build brain-computer interface (BCI) technology Google and a host of neurology start-ups funded by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs diverted by market-share and software problems with Tesla and by his well-publicised buyout of Twitter it was announced that Neuralink had received approval to proceed from controversial animal to in-human trials with brain implants there was extensive coverage of the implantation of a chip into the brain of a quadriplegic patient could play chess and his favourite video game just by focusing his thoughts on moving a computer cursor which embeds 1,024 small electrodes into the brain to read its neural signals he explained that Neuralink’s main aim was to create an interface to realise ‘consensual telepathy’ the press obligingly headlined the livestream of Arbaugh playing chess with his mind as actively ‘demonstrating telepathy’ (although the later paragraphs of the news stories all tended to severely qualify this claim) Tech observers often note that many of Musk’s technological visions are indebted to his reading of science fiction His influences here are the post-1945 science-fiction works that extrapolated futures out of the military-industrial advances that had been accelerated by the war machine The moniker ‘hard science fiction’ arose because this vein of the genre was rooted in the cold calculus of physics or engineering and promoted as a serious scientific endeavour in itself by the legendary editor of the magazine Astounding Science Fiction who championed such writers of hard science fiction as Isaac Asimov Telepathy might initially seem a much softer, psychological proposition, tainted with a sense of the supernatural. Yet both Campbell and Clarke were lifelong advocates of the view that telepathy was highly probable, the scientific proof of its existence likely just around the corner. The promise of telepathy – soon to be achieved only a few test subjects away – feels very familiar when reading Musk’s boosterish announcements on Neuralink’s latest breakthroughs The promise that telepathy is just about to be realised is not confined to entrepreneurs and science-fiction writers alone there have consistently been figures in the scientific establishment who have entertained similar hopes that telepathy would soon reach the threshold of proof promising everything from opening a new evolutionary phase of human development to a new psychic front in the global arms race The concept of telepathy was first coined in 1882 by the agnostic English poet and amateur psychologist Frederic Myers (1843-1901) Myers suffered a textbook Victorian crisis of faith: comfortably upper middle class with a wide social circle of artists and thinkers he was troubled by profound doubts about the orthodox Christian narrative He studied at the University of Cambridge under the agnostic philosopher Henry Sidgwick much admired for the honesty with which he expressed his own ethical and religious uncertainties A conversation with the novelist George Eliot Portrait of Frederic Myers by William Clarke Wontner; unknown date among them the suicide of his paramour Annie Eliza Marshall prompted Myers to explore the déclassé world of spiritualist séances involving so-called mediums (often women) who claimed that in trance states they became channels for messages from the dead most famously rapped out on parlour tables or even delivered by conjuring up the dead in ethereal form in the darkened séance room the séance experience seemed to offer empirical proof of survival after death and Spiritualism was both a mass movement and a folk religion and it had some surprising support from men of science The co-founder of evolutionary theory Alfred Russel Wallace became a passionate advocate much to the annoyance of a sceptical Charles Darwin The transatlantic telegraph engineer Cromwell Varley became a public convert while leading physicists such as Oliver Lodge and Lord Rayleigh were open to it and sympathetic because of the constant association of spiritualism with claims of fraud involving cheaply staged magic tricks and simple-minded credulity Myers did not publicly announce his own research Engineer-inventors promised that a machine for transmitting direct along with Sidgwick and several other earnest Cambridge men Myers was at the core of the group that launched the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) in London in 1882 The SPR hoped to turn the chaos of allegedly supernatural phenomena – spirit messages or mesmeric trances – into a respectable area of science The SPR’s leading lights did not presume the ‘spirit hypothesis’ pending experimental evidence – which meant they split from the broader spiritualist movement They set out to examine and theorise the physical or perhaps neuropsychological underpinnings of séance communications and the sighting of ghosts In seeking natural explanations for supernatural phenomena they developed their own distinctive nomenclature Haunted houses became ‘phantasmogenetic centres’ – places where a previously undetected kind of energy called ‘psychic force’ might be at play Myers arrived at ‘telepathy’ by joining the Greek tele to pathos It was meant as a neutral term to describe ‘communication outside the recognised channels of sense’ This might cover messages from the unconscious or minds connected somehow across vast distances In a period of rapid innovation in electrical science and technology the press marvelled at the arrival of telephones and phonographs that disembodied voice and at detectors of ‘invisible’ waves made manifest somehow with the magical invention of both X-rays and wireless telegraphy Many engineer-inventors of the time promised that a machine for transmitting direct Both Thomas Edison and his rival Nikola Tesla anticipated such a breakthrough in their various predictions about the future of electrical communications his posthumous book Human Personality and its Survival of Bodily Death (1903) promised that proof of telepathy lay but a handful of years away Psychical research never quite made it into the respectable hard sciences and stayed on the edges of academic psychology too The American researcher J B Rhine reinvented it as ‘parapsychology’ in his research unit at Duke University where he conducted laborious studies of the statistical probabilities of mind-reading using Zener cards Rhine searched repeated testing sessions for statistical anomalies that might capture fugitive telepathic powers The tests were deliberately mundane and repetitious designed to remove the research from the sensational scene of the séance Rhine’s book Extrasensory Perception (1934) was a popular success coining yet another general term that slipped quickly into general usage A telepathy experiment being conducted with Zener cards in 1940 Arthur C Clarke often used the idea of emerging telepathic abilities in man to signal an epochal shift in human evolution the Overlords contact the human race not because of their high tech – specifically nuclear weapons – but because they perceive that the development of human psychical powers is reaching a dangerous tipping point where humanity might start to do damage beyond its own tiny planet The alien contact heralds the start of a new stage of evolution marked by the awakening of telepathic powers Humanity will leave behind its childish state That vision feeds directly into the trippy finale of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) which was scripted by Clarke and the director Stanley Kubrick ended with the vision of psychical rebirth Clarke’s interest in telepathy in this era chimed with a wider revival of interest in the subject driven by the curious logic of the Cold War telepathy was bound directly into the military-industrial complexes of governments telepathy was seen as a technology of the self that could radically disrupt the stalemate of the arms race because both sides wondered if psychic powers could circumvent the nuclear stand-off If psychic powers could be controlled and trained could spies dodge defence systems using ‘remote vision’ or telepathy This research also got a shiny new name for the new era: it was called ‘psionics’ or ‘psychotronics’ a conference on ‘technical parapsychology’ which invited the participation of physicists psychologists and bioengineers from around the world was held in chaotic circumstances in Moscow The Communist Party authorities attempted to cancel it The conference released into the public realm some extraordinary information about extensive parapsychological research in the Soviet Union that had been conducted since Joseph Stalin’s death in 1953 Bolshevik heroes of science had researched what the electrical engineer Bernard Kazhinsky had called ‘biological radio communication’ Kazhinsky argued that ‘Electromagnetic transmission of mental information over a distance is a vital function of the nervous system,’ and that the human body might be an instrument of ‘biological communication still unknown to contemporary radio engineering’ This kind of work had all been shut down under Stalin but the Soviet physiologist Leonid Vasiliev a veteran of that initial revolutionary era had opened a new laboratory at Leningrad University in 1959 to explore the possibility of remote viewing and remote mental suggestion Vasiliev tested telepathic communications between Leningrad and Sevastopol in 1963 with subjects allegedly exchanging accurate data over a distance of 1,700 km Footage of the psychokinetic medium Ninel Mikhailova who spent 20 years in laboratories moving objects apparently by mental power alone the leading spokesman of this Soviet science claimed that the new field of ‘bio-information’ was leading to ‘machines capable of monitoring The proceedings of the conference were published as a mass-market paperback translated into English with the title PSI: Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain (1970) the first international Conference on Psychotronic Research met in Prague The Czech team coined the term ‘psychotronics’ for the new study into the potential powers hidden in the ‘bionics of man’ Psychotronics was less a passive record of spontaneous and instead more interested in theorising an active self-directed technology of focused psychic power the training up and potential weaponising of psychic abilities ‘Remote viewing’ research explored the possibility of spying on Cold War enemies through psychic infiltration the national security state developed its own projects to explore psychical states The Central Intelligence Agency’s MK-Ultra project which looked at brainwashing and the effect of hallucinogenic drugs on willing and unwilling test subjects sounds like a wild conspiracy theory but actually operated under various guises between 1953 and 1973 the physicists Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff at the Stanford Research Institute explored the technique of projective visionary experience they termed ‘remote viewing’ through which a ‘telepath’ was able to ‘see’ scenes of a crime This research programme explored the possibility of spying on Cold War enemies through remote psychic infiltration It is striking that both this US project and its Soviet equivalents were documented in the public domain almost immediately This suggests a pattern of deliberate release of information and disinformation as if fringe research was now a way of psyching out your Cold War enemies through propaganda forcing them to commit resources to the same areas of research An article by Puthoff and Targ ‘Information Transmission under Conditions of Sensory Shielding’ was published in Nature in 1974 (it caused a controversy that the editors of Nature had allowed the piece to pass through their peer-review system) Puthoff and Targ concluded that ‘A channel exists whereby information about a remote location can be obtained by means of an as yet unidentified perceptual modality.’ Many of the Puthoff and Targ experiments were conducted with Uri Geller whose 1973 display on British TV of his apparent ability to bend spoons with mental energy made him a world-famous showman as well as a frequent focus of attempts to debunk what many saw as simple stage tricks TV in the 1970s often seemed decidedly psychic with Geller a frequent guest on talk shows and popular science programmes while Star Trek reruns replayed Spock’s Vulcan ‘mind meld’ – his ability to read minds through rigorous training children’s television was full of programmes about psychical powers such as The Tomorrow People (which ran in the UK from 1973-79) This was because practically every schoolchild read John Wyndham’s novel The Chrysalids (1955) set in a post-apocalyptic society where telepathic children were persecuted (my copy was handed down to me from my older brother) any doubt about the value of psionics was always offset by a faint slither of largely science fiction-influenced promise: might these powers have military applications leading to a secret army unit called Project Stargate which brought together diverse avenues of experimental ‘psy-op’ research – psychological operations involving psychic projection mind control and remote manipulation of unknowing operatives The programme was full of the kind of paranoid fantasy imagined in the film The Manchurian Candidate (1962) of men broken down by psychological torture then ordered to become assassins by post-hypnotic commands embedded in their minds This military programme was given the comic treatment in Jon Ronson’s popular investigative book The Men Who Stare at Goats (2004) which uses as its starting point an experiment that aimed to kill animals with beams of focused psychic power made lethal by rigorous military training but he also tracks the influence of these kinds of psy-ops in the methods of psychological torture used by US forces on terrorist suspects during the Iraq War by the sudden public end of any official sanction of parapsychological research in the Soviet Union This was already happening at the time of the 1968 conference in Moscow and Naumov had been imprisoned for accepting lecture fees on these proscribed subjects in the West Soviet silence was read as ominous secrecy and rumours of militarised parapsychology continued to circulate The Americans were certain the Soviets were employing a tactic of deliberate mystification rather like the leaks of UFO investigations by the US Air Force the government using the feverish speculations of fringe communities documenting UFO landings and alien abductions to hide much more conventional aerospace research projects This linking of American paranormal research to the worlds of science fiction and UFOlogy suggests that we need to see telepathy in the context of the wider culture, where its meanings were always unstable and unbounded by any scientific protocols. For instance, telepathy resurfaced in the hippy counterculture of the 1960s among a group that often opposed the oppressive military-industrial machine Stuart Holroyd’s Psi and the Consciousness Explosion placed parapsychology as part of a ‘new gnosis’ for the New Age ‘faculties that have been fettered and inhibited by the rigid orthodoxies of the bourgeois life-style and the materialistic values that sustain it will freely flourish.’ As emergent signs of this flourishing he listed examples of an openness to mystical experience psychic healing and the fusion of mind and matter exemplified by biofeedfack research Holroyd directly linked the counterculture to ‘its allied experimental science New Age gurus in the 1960s and ’70s often spoke in the language of the sublime: in their lexicon telepathy was an instance of expanded consciousness telepathy seems capable of upholding yet also unmasking the hidden machinations of power That telepathy could take on starkly different valences in the culture is evident in its central role in the boom in horror fiction and film in the 1970s Nicolas Roeg’s film Don’t Look Now (1973) was a dazzling rendition of Daphne du Maurier’s 1971 tale of a man so insensitive to his own psychical and telepathic abilities that he fails to understand that he has foreseen his own death Stephen King has remained obsessed with psychic powers of telekinesis and telepathy from his earliest novels on Carrie (1974) – memorably filmed by Brian De Palma in 1976 with a young Sissy Spacek in the title role – associated psychokinesis with a traumatised girl reaching puberty a highly active area of psychical research in the 1970s takes its title from the informal name given to the powerful telepathic abilities of a young boy who awakens malignant spectral forces lying dormant in an old hotel King’s source materials for The Shining included Shirley Jackson’s novel The Haunting of Hill House (1959) which was itself inspired by an investigation of a haunted house in Scotland by the Society for Psychical Research in 1897 De Palma’s film The Fury (1978) placed telekinetic and telepathic abilities inside a plot about a government conspiracy to weaponise psychical powers just as the popular books on psychotronics suggested about a young girl with pyrokinetic powers as she goes on the run to evade the dark forces of the security state David Cronenberg’s Scanners (1981) shifted this conspiracy to the terrain of anonymous Big Pharma corporations pursuing rogue research a group of telepaths are the product of a rogue medical trial that generates a deadly power of telepathic projection telepathy seems capable of upholding yet also unmasking the hidden machinations of corporate and government power and playing on an all-too-widespread psychological paranoia around being seen infiltrated and manipulated by invisible agents The cultural critic Fredric Jameson has argued that the 1970s is a period when we begin to get early cultural representations of a new ‘world system’– an understanding of how interdependent and networked the planet is becoming This is the moment of instant global satellite communications and the frenetic interconnections of what the media theorist Marshall McLuhan called the ‘global village’ Jameson sees the popular culture of the period as being full of plots about hidden conspiracies He points to those great conspiracy films of the 1970s such as Alan Pakula’s All the President’s Men (1976) or Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974) about trying to grasp structures of power that hover on the edges of our understanding bound into systems we can barely comprehend Is the return of telepathy another way of figuring this new technological dispensation is it that the emergent global communication network makes telepathy thinkable again Stranger Things (2016-25) or Sense8 (2015-18); or fears over the algorithmic manipulation and psychic capture of our attention by secretive corporations that seem intent on reading our minds to anticipate and shape our every desire metaphors and machines that have accumulated over a century Yet this history also teaches us that when we start to hear the promise that practical telepathy is only a few steps away it may be just part of the proleptic promise intrinsic to the very idea of telepathy it’s because telepathy is always on the point of arriving Like a spectre we can’t help but chase as it disappears over the horizon EmailSavePostShareSYNDICATE THIS ESSAYSaveessay The Norse ravaged much of Europe for centuries. They were also cosmopolitan explorers who followed trade winds into the Far East Like today’s large language models, 16th-century humanists had techniques to automate writing – to the detriment of novelty Saveessay After a murderous kidnapping in Nigeria, I launched a campaign to put a stop to the abductions. Why did no one listen? When AI takes over the practice of science we will likely find the results strange and incomprehensible. Should we worry? In Plato’s Symposium, Socrates shared a theory of love from the teachings of a ‘non-Athenian woman’. Who was she really? Saveessay Condemned to death by firing squad, French resistance fighters put pen to paper. Their dying words can teach us how to live CHURCHVILLE - On Churchville's main drag there's a place that's warm and welcoming barista and mover and shaker in the community wanted to make an impact in Churchville — a place where he has recently come back to.  He was previously living in Oregon for about a decade to get "organized," he said with a chuckle but he came back to the Shenandoah Valley over a year ago He opened the spot in July and has been transforming it continually hosts community meets and is part of Buse's effort to discover and then offer, what his little town needs.  He opened the store to provide a space for people to gather and create an informal collective He said that traffic has been steady and growing Buse's process of getting to know his customers includes a unique menu item: several regulars come in for a "surprise me" drink where Buse guesses what kind of drink the customer would like to see if I can match their craving by just looking at them intuitively," he said. "It fits the business persona and is very fun to watch their positive reactions." Your support makes our coverage of community stories possible More: Layoffs. Programs eliminated. What’s going on at Valley Community Services Board? More: Amid low pay and 'inordinately high' staff turnover rates, Waynesboro contemplates new pay system He hopes to broaden the menu soon to include smoothies energy shakes and various blended drinks to serve the non-coffee drinkers He was working towards a masters in art therapy counseling He still taps into what he learned from those years at school and applies it to his everyday life He believes in approaching everyone with a "genuine warm regard" to create and establish bonds within the community.  which is why we need each other and have to support each other," he said Serving the Churchville public made him realize something: there were other people in town that wanted to promote healthy growth Charley Schillinger spent a lot of time researching Churchville when she became the assistant branch manager of the Churchville Library.  I was amazed at how involved the citizens of Churchville are with their community efforts," she said.  The library depends on volunteers for its programs so Schillinger wanted to find out ways to get involved others were missing them too," she said. "As the library became more aware of the events and programs going on outside of the library we started discovering better ways to get involved and serve the community." Schillinger and a few others started the Churchville Community Board over the summer "Everybody's level of enthusiasm was very high," Buse said.  Schillinger created the Churchville Community Board Facebook page in an effort to consolidate information about various Churchville Community stakeholders The first formal meeting took place earlier this month but there's been other events held in the business district (between the library and the Gone Loopy building).  "We had hoped it would also connect us to other community events as well such as the fireman's parade and carnival," Schillinger said "We started reaching out and promoting those events." now that there is a centralized place to promote and come together, we can ultimately do a lot more in our community combine efforts and so on," she said.  Mystic has no requirements for informal meetings People can come and meet during regular business hours private groups can reserve the whole space for a fee.  has served as a hub for creativity in the town It's a great meeting place and creative spot," Schillinger said. "All kinds of artists and community members are drawn to it due to it being a gallery People who may not necessarily connect in person on their own or miss the opportunity to connect via social media because there is so much conversation and idea sharing going on there." For more information visit MTN. Mystic on Facebook.  VERONA - With new developments popping up all over the area the county has committed to provide some much needed green space for the Verona community Nearly 15 acres of Mill Place Commerce Park will be turned into a walking trail — something that can be utilized by both the employees at Mill Place and the surrounding residents According to Andy Wells, the director of Augusta County Parks and Recreation, the trail will be an half mile loop located near Dascom Americas and Sumitomo Drive Technologies The entrance and soon-to-be parking area will be located behind a new warehouse that is being constructed next to Shamrock Farms "The project involves a trail used for walking "The idea is more of a pocket park for this commerce park and the greater Verona community "It could be ideal for lunch breaks or for those who want to be in nature before or after work or even on weekends," Wells added Augusta County Economic Development Director Amanda Glover said the surrounding plots can be sold to other companies. Blue Ridge Machine Works will soon be building its operation on a neighboring plot The county owns the land that the trail sits on and the trail won't be threatened by future development because it surrounds a stormwater pond which collects all the runoff from the commerce park "The idea on this property is we can build out these components here because this area will always be owned by the county," she said we would then have this plan and phase it in as development happens." The trail has been spearheaded by Augusta County Board of Beverley Manor District Supervisor Terry Kelley He said the community has been trying to get a park at Mill Place for some time "When I became a member of the board of supervisors I was approached by the Verona Businessman Association about a walking trail in Mill Place I went out to Mill place and walked around the lake and said yes this can be a place for families to enjoy themselves," he said "The walking trail and pavilion is not just a dream anymore but a reality I hope to have a community picnic later this fall out there I am proud to serve the Beverly Manor District and bring this project to Verona." the county has $120,000 approved from the general fund The trail is expected to be completed by the end of 2017 "It makes this commerce park more attractive to businesses," Wells said "It integrates the community to use the amenities as well Overtime we can enhance it further depending on what request and needs we find." The project shows that there can be a mix of industry and nature "It's a great mesh of everything," Glover said "It's an example of how industry can work with nature." The hope is to also promote more wildlife in the surrounding area Wells said they hope to have fish in the stormwater pond to allow people to fish "It's going to be very enjoyed by the community," Wells said We're confident it will get a lot of use." Other developments in the county, like Myers Corner and Goose Creek in Fishersville which is in charge of the two developments Myers Corner and Goose Creek will have extensive amounts of green spaces both with trails through them," he said "Goose Creek will have approximately 80 acres of green space with a trail along Goose Creek Myers Corner will have almost 25 acres of green space and will also have trails going through the green space and connecting to the sidewalks for the different neighborhood pods." For now the remaining portion of the land will be green space but in the future it could house another business Staunton has numerous parks in the downtown area p.p1{margin:0px;font:15px Helvetica;-webkit-text-stroke:#000000}span.s1{font-kerning:none} "It is always Parks and Recreation's goal to keep green space available in the future," said Chris Tuttle p.p1{margin:0px;font:13px Helvetica;color:#323333;-webkit-text-stroke:#323333}span.s1{font-kerning:none}span.s2{text-decoration:underline;font-kerning:none;color:#0682c1;-webkit-text-stroke:0 #0682c1} Follow Laura Peters @peterslaura  and @peterpants . You can reach her at  lpeters@newsleader.com or 213-9125 — Thousands of cars drive past the Hancock Bridge Square Plaza every day on North Cleveland Avenue The drivers may get stuck at the light on Hancock Square but if they glance at the shopping center they will see another place where people used to go Now potholes and weeds fill the parking lot along with hurricane recovery trucks that park there overnight FOX 4 reported on people sleeping in tents around and behind the building as the tenants had just about all left the Walmart in the same anchor store left to become the North Fort Myers Walmart Supercenter about a mile north on Cleveland and Pine Island Road as we started to look into what we can do to re-develop North Fort Myers we noticed thaat a lot of the development was going to the south part of the county," said Brian Hamman Lee County Commissioner whose district covers North Fort Myers "People wanted to be in between Fort Myers and Naples but the market prices got so expensive for land in that area that it drove investors to look to the north." Mast Capital and a Miami-area company are planning to redevelop 14 acres of the shopping center into the Hancock Bridge apartments with the end goal of 320 units for apartments or condominiums The application on file with Lee County states the applicant as Coconut Grove-based M-ICMC Hancock Bridge Owner LLC with a style marked as "florida venacular" in the architectural design style In a time where real estate is going quickly and location matters A left turn onto Cleveland Avenue gets a driver in downtown Fort Myers in about three minutes The county re-zoned the land the shopping center sits on to try and facilitate it Hamman does not have a timeline for when demolition crews would take down most of the buildings (the former Kash 'n Karry grocery store on the eastern end is not part of the end) and notes these housing units would be "market rate" "I'd like to see them get underway as soon as possible," said Hamman this Hancock Square Plaza has been dragging down the rest of the community the eyesore that it is right now because it has fallen into such disrepair." that he had been homeless before and that people have camped out near the vacant buildings for some time they can use it for something else," Johnny Fenlon told us this week They come over here when it rains and they find shelter for the night and go to sleep." Plenty of plans and proposals have taken us airtime and newspaper space on what to do with the shopping center Hamman hopes this talk will finally lead to action with a long-lasting impact at this corner and North Fort Myers "I think this can create the destination that will drive even more people to also look across the river and say "Maybe we can do business on both sides of teh river here FISHERSVILLE — The Fishersville 7-Eleven has opened its doors but now it’s about a half mile down the road the owner of the franchise that used to be located on the corner of U.S opted for a bigger store and larger plot of land to lease the 7-Eleven has 12 gas pumps instead of four and a store size of 3,800 square feet is prime property for those in the Wilson complex and neighboring Augusta Health Swortzel leases the property from Holtzman Oil the old store was shut down and the transition began it can’t be re-leased as anything that will be competition for the new 7-Eleven location Swortzel has hired about three new employees I’ll have to put in more,” he said about hiring more employees instead of having people waiting around to be helped I want it to be convenient and easy for people.” The new store also has some upgraded features including free wireless Internet which is in charge of Myers Corner where the 7-Eleven is expects commercial and residential growth to pick up once the road is opened Williams said the firm has invested $3.5 million in the development and the entire road project has cost more than $15 million There are already business in the 140 acres of Myers Corner including Fishersville Family Pharmacy and Shenandoah Settlement Services A real estate firm will soon be opening there Follow Laura Peters @peterslaura and @peterpants . You can reach her at lpeters@newsleader.com or 213-9125 FISHERSVILLE—With superhero-sized scissors in hand Mary Baldwin College president Pamela Fox laced into the blue ribbon spanning the atrium of the new Murphy-Deming College of Health Sciences and before an expectant crowd – started to laugh "The scissors are too dull," Fox said to the dignitaries on either side as she chopped through the fabric and an important chess piece in Augusta County's Life Sciences Corridor was formally dedicated to Bertie Murphy Deming Smith whose $15 million gift brought the project to life spring has kick-started more than the trees lining Lifecore Drive The first crop of 70 Murphy-Deming occupational and physical therapy students will soon be joined by over 300 more in June and August as other college programs come on line "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase," Sarah Laux and Julie Kraus spoke for their fellow doctoral students when they took a gamble on the new college and its occupational and physical therapy program they're entering their first clinical rotations "What this facility does is it allows our kids graduating from our high schools to have an opportunity to further their career here " Augusta County supervisor Marshall Pattie said "Augusta Health is already our largest employer We anticipate more businesses related to healthcare along this corridor." Pattie also expects a large number of Murphy-Deming's graduates who come from out of state to remain in the area "You typically get a job pretty close to where you graduated," he said over 200 apartments have come out of the ground since the fall in anticipation of new healthcare professionals to fill them also awaits the new businesses and workers that Murphy-Deming Burnett Memorial Bridge over the CSX railroad tracks opened to traffic in March Tim Kaine (D-VA) recalled being Mayor of Richmond when Virginia Commonwealth University's medical college and healthcare programs transformed the downtown economy "This is a big deal for reasons of economic development," Kaine said To support the growth of the rural economy." wondering what happened to that famous barbecue spot who says after the destruction of hurricane Ian and his recent knee surgery "Because I know I can't afford to do it," says Willie Mccarter but McCarter's BBQ has been in Fort Myers since the 1960's "It was a family business that my mom and dad started over on Henderson avenue 2254 Henderson avenue." McCarter said remembering the old location Mccarter says he's been cooking barbecue since he was 12 years old he took over the business with his brother But tragedy struck when Hurricane Ian hit southwest Florida He says they were operating well in this tent And that's when the community jumped into action They started a fund and collected more than $10,000 because we want to at least raise $50,000 to rehabilitate the whole corner here," says Lauren Daniels Various people started fundraisers like business owner Lauren Daniels and Fort Myers Fire Chief Tracy McMillion McMillion came to show McCarter possible concepts for a new build for the shop which would be made from containers and materials that can weather the storm You can also get a plate of McCarter's famous BBQ The cost of a plate will be $25 per adult and $10 per child The community will not stop there; they are also hosting another fundraiser on September 28th Go to their websiteto stay up to date on how you can support them many area governments and groups have planned events for Wednesday Here’s a look at the events planned for the 18th anniversary: at the Beacon Elks Lodge 9/11 Memorial at 900 Wolcott Ave. City of Poughkeepsie Memorial Ceremony: 9 a.m Held in conjunction with the Kiwanis Club of Poughkeepsie Fishkill 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony: 8:30 a.m Highland September 11 Memorial Service: 6:30 p.m Light refreshments will be served following service Hyde Park 9/11 Candlelight Ceremony: 6:30 p.m Firefighters from local firehouses will participate died while responding to the World Trade Center terrorist attacks at Fireman's Park at the intersection of Washington and Hurley avenues in Kingston Mayor Steve Noble will speak and Kingston firefighters will lay a wreath LaGrange Sunrise Rotary 9/11 Memorial Service: 8:30 a.m at Stringham Park Memorial Plaza on Stringham Road in LaGrange Sheriff Butch Adrian is the scheduled speaker Students from LaGrange Middle School will be taking part New Hackensack 9/11 Memorial Service: 6 p.m at the New Hackensack Fire District/Company Memorial at 217 Myers Corners Road Wappinger 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony: 8:30 a.m Palmateer 9/11 Memorial Park at the corner of Route 9 and Old Hopewell Road STAUNTON — Overall 2020 wasn't the best year but there were new and bright things that happened like these five restaurants that opened either right before the world shutdown or during the COVID-19 pandemic.  What local restaurant has helped feed you through the pandemic? Email reporter Laura Peters at lpeters@newsleader.com and let her know Waynesboro's newest burger place opened in May 2020 taking up the same space as the former Jake's Bar and Grill. In January 2020 Mandi Smack announced she would be renovating the former Jake's Bar and Grill on Wayne Avenue Jake's closed in November 2019. Smack purchased the business from owner Rhonda Winfield Smack is leasing the building and invested nearly $200,000 in renovations and more.  Opening during COVID meant spending more money on to-go containers — an expense she hadn't factored in when she initially started her business plan the restaurant started off only offering to-go orders and some delivery Then limited in-person dining happened later as Virginia's reopening phases were implemented.  In 2007 she and her then-husband Taylor Smack opened Blue Mountain Brewery in Nelson County Blue Mountain Brewery expanded into the Blue Mountain Barrel House in Arrington then in 2014 they purchased South Street Brewery in Charlottesville. She said she has quit working at the brewery but still owns a majority of the businesses The restaurant is located at 137 N. Wayne Ave. in Waynesboro. More information is available on the restaurant's Facebook page More: Stressed? Head to this new Waynesboro business to smash some stuff More: Virginia COVID vaccinations: Half a million for frontline health workers? Not even close. More: Waynesboro's Sam's Hot Dogs owner retires, but it will continue with new operator In February, Augusta Kitchen opened in Fishersville's Myers Corner The restaurant is a build-your-own dish restaurant with a Southern twist Owner PK Kamath said the concept is similar to Chipotle Kamath and his partners at F&B Restaurant Management LLC broke ground on the restaurant almost two years ago in Fishersville's Myers Corner located at the intersection of Lifecore Drive and U.S 250.  Mike and Mario'sA new pizza and Italian restaurant opened at the former Fresco location on Churchville Avenue in Staunton's west end.  Fresco Pizza just closed up shop.  there's a new place — Mike and Mario's Italian Restaurant Pizzeria Renovations on the place started at the beginning of the pandemic and signage was placed outside at that time.  For more information visit their Facebook page The restaurant is located at 1010 Churchville Avenue.  A new Mexican restaurant opened on Churchville Avenue in Staunton called Los Marquez Jose Marquez and his brother operate the spot which is in an old Tastee Freez location.  9 and Marquez said there has been a lot of repeat customers. The restaurant serves up tradition Mexican dishes along with beer The building has seen a number of different tenants over the years but it's been empty for a number of years after a wings place leased the space and then left shortly after that.  it was turned back into Tastee Freez after seeing different names including Braden's Burgers and Shakes and MJ's Burgers and Shakes the restaurant had been a Tastee Freez for more than 40 years Marquez and his brothers own a Mexican restaurant in South Carolina but have a nephew in Staunton and wanted to branch out their restaurant locations. They started small renovations in the space in January but things were put on hold when COVID-19 hit Village Pizza TooBob Rhett has had a successful pizza shop in Crimora for 11 years and he thought it was time to bring it to Churchville.  In September he opened Village Pizza Too He's owned the building on Churchville Avenue in Churchville for five years which has seen a number of different tenants like T Bone Tooters. It had last seen Gap Pizza but has sat empty for some time. Before opening a new spot, he had tried to put it on the market Customers can also order a variety of different pizzas subs and baked dishes — either for dine-in or to-go. Overall and they're looking forward to see how they do once COVID-19 is through they are still allowing in-person dining and carry-out but are following all the COVID-19 guidelines put for by Virginia and the CDC Village Pizza Too is located at 3790 Churchville Ave. in Churchville. For more information visit its Facebook page.  Laura Peters is the trending topics reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Or a good feature? You can reach reporter Laura Peters (she/her) at lpeters@newsleader.com. Follow her @peterslaura. Subscribe to The News Leader at newsleader.com A quiet Saturday afternoon turned quickly into chaos at a small Wappingers Falls business this past weekend as a robbery attempt went wrong and resulted in injuries Authorities are still looking for answers regarding a scary incident on Saturday April 6th in a relatively busy area of Wappingers Falls. With the number of new businesses that opened here over the past few years in addition to the usual traffic due to Hannaford there's always a lot of activity at the plaza located at1490 US-9 in Wappingers Falls For those that enter the plaza from the Myers Corners Road entrance you are likely familiar with the smaller strip plaza that sits adjacent to the Hannaford supermarket The storefront on the left end of the plaza called Physical Wellness Spa was said to be the scene of a violent incident over the weekend Initial reports indicate that two individuals at the Physical Wellness Spa in Wappingers were injured as a result of an attempted robbery gone wrong authorities received a call for assistance at 1490 Route 9 the location of an attempted robbery that resulted in a stabbing and subsequent injury of two individuals Initial reports cite that the alleged perpetrator had 'fled the scene in an unknown direction.' At this time no names or details regarding those that were injured have been released nor any further information about the status of the alleged perpetrator just a few doors down to the right of the spa occurred when a man allegedly threatened to blow up the bank before making off with an 'undisclosed amount of money.' The supect was later identified as Yosef Ziegler A scary situation unfolded just after 3:30pm on Saturday April 6th in Wappingers when an attempted robbery of a wellness spa resulted in a stabbing.\nRead More Authorities are still looking for answers regarding a scary incident on Saturday April 6th in a relatively busy area of Wappingers Falls. With the number of new businesses that opened here over the past few years Shenandoah Valley cities didn't rank very high in a study put out by WalletHub for the best places in Virginia to raise a family Both Waynesboro and Staunton seemed to lack in all areas of the study — the most surprising being general affordability Virginia seems to be trumping other states in the country It's home to 10 of the wealthiest counties in the country and the 11th highest per-capita personal income in the nation Virginia public schools also outrank those in 42 states and Washington D.C WalletHub compared 82 of the Virginia's largest cities across 21 key indicators of family friendliness The study was conducted to find the best places in Virginia for family life socioeconomic environment and affordability according to WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez Staunton ranked 32 out of 82 and Waynesboro ranked 48 Neighboring Harrisonburg ranked 46 and Charlottesville 41 Although Charlottesville ranked in the mid-range overall it ranked number one for "Family Life and Fun Rank," the study said 78th – percent of families with children Aged 0 to 1753rd – median family income (adjusted for cost of living)43rd – quality of school system69th – high school graduation rate9th – violent-crime rate13th – housing affordability61st – percent of families living below poverty level13th – unemployment rate66th – divorce rate li.li1{margin:0px;font:12px Helvetica;-webkit-text-stroke:#000000}span.s1{-webkit-text-stroke:0 #000000}span.s2{font-kerning:none}ul.ul1{list-style-type:disc} 43rd – percent of families with children Aged 0 to 1761st – median family income (adjusted for cost of living)57th – quality of school system68th – high school graduation rate13th – violent-crime rate25th – housing affordability67th – percent of families living below poverty level15th – unemployment rate58th – divorce rate Staunton ranked slightly above average overall but has a low percentage of families with children under 18 — ranking 78th for that specific metric "It's clear that the city might need to improve its education system and child friendliness to attract young families," she said which Gonzalez attributes to its relatively low affordability compared to nearby towns "It has a lower median annual family income (adjusted to cost of living) when compared to the other cities we analyzed 13 percent of the population is living below the poverty line and more than 16 percent are receiving food stamps." all of the four categories analyzed were awarded the same number of points — 25 it seemed that many areas in Northern Virginia were higher in the affordability category Two metrics were analyzed: housing affordability and general affordability "Some of the higher ranking cities ranked above average when it comes to affordability and excelled in other categories thus resulting in high overall ranks," she said Leesburg and Vienna ranked lower for housing affordability because of their high median house prices these cities ranked highly when it comes to general affordability with some of the highest median annual family incomes (adjusted to the cost of living) ranging from $91,000 to $99,000." Some experts in the study said it comes down to key factors — safe neighborhoods more employment opportunities and a wide variety of entertainment options — to make a place more desirable "There are numerous potential ways local officials can develop their cities to be more enticing for young families to live and raise their children Providing safe neighborhoods and opportunities for employment are some key contributing factors," Michael Mucendola an assistant professor at Longwood University ranging from entertainment to basic needs (food etc.) can go a long way toward attracting families as competition reduces prices and provides choices for consumers." Playgrounds per capitaNumber of attractions (includes theaters and zoos)Share of families with children aged 0 to 17WeatherAverage commute timeEducation health and safety Quality of school systemHigh school graduation rateAir qualityPediatricians per capitaShare of children aged 0 to 17 lacking health-insurance coverageViolent-crime rate per capitaProperty-crime rate per capitaAffordability housing affordabilityGeneral affordabilitySocioeconomicsSeparation and divorce RateShare of two-parent familiesShare of families living below poverty levelShare of households receiving food stampsUnemployment ratWealth gapForeclosure rate Stillwater Grille will be closing its south Fort Myers location for good on Saturday Jeff and Julie Meyer have owned the restaurant on the north corner of Cypress Lake Drive and McGregor Boulevard since 2013 “For us and for the employees being displaced The Meyers told the staff Sunday before announcing the closing on social media that evening “They are devastated,” said the Meyers’ son Jason who has been working at Stillwater for 7½ years Where to celebrate: Favorite Mexican restaurants in Cape Coral, Fort Myers for Cinco de Mayo - JLB Restaurant news: New Cape Coral restaurant from well-know local chef opens downtown The Meyers had the business for sale because they said “We wanted to move on to the next chapter” of their lives “We wanted to move to the other side of the bar and sit with all the friends we have made,” Julie said But we wanted to keep the legacy we have built here going on.” they found someone who would take over and keep Stillwater going “He could take it to the next level as Stillwater,” she said After more than two months of going back and forth Julie said the property manager and landlord “made it so unreasonable for the transaction to move forward." “And we lost everything that we have built,” she said “Are we going to bow down and let Stillwater go peacefully?” Julie asked “We will keep looking until we exhaust all our options,” added Jason they would like to find a place in Fort Myers but if they found an ideal spot somewhere else Lee inspections: This Fort Myers restaurant received 20 violations, the most in April “We already have people driving 45 minutes to get to us now,” said Jason “If it’s a good fit for the business and for us and has more parking Stillwater will be open in Cypress Square — the same area as The Prawnbroker Blanc and Blu Sushi — seven days a week through May 13 Theirs is the only business having to vacate in that area “We are going to have our Kentucky Derby party on the 6th for one last blast,” said Jason Then keep an eye on us through social media From Midwest to SouthwestThe Meyers bought Stillwater Grille from the original owner eight months after it first opened They kept the restaurant’s original name because Stillwater is a city in their home state even though the couple is not from that particular Minnesota city “We wanted to keep the connection,” Julie said The couple worked hard to build it into the popular restaurant it has become Customers come to sit at the spacious bar with 48 beer taps and happy hour every day until 7 p.m. enjoy the quiet of the distinctive dining room and dine outside on the favored tree-covered patio “There are such different crowds dining in each area,” said Jason They come for the traditional American menu with prime rib we didn’t know anyone when we got here,” Julie said “The next couple of weeks we want to get as many of our friends coming in as we can Then we are going to dust ourselves off and start a new race Robyn George is a community content editor and food writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send scoops and news to rhgeorge@gannett.com.