A midday collision between a southbound Norfolk Southern freight train and Conway Freight tractor trailer closed Main Street for two hours on Wednesday. There were no reported injuries and Main Street was reopened at approximately 2:30pm EST.
At around noon the Conway Freight driver was attempting to back an approximately 40-foot trainer up to a building loading dock near the intersection of Main Street and the railroad. When the driver encountered difficulty negotiating the narrow service road that parallels the tracks his truck cab was temporarily positioned over the tracks.
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All Mohammad Lonekashmiri of Berryville wanted was to buy some milk.  But when he went to the Food Lion at 409 North McNeil Road in Berryville, he bought something else first: a $120 Million Cash Blowout ticket from the Virginia Lottery.  He scratched the ticket and discovered it was a $1 million winner!
“I forgot why I was there,” he told Lottery officials. “I forgot the milk.”
$120 Million Cash Blowout is one of dozens of Scratcher games offered by the Virginia Lottery. As the name …

When the Virginia Department of Education released its School Report Cards on August 12th detailing which schools made “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the scores didn’t place Clarke County Public Schools in a favorable light.
Do Clarke County’s AYP scores provide reason for concern? Do the scores reflect a school division in decline?
Nineteenth-century American statesman Henry Clay said ”Statistics are no substitute for judgment.” While AYP results are one indicator of the quality of education delivered by a particular school or school division, there …

On a perfect night for high school football, the Clarke County Eagles kicked-off their 2010 season by routing the Berkeley Springs Indians, 49 to 7 at Wilbur M. Feltner Stadium.
The Eagles started the evening with a brief ceremony remembering their fallen teammate Aaron Shirley who was killed in a tragic car accident in June. In his memory, the team has dedicated the 2010 season to him and will retire his number 80 jersey for the next three seasons.
Clarke County Eagles 2010 Varsity Football team – Photo courtesy Clarke County Public …

It’s that time of year again, when warm summer breezes carry the sweet smell of funnel cakes and cotton candy and the sounds of livestock underscore the squeals of delighted children on carnival rides. The Clarke County Fair begins this Sunday, August 7th and runs through Saturday August 14th.
This annual must attend event features the best agriculture, crafts, and family entertainment that Clarke County has to offer. It also provides the entire community with the opportunity to connect with friends and neighbors as they stroll through the many animal …

At approximately 6:30PM Clarke County dispatch received a 911 call from a hiker on her cell phone who had become disoriented on the Appalachian Trail. Officials were able to determine that the female hiker was somewhere between the MCI tower and Route 7 see inset map. Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the scene…
Read full story via Clarke Daily News.

I guess the recent heat and rain we have had has done wonders for the wineberries. Daughter and friend were out walking and reported back a sighting of succulent berries…
So, after supper, in the cool of the evening (okay, cooler part of the day), Hubby and 12-year-old Granddaughter, with buckets (huge buckets) in hand head off down the road. Now mind you, Granddaughter is not “country” but does have several years of Girl Scout camp under her belt.
Well, she just turned “all city”!….
Read Full Story via the Clarke …

The Clarke County community is coming together this Saturday, July 24, 2010 to celebrate the construction of the new Clarke County High School.
Please help us spread the word and if you’re in town this Saturday, July 24, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. please join us to show your support.
There will be student leaders as speakers, CCHS football players and cheerleaders, and the CCHS Eagle mascot, among others!
There will also be free commemorative tee-shirts for the first 250 attendees, ice cream, cookies, bottle water and balloons!  There will even be a shovel …

The Clarke Daily News reports that :
A family camping trip ended tragically over the weekend when a Maryland woman drowned in the Shenandoah River near Berryville, Va.
Andrea Hernandez, 64, of Riverdale, Md., was found floating in the river by her son at approx. 8:30 p.m. Saturday north of Watermelon Park, according to the Clarke County Sheriff’s office. Hernandez and her family had been swimming in the river when she stepped away from the group. The son found her body about four hours later in …

On July 10, 2010 at approximately 9:30 pm Jose Cuevas-Gonzalez was arrested in Hostotipaquillo, a town in Jalisco in Mexico. When confronted by federal police, Cuevas-Gonzalez attempted to flee but was taken into custody by agents of the Policia Federal Ministerial (PFM), which is the former AFI agency. Specifically, he was arrested by the extradition group that handles all arrests involving provisional arrest warrants. Clarke County authorities provided information that led to obtaining the provisional warrant some months ago.
The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office currently has an outstanding warrant …