This Week's Top Stories

community

City Launches Community Engagement to Reimagine Booker T. Washington Community Center

Two public listening sessions — October 12 and October 31 — will give residents a voice in the future of a historic West End landmark that City Council has made a strategic priority.

The City of Staunton has officially kicked off a community engagement process to determine the future of the Booker T. Washington Community Center, inviting residents to share their perspectives at two in-person listening sessions: Monday, October 12, from 6 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. to noon. Both sessions will take place at the center itself, located at 1114 W. Johnson Street.

police

City Officials Meet with NAACP as State Police Investigation into Walmart Shooting Continues

The City Manager and Police Chief sat down with Staunton NAACP leadership on October 6, calling the conversation productive, while the branch continues to press for timely answers about the September 22 fatal shooting.

City leaders and the Staunton branch of the NAACP met on October 6 to discuss concerns surrounding the fatal officer-involved shooting of 39-year-old Portsmouth resident Montique Treymayne Gaston, who was killed by a Staunton Police officer in the Walmart parking lot on Richmond Road on September 22. The meeting followed a public press release from the NAACP calling for a thorough and transparent investigation, after which the city reached out to arrange the discussion.

infrastructure

Wharf District Tunnel Work Shifts to West Johnson Street as Phase 2 Gets Underway

The $4.6 million downtown infrastructure project has moved from Byers Street to West Johnson Street, closing the road in front of the Johnson Street Parking Garage while reopening Byers Street as a one-way detour.

Construction crews working on Staunton's $4.6 million downtown tunnel repair project shifted operations to West Johnson Street the week of September 28, closing that road in front of the Johnson Street Parking Garage while reopening Byers Street — shuttered since February — as a one-way eastbound detour. The change marks the beginning of Phase 2 in a years-long effort to shore up aging stormwater culverts running beneath the historic Wharf District. The project is repairing deteriorating stormwater tunnels beneath Byers Street, West Johnson Street, and New Street.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, October 10

The Reimagined Runway: Upcycled Fashion Show & Marketplace

📍 19 S. Market St. (former Grace Christian High School), Downtown Staunton · 5:00 PM · Verify · WQSV / Shenandoah Green

Monday, October 12

Booker T. Washington Community Center Listening Session

📍 Booker T. Washington Community Center, 1114 W. Johnson St. · 6:00 PM · Verify · City of Staunton / Lyra Bordelon

Saturday, October 17

Queen City Word Fest

📍 Multiple downtown locations, including Silver Line Theatre Exchange (211 N. Lewis St.) and 110 W. Beverley St. · 11:00 AM · Verify · Rocktown Now

Saturday, October 17

Staunton Pride Festival

📍 Gypsy Hill Park, 301 116th Regimental Rd. · 12:00 PM · Verify · Staunton Pride

Thursday, October 29

VDOT Public Hearing: Greenville Avenue Corridor Improvements

📍 Bessie Weller Elementary School, 600 Greenville Ave., Staunton · 4:00 PM · Verify · VDOT / Augusta Free Press

More from the Community

Library Terrace Grand Opening Held October 9

The Friends of the Staunton Public Library held the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the long-awaited outdoor terrace renovation project on Thursday, October 9, at the Staunton Public Library, 1 Churchville…

Redbeard Brewing GM's Concert Series Has Raised Money for Staunton City Schools Since 2021

Amanda Clark, a Staunton native who spent more than a decade working in Los Angeles before returning home, has used her background in the entertainment industry to benefit local students.

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