Rockbridge Report Thursday, April 7, 2016 Rockbridgereport.Wlu.Edu
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Villanova Wildcats win CEOs band together in NCAA National North Carolina against Championship | 8 transgender law | 4 ROCKBRIDGE REPORT Thursday, April 7, 2016 rockbridgereport.wlu.edu What’s Inside Refugees find a home in Rockbridge Anita Filson appointed Rockbridge County’s Refugee Working Group started gathering volunteers, clothes and furniture months before the new judge of Rockbridge County Circuit Court. Congolese family of eight arived in March. See page 2 By John Tompkins Rockbridge Area Health After lengthy flight delays and Center expands space temporarily losing all of their bag- gage, the Msimbwas, a family of and services. eight Congolese refugees, finally See page 3 arrived in town March 11. Their arrival is the culmination of efforts by the Refugee Working Group, an Donald Trump backtracks interfaith coalition that is working to resettle refugees in Rockbridge to appeal to women County. voters after abortion “I’m very happy, it’s a very pleas- comments. ing atmosphere,” said Fahizi See page 4 Msimbwa, the family’s father. “I’m especially happy with the peo- ple who already showed me the school. Everyone’s very welcom- Broadband high-speed i n g .” internet to become Eighty local residents welcomed a reality for BARC their new neighbors at an in- customers. formational meeting at Lylburn Downing Middle School a few See page 5 days after their arrival. “The meeting last night was to learn a little bit about what has With the help of the Refugee Working Group, the Msimbwa family is getting acclimated to life in Lexington. Local residents welcomed their new neighbors at New practice fields an informational meeting at Lylburn Downing Middle School on March 15. coming for local, young gone on in the Congo and in cen- tral Africa in the last fifteen years kitchen utensils,” Hansen said. rest of our students are being of- While the United States admit- will in no way solely concentrate athletes. that has resulted in so many peo- She said a number of local resi- fered,” Lexington City Schools Su- ted roughly 70,000 refugees from on or specialize in the resettlement See page 8 ple having to leave that country,” dents have already offered to do- perintendent Scott Jefferies said. around the world last year, the of Syrian refugees. He said he ac- said Anne Hansen, the Refugee nate furniture, and some residents While the idea of bringing refu- issue of resettling Syrian refugees tually respects the actions of these Working Group Leader. have even said they are willing to gees to Rockbridge County orig- in this country has been a hotly Republican governors and under- Joe Biden and Lady Gaga Leaders of the Refugee Working take refugees in, if need be. inated during a meeting of R. E. debated topic over the past few stands their concerns. “We feel completely overjoyed Lee Memorial Church’s Christian months. The rise of ISIS and its “I have no problem with politi- are teaming up against Group, an interfaith coalition that has been working since last fall that our community has been so Outreach Committee, more than pledge to infiltrate U.S. borders cians slowing that process down,” sexual assault. to resettle refugees in Rockbridge welcoming and supportive al- 250 volunteers of various Chris- through the refugee intake process Nay said. “It only protects us. If it See page 7 County, said the Lexington area ready, even without people here tian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist have led some to believe that ac- takes a little longer, we’ll be ready.” will be ready to welcome as many yet,” Hansen said. “We suspected backgrounds have since agreed to cepting such refugees would pose But many local residents have as three refugee families by the it would be like that, but it’s been take part in the relocation process. a risk to national security. been more receptive of refugee The Georgia Zoo opens end of spring. more than we ever truly expected.” Now that the Refugee Working Late last year, 25 Republican gov- relocation, Syrian or otherwise. a new sea lion exhibit The group did not expect the A Washington and Lee student Group has become so diverse, Nay ernors vowed to block the entry Lexington City Council expressed group is helping teach English to said he does not want to tie it to of any Syrian refugees into their its unanimous support for refugee to celebrate 10th Msimbwas to arrive this early, but the community was nonetheless the Msimbwa children, between a single church or denomination. states because of security con- resettlement in Rockbridge Coun- anniversary. prepared. ages 2 and 13, before they attend “It’s really turned into an ecu- cerns. ty in a statement released last No- See page 7 “We fortunately already had school. menical and interfaith exercise,” Nay said any refugee his coali- vember, and both Nay and Hansen teams in place to do things like “Once they feel comfortable, Nay said. “The goal is simply a hu- tion brings to the Lexington area have received very little backlash find furniture, household items once they feel safe, we like our manitarian goal. We’re in no way will be rigorously vetted by the from Rockbridge County residents such as towels and linens and chances of tapping into that and focusing on a particular [religious] FBI and Department of Homeland against giving refugees a home in offering them the curricula the g roup.” Security, and the Working Group the Lexington area. Waddell expects Court fees plague Labor Day opening to be leased an extra two months By Peter Rathmell under the revised schedule. “If you take a month’s worth of prisoners liquidated damages to the tune of The new $13.5 million Waddell $30,000, you pull out $12,000 of Elementary School, which has that and you still have an $18,000 been under construction for about credit. So the cost to cover those By Caroline Boras two years, is going to take even modulars is covered and then longer than expected, Lexington some,” said Jeffries. City Schools Superintendent Scott Jeffries said that the delay boils A life behind bars is not an easy Jeffries said in a school board down to several simple factors: a one, and it’s made much harder meeting March 14. few poor quality contractors, un- when inmates face the burden of Originally estimated to be com- realistic expectations for the foun- paying off debt. pleted by May 19, the project is dation and bad weather. The Code of Virginia affords the court system a little-known way to now scheduled to be finished Jeffries also said that huge frus- Rockbridge County Sheriff’s officers worry about the rise in Spice use. The synthetic ingredients may pose greater around the end of August. For tration came early on in the proj- health risks and more severe legal penalties than regular cannabis. (AP Photo) collect fees from anyone using it, each day construction continues ect when the building’s anchor from people fighting parking tick- beyond May 19, Nielsen Build- bolts failed a safety inspection by ets to those involved in criminal ers Inc. will be penalized $1,000. a third party inspection company. cases and facing imprisonment. Nielsen’s project manager, T.J. “There was about a week and a The Rockbridge Court civil fee Synthetic Marijuana poses schedule is the breakdown of how Burkholder, was unavailable for half, two weeks, where the inspec- comment. tions had to go on for those an- much civil litigation costs and If the delay is accurate, Jeffries chor bolts before the project could how the revenue from fees is used. said that the school could receive move forward,” said Jeffries. risk to Rockbridge area Fees contribute to legal aid, the as much as $60,000 in damages. The contractor responsible for court’s technology fund and even The school division would not the anchor bolts was immediately buy synthetic marijuana in gas are also more unpredictable, ac- to courthouse heating, cooling and keep all of this money however, dismissed, said Jeffries. By Isidro Camacho stations or in convenience stores. cording to the NIDA. construction. some of it would go to renting Even before the anchor bolts Brands like spice and K2 appealed Synthetic marijuana is a Sched- Instead of receiving funding temporary classrooms for the stu- issue arose, Jeffries said the proj- to users by claiming that their ule 1 drug, the same class as her- from all taxpayers, courts are in- dents. ect was already behind because The Rockbridge County Sheriff’s products identically reproduced oin and cocaine. Schedule 1 drugs creasingly relying on this hidden For the past two years, the ele- the building’s foundation was far Office witnessed a handful of cases the mind-altering effects of mari- are highly addictive and offer no user tax. mentary school has been housed rockier than architects had antic- involving synthetic marijuana last juana. medical purpose, according to “Court fees have, nationwide, in two modular buildings on Lyl- ipated. Before the project could year and anticipates seeing more Spice is created by spraying a mix Greg Gardner of the Rockbridge started to account for a larger and burn Downing Middle School’s even get off the ground, workers cases this year. This drug poses of chemicals onto organic materi- Regional Drug Task Force. Reg- larger proportion of the support campus. Combined, the buildings had to rebuild the foundation to serious health risks and legal con- al like dried plants or chopped up ular marijuana, however, is a for courts,” said Kelly Brotzman, cost the division about $12,000 support the new school.