The Stauntonian: Volume 1, Issue 30 | Injunctions, Emissions & Encores
A statewide gun law injunction leaves Sheriff Donald Smith’s defiance moot. Waynesboro gets its say on Northrop Grumman tonight. And Staunton makes the final four for Best Culinary Town in the South.
This Week at a Glance
A Washington County judge’s statewide injunction against Virginia’s new assault weapons and magazine bans took effect Tuesday. Waynesboro residents get one shot tonight at swaying the DEQ on Northrop Grumman’s air permit. Byers Street is on track to reopen to traffic in August. Staunton has made the final four in a national search for the South’s best culinary town. And two new pieces published on the Stauntonian this week.
Lead Stories
Injunction Goes Statewide, and Augusta County’s Standoff Loses Its Edge
For three weeks, Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith stood alone among most Virginia sheriffs in publicly refusing to enforce the state’s new ban on certain semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines, along with related background-check and safe-storage requirements that took effect July 1. Smith called the office’s posture a matter of constitutional duty, framing himself as bound to the U.S. and Virginia constitutions “regardless of state law.” Attorney General Jay Jones’s office maintained at the time that a pair of June injunctions out of Lancaster and Washington counties applied only to the named parties and a handful of localities, not to Augusta County.
That distinction stopped mattering this week. Washington County Circuit Judge Jeffrey L. Campbell had ruled July 7 that his injunction in the NRA-backed case Santolla v. Katz applies statewide, binding every law enforcement agency and commonwealth’s attorney in Virginia, not just the parties before the court. Campbell delayed the effective date to give departments time to prepare. That statewide pause took hold Tuesday, July 21, and gun retailers across Virginia resumed sales of the previously restricted weapons and magazines the same day.
What Smith announced as a local act of defiance is now simply the law everywhere in Virginia, at least while the underlying constitutional challenge proceeds. The Attorney General’s office has said it will appeal, and state Senator Bill Stanley, who represents the plaintiffs, has predicted the case ultimately lands at the Virginia Supreme Court. Augusta Free Press, which has covered Smith’s stance in a running series of opinion columns, has argued the sheriff overstepped his legal authority under Virginia Code.
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Own Staff Have Said Not To Approve This Permit. The Official Hearing Happens Tonight.
Local residents get their formal say tonight on whether the state should grant Northrop Grumman a permit to release up to 24.9 tons per year of hazardous air pollutants from its new Blue Ridge Advanced Manufacturing Center. The public hearing runs at Waynesboro High School starting at 6:30 p.m., preceded by a 6 p.m. information session, and continues until the last comment is heard or 9 p.m., whichever comes first.
The company’s $200 million facility, expected to employ up to 330 people at full capacity, will manufacture radar systems, communications antennas and electronic warfare equipment. It sits roughly half a mile from Coyner Springs, the city’s municipal water supply and a 145-acre public park, and about a mile from the South River.
What makes tonight’s hearing unusual is the source of the strongest objection on record. Trevor Wallace, the air permit manager in DEQ’s own Valley Regional Office, wrote in a May 21 memo that the agency should not issue the permit as drafted unless missing conditions from the minor New Source Review process are added and the final permit’s enforceable limits match what the engineering analysis assumed. Wallace also noted the facility’s emissions would extend beyond Waynesboro to affect the broader Shenandoah Valley, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park. Despite that internal warning, the Valley Regional Office is still recommending the state approve the request.
More than 250 people submitted comments during the initial public comment period, most of them requesting the hearing that’s happening tonight. Northrop Grumman has said the draft permit reflects its ongoing efforts to operate responsibly and in accordance with air quality regulations, and that the facility uses a HEPA filtration system it believes will keep odors from polysulfide coatings from reaching beyond company property. Comments can still be submitted to DEQ’s Debbie Medlin at the Valley Regional Office through the close of the hearing.
What do you think about this environmental development?
The Church That Ran a County
Sometime this month, workers will finish a million-dollar restoration at Trinity Episcopal Church on West Beverley Street. Half the money comes from the Virginia 250 Preservation Fund; the congregation raised the other half itself. For sixteen days in June 1781, this property was the working capitol of Virginia, after British cavalry under Banastre Tarleton forced the General Assembly to flee Charlottesville for Staunton. Founded in 1746 as Augusta Parish, the church functioned as the county’s only government until 1780, run by a vestry where at least nine of the first twelve members were Presbyterians serving in an Anglican parish because it was the only local government on offer. Read the full story here.
Twenty-Two Miles and a Hundred Years Away: Ramsey’s Draft Wilderness
Ramsey’s Draft Wilderness has been famous for its old-growth hemlocks for as long as people have been writing about it. The hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect, has killed off many of those ancient trees, opening the forest floor to sunlight for the first time in centuries. The wilderness sits about 22 miles west of Staunton off U.S. 250, and this week’s Stauntonian piece is a full trail guide: access points, mile-by-mile trail notes, wildlife, and a planning section covering water, group size limits, and trail conditions. Read the full guide here.
Quick Hits
Byers Street reopens next month. Crews are on track to finish installing precast upper tunnel sections on the Downtown Tunnel Repairs project ahead of the original schedule, per the City of Staunton, with Byers Street expected to reopen to traffic in August. Work has already shifted to the New Street tunnel, running concurrently with the final Byers Street push. The West Johnson Street phase isn’t expected until 2027.
The Cooling Shelter cut its hours. The Staunton Cooling Shelter at Faith Lutheran Church now opens at 11 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. after struggling to fill volunteer shifts, per WHSV. The shelter serves unhoused residents and anyone without reliable air conditioning across Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro, and stays open through 5 p.m. weekdays through September. Volunteer inquiries: stauntoncoolingshelter@gmail.com.
Staunton-based Cadence earns a sustainability medal. Cadence, the medical device contract manufacturer headquartered on Technology Drive, has earned its first Silver Medal from EcoVadis, recognizing progress on sustainability practices across its operations. The 40-year-old company employs roughly 800 people worldwide, with its headquarters and a significant manufacturing footprint in Staunton.
Out & About
Staunton just made the final four for Best Culinary Town in the South, Heifetz’s 30th anniversary festival fills downtown with free concerts through August 1, and the Augusta County Fair closes out the week in Fishersville.
Staunton Is a Finalist for Best Culinary Town in the South
Staunton has made the final four in The Local Palate’s search for the Best Culinary Town in the South for 2026, standing alongside Covington, Kentucky; Lake Charles, Louisiana; and Little Rock, Arkansas. The magazine’s editors researched more than 40 Southern towns under 450,000 people before narrowing the field to fifteen, then to four. Voting in the decisive round closed July 17; the winner will be revealed on the cover of the magazine’s December 15 print issue. City tourism director Samantha Johnson credited the city’s chefs, farmers and restaurateurs in a release from the city, singling out Ian Boden’s Maude & the Bear, which earned a spot on the New York Times’ list of the 50 best restaurants in the country last year.
Through August 1: Heifetz Festival of Concerts
The Heifetz International Music Institute is deep into its 30th anniversary Festival of Concerts, with more than 50 concerts across Staunton and the Shenandoah Valley through August 1. Many performances, including the Chamber Music Matinee series at the Blackfriars Playhouse, are free. Admission to all events is free for children 12 and under. Full schedule at heifetzinstitute.org.
Through August 12: “Echoes of the Lens” at the Art Center
“Echoes of the Lens,” a photography exhibit spanning more than two centuries from the personal collection of Frank and Janet Marshman, continues at the Staunton Augusta Art Center through August 12. Executive Director Angus Carter says the collection opens with an early calotype, one of photography’s first reproducible processes, and moves forward from there.
Through Saturday: Augusta County Fair
The Augusta County Fair runs through Saturday at the Augusta Expo in Fishersville, marking its 158th year with five days of livestock exhibits, midway rides and new attractions including the Wonderland Circus and its steel-globe motorcycle stunt act. Fair President Kaitlyn Sona Frank told WHSV organizers expanded the live music and vendor lineup for this year’s run.
Saturdays: Farmers’ Market at the West End
The Staunton Farmers’ Market continues its temporary 2026 location at 2020 West Beverley Street, Saturdays 7 a.m. to noon through September.
Blackfriars Playhouse
The American Shakespeare Center’s summer repertory continues with As You Like It, running through August 9, and Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, both performed in rotation at the Blackfriars Playhouse on Market Street. The company is marking its 25th anniversary season this year, with The Tempest, Frankenstein and Witch on deck for fall. Verify this week’s show times at americanshakespearecenter.com/calendar or call 1-877-682-4236.
River Watch
Live gauge readings for the South River at Waynesboro (USGS Station 01626000) are available on the USGS National Water Dashboard. Worth a check before any activity near the water heading into the weekend.
The Sneeze Index
IQAir’s Staunton monitor shows an AQI of 43 — Good — with pollen at Low. Conditions can shift quickly this time of year, so check before extended outdoor plans.
The Weekly Pump
Virginia’s statewide average for regular gasoline climbed to $3.96 per gallon as of Wednesday, per AAA, up from $3.91 earlier in the week and roughly 30 cents higher than a month ago.
Real Estate Watch
Market data sourced from Virginia REALTORS and Redfin.
Virginia’s housing market had its busiest June in years. The statewide median sales price hit $460,000 in June, up 3.1% from a year earlier, on 11,598 closed sales, a 7.6% jump over last June. Active listings statewide climbed past 26,700, the highest June inventory since 2019, though supply remains tight at three months statewide. Locally, Redfin’s most recent figure puts Staunton’s median sale price at $295,823, up 3.8% year-over-year.
On the Market: 207 Burnley Dr
This week we’re spotlighting a listing in Staunton’s Ridgecrest neighborhood. 207 Burnley Dr is a 4-bedroom, 2-bath split-level on a 0.3-acre corner lot, built in 1961, with 2,672 square feet across three levels. The listing highlights original hardwood floors throughout, recently refinished under removed bedroom carpet, quartz kitchen countertops with custom cabinetry, a new hot water heater, and updated electrical with added GFCI protection. The fully finished basement has a separate entrance, a full bathroom, and a laundry room large enough for a potential kitchenette. A former poolhouse is described in the listing as ready for a new use with some attention, whether a home office or something similar.
The home is listed at $389,000, and is held by Shannon Harrington and Sarah Shilling of Blue Ridge Fine Properties.
Specific sales data for individual Staunton neighborhoods requires a local agent with MLS access.
Who’s Hiring
Listings sourced from Indeed, ZipRecruiter, jobs.virginia.gov, and employer postings. Salaries listed only where explicitly stated.
City of Staunton — Police Officer: The Staunton Police Department is accepting applications from DCJS-certified candidates. Anticipated starting salary is $50,826, commensurate with experience, plus an additional $1,800/year for officers with an associate degree or higher. Health, dental, vision and life insurance included, with health coverage continuing after retirement. Open until filled. Apply at the City of Staunton HR portal.
Daikin Applied — Line Assembler, 1st & 2nd Shift (Verona): Staunton’s largest manufacturing employer is hiring production line assemblers at its Verona facility, 207 Laurel Hill Road. Starting wage is $24.80/hr, plus a $0.80/hr shift differential for 2nd shift (1:50 p.m.–9:50 p.m.). Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance, 401k with company match, and 40 hours of paid time off in year one. Apply at daikinapplied.com/careers.
Frontier Culture Museum — Visitor Center Assistant: The state-run museum on Richmond Road is hiring for its visitor center, selling tickets and passes and assisting guests. Pay is $15/hour. Apply through jobs.virginia.gov.
Canyon Trail Logistics — Delivery Driver (Waynesboro warehouse, Staunton-area routes): Canyon Trail delivers Amazon packages across the Staunton-Waynesboro-Charlottesville corridor out of its Waynesboro terminal. No CDL required; full paid training provided. Starting pay is $23/hour with quarterly performance raises, plus health, dental and vision after 30 days, 80 hours of PTO starting day one, and a 401(k) with immediate enrollment. Apply via Canyon Trail Logistics careers.
City of Staunton — Utility Service Clerk, Public Works: Clerical and technical work maintaining the city’s computerized utility master files. Full description and compensation at the City of Staunton HR portal.
City of Staunton — Recycling Attendant (Part-Time): Public Works is hiring a part-time attendant for the city Recycling Center. Full description and compensation at the City of Staunton HR portal.
A Note from the Editor
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The Stauntonian covers news, culture, and civic life in Staunton, Virginia. Tips, corrections, and story ideas: brad@stauntonian.com.