It's Laurel Ridge Community College Day on The Valley Today, and today's conversation tackles one of the biggest myths standing between people and a degree: the belief that they can't afford it. Host Janet Michael is joined by Guy Curtis, Director of Marketing, and Buddy Wilson, Director of Financial Aid at Laurel Ridge Community College, to walk through exactly what financial aid can look like — no matter your age or path.

From FAFSA basics to Virginia's lesser-known aid programs like G3, Fast Forward, and VASA, Buddy breaks down who qualifies and how to get started, while Guy shares upcoming open houses, welcome days, and info sessions happening across the region this month. If you've ever assumed financial aid "isn't for you," this episode is built to change your mind.

EVENT DETAILS

Community Info Session — Front Royal

• Reaching Out Now, 200 East 8th Street, Front Royal, VA
• Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 5:30 PM

Community Outreach Table — Handley Regional Library, Winchester

• Wednesday, August 20, 2026 1:00–4:00 PM

New Student Welcome Days

• Thursday, August 20 — 5:00–6:00 PM — Luray-Page County Center
• Friday, August 21 — 6:00–8:00 PM — Fauquier Campus
• Saturday, August 22 — 10:00 AM–1:00 PM — Middletown Campus
• RSVP requested online; students, parents, and family members welcome

LINKS & RESOURCES

• laurelridge.edu — main site, search bar for navigation
• laurelridge.edu/financialaid — financial aid page
• laurelridge.edu/visit — tours, info sessions, open houses, coach connections

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

A Warren County family is closing on their brand-new home this week — and Janet got the news firsthand, sitting inside the house just days before it happened. In this episode, Janet talks with Andrea Ross, Executive Director of Warren County Habitat for Humanity, about what it really takes to build not just a house, but a neighborhood.

Andrea opens up about the emotional weight of watching families move from renting to owning, the education and preparation Habitat requires before anyone gets the keys, and the surprising costs — like demolition and disposal — that stand between a vacant lot and a finished home. They also talk about what's next: a second phase of duplexes, ongoing volunteer and board needs, and why Andrea believes housing stability is the "corner piece" of every community puzzle. It's a conversation about gratitude, grit, and what it really means to build a village.

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

BikeWALK Winchester started as an idea in 2023 — now it's a full-fledged nonprofit with community walks, bike rides, and a seat at the table with the city. Co-founders Kara Capelli and Steve Policastro join Janet to catch up on everything that's happened since their last visit, from monthly "TalkWALKs" through Winchester's neighborhoods to landing a spot for a bike and pedestrian advisory committee in the city's new strategic plan.

They also dig into one of the biggest questions people are asking right now: what actually counts as an e-bike? Kara and Steve break down the different classes, why the topic matters more than ever with the holidays approaching, and where to find trustworthy information before buying one for yourself or your kids.

Links & Resources

• BikeWALK Winchester — bikewalkwinchester.org
• BikeWALK Winchester on Facebook and Instagram
• City of Winchester 2026–2031 Strategic Plan

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

It's the busiest, most dangerous stretch of the year for disasters — and blood banks are running dangerously low right at the moment they're needed most. Janet Michael sits down with Deb Fleming, Executive Director of the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, for their monthly check-in on all things Red Cross — this time digging into what "disaster season" really means.

Deb walks through the ripple effects of a rough year for wildfires and flooding, from a blood supply as low as it's been since COVID to the 40 disaster operations Red Cross volunteers are supporting across the country right now. They also cover how Red Cross distributes emergency supplies, coordinates with local nonprofits and churches, and reunites families separated by disaster — plus plenty of simple ways anyone listening can help, starting today.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Find a blood drive: redcrossblood.org
• Volunteer or give: redcross.org

Janet Michael sits down with Lauren Fleming, Tap Room Manager for Dividing Creek Beer Co., and Friends of Old Town's Brady Cloven, for a bonus Old Town Winchester conversation about how a brewery became a full-blown community living room.

Lauren shares the winding path that brought her back to Winchester, the chaos of a surprise opening day in the middle of the pandemic, and why she fought (and lost) a battle over a crab on the logo. The three also dig into the tap list — including a purple ube lager and a crab-seasoned summer gose — First Friday plans, and why the best breweries these days are as much about art, trivia, and thrifting as they are about beer.

FIRST FRIDAY EVENT DETAILS

• DORA in Effect / Sip & Stroll: 5:00–10:00 PM — grab a drink to go from Dividing Creek or other participating spots and walk the mall
• Community Open Mic Night with The River House: Taylor Pavilion, 5:00–9:00 PM, performers roughly every 15–20 minutes — spoken word, poetry, and singer-songwriter acts
• Artist Alley: led by Shen Arts, set up on Boscawen; additional vendors from Moon Phased near the south end
• Friends of Old Town table (Taylor Pavilion): info on The River House nonprofit, kids' arts & activities, new Friends of Old Town shirts, pre-order Dawg Days of Summer shirts (design by Valerie Burgess of Big Fog), and remaining ornaments
• At Dividing Creek specifically: Lauren will be on-site that evening as the featured local artist, showcasing/selling framed photography, prints, and mixed-media work

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Dividing Creek Beer Co. - dividingcreekbeerco.com
• Dividing Creek Beer Co. on Facebook and Instagram
• Friends of Old Town - friendsofoldtown.org
• Friends of Old Town on Facebook and Instagram
• Dawg Days of Summer: Get tickets
• Wasteland Winchester (Thrift on Tap vintage markets) on Facebook

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

It's Public Safety Thursday, and Captain Warren Gosnell of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office is back in the studio to untangle one of the most misunderstood pieces of back-to-school season: school zone speed cameras. With students returning to class next week, Gosnell walks Janet through exactly how the lidar-based camera systems work, why they're not the same as license plate reader (LPR) technology, and what really happens — step by step, human review included — before anyone gets a $100 civil penalty in the mail.

From there, the conversation widens into a candid discussion of Flock-style LPR cameras, Fourth Amendment expectations of privacy, and the checks Gosnell would like to see on who can access tracking data and why. It's a mix of hard information and easy banter — plus a detour through Ireland trips, 114-degree school buses, and the golden age of calling the radio station to ask if school's cancelled. Tune in for the facts before the flashing lights start again next week.

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

A five-year-old antique shop in Front Royal turned into something much bigger — a nonprofit built entirely around making sure no one in the community goes hungry. Janet sits down at the Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce with Chamber President Niki Foster and Julie Vaught, owner of Happy Creek Antiques and founder of the nonprofit Debbie's Lighthouse, to talk about how a mother's love of feeding people turned into a farm-to-family food box program, a shelf-stable meal kit initiative, an indoor farmers market, and a fast-growing community garden.

Julie walks through how Farm to Fam boxes and BAM Bags are fighting food insecurity while supporting local farmers, previews the two commercial kitchens opening soon for food trucks and caterers, and shares the deeply personal story behind the community garden's serenity space, dedicated to her mother's memory. Plus, Niki previews Friday's Coffee & Conversation with Habitat for Humanity.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Happy Creek Antiques — Facebook page
• Debbie's Lighthouse — Facebook page (link to verify)
• Fox Tracks Farm Market — Facebook page (link to verify)
• Location: 515 North Commerce Avenue, Front Royal, VA
• Market & antique shop hours: Antique shop Fri–Sun, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM; Farm market Fri–Sun, 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
• Community Garden dedication: September 26
• Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce — frontroyalchamber.com
• Coffee & Conversation with Habitat for Humanity — Friday, 9:00 AM, On Cue Sports Bar & Grill

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

It's almost time for one of the Valley's tastiest traditions — Hungry for History is back for its fourth year, and Janet sits down with the three people who make it happen to talk taverns, colonial "shrubs," and a walnut cake with a very local backstory. Renee Bayliss (Winchester-Frederick County Convention & Visitors Bureau), Rick Kriebel (Newtown History Center), and Christa Nahhas (La Grange Family Farm) join the show to preview ten days of food, farms, and 250th-anniversary history across Winchester, Frederick County, and Clarke County.

From a candlelit Tavern Night in a barn built in the mid-1800s to a possibly apocryphal tale of who really invented the potato chip, this episode is packed with the kind of history that makes you hungry — literally. Tune in for all the details on where to go, what to eat, and why colonists drank a lot more than you'd think.

EVENT DETAILS

• Event: Hungry for History (4th annual)
• Dates: August 28 – September 7, 2026 (spans Labor Day weekend)
• Where: Approximately 15 locations across Winchester, Frederick County, and Clarke County, VA
• Cost: Varies by site/event — some free, some ticketed; vendor fees may apply separately (e.g., Tavern Night entry is free, but food/drink vendors charge individually)
• Full schedule: visitwinchesterva.com, or pick up a printed program at the Visitor Center, 1400 S. Pleasant Valley Rd., Winchester
• Select highlights mentioned:
• Tavern Night — LaGrange Farm, Friday, August 28
• Colonial-themed beer — Chilly Hollow Brewing
• Special traditional menu — Clem's Kitchen (Wayside)
• Colonial dance demo, queen cakes & shrubs — Winchester-Frederick County Visitor Center
• Chef's market hall — Belle Grove, during Shenandoah Sips
• Colonial Kids Kitchen — Handley Regional Library
• Patsy Cline Block Party (walnut cake) — Patsy Cline Historic House
• A Taste of Two Communities (Geneva Jackson) — Claremont Farm & Josephine School Museum
• Additional participating sites: Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters Museum, Abram's Delight Museum

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Hungry for History full schedule — visitwinchesterva.com
• Newtown History Center — newtownhistorycenter.org | 540-869-1700 | 5408 Main Street, Stephens City
• La Grange Family Farm — https://www.lagrangefamilyfarm.com l follow on Facebook for event updates
• Winchester-Frederick County Visitor Center — 1400 S. Pleasant Valley Rd., Winchester, open 7 days a week, 9 AM–5 PM

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

Handley Regional Library just had its biggest year ever — and executive director John Huddy joins Janet to break down exactly why. From nearly 850,000 items checked out to a 100,000-visit jump since before the pandemic, the numbers tell the story of a library system that's become an essential gathering place for Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke.

John and Janet dig into what's driving the surge — new library cards, digital checkouts, early literacy partnerships, and a mobile library launching this fall — plus a few laughs about Zoom, curmudgeons, and library card colors. Tune in for the full picture of what your library card actually gets you.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Handley Regional Library System — handleyregional.org
• Friends of the Handley Regional Library Book Sale — August 14–15, Bowman Library
• How-To Fest — Saturday, September 26, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM, Handley Library
• Leyendo Juntos (Spanish-language outreach partner)
• Winchester Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (early literacy partner)

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

Brady Cloven, executive director for Friends of Old Town, joins Janet Michael to unveil the details of Dawg Days of Summer — the Old Town Hot Dog Crawl — and yes, he's every bit as excited about hot dogs as you'd expect.

Ten restaurants (and one food truck!), one-of-a-kind hot dogs, one very committed hot dog costume, and a golden trophy on the line: this episode has all the details on tickets, the participating restaurants' wildly creative creations, the live band with a surprising city-hall connection, and why the whole event is really about boosting Old Town's business community. Tune in before you plan your hot dog fast.

Event Details

• Event: Dawg Days of Summer — Old Town Hot Dog Crawl
• Date: Saturday, August 22nd
• Time: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Home base: Taylor Pavilion
• Cost: $30 adult ticket (includes 10 hot dogs across participating restaurants + one free beer); ~$15 kids ticket
• Where to buy: Eventbrite link via Friends of Old Town's Facebook/Instagram bio; pre-orders also available at First Friday
• Extras: Live music from the Gully Jimson Quartet at Taylor Pavilion (~6:00 PM start), beer tent from Winchester Brew Works, "passport" voting system for a golden hot dog trophy winner

Links & Resources

• Friends of Old Town — Facebook & Instagram (event page + Eventbrite ticket link pinned)

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday