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PODCAST

The Valley Today

The Valley Today is a radio show and podcast dedicated to shining a light on the vibrant community leaders and local events that make the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia truly special. Insightful conversations, engaging stories, and event details connect listeners with the heart and soul of the valley, showcasing its unique culture, initiatives, and people. Guests are recorded (mostly) in advance in local coffee shops, at local businesses, and during local events. The radio program airs just a few

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

24:12

Bringing Dolly's Books to Clarke County

The Valley Today ·

2026/10/05

Imagine a preschooler racing to the mailbox every month, shouting, "It's my book day!" Janet Michael sits down with Beth Williams, Executive Director of the Clarke County Education Foundation, to talk about the foundation's push to bring Dolly Parton's Imagination Library back to every child from birth to age five in Clarke County. Beth shares how a September "Dolly Day" kickoff and two generous gifts put the foundation within reach of its $50,000 goal, what it costs to send a child a free book

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42:01

Parks, Programs, and Progress

The Valley Today ·

2026/10/02

A rooftop tennis complex on top of a free parking garage at Jim Barnett Park? It's a real proposal, and Winchester Parks Director Chris Konyar is here to walk through the facts. Janet Michael sits down with Chris at Jim Barnett Park for their regular check-in on everything happening at Winchester's parks this fall and holiday season. Chris shares what's ahead on the calendar: Spooky Fun on October 16, the Holiday Parade application deadline, and a Veterans Appreciation ceremony at the park's war

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29:20

E-Bikes on the Roadway

The Valley Today ·

2026/10/01

That new e-bike in the driveway can hit 20 miles an hour, and Captain Warren Gosnell wants parents to think hard about what that means on a road shared with 6,000-pound SUVs. It's Public Safety Thursday, and Janet Michael is live in the studio with Captain Gosnell of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office for his monthly visit, starting with stories from his 15th-anniversary trip to Las Vegas and a driver who tried to pass him twice on the way in. Then they get into e-bikes, e-cycles, scooters, and

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29:40

Out of the Darkness

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/30

A hula lesson, a string of honor beads, and a moment where you realize you are not alone — the Out of the Darkness Community Walk packs all of that into a single Saturday morning at Sherando Park. Janet Michael sits down at the Espresso Bar on the Old Town Walking Mall with returning guests Patricia Brewer and Mandy Foxley, co-chairs of the Stephens City walk, to talk about this year's event on October 10 and the community that has grown up around it. Mandy shares her own story of making it through

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26:33

More Than Camping

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/29

A haunted trail, campsites decked out for Halloween, and Yogi Bear himself — fall at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Luray is a lot more than pitching a tent. On this Luray-Page County edition of Tourism Tuesday, Janet Michael and Gina Hilliard of the Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce welcome general manager Bryan Fykes — better known around the park as "Ranger Bryan" — to talk about one of Page County's most popular places to stay and play. Ranger Bryan walks through every way to visit, from day

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30:15

Unstuck

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/28

"I was stuck. You guys unstuck me." That's what one participant told Winchester CCAP Executive Director Andrea Cosans, and it's the heart of THRIVE, a new two-year program helping local families move from constant crisis to real self-sufficiency. Janet sits down at CCAP with Andrea and Jordan Hurley, Executive Assistant at Connected Communities, to talk about how four local nonprofits are joining forces to offer therapy, mentoring, case management, and job training all in one place. You'll hear how

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33:28

Adventures in Cheese

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/25

There's a cheese shop on the Old Town Walking Mall where you can taste anything in the case before you buy it, and yes, they make grown-up Lunchables. Janet Michael and Brady Cloven of Friends of Old Town pull up a chair at Fleur de Lis Cheese Shop with owner Terri Boyd, two years after she first joined the show just after opening. Terri explains what "fancy cheese" really means (hint: it's not as scary as it sounds), why an English cheddar tastes different from a New York one, why some cheeses are

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22:12

Hidden Hunger

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/24

For some kids in our area, Friday's school lunch is the last meal they can count on until Monday's breakfast. Janet Michael checks back in with Elise Stine-Dolinar of Bright Futures Frederick/Winchester to talk about the hidden hunger in our local schools, and how neighbors across Winchester and Frederick County are helping more than 1,200 students get fed every week. Elise walks through what goes into a weekend food pack, why fewer kids take the bags home as they get older, and how discreet school

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24:10

Road Work Ahead

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/23

New lanes on I-81, a brand-new bridge at Exit 313, and longer turn lanes on the roads you drive every day: VDOT's Ken Slack is back with the latest on the road work around the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Janet Michael checks in with Ken, communications specialist for VDOT's Staunton District, on the big highway projects that make headlines and the smaller fixes that change your daily drive. Ken explains the traffic shifts coming to the I-81 widening at Strasburg this October and November, and what

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25:52

Medieval in the Mountains

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/22

North Mountain Vineyard & Winery's first Ravenwood Faire is almost here — and owner Jill Edlich says getting a 90-vendor medieval festival ready on a working vineyard has been its own kind of harvest season. Janet Michael and Kary Haun catch up with Jill for Shenandoah County Tourism Tuesday, checking in on everything that's changed since February: a new accessible walkway, a horse arena, and a vineyard now just months from hosting its biggest event yet. Jill talks through surviving an April frost

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24:56

Valley Venture Scavenger Hunt

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/21

Grab a team, grab a driver, and get ready to venture across the Northern Shenandoah Valley — for a good cause. Janet is back on the Zooms with Gina Hilliard, president of the Luray-Page Chamber of Commerce, and Greg Stockton, development director for Seniors First, to talk about the Valley Venture Scavenger Hunt, an app-based fundraiser happening October 17th across six counties. Greg walks through how the app-based hunt works, why it's flexible enough for competitive teams and casual friend groups

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24:48

Planting Seeds, Harvesting Change

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/18

The Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association is bringing back its fall symposium after a pandemic-era hiatus — and this year it comes with a theme, a full slate of local experts, and a challenge for every gardener in the room. Janet talks with Candace DeLong, Frederick County's Virginia Cooperative Extension agent, and Chris Jorgensen, president of the NSV Master Gardener Association, about what's in store on November 14 at Laurel Ridge Community College. This year's theme, "Planting

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22:42

Community Health: Mobile Mammograms

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/17

A brand-new, 36-foot pink mobile mammography unit just rolled into the Shenandoah Valley — and Janet Michael is sitting right next to it on the Winchester Medical Center campus to find out what it means for local women's health. On this Community Health episode, Janet talks with Jenny Grooms, Executive Director of Valley Health Foundations and Jason Craig, Senior Director of Community Health about the new unit that will bring full-quality 3D mammograms directly to workplaces, churches, schools, and

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22:16

Planes, Cars, and Community

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/16

Wings & Wheels is coming back to the Winchester Regional Airport on Saturday, October 3rd, and it's free to get in the gate. Janet sits down with Taylor Coumes of the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber and Pete Warren of United Bank to talk about how this beloved community event — think warbirds, classic cars, Air Force simulators, and food trucks — has grown to draw more than 3,000 people a year, and why United Bank stepped up as the presenting sponsor to keep it free for everybody. From shuttle

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17:54

Art, History, and Horses

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/15

It's Tourism Tuesday, Berryville/Clarke County edition, and that means one thing every September: Art at the Mill is back. Janet Michael is joined by Nathan Stalvey, Executive Director of the Clarke County Historical Association, for a full rundown of what's new this fall — from the juried art show's opening weekend to a brand-new exhibit exploring the little-known history of Black horsemen in Clarke County's equine legacy. Nathan and Janet cover the details on Art at the Mill (including the online

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20:35

The Long Road Home

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/14

When a disaster destroys your home, the shelter is never meant to be the ending point — it's step one. Janet Michael sits down with Deb Fleming, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of the Greater Shenandoah Valley, for a deep dive into the Red Cross's Shelter Resident Transition (SRT) program: the behind-the-scenes work of moving disaster survivors out of shelters and into permanent, sustainable housing. Deb walks through how SRT identifies each person's unique barriers to housing, why the

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26:22

More Than a Bus Stop

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/11

After a record-breaking summer, the YDC is diving straight into a packed fall season — and Executive Director Sarah Fishel joins Janet Michael at the YDC's Loudoun Street home to walk through all of it. From a brand-new after-school program to two beloved traditions making their long-awaited return, there's a lot happening at 302 S. Loudoun Street in Old Town Winchester. Sarah shares how the new YDC Connect after-school program is reimagining care for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade,

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24:43

Running for Recovery

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/10

A local 5K is doing double duty this year — raising money for scholarships and keeping a beloved friend's memory alive. Host Janet Michael is joined by Guy Curtis, Director of Marketing at Laurel Ridge Community College, along with Julie Judy and Meredith Speir-Cavalier, co-founders of The Recovery Connection, to talk about the Laurel Ridge Community College 5K and the scholarship it supports in honor of Alex Burton. In this episode, Julie and Meredith share how The Recovery Connection came to be,

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17:49

Don't Touch That Dial

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/09

Would your car still have AM radio if automakers got their way? Janet sits down with Andrew Shearer, President/Owner of Royal Broadcasting, which owns The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450, to talk about why AM radio still matters, and why it might disappear from new cars for good. Andrew breaks down why AM signal reaches places FM and cell service can't, what the American Red Cross has to do with any of this, and where things stand on a bill in Congress that could settle the question for good —

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27:56

15 Years of Art, Music, and Milestones

The Valley Today ·

2026/09/08

It's Tourism Tuesday, Berryville/Clarke County edition, and Janet is on the Zooms with Martha Reynolds, Executive Director of Barns of Rose Hill, for a rundown of a huge year: new exhibitions, a brand-new midweek concert series, and a completed 10-year endowment challenge. From a colorful new exhibit inspired by Brazilian music to a can't-miss documentary premiere, Martha walks through everything happening at the Barns over the next few months — plus details on the organization's 15th anniversary

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