Virginia Tech coach James Franklin walks on the field before the Hokies' matchup against Old Dominion on Sept. 12 in Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech coach James Franklin walks on the field before the Hokies' matchup against Old Dominion on Sept. 12 in Blacksburg.
A total of 27 nonprofits came together at Resurrection Catholic Church in Moneta on Monday for a check presentation of proceeds from this year's Joyous Junque yard sale.
Resurrection Catholic Church's Joyous Junque sale raised more than $86,000 during its annual summer sale held this past June. Those proceeds were handed out to 27 area nonprofits in a presentation held Monday.
The church's basement, just a few months ago filled with a variety of household goods to sell, was now filled with the gratitude of those in attendance. Each was given a chance to share how the church's donation would help them.
"The money you all give us keeps us alive," said Frances Davis, director of Heavenly Manna, a food pantry in Rocky Mount.
Davis, like many who accepted checks on Monday, are from organizations to whom Joyous Junque has given for years. Many of them said times are still tough and getting tougher for the families they assist. The number of families in need is also growing.
"The needs have grown exponentially," said Jane Winters, director of Lake Christian Ministries, which provides food assistance and crisis financial aid to families.
Each nonprofit shared how the donated funds would be used. Several expressed how the funds would help keep their struggling nonprofit going, and others shared how they would be able to fund new programs.
Moneta Elementary School counselor Brittany Shirvani said the donation would go to a new literacy program at the elementary school. Lisa Lietz, director of SML Good Neighbors, said it would go to additional social and emotional training for the volunteers that participate in their summer school programs. Ellen Holland with the Free Clinic of Franklin County said the funds would go to the purchase of flu and COVID-19 test kits for the fall and winter season.
Food for Kids is a program that provides bag meals that students can bring home to assure they have a nourishing meal outside of the school. Volunteer Cindy Smith said they provide more than 700 bags of food for students in seven elementary schools in Bedford County each month.
"This money truly helps us pack those 700 bags each month," Smith said.
Kay Saleeby with Helping Hands of Franklin County thanked the volunteers who participate in the annual yard sale event while accepting her donation. The nonprofit provides emergency financial assistance to families.
"I see that this church has many good Samaritans in it," Saleeby said of the volunteers while adding that donated funds would go toward helping many families in need.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Resurrection Catholic Church's Joyous Junque sale. The event has raised millions over the years for area nonprofits. Coordinator Terry Culton said that just in the last four years they have raised more than $1.5 million for nonprofits.
Culton added that the church is already accepting donations of items that will be going into storage in preparations for next year's Joyous Junque sale, set for June 10 and 11, 2027.
Jason Dunovant (540) 981-3324
GOODVIEW — For nearly two days, and with a little help from friends and neighbors at Smith Mountain Lake, Misty Johnson endured the toughest race of her life, willing herself forward in the water, on a bike and on her feet to complete an ultra triathlon.
A rare accomplishment for anyone to complete the required 4.8-mile swim, 224-mile bike and 52.4-mile run, it's rarer for someone living with multiple sclerosis.
"It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," Johnson said of being in nearly constant motion for just under two days.
Johnson completed the two-day race in her Bedford County neighborhood among family and friends cheering her on along the way. They set up an impromptu course after some last-minute changes to her racing plans.
Misty Johnson, an endurance athlete with multiple sclerosis, hugs her father, C.J. Carver, after completing a 4.8-mile swim in an arm of Smith Mountain Lake while racing a 281.2 mile ultra triathlon in her Goodview neighborhood on Sept. 11.
She had spent months training, with her sights originally set on another race at the lake. She saw it as her next challenge after competing in eight Ironman triathlons and a variety of other ultra races such as the Blue Ridge Double Marathon.
However, Johnson and her family decided to create a course of their own. Within 24 hours, Johnson said her friends, family and neighbors all came together to set up a course in her neighborhood.
"I contacted our HOA and they allowed us to set up an aid station," Johnson said, adding that they sent out emails to other neighbors to let them know about the race. Friends and family also joined in to help out.
For nearly two days Johnson swam, biked and ran on a tiny course. She said her bike route was just a mile long and her run course was even shorter at around a half mile to avoid some of the larger hills in her neighborhood.
Misty Johnson, an endurance athlete with multiple sclerosis, completes a 4.8-mile swim in an arm of Smith Mountain Lake while racing a 281.2 mile ultra triathlon in her Goodview neighborhood on Sept. 11. Her husband, Seth Johnson, and father, C.J. Carver celebrate with her as she transitions to the bike portion of the race.
In total, it took Johnson 33 hours, 2 minutes to complete the ultra triathlon. That included 3 hours, 17 minutes for the 4.8-mile swim, 18 hours, 47 minutes for the 224-mile bike and 10 hours, 58 minutes for the 52.4-mile run.
In that time Johnson changed her clothes three times and her socks seven times due to rain and sweat. She still finished the race with large blisters on her feet due to contact dermatitis caused by skin irritation.
Johnson admitted there were some complications during the ultra triathlon that caused some delays such as transporting her to the deeper water due to low lake levels and occasional mishaps such as a flat tire. Her overall time came out to 47 hours, 25 minutes.
The ultra triathlon two weekends ago is the latest in a long line of endurance competitions that have become a way of life for Johnson in recent years. She stumbled into the sport shortly after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2016.
Living in Washington state at the time, Johnson said a friend encouraged her to attend classes at a YMCA to help with her MS. Eventually, she decided to take on an Ironman event that includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile marathon completed consecutively.
Johnson learned that the constant moving and training has helped to keep her MS symptoms at bay. She has also cut back on the numerous medications prescribed by neurologists over the years.
Misty Johnson, an endurance athlete with multiple sclerosis, starts a 224 mile bike ride while racing a 281.2 mile ultra triathlon in her Goodview neighborhood on Sept. 11.
While Johnson said exercise has greatly improved her symptoms, she does still have to challenges in her daily life as well as out on the course while competing. She constantly deals with numbness in her legs that make it difficult for her to run. She also deals with her vision darkening whenever she gets overheated — which can be often when exercising or competing in events like the one two weekends ago.
Throughout the nearly 48 hours she was moving, people were there with her to cheer her on. She said it was those people who helped her to keep going during the toughest moments of the race.
Johnson's sister-in-law, Tiff Johnson, kayaked her out to the deeper water of Smith Mountain Lake for the swim portion of the triathlon. Her husband, Seth Johnson, also helped to keep her safe from passing boats during her more than three hours swimming.
Her husband Seth also helped in bringing in some support to join her on the run. As an employee of Fleet Feet, he was able to provide a tent as well as some runners he's been training for an upcoming race in Salem.
"I was definitely in shock and just so grateful to have such a great community," Johnson said. "There were people showing up that I didn't even know and I've never met before."
Johnson said the constant support of people helped to keep her mind off the pain. That helped was most needed during her last event in the run which came after more than 24 hours straight of swimming and biking.
"A bunch of people showed up from the running group I'd never met and to come run a few miles with me and just talk to distract me," Johnson said. "I was just in a lot of pain. It didn't matter what they talked about as long as they kept talking."
Listening to people talk about their day helped Johnson to keep going. She said every step began to feel like a jolt of pain shooting through her legs.
It got progressively worse for Johnson as her mind starting shutting down along with her body. She said at mile 22 of the run she felt herself letting go as her husband followed beside her.
"I felt like I could hardly run," Johnson said. "I was passing out. I would blink and feel my body start to drop like my body was shutting down and forcing me to sleep."
Johnson's husband insisted she take a brief nap to get some rest at the aid tent. After around 25 minutes in a reclining lawn chair, she returned to her feet and continued running.
Eventually, Johnson's husband encouraged her to take a nap every five miles she ran for the last few miles. Those naps only lasted around two or three minutes, she said.
Johnson completed her ultra triathlon at 9:05 a.m. Sept. 13 to the cheers of her friends and family. Just shy of 48 hours from her start time at 9:40 a.m. Sept. 11.
"I just felt so much gratitude for everyone," Johnson said of completing the ultra triathlon.
For Johnson, she is proud to complete something she has trained for so long for. She has recorded her training constantly on social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok where she has gained a large following of supporters.
Recovery hasn't come easy for Johnson either. Just a day after completing the race, she attended early Monday morning classes at Roanoke College where she is studying to be software engineer.
"My body is still fatigued," Johnson said. "I still feel like I'm not fully recovered."
As for any future competitions, Johnson said she plans to slow down somewhat to focus on school. Her goal is to graduate from Roanoke College in 2030.
Johnson said she may compete in the Crooked Road 24 hour ultra in Rocky Mount in March. In the event competitors run for up to 24 hours to see how many miles they can reach. The winner is the competitor with the most miles completed.
While a major race, it is a significant step down from the grueling 48 hours she spent pushing herself two weekends ago. It would also allow her to achieve one more goal she has for herself.
"I've always wanted to run 100 miles," Johnson said. "That has been a goal of mine. But we will see what happens."
Jason Dunovant (540) 981-3324
Misty Johnson, an endurance athlete with Multiple Sclerosis, races a 281.2 mile ultra triathlon
The Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival returns to Bernard’s Landing in Moneta, Sept. 26 and 27. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, rain or shine.
The Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival will once again be held at Bernard's Landing in Moneta this Saturday and Sunday with several area wineries in attendance.
This will be the third year Bernard's Landing has hosted one of the region's largest wine festivals. A total of 26 Virginia wineries, craft breweries and distilleries will be in attendance for this year's festival.
Attendees will have the option of sampling wine or purchasing favorites by both the bottle and glass while enjoying all the entertainment the festival has to offer. Wine can also be purchased and collected later at a wine pick up location.
In addition to the large variety of tasting options, nearly 50 craft vendors and several food vendors will be on site during the festival each day.
Music acts for the event include Sophie Taylor, ON3, In the Mean Time and Brother Maven on Saturday. On Sunday, there will be performances by Owen Lane, 5 Dollar Shake, Eric Wayne Band and Crawford and Power.
One-day general admission for the wine festival is $55.20, and a VIP ticket is $161.90. A non-drinker ticket is $23.18.
Doors open at 11 a.m. each day. The festival concludes at 6 p.m.
More information on the Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival can be found at smlwinefestival.com.
Jason Dunovant (540) 981-3324
The proposed area for the Route 122 Corridor Study in the Smith Mountain Lake area in Franklin and Bedford counties.
As the Smith Mountain Lake community continues to grow in popularity, work is being done to assure its main thoroughfare can accommodate the increased traffic in one of its busiest areas.
The West Piedmont Planning District Commission, in partnership with Bedford and Franklin counties, will be conducting a Route 122 Corridor Study funded by the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (or RAISE) grant. The $1.6 million grant is provided by the Federal Highway Administration.
“The RAISE Grant provides our region a unique opportunity to address transportation challenges and strategically plan for future growth,” said Michael Armbrister, executive director of WPPDC, in a press release announcing the grant. “We are collaborating closely with Bedford and Franklin counties and are committed to engaging the public at every step.”
The Route 122 Corridor Study will focus on the approximately 24-mile stretch from Wirtz Road in Franklin County to Joppa Mill Road in Bedford County. As the primary roadway serving the Smith Mountain Lake resort and retirement community, Route 122 is a critical link between Franklin County in the Roanoke metro area and Bedford County in the Lynchburg metro area. Ongoing growth in the Smith Mountain Lake area continues to put pressure on this rural two-lane route, which was constructed decades ago to serve a smaller population.
There are multiple vehicle incidents annually along the stretch of road with multiple fatalities over the years. The roadway also has a lack of detours that would allow traffic to continue moving if an incident blocks a roadway, which can put traffic at a standstill for several minutes or hours.
“This study is designed to assess both current and future transportation needs along the Route 122 corridor —including safety, capacity, and geometric improvements,” said Joe Bonnano, senior planner for WPPDC and project lead, in the release. “We are also exploring multimodal options such as a corridor-wide multi-use trail, improved connectivity and redundancy, a potential park-and-ride facility, and shuttle service connections to Amtrak. Importantly, we will build on recommendations from recent and past planning efforts, particularly in the Westlake Corner area, to address limited alternative transportation, corridor redundancy, and land use connections.”
The Route 122 corridor master plan will address a comprehensive range of improvements, including roadway safety and capacity enhancements to enable the corridor to accommodate more vehicles safely, improved connectivity along the corridor, and opportunities for strategically targeted Traditional Neighborhood Development and mixed-use development — particularly within Westlake Corner, with the potential for replication in other areas.
The plan will also emphasize coordination between transportation and land use, incorporate Complete Streets elements in key locations, and explore Transportation Demand Management options such as a park-and-ride facility with bicycle parking in Westlake Corner.
Additional considerations include the development of a micro-transit or shuttle service linked to nearby Amtrak stops, the feasibility of a corridor-wide shared-use path, and recommendations for multimodal continuity across Smith Mountain Lake. The potential need for a secondary bridge span will also be analyzed to ensure redundancy in case one bridge becomes inoperable.
Project activities will begin this fall and are expected to conclude by October 30, 2028. The first year will focus on data analysis and public engagement to identify corridor needs and deficiencies. In the second year, the team will develop recommendations and strategies for improvements along the entire corridor, with ongoing opportunities for community input.
WPPDC, Bedford County, Franklin County and the Central Virginia Planning District Commission invite area residents, businesses and stakeholders to participate in upcoming public meetings and provide feedback as the study progresses. Details on engagement opportunities will be announced as the project moves forward.
Jason Dunovant (540) 981-3324
