We have launched our Staunton FAQ - a feature designed to enable users to ask and answer questions, to share their knowledge of Augusta County, Virginia, the City of Staunton, and the Towns and communities of Churchville, Craigsville, Crimora, Dooms, Fishersville, Fort Defiance, Greenville, Jolivue, Lyndhurst, Mount Sidney, Mount Solon, Sherando, Spring Hill, Steeles Tavern, Stuarts Draft, Verona, and Weyers Cave, and to create a knowledge base of frequently asked questions about Augusta County, Virginia. Visitors and residents are welcome and encouraged to submit questions. If you know the answer to a posted questions, please feel free to share your knowledge and submit an answer. If you beleive a posted answer is wrong, or could be improved, please post a comment.
The Staunton FAQ feature may be accessed from the user menu in the left column of each page.

Staunton, Augusta County, and Waynesboro residents can now recycle computers and computer accessories, small kitchen appliances and cell phones at Goodwill Industries of the Valley's Northern Division stores.

Previously there were no facilities for the recycling of such equipment and it inevitably ended up in landfills. Electronics contain hazardous chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium. By recycling, chemicals will not only be kept out of the landfill, but components will be recycled and unusable parts will be placed back into the manufacturing stream.

Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, headquartered in Roanoke, serves 14 cities and 31 counties in central and southwest Virginia. Its mission is to help people in the community achieve a better life hrough work and independence. Last year Goodwill served over 2,300 individuals.

Goodwill Stores will not accept television sets, refrigerators, washers, dryers or stoves.

Goodwill Industries of the Valleys Northern Division has teamed up with Computer Recyclers of Virginia, Inc. a non-profit organization that refurbishes used computers and other needed electronic equipment for donation to Virginia’s schools and non-profit organizations. If the equipment is not suitable for the donation program or for reuse, it is recycled in accordance with all state and federal laws, with none of the parts ending up in landfills.

Staunton residents are encouraged to take their equipment any time of the year to the Goodwill Industries Northern Division retail store in Staunton. The material can also be taken to the stores in Waynesboro, Charlottesville and Harrisonburg. The Staunton store is at 1104 Greenville Avenue (886-8910).

Businesses or schools are welcome to contract Goodwill Industries concerning computer recycling at 886-2001. Staunton residents with questions about the program may call Public Works at 332-3892.

Annual Spring, City-Wide
Heavy Trash and Brush/Limb Pickup
The Staunton Public Works Department provides a city-wide free heavy trash pickup program once per year. Our aim is to help residents dispose of items that cannot be disposed of by the regular refuse pickup.

This year, 2008, the pickup will be the week of April 21 to 25. Please have items out at the curb by 7:30 a.m. on Monday the 21st to make sure it will be picked up.

Collected items will be limited to household items and yard trimmings. Household furniture/appliances will be picked up first; brush/limbs will be picked up separately. Tires, stumps, rocks, concrete, vehicles and building materials will not be picked up.

A special tire disposal drop-off will be held 9 to 5 Saturday, April 26 in the parking lot at the stadium in Gypsy Hill Park.. Tires must be delivered to the drop-off site and be off the rim. Only car/pickup size tires will be accepted, and there is a limit of 4 tires per household.

For more information, call the Public Works Office at 332-3892.

from the Virginia Supreme Court:

HOUSE BILL 3202/CHAPTER 896
CIVIL REMEDIAL FEES
New Virginia Code § 46.2-206.1
This is a general explanation of the new civil remedial fees. It has been prepared
by staff of the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court, which is the
administrative office of the Virginia court system. It has not been reviewed by the
Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia. It does not represent an order of or statement
by the Supreme Court of Virginia. This general explanation is meant neither as legal
advice nor as a “how to” guide. Any questions regarding a court’s assessment of the civil
remedial fee in a particular instance should be directed to your attorney or to the court
assessing the fee.
During its 2007 Session, the General Assembly of Virginia passed House Bill
3202 (Chapter 896), which was designed to provide additional funds to address various
transportation needs in the Commonwealth. (See this link for the bill:
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=071&typ=bil&val=hb3202.) The
legislation requires agencies and branches of state government which implement parts of
the legislation to make accessible to the public information about those efforts.
(1) Civil Remedial Fees. The legislation creates “civil remedial fees” to be
assessed against Virginia residents convicted of certain motor vehicle-related or driving
crimes. These civil remedial fees will not apply to traffic infractions like failure to obey a
highway sign or failure to yield or parking too near a hydrant. They apply only to certain
motor vehicle-related or driving felonies and misdemeanors (certain motor vehiclerelated
or driving offenses which are crimes). The civil remedial fees will be assessed
against juveniles who have been found delinquent because they committed one of these
motor vehicle-related or driving felonies or misdemeanors. The civil remedial fees will
not be assessed if the juvenile court defers a final judgment against the juvenile and does
not find the juvenile to be delinquent.
(2) Purpose. The statute states the purpose of these fees is “to generate revenue
from drivers whose proven dangerous driving behavior places significant financial
burdens upon the Commonwealth.”
(3) Effective date. These fees are assessed upon convictions of the applicable
offenses only if the crime was committed on or after July 1, 2007.
(4) An additional fee. In one important way, these fees are like court costs. That
is, if the fee is applicable to a particular conviction, the court must assess the entire civil
remedial fee. However, these civil remedial fees cannot be suspended or reduced. Instead,
by law, an applicable civil remedial fee must be assessed by the court in full. Finally, the
law provides that “The civil remedial fees established by this section shall be in addition
to any other fees, costs, or penalties imposed pursuant to the Code of Virginia.”
(5) Virginia residents only. The civil remedial fee is applicable to Virginia
“residents” convicted of these crimes. The law provides that “The civil remedial fees
established by this section shall be assessed on any resident of Virginia operating a motor
vehicle on the highways of Virginia, including persons to whom Virginia driver's
licenses, commercial driver's licenses, or learner's permits have been issued pursuant to
this title; and persons operating motor vehicles without licenses or whose license has
been revoked or suspended.”
(6) Three-part fee. The civil remedial fees are imposed in three equal parts. If the
fee applies, the court will order the first part of the fee to be paid to the court following
the conviction. The court will also order that the second part of the fee must be paid to
the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 14 months and, then, that the third part
of the fee must be paid within 26 months of the conviction. DMV will tell people who
owe the second and third parts of the civil remedial fees when those parts of their fees
will be due.
(7) Fee schedule. The civil remedial fees are as follows:
(a) Driving on a suspended license: $250 to the court upon conviction, with two
additional payments of $250 each due to DMV, one within 14 months of conviction and
the other within 26 months of conviction.
(b) Reckless driving: $350 to the court upon conviction, with two additional payments of
$350 each due to DMV, one within 14 months of conviction and the other within 26
months of conviction.
(c) DUI and related offenses (§§ 18.2-266, -266.1, 46.2-341.24): $750 to the court upon
conviction, with two additional payments of $750 each due to DMV, one within 14
months of conviction and the other within 26 months of conviction.
(d) Other misdemeanors, “Any other misdemeanor conviction for a driving and/or motor
vehicle related violation of Title 18.2 or [Title 46.2] that is not included in one of the
preceding three subdivisions”: $300 to the court upon conviction, with two additional
payments of $300 each due to DMV, one within 14 months of conviction and the other
within 26 months of conviction.
2
(e) Felony convictions, “Any felony conviction for a driving or motor vehicle-related
offense under Title 18.2 or [Title 46.2]”: $1,000 to the court upon conviction, with two
additional payments of $1,000 each due to DMV, one within 14 months of conviction and
the other within 26 months of conviction.
(8) Installment or deferred payment plans. Civil remedial fees paid to the courts
(the first part of the three-part civil remedial fee) may be included in the installment or
deferred payment plans which courts use now for the payment of fines and costs, upon
request and approval. The judge or the clerk of the court which convicts the person sets
up the payment plan. These court-ordered installment or deferred payment plans will not
apply to second and third parts of the civil remedial fee, which are to be paid to DMV.
(9) Prepayable offenses. The civil remedial fees do apply to two motor vehiclerelated
or driving misdemeanors which are on the table of so-called “prepayable”
offenses. When an offense is prepayable, the accused person may plead guilty by paying
to the court before the trial date the entire prepayable fine and court costs. Because these
two offenses require the civil remedial fee, a person prepaying one of these two offenses
must pay to the court not only the set prepayable fine and court costs, but also the first
part of the three part civil remedial fee (the part due to the court). If the entire amount due
for the prepayable offense is not sent to the court at the same time, the court cannot
accept the payment. Once the civil remedial fees become effective, the references in the
table of prepayable offenses to these two offenses will look like this:

full release from Virginia Supreme Court

Understanding the difference between our "News" feature and "News from the Community.
News from the Community is intended to be an organized community "blog" which enables all registered users to submit and self approve for posting news and announcements on a variety of topics relevant to daily life in Staunton. That feature is unmoderated, thus registered users have the flexible ability to post news and announcements relative to the topic. Submissions to that category will be "pruned" after a reasonable period of time. We will, upon request, create a new topic category or subcategory for use by any Staunton neighborhood or community based organization so that members of that group may readily find and post news of their organization or neighborhood.

The "news" feature is a more moderated news area, where all articles are approved by the website moderator or a vetted contributing writer. We welcome providing serious writers the opportunity to publish articles and stories of the history and heritage of Staunton. WE also are open to local writers who wish to write regular columns on a variety of topics (we are open to suggestions) relevant to local readers.