By Garren Shipley -- gshipley@nvdaily.com

Richmond's commitment to pay half the cost of a regional jail for Shenandoah, Warren and Rappahannock counties is safe, according to Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

For now.

Kaine announced more than $1.35 billion in cuts to the state's fiscal 2010 budget Tuesday, the first step in his effort to deal with overly optimistic revenue estimates coupled with the steepest dive in tax collections in more than 40 years.

State revenue dropped more than 9 percent from fiscal 2008 to fiscal 2009.

"There is no change on [the regional jail] with respect to fiscal year '10," Kaine said, speaking on a conference call with reporters. "Everything I've talked about today is an FY '10 matter."

The three counties have been hammering out plans for a regional jail for several years.

Legislators have granted the localities an exemption to a long-standing moratorium on jail construction, and have pledged up to 50 percent of the construction costs.

But capital construction projects that are not already under way could find themselves in the budget-cutting cross hairs unless the commonwealth's fiscal picture starts to improve in short order.

"The other decisions about FY '11 and '12, this is not an item we've talked about. We haven't brought that up yet," Kaine said.

"But I guess it would be safe to say that everything is under analysis for '11 and '12," he said.

Kaine's cuts spared K-12 education, but it could give local governments a significant headache in 2011 and 2012 in the form of higher contributions to the state's public employee retirement program.

"We will be increasing the combined contribution from employee and employer shares in the FY '11 and '12 budget," Kaine said.

Increasing payments to the Virginia Retirement System have long been a headache for local government budget writers.

"When times are good and the investment income is rolling in the door, sometimes you can decrease the total contribution," he said.

Times have been anything but good for the retirement plan for the past year. VRS closed the year ending March 31 with a loss of just under 30 percent.

Losses in the stock market and other investments have left the fund less than fully funded in the long term.

A legislative study released in July warned that the program will be only 65 percent funded for state employees and 61 percent funded for teachers by 2012 unless legislators start putting more money into it.

"Virginia is in a pretty good place on the funding of our plan, according to bond agencies," Kaine said.

But higher payments are coming.

"Sometimes you need to increase [contributions], and because of the economic conditions, you'll be seeing the combined share increase from somewhere 14 to 15 percent from 11.2 percent in the next biennium," he said.

"That's one way you get back to full funding," he said.

Kaine also said that state employees will start paying into the fund for the first time in more than two decades.

At present, Richmond pays both the employer and employee share of the retirement costs, an oddity among states, according to Kaine.

"This issue of having the employee pick up some portion of the employee share is a good move for the long term stability of the funding of the VRS," he said.

Area public schools took an individualized approach and emphasized the importance of parental choice when deciding whether to broadcast President Obama's national address to pupils on Tuesday.

Speaking from Wakefield High School in Arlington, the president implored the nation's students to focus on the value of their education.

The text of the speech was released Monday on the White House Web site for preview, along with supplemental materials provided for classroom use prior to and following the speech.

Frederick County Public Schools chose not to provide real-time viewing of the address so that teachers could review the speech and then make the decision on whether to incorporate the materials into classroom lessons.

"Anything that is used in our classrooms has to fit in with our instructional priorities," said Steve Edwards, coordinator of public policy and information.

Edwards said that if a teacher chooses to use the speech at a later date, parents would be notified and presented with the option of allowing a pupil to participate in another activity or lesson.

"We felt that our position was one that did its best to respect the views of all people," Edwards said.

Winchester Public Schools Superintendent Rick Leonard said the city school division followed the Department of Education's established guidelines for broadcasting the address and permitted individual schools, principals and teachers to ultimately make the decision.

The school day schedule, especially for high school students, combined with a particular classroom curriculum, could dictate the final choice, Leonard said.

"It was at [the teachers'] discretion relative to the lessons they were teaching that day," Leonard said.

Winchester elementary schools did offer some real-time viewing of the address, as well as delayed or edited versions.

"When you are looking at a group of kindergarten students, you might not want to show the whole speech," Leonard said.

Leonard said all parents had the opportunity to contact teachers or school staff if they did not want their child exposed to the speech in school.

As of Friday, Warren County elementary schools planned to review the broadcast and then determine whether to show the speech to pupils, while the county's two high schools allowed individual teachers to make the decision.

Warren County Middle School intended to air the broadcast, and sent a letter home to parents last week allowing students to opt out of viewing the president's address, according to the superintendent's office.

Shenandoah County Public Schools Superintendent Keith Rowland said the county school division would view the speech separately and then make a decision as to whether the classes would view it.

Staff writer Preston Knight contributed to this article.

Republican Bob McDonnell's lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds in the race for the Executive Mansion is fairly stable, according to a new poll from SurveyUSA.

The former attorney general continues to lead the sitting state senator by double digits, 54 percent to 42 percent.

The poll, done for WJLA-TV in Washington and released over the long Labor Day weekend, was the first multi-day poll to be conducted and released since stories first appeared about McDonnell's controversial 1989 master's thesis.

Democrats argue the thesis, a policy analysis of how Republicans could support the traditional family going into the 1990s, shows McDonnell is far out of the mainstream on social issues.

The former attorney general has repeatedly renounced much of the document, saying his views on social issues have moderated markedly in 20 years.

Deeds' campaign has hammered on the issue since the story first appeared, launching a blitz of radio and Internet ads, accusing McDonnell of planning to take Virginia "back to the dark ages."

Voters so far don't appear to have been moved significantly by the story.

SurveyUSA's poll finds McDonnell
continuing to siphon off significant numbers of voters in the middle or traditionally aligned with Democrats.

Deeds captures some 19 percent of voters who identified themselves as pro-life, but McDonnell takes 31 percent of voters who said they are pro-choice.

Separated by party, McDonnell loses 7 percent of Republicans, while Deeds loses a full 19 percent of Democrats. Independents also break strongly for the GOP candidate -- 52 percent to 41 percent.

The poll also found the "enthusiasm gap" between Democrats and Republicans described by other pollsters continues.

President Obama carried Virginia by 6 points in November.

But if the likely voters identified by the SurveyUSA poll had been the voters who showed up at the polls, they would have given Virginia to Republican John McCain by a 7-point margin.

Republicans also lead the other two statewide races.

Incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling continues to lead former Democratic Finance Secretary Jody Wagner by 12 points, 52 percent to 42 percent, with 6 percent undecided.

In the race for attorney general, State Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, R-Fairfax, also holds a significant lead over Del. Steve Shannon, D-Vienna, 54 percent to 41 percent, with 6 percent undecided.

The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4 percent.

Election Day is Nov. 3.

By Elizabeth Wilkerson -- ewilkerson@nvdaily.com

STRASBURG -- The town is seeking summary judgment in a lawsuit filed by a former Strasburg police lieutenant, according to online U.S. District Court records.

On Friday, Rosalie P. Fessier, an attorney representing the town, filed a motion for summary judgment -- which would allow the judge to make a decision on the case without a full trial -- in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in February by former officer Scott A. Stickley.

In his suit, Stickley alleges Police Chief Tim Sutherly and Town Manager Kevin Fauber denied his due process and equal protection rights and retaliated against him for exercising various First Amendment rights. The town sought to have his claims dismissed, and, in an order filed in June, U.S. District Judge Samuel G. Wilson dismissed all but Stickley's claim of First Amendment retaliation.

In its motion for summary judgment, the town argues that Stickley has "failed to establish a First Amendment violation."

According to a memorandum supporting the town's motion, Stickley was reassigned to the position of school resource officer in July 2007, but kept his rank of lieutenant, pay and benefits.

"There were several incidents leading to Stickley's transfer," the memo says, including his "violation of a direct order to schedule an extra officer in light of recent bank robberies in the area, ... and the improper use of his town issued vehicle."

On May 29, 2008, Stickley was notified that his rank and title of lieutenant would be removed to "avoid confusion over his rank and supervisory authority," though he would not lose any pay or benefits, it says.

Soon after, Sutherly received a phone call from then-Councilman "Carl Rinker, stating that 'I don't know what you think you're doing up there, but I just talked to Scott Stickley and he has got an attorney and is going to sue you and the town because you are going to take his bars for no reason,'" the memo says. Also, a resident "said she had spoken to Stickley and he told her he was losing his rank and wished that [Sutherly] would reconsider," it says.

One of the Police Department's goals is to "maintain an efficient and effective organizational structure for the delivery of police services," the memo says. Thus, it has a chain of command that employees are expected to follow.

Violating the chain of command "could constitute insubordination or serious breach of discipline or could constitute conduct which would impair the efficiency or reputation of the department, its members or employees," either of which "could result in dismissal even with a single occurrence," it says.

As a result of the communications from Rinker and the resident, Sutherly placed Stickley on administrative leave with pay. Ultimately, Stickley was terminated, it says.

Stickley argues that his conversation with Rinker "was a matter of public concern because there had been some media attention in the summer and fall of 2007" regarding the Police Department, it says.

A public employee's speech is constitutionally protected if it relates to matters of public concern and if the interests of the speaker and community outweigh the interests of the employer in maintaining an efficient workplace, the memo says.

"In this case, the evidence that, a year prior, there were rumors and gossip in town regarding Stickley's reassignment to SRO, one letter to the editor demanding 'full disclosure' of personnel decisions respecting two unidentified officers, one article in a local paper about an anonymous e-mail sent to Town Council, and one comment by a Town Council member in a public meeting asking for information about personnel issues ... does not render [Stickley's] statement regarding his removal of rank a matter of public concern," it says.

Also, a procedure existed for Stickley to voice criticism of Sutherly's decision to remove his rank, the memo says. Instead, it says, Stickley "chose to go outside those procedures ...thus going over [Sutherly's] head and undermining his authority.

"The Defendants' concerns clearly outweigh any interest Stickley may have in stating his dissatisfaction with the decision to remove his rank and threatening a lawsuit."

A hearing on the motion is set for Oct. 5 at 12:30 p.m., according to online court records.

WINCHESTER -- A local detox center faces a murky future after City Council members voted down a $25,000 lifeline for it Tuesday night.

The Starting Point Public Inebriate Center, at 317 S. Cameron St., has been in talks with city and Frederick County leaders on how to restore a portion of its funding in the wake of significant budget cuts.

Center director Scott Anderson initially requested more than $180,000 from the city, but received only $90,000.

The program has been the subject of much debate since the initial reduction. Supporters of the center, including many recovering addicts, lobbied for a complete restoration of the funds during an emotional City Council meeting in May.

But city officials did not reach a consensus Tuesday night, and denied the $25,000 in a split vote. The funds would have ensured the center's operation for another six months.

"You've got to look at the social costs," Council President Jeff Buettner said. "Are we not fostering [criminal] activity?"

Starting Point operates a residential program for recovering addicts, as well as a place where police can drop off those who are drunk in public rather than taking them to jail.

The program is jointly funded with Frederick County. County Administrator John R. Riley Jr. has said a $90,000 appropriation by the city would spell the end of the center.

But Councilman Michael Butler, a supporter of the program, said that likely would not be the case.

Starting Point has options, he said, including reducing its hours, cutting the number of days it's open or scaling back the residential program.

"We haven't discussed a long-term plan," he said. "We're going to have to get with John Riley and Starting Point staff to discuss what the alternatives are."

Critics of the center raised issues of recidivism during the funding debate, which led to interdictions filed in the court that would prohibit the sale of alcohol to "habitual drunkards."

Subjects of those petitions were identified based on their use of the center.

"Yes, there are issues, but they're being addressed," Butler said. "One of my hopes is that we can revisit these issues and show members of council that we have done our part," he said.

Several council members said the Inebriate Center saves money compared to incarceration.

"The money spent here saves us in many other programs," Councilman Evan Clark said. "It really does help the citizens of Winchester. Cutting funds is penny-wise and pound foolish."

Councilmen Butler, Evan Clark, John Hill and Mayor Elizabeth Minor voted for the $25,000 appropriation. Councilmen Art Major, Milt McInturff, Les Veach, John Willingham and Buettner voted against appropriating the funds.

By Elizabeth Wilkerson -- ewilkerson@nvdaily.com

STRASBURG -- The Town Council will appoint someone to fill former Vice Mayor Carlyle Swafford's vacant seat at a special meeting on Sept. 29.

At Tuesday's council meeting, Mayor Tim Taylor said Swafford, whose resignation was effective Aug. 23, had to leave the panel because he took a job in Philadelphia. Though he served for a relatively short time, Swafford will be sorely missed, Taylor said.

The council has 45 days from Swafford's resignation -- until Oct. 6 -- to appoint his successor, who will serve until June 30, 2010, when a newly elected council member will join the panel, Taylor said. In the May 2010 election, the council will be filling five, rather than the usual four, seats, Taylor said, and the fifth-place finisher will fill Swafford's unexpired term.

The council has decided to have people interested in filling Swafford's seat complete an application, he said. If the candidates choose to do so, they can appear at an informal candidates forum and speak, he said.

Appearing at the forum is not mandatory, Taylor said, and the appointment will be made at a special council meeting on a different night. At its October meeting, the council will appoint a new vice mayor, since Swafford also served in that capacity, he said.

Later in the meeting, Councilman Robert Baker asked whether the panel should settle the question of when applications would be due before setting a date for the candidates forum. Taylor suggested having the applications due the day of the forum.

After some discussion, the group decided the forum will be held Sept. 24 at 7 p.m., and the special council meeting, at which the appointment will be made, will take place Sept. 29 at 8:30 p.m. Applications must be submitted to the town office by 5 p.m. on Sept. 24.

At the forum, Taylor said, the candidates will have about five minutes each to speak, and the council will have the opportunity to ask questions. Councilman Richard Redmon said he thought the candidates should be able to ask the council members questions as well.

"I want them to know what they're getting into," Redmon said, drawing laughs from the crowd. Taylor said the forum would be an "informal back and forth."

Councilman Donald Le Vine said his understanding was that a candidate would need four votes to be appointed. But, he said, the panel could end up in a situation where no one candidate has four votes, and it needs to establish a process to deal with that situation if it arises.

"We'll have it all set on the 29th," Taylor said.

By Sally Voth -- svoth@nvdaily.com

WOODSTOCK -- Shenandoah County budget manager Garland Miller says property taxes may have to be raised to foot the bill for a new courthouse.

Despite that, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Nielsen Builders Inc.'s $11.6 million bid Tuesday to build a new district courthouse behind the County Government Center, and convert the former Safeway building into what is being called a human services building, housing social services, the health department and Northwestern Community Services.

"I was very pleasantly surprised when the bids come back," District 2 Supervisor Steve Baker said.

Original estimates for the projects were $14.2 million for just the courthouse, and up to $7.9 million for the former Safeway building, Miller said.

The best financing deal is a 20-year loan through the Virginia Resource Authority with a 3.8 percent interest rate, County Administrator Vince Poling said. Loan repayments will come to $1.1 million annually, he said.

"I can't say it doesn't place a strain on our cash flow ... but it is a lesser impact," Poling said.

Supervisors Chairman David Ferguson asked Miller if, given the county's current debt service schedule, he thought the county could go through the current real estate reassessment and pay for the courthouse and human services building without adjusting the tax rate.

Gary Eames, of Wampler Eames, said earlier in the meeting that his company was finding that many properties were selling for higher than their assessed values.

"At this point, you never quite know what the future will hold, but it's certainly going to be very difficult, I think, at this point, to not have something alter or change," Miller responded to Ferguson.

Miller added that the governor is looking at another $1.5 billion in cuts, and he did not know how that would affect the county budget.

Ferguson pressed on, asking whether -- if other factors remain unchanged and extra taxes come in from new businesses -- it would be possible for the county to carry the additional debt service without increasing the tax base in this reassessment.

"It could be possible," Miller said. "I have some reservations the budget, as it is today, can take it."

Combined, the two building projects make up about 3 cents on the tax rate, Poling said.

District 6 Supervisor Conrad Helsley pointed out 13 bids came in for the project, when the norm is six or seven bids. The county has owned the former Safeway for the past 10 years, he said, reading from a statement. The supervisors actually ratified a contract on the building in June 2002.

"And, frankly, [we] haven't been a very good neighbor to the rest of the shopping center with its appearance," Helsley said. "The federal government has pumped trillions of dollars into the economy this year, and we all know ... somewhere down the road we're going to see future inflation come roaring back. So spending a little now will probably save you a lot in the future. I do not think we will see bids and interest this low in the foreseeable future. I believe now is the time to move forward with these projects."

Kevin Warren Brennan, 56, of 653 Lower Valley Road, Strasburg, is charged with separate counts of malicious wounding against his son-in law, Brian Striker, and his daughter, Mary Brennan, and one count of maliciously wounding Striker and causing him permanent physical impairment.

The charges arise out of a May 23 incident at Kevin Brennan's home, which he shared at the time with Striker, his daughter and their two children. The bench trial is scheduled for Oct. 20 in Circuit Court.

Kevin Brennan has been held without bond, but a $7,500 secured bond was set on Tuesday, which as of Tuesday afternoon, Warren County Jail staff said Brennan had not posted.

Daily Staff Report

R-MA cadets organized the ceremony to honor the memory of lives lost in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, according to a release from the school.

The ceremony will be held on the R-MA campus in the flag area of Sonner-Payne Hall at 7:45 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Visitors are asked to use the West Main Street entrance to campus.

Daily Staff Report

A white male entered the Texaco station at 63 W. 14th St. at 7:48 p.m. on Monday, displayed "what was believed to be a weapon" and demanded money, a news release issued by the Front Royal Police Department reads. The suspect fled from the store with an undisclosed amount of cash. No further description of the suspect was provided. Messages left for Police Chief Richard H. Furr and Sgt. J.A. Ryman seeking additional comment on the robbery were not immediately returned.

The incident is being investigated by the criminal investigation division. Anyone with information about the robbery may call 635-2111.

Daily Staff Report

WOODSTOCK -- With one word, summer officially ends -- "homework."

Shenandoah County Public Schools became the last Northern Shenandoah Valley school division to open its doors to pupils Tuesday. Attendance numbers will not be available until this morning.

"This [opening] has definitely been easiest of all," third-year Superintendent Keith Rowland said Tuesday afternoon. "There were no major issues with transportation. Last year, we changed some routes to save money and that created some problems for us. This year, there were no major changes to that.

"It's just been a great day."

The best part, according to Reilly Hughes, a third-grader at Ashby-Lee Elementary School, is that one word that signifies summer's end. It was an interesting answer coming from such a young pupil, but he quickly explained it and it made complete sense.

"There's not very much homework at all," Reilly said.

Chris Williams, a fourth-grader, had the same answer as to what makes the first day nice.

"You don't really have a lot of homework," he said.

His younger brother, Ben, a kindergartner, did not mention homework, which was no surprise. It was his initial first day of school and, as his mother and grandmother picked him up, he stated that he liked it for other reasons.

"I didn't even get in trouble once," Ben said.

At Ashby-Lee there were tears to start the day and hugs to end it -- no surprises there, either. Reilly's mother, Berlinda Hughes, can circle at least one day a year when she knows the tears will flow. She picked up Reilly and his first-grade brother, Brady, Tuesday.

"It's exceptionally sad," she said. "It's hard for me. I like them when they're with me. But I trust the school."

Hughes may just need more experience, like what Julie Sherrill has. She has six children and was picking up two grandchildren -- Hannah, a kindergartner, and Hayley, a fourth-grader -- on Tuesday.

"We have definitely been through first day of school," said Sherrill, who received a hug from Hannah. "It's always exciting. It's a little bit sad that first day, too, but exciting still."

Hannah said she would come back for a second day.

Teachers, too, have to get through the first day. Reading specialist B.J. Goodier and third-grade teacher Cheryl Shifflett said teachers enjoy being back, but are also usually "spent" after day one.

"Every year [pupils] come with the same energy and excitement," Goodier said. "They're ready to go."

Shifflett said: "Trying to establish a routine for the remainder of the school year is very hard to do. And they're not ready to get into a routine on the first day."

But, there is always a bright side to things.

"The second day is a little calmer," Goodier said.

(4:15 p.m.) WOODSTOCK -- Shenandoah County Public Schools became the last northern Shenandoah Valley school division to open its doors to students Tuesday.

Attendance numbers will not be available until Wednesday morning.

"This [opening] has definitely been easiest of all," Superintendent Keith Rowland said Tuesday afternoon. "There were no major issues with transportation. Last year, we changed some routes to save money and that created some problems for us. This year, there were no major changes to that.

"It's just been a great day."

At Ashby-Lee Elementary School, there were tears to start the day and hugs to end it.

"It's always exciting," said Julie Sherrill, who received a hug from her granddaughter Hannah, a kindergarten student. "It's a little bit sad that first day, too, but exciting still."

For further developments, visit nvdaily.com or read the print edition of The Northern Virginia Daily.

STRASBURG -- Sunday came a day early this past weekend for some residents.

Speakers at the Strasburg "Tea Party" rally Saturday afternoon were basically preaching to the choir, receiving some "amens" in the process, as they demanded that government just stay out of their lives.

Former Town Council member Carl Rinker, the recipient of one particularly loud and unifying "amen" from the audience that filed in and out during the three-hour event, spoke passionately about the government passing too much cost onto employers and other Americans, outsourcing too many jobs and spending too wastefully in trying to save other countries.

"We're in deep crap right now," Rinker said. "When government's got their hands into it, it's not going to go the way we want it to go. ... Self-preservation starts today. Right here, right now, in this town."

The theme of the party was "Constitutional Correctness, Not Political Correctness." Its organizer, Kim Bishop, was adamant that the nation needs to revert to living as its Founding Fathers had designed -- with a limited government.

"It's all about control," she said, referencing the topics of health care and cap and trade. "They want to control you."

A large sign near the stage read "Taxed Enough Already," and had several short phrases written around it. "Unite or Die" and "Freedom is not Free" were among the slogans. Some people carried signs, waved flags or wore shirts asking for, among other things, term limits.

The party's purpose was to give the opportunity to people who work and supply taxes to government to stand and let those in Washington know that limited government and personal control is what they want, Bishop said in a press release. Labor Day weekend was a fitting time to do it, she added.

On Saturday, the message will be taken all the way to Washington. Mt. Jackson resident Suzanne Curran said that from Staunton to Strasburg, six busloads of people have signed up to head to the nation's capital to participate in a march on Pennsylvania Avenue. A seventh bus may even be added.

"It's to complain about the exorbitant spending Congress leaves on you and, ultimately, your great grandchildren [to pay]," Curran said. "I'll be dead. I don't have to pay it."

The deadline has passed for anyone who is interested to sign up for a bus now.

D. Eric Wiseley, a town attorney, chastised President Obama and Congress for their desire to spend money on "cool things" the country does not need and criticized their thinking that taxing the rich, such as Warren Buffett, would do any good.

"The best tax shelter today is unemployment," he said.

Bishop, meanwhile, also bemoaned the fact that too much emphasis is put on children going to college, which serves to shine certain jobs, like picking crops in a field, in a negative light.

"We need to quit telling kids who don't go to college that they are stupid," she said. "Congress is [a bunch of] complete and utter morons, and they all have Ivy League degrees. What's that say about Harvard?"

By Sally Voth -- svoth@nvdaily.com

WOODSTOCK -- The Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors has denied Sheriff Timothy C. Carter's request to use surplus funds to pay for deputies to pull extra hours on Interstate 81 targeting bad drivers.

The vote came about a month after the most recent fatal crash on Interstate 81 in Shenandoah County took the lives of two brothers driving back to Maryland from a Texas university. A tractor-trailer slammed into the back of their Honda as they sat in a backup from another tractor-trailer crash.

The past year has been particularly deadly. In Carter's estimation, 10 people have been killed in highway crashes in 10 months.

A highway safety grant from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, funded with federal highway transportation safety money, pays for deputies to work overtime enforcing traffic laws. In a Thursday interview, Carter said he expects that grant to be about $23,000 to $24,000 this year.

He said he posts deputies in areas that receive a high volume of complaints, such as Va. 55, Va. 42, Va. 263 and U.S. 11. It also funds seat-belt enforcement pushes. Besides targeting speeders, deputies are on the watch for motorists passing improperly, driving recklessly, tailgating, driving aggressively or otherwise posing a danger.

A year ago, the enforcement was expanded to the interstate, "primarily [because of] the complaints that have been generated out there, the amount of crashes," Carter said. "There's been some very
serious traffic crashes, and we were receiving inquiries from the public if we could do anything more. We just decided to try to do a little bit more.

"When there's a visible law-enforcement presence, that does deter vehicle violations."

He said he's met with the state police and the Virginia Department of Transportation. Those two agencies are preparing statistics to present to the supervisors this fall, and VDOT is doing a comprehensive traffic system audit, Carter said.

"We have trooper vacancies in our county," he said. "They try to make do with what they have. We were just trying to do a little bit more to help."

On Aug. 19, he asked the supervisors' finance committee to funnel $14,400 -- either from the roughly $12,500 left over from fiscal 2009 Sheriff's Office overtime funds, or from the $76,000 that went back into county coffers from fines generated by the highway safety program -- to supplement further highway safety program shifts.

The supervisors voted 3-3 on the request, killing it, at the Aug. 25 board meeting. According to not-yet-approved minutes from the meeting, Board of Supervisors Chairman David Ferguson, District 6 Supervisor Conrad Helsley and District 4 Supervisor Sharon Baroncelli voted against it.

On Thursday, District 5 Supervisor Dennis Morris said his constituents are afraid to use I-81 during peak hours.

"We can't eliminate it, but [we can] try to curb some of the speed issues," he said. "If we can eliminate a small portion of this, we would be doing our part as county leaders representing our constituency.

"It's just a way of life here. Eighty-one is a convenience, but anymore, it's a convenience you're taking your life in your own hands."

In the minutes, Helsley blamed weather conditions for fatalities.

"It starts to rain, people are driving faster than they should, they don't give themselves enough room between the next vehicle and the next thing you know you have an accident, then on the other side the people are rubbernecking," he says. "I am not sure that we can make much of a dent by just transferring the $14,000 out there in the system where I think it is going to have to be the people themselves realize they have too much speed, they don't have enough space between the vehicles."

He reiterated those comments on Thursday, adding, "The other thing is, it's really the state police's bailiwick."

"I have very major concerns about I-81, but I don't know that that's going to cure it," Helsley said.

Baroncelli said the highway falls under the state police's and VDOT's jurisdiction.

"They need to take care of their responsibility first," she said Thursday.

Ferguson said 32 hours of overtime is already being used per month, and the sheriff's request would add another 16 hours, according to the minutes. If the county picks up the costs of patrolling 81, it "sends the wrong message" to the state police, he said.

According to the minutes, Ferguson said he'd be "more receptive" to having state police increase patrols or have a sheriff's deputy regularly assigned to the highway. He questioned how many of the crash deaths were the result of inattentiveness or weather conditions.

"Giving a ticket to a speeder, would that have prevented one of these deaths, I don't know, I somehow question it though," Ferguson says in the minutes.

Carter said he withdrew the funding request rather than have it referred back to the finance committee.

"Based on the comments from the board, it wasn't a priority for them, and it wasn't an issue that they felt like [they] needed to act on."

By Ben Orcutt -- borcutt@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL -- The Virginia Department of Transportation has announced plans for Happy Creek and Indian Hollow roads in Warren County.

According to the agency's Web site, improvements to Happy Creek Road are slated to begin this fall. Improvements will be made from Sixth Street and Bradford Drive, just short of Shenandoah Shores Road.

Improvements will feature two 12-foot lanes, with curb and gutter, as well as two bicycle lanes, each 4 feet wide. Also planned are turn lanes at Meadow Lane, in addition to new water, sewer and storm drains.

VDOT says the daily traffic count now stands at 5,300 vehicles, with a projection of 12,400 daily vehicle trips by 2028. Primary benefits of the project, VDOT says, are the safety from wider lanes, as well as the relocation of utilities and improved drainage, in addition to the access provided to bicyclists and pedestrians.

While construction is ongoing, both eastbound and westbound traffic will be maintained, as well as access to private entrances, VDOT says.

The town of Front Royal is applying for revenue-sharing funding to help pay for the project, VDOT adds.

Meanwhile, VDOT has scheduled a public hearing Oct. 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the South Warren Volunteer Fire Department for a proposed bridge on Indian Hollow Road -- Va. 613 -- to replace the current low-water crossing of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River near Bentonville.

Plans call for the new, 320-foot long, 34-foot-wide bridge to be located about 50 feet upstream from the existing crossing, with two 11-foot lanes, a 5-foot wide sidewalk with curb and gutter on the east side and a 5-foot shoulder on the west side.

The new structure would be about 14 feet higher than the existing bridge, VDOT says.

If approved, an existing bridge over an abandoned channel will be replaced by a box culvert about 20 feet upstream, with 11-foot wide lanes and five-foot shoulders.

A rural area that includes some homes, a campground and a canoe rental business, the proposed project is surrounded by state and federal property, VDOT says.

VDOT says the average number of daily vehicle trips over this portion of Indian Hollow Road is 228, with a projection of 236 daily vehicle trips by 2023. Peak usage is during the warmer months for recreational activities.

The project must be approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, which would be followed by obtaining right of way and then advertisement for construction. The project will be funded by federal forest highway funds.