Ed Smith
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Articles by Ed Smith
Over 20 years later, GTA Vice City is still a role model for the open-world genre
The clipped-wing Dodo aeroplane, sporadically stealable from the rear runway of Francis International Airport, neatly embodies the Rockstar Games of 2001. Although Grand Theft Auto 3 will always be able to stand on its own merits as an uncommonly bleak videogame nasty that also shaped the whole sandbox crime genre, even in its day it felt somehow incomplete, as if its creator was reaching for something just beyond its grasp.
Interest High In ‘26 Election
As of yesterday morning, a week from Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, nearly 20 percent of Rockbridge area registered voters had cast ballots. That’s an indication of the level of interest in the elections. There is a lot on the ballots this year. Voters in Buena Vista and Lexington are being asked whether or not to approve 1 percent sales taxes that would be used to pay for school construction projects.
Area Farmers Seeking Emergency Wells
Despite a couple of significant rain events earlier in the month, Rockbridge County remains in the throws of a drought that is necessitating relief for farmers. Tom Stanley, agricultural Extension agent, reported to the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors Monday that 20 applications for emergency wells have been submitted to the USDA from Rockbridge County farmers, and that he knew of probably another 20 farmers whose wells have run dry.
> The three-legged stool: Why ERA advocacy matters
> The three-legged stool: Why ERA advocacy matters EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY by Ed Smith, ERA CEO The electronics industry is built on relationships. At the center of those relationships is a simple but powerful model: manufacturers, manufacturers’ representatives and distributors—the three legs of the stool. Each leg has a different purpose. But the stool only works when all three are strong. Today, that balance is more important than ever.
St. Catharines mayor’s eleventh-hour push to shift GM cleanup costs onto taxpayers
In the eleventh hour of this council term, St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe has pushed forward a major initiative connected to the former General Motors (GM) lands that provides financial incentives for remediation and redevelopment.
Food Network Show To Be Filmed Here
The Food Network is bringing a baking competition to Rockbridge County and, along with it, a major boost to the local economy. A “southern-style baking competition” is to set up shop at the New Field Farm at Timber Ridge beginning next Monday, Oct. 26, and will stick around for nearly five weeks, through Nov. 21, Cheryl Wagner, Rockbridge regional tourism executive director, told the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors last week.
Three Cities, Four Women: A First for Niagara’s Mayoral Races?
Four women, Ann-Marie Zammit in St. Catharines, Lori Lococo in Niagara Falls, Natshia Bergen and April Jeffs in Welland, have taken on the challenge of winning a mayoral seat against male incumbents or other male candidates. For the first time in memory, there is a possibility that women may occupy the mayor’s chair in Niagara’s three largest cities, an unusual concentration of female candidates in races that have historically been dominated by men.
Incumbents Mat Siscoe in St. Catharines and Jim Diodati in Niagara Falls using corporate resources to campaign—violation of rules
As the October 26 municipal election campaigns heat up, questions are emerging about whether some incumbent politicians are playing by the rules that govern campaign activity, and whether municipal governments are up to the task of enforcing those rules consistently. In St. Catharines, the issues range from the use of a mayoral social-media presence by Mat Siscoe, photographs and videos produced by municipal staff, to campaign billboards that appeared before the City's permitted signage date.
MEET THE 2026 WALKERS CREEK CANDIDATE
Brown Cast Tie-Breaking Vote On Rec Center In the brief time she’s been Walkers Creek supervisor, Toria Brown has made a significant impact on county government. She provided the tie-breaking vote last month to approve a funding plan for a new community recreation center. “This was certainly a decision I weighed heavily,” said Brown, unopposed in her bid to win election to the seat she was appointed to earlier this year.
Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil in St. Catharines
Four years ago, St. Catharines voters elected a mayor and two Ward 4 councillors who had made promises about the future of the former General Motors property and what they would do to address the blight and safety concerns surrounding the massive 55-acre industrial site in the heart of the city.
Man who helped Mat Siscoe get elected netted $65K in municipal contracts, FOI reveals
Jim Ross, a man who helped Mat Siscoe get elected mayor of St. Catharines, went on to receive approximately $65,000 in municipal contracts to host tele-town hall and other virtual consultation sessions for the City since 2022 without following the proper procurement safeguards, an investigation by The Pointer has found.
From Niagara to Brampton to the Yukon, detailing the scandalous past of David Barrick
Editor’s Note: Reporter Ed Smith is a former member of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board who joined in 2019, and as a private citizen participated in public efforts to hold David Barrick accountable, before Smith joined The Pointer as an investigative reporter covering Niagara Region. How does David Barrick continue to find work? Among Ontario’s municipal government sector professionals it is a running joke. But it’s certainly no laughing matter.
Outside E&S Experts Proposed For Projects
Outside E&S Experts Proposed For Projects Rockbridge County should adopt more stringent regulations regarding the management of storm water at large construction sites, the Board of Supervisors was told last week.
Nothin’ Fancy Festival Leaving Buena Vista
The Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Festival, the musical extravaganza that has drawn hordes of bluegrass aficionados, nationally prominent musicians and scores of campers to Glen Maury Park each September since 2001, has played its last note in Buena Vista. The festival, named for and hosted by an award-winning band with a national following that has ties to Buena Vista and the greater Rockbridge area, is relocating to the Page County Fairgrounds in Luray, beginning in 2027.
Rec Center Bonds Pass This Time
Brown Casts Deciding Vote On ‘Compromise’ A financing plan to pay for a community recreation center was approved Monday on a 3-2 vote by the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors. Toria Brown, the Walkers Creek supervisor who broke a previous 2-2 tie in support of financing for the center, explained that an “overwhelming” number of her constituents had reached out to her in support of the project.
Bearcats grind out victory over Harrison
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BV Housing Proposal Downsized
Two Duplexes, Four Houses Now Planned What was to be one of Buena Vista’s biggest housing projects in years has been downsized considerably in scope. Instead of building 22 townhouse units that were to go in an undeveloped wooded/ pasture area on the east side of Magnolia Avenue, between Sixth and Ninth streets, Bryson Adams is now proposing to build four single-family houses and two duplexes for a total of eight residences.
Trump Takes Center Stage In Buena Vista
President’s Policies Criticized, Praised By Congressional Candidates There were fewer speeches this year at the Buena Vista Labor Day festival Monday, but they were a bit longer than usual and as heated as ever. The war in Iran, health care, inflation and tariffs were among the topics on which the candidates clashed. There were only four candidates to take the stage – Republican Sixth District Congressman Ben Cline and his Democratic opponent Beth Macy, and Democratic U.S. Sen.
Supervisors Raise Questions About Jail Proposals
Does the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office need as much space as is contemplated in recent conceptual drawings prepared by an architect hired by the county? Does the Rockbridge Regional Jail need to double or triple in size? And, should consideration be given to relocating the sheriff’s office to a completely different site? Those were among the questions being asked at an Aug.
All The Big Names In BV Monday
Labor Day Event Also Features VA250 Museum Buena Vista’s outsized role in Virginia’s fall political campaigns is to continue this year during the city’s upcoming 55th annual Labor Day celebration on Monday, Sept. 7. Republican Sixth District Congressman Ben Cline and his Democratic opponent, bestselling author and former Roanoke Times reporter Beth Macy, will be making their first joint appearance when they deliver stump speeches at Glen Maury Park to launch the fall 2026 campaign.
‘Treacherous and unsafe’: St. Catharines firefighters have documented the dangers of the former GM site for years—the City has failed to act
For years, St. Catharines firefighters have answered call after call about the former General Motors property on Ontario Street, responding to fires, signs of smoke and medical emergencies at the deteriorating industrial site in the heart of the city.
Niagara Public Health won’t investigate threats from asbestos, other contaminants on GM site
The recent discovery of asbestos contamination in the soil at the former General Motors site in St. Catharines has added a serious public health dimension to longstanding concerns about the condition of the derelict property. The presence of soil that contains asbestos raises questions about the potential for microscopic fibres to become airborne and be inhaled by people living and working in the surrounding community.
County Bond Options Offered
Three weeks ahead of a Sept. 14 public hearing on how to finance construction of a community recreation center, the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors on Monday heard of alternative plans for financing the rec center and other capital improvement projects.
Castle Christian Moving To Fairfield
Church Will Also Utilize New Building Castle Christian School, beginning its fifth year at Grace Bible Camp off of Brattons Run Road near Goshen, is making plans to relocate to a new building near Fairfield that has yet to be constructed.
Google review: Pirelli tired
This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback. Two years ago, I signed a low mileage lease with a local kia dealer in new jersey. The vehicle, a kia telluride, had clean lines and was well appointed. My wife drives the telluride 95% of the time and is very cautious.
Sigler, Betts Seek Mayor’s Position
Lexington’s voters this fall will be deciding between interim Mayor David Sigler and City Council member Nicholas Betts in a special election to fill the remaining two years of the term of late Mayor Frank Friedman. Sigler and Betts both qualified to have their names on the ballot in the Nov. 3 election. The deadline for filing was this past Friday, Aug. 14. Three other special elections locally on Nov.
After torrential rains hit St. Catharines, dangerous contaminants could be flowing off GM property
For many residents in St. Catharines, the past two weeks have been defined by water. Homeowners have been left reeling after record rainfall overwhelmed parts of the city, flooding basements, damaging vehicles and wreaking widespread havoc on municipal stormwater systems unable to absorb the deluge of rain. The financial impact is expected to be measured in the tens of millions of dollars.
Rec Center Bond Hearing Slated
Bond financing for a community recreation center, scuttled back in the spring when one member of the three-member majority of the Board of Supervisors who favored it had to step down, is being revisited this fall. The supervisors, on a 3-2 vote Monday, opted to move forward with scheduling a Sept. 14 public hearing on whether to use bond financing through the Virginia Public Schools Authority to pay for a community recreation center and tennis courts at Rockbridge County High School.
Arts Center Planned In Buena Vista
Council, SVU Seeking Grant For Project Buena Vista is partnering with Southern Virginia University to seek an Industrial Revitalization Fund grant to help pay for the planned transformation of a vacant downtown building into an arts center. City Council this past Thursday approved an application for a $450,000 IRF grant that SVU is matching with $500,000 to develop an arts gallery, studios for students and faculty offices at 2076 Magnolia Ave.
Mizusawa Wins GOP Primary
Bert Mizusawa, a retired U.S. Army major general and former deputy undersecretary for the Army, captured the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Warner in the Nov. 3 general election. Mizusawa far outdistanced two other candidates in the GOP primary held Tuesday, Aug. 4. Statewide, Mizusawa was the choice of 122,831 voters, or 51.45 percent, far ahead of David W.
Rockbridge County Zoning Fees Going Up
Fee increases for zoning applications and related services administered by the Rockbridge County Department of Community Development were approved July 27 by the Board of Supervisors and will take effect Sept. 1.
Wesley Chapel Subdivision Approved
Neighbors Raise Water, Traffic Concerns The plat for a 15-lot subdivision at the intersection of Wesley Chapel (Va. 699) and Poplar Hill (Va. 801) roads was approved July 27 by the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors, despite neighbors’ concerns about the planned subdivision’s impact on traffic and water. David Ahrens of Lynchburg is planning to develop the subdivision on 16.68 acres. The lots range in size from 1.0 to 2.117 acres.
GOP Senate Primary Tuesday
GOPSenate Primary Tuesday The Aug. 4 Republican Primary to select a challenger to Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Warner has not drawn a lot of interest locally through early voting. As of Monday morning, just .8 percent of registered voters in Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista had cast ballots. Rockbridge County voting registrar Sheila Hall noted that just one person voted Saturday and one more voted Sunday during weekend voting hours. The previous Sunday, July 19, no one voted.
BV Council OKs Project Funds
Buena Vista City Council on July 16 approved a resolution appropriating $782,637 in carryover funds from the previous fiscal year to pay for five different projects that were not completed in fiscal year 2026.
County Drops Goshen First Aid Crew
County Drops Goshen First Aid Crew Formal action was taken Monday by the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors to remove the Goshen First Aid Crew from the list of agencies authorized to provide emergency medical services. The Board took the action in the wake of the former chief of the crew being charged with embezzlement a couple of months ago. Paid staff has been hired that is answering calls out of the Goshen Fire Department.
Cemetery Fee Increases Proposed In Buena Vista
The cost of being buried in Green Hill Cemetery is going up by a substantial amount, if City Council follows the recommendations of the city’s cemetery committee. Buena Vista City Council is to consider increases to the prices for plots and perpetual care fees that have been recommended by the city’s cemetery committee.
Family with history of legal troubles asks Superior Court to overturn order requiring cleanup of crumbling GM property
For residents who have spent years demanding action on the abandoned former General Motors property in St. Catharines, the latest chapter will sound all too familiar. Just weeks after the City's Property Standards Appeal Committee upheld sweeping compliance orders requiring the owners to repair or demolish dozens of deteriorating structures, the controversial numbered company that owns the sprawling industrial site has taken the fight to Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice.
Onaitis To Be New BV City Manager
Buena Vista has hired a new city manager. Krystal M. Onaitis, most recently the deputy county administrator for Goochland County, was introduced at this past Thursday’s City Council meeting. She is to begin work Aug. 4. A Richmond native, Onaitis has 15 years of executive government leadership experience, including serving as Covington city manager for three years, from 2019 to 2022. Earlier in her career, she served in several leadership roles with the city of Richmond.
Manufactured Homes Rules Under Review
Local zoning ordinances may not impose standards or restrictions on manufactured homes that are more restrictive than those applied to site-built single-family homes. That’s the gist of state legislation enacted earlier this year that is requiring localities to update their zoning regulations to be brought into compliance with state law. Jason Tyree, Rockbridge County’s zoning administrator, reported on this issue to the Planning Commission at its July 8 meeting.
New Site For Business Proposed
A contractor’s equipment storage yard and associated shop/office is planned for a site off of Boundary Line Lane, west of the intersection with U.S. 11, north of Lexington. Walter Garrett of Boundary Line Lane LLC appeared before the Rockbridge County Planning Commission on July 8 to request a special exception permit for the contracting business to be located in the general business (B-1) zoning district.
Improvements On U.S. 11 North Sought
Road and pedestrian improvements along the U.S. 11 corridor just north of Lexington are being eyed in grant applications for funding through the Virginia Department of Transportation Smart Scale program. The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors on June 22 approved resolutions of support for grant applications prepared by Chris Slaydon, the county’s director of community development.
Province hangs out the help wanted sign in search for a Regional Chair
In what appears to be an unprecedented public recruitment process the provincial government has begun advertising for a full-time Regional Chair for Niagara Region, one of eight upper-tier municipalities where Queen's Park has stripped away the traditional selection process and assumed the authority to appoint the head of regional government. The posting, published June 29 and closing July 13, reads much like an executive recruitment advertisement.
‘Your time is up’: After failed appeal, owners of former GM site in St. Catharines given 120 days to clean up crumbling industrial property
The St. Catharines Property Standards Committee has upheld the City's order for the owners of the former GM site to move forward with cleaning and securing its crumbling industrial buildings on the contaminated site. The decision last week saw the committee extend the compliance deadline by 120 days to October 23, 2026, after rejecting a request by representatives for the property's lender, Celernus Investment Partners, to adjourn the appeal hearing for two months.
Spencer Suter: 'It's Time'
Spencer Suter: ‘It’s Time’ County Executive Retiring This Fall Spencer Suter, Rockbridge County administrator since 2012, announced last week that he is retiring in early September. “It’s time,” Suter said this week. “I’ve been at it 30 years,” he noted, referring to how long he’s worked in county government. Most of that time has been split between Botetourt and Rockbridge counties.
BV Animal Clinic Closes
Edgewater Animal Hospital, Buena Vista’s only veterinary clinic, abruptly shut down its operations this past week. The sudden closure of an animal hospital that has been a part of the community since 1990 left pet owners scrambling to find veterinary care, with many expressing concern and dismay on Facebook. An announcement of the closure was posted on Facebook.
County Administrator Suter Retiring
The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors announced this week the retirement of County Administrator Spencer Suter, who has served in the role since August of 2012. Prior to working for Rockbridge County, Suter had served neighboring BotetourtCounty for 16 years, in varying capacities. “After 30 years of public service, I felt that this decision was best for me and my family”, said Suter.
BV Sales Tax Plan Likely Going To Voters
Buena Vista’s voters will apparently be presented with a referendum question Nov. 3 on whether to approve a 1 percent sales tax that would be used to help pay for improvements to Parry McCluer High School to accommodate the city’s middle school students. City Council this past Thursday adopted a resolution requesting the Circuit Court to authorize the referendum.
Owners of GM site appeal St. Catharines compliance orders, delaying long-awaited enforcement action
The owners of the former General Motors property in St. Catharines have appealed sweeping municipal orders requiring extensive repairs or demolition at the site. The appeal has halted enforcement efforts and will be heard Thursday by the City's Property Standards Appeal Committee.
Time to add a new bottle to the mural
A mural on Walnut Street depicts bottles of spirits produced by long-gone Harrison County distilleries. Half a century after the county's last distillery closed, bourbon is once again being produced here. On June 27, Barrel House Distilling Company will welcome the community to its new, flagship production facility at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Business Park. Barrel House began as a conversation among friends during a week-long sailing trip in Florida.
Candidates File Paperwork For Fall
Candidates have been lining up to run in the Nov. 3 local elections. The filing deadline for most of these elections was yesterday, Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. – three hours past this newspaper’s press deadline. Three candidates have qualified to get their names on the ballot for three Lexington City Council seats – incumbent David Sigler, Meghan Ferguson and Amber Ansted. The other two incumbents whose terms expire this year are Chuck Smith and Nicholas Betts.
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