THE INDEPENDENT NEWS BACK BAY — A pending conditional use permit request deserves attention before the Virginia Beach City Council makes a decision that could have consequences for rural communities. The City Council on Tuesday, Aug. 25, is scheduled to consider a… Continue Reading
BY JANE BLOODWORTH ROWE PUNGO — It was barely 7 a.m. on one recent humid, overcast morning, but already customers were in the orchard plucking the plump berries that were ripening at Pungo Blueberries Etc. Farm owners Robert and Juanita… Continue Reading
BY JANE BLOODWORTH ROWE PUNGO — This spring may go down in local lore as one of the best strawberry seasons ever in southern Virginia Beach. There was a bountiful crop thanks to the weather conditions – and there were… Continue Reading
BY J.D. WILSON SIGMA — I call it the garden of eatin’. I love that fresh food, and I love working – really, playing – in the garden. It’s rewarding just to stand there observing the bees, butterflies and flowers. Or maybe slipping… Continue Reading
BY JANE BLOODWORTH ROWE PUNGO — Farmer Roy David Flanagan Jr., who died on Tuesday, April 7, in his Pungo home after a long illness, will be remembered for the turkeys, sweet potatoes and crops he raised – and for his devotion… Continue Reading
BY J.D. WILSON SIGMA — I read a book, Children of the Mind, by the science fiction writer Orson Scott Card, which used the terms “edge nations” and “center nations” to discuss cultures on the fringe compared to dominant ones. I then… Continue Reading
BY JANE BLOODWORTH ROWE CREEDS — A nostalgia for the sight of freshly turned soil, an interest in retro machinery and a willingness to wear red bib overalls can drive antique tractor enthusiasts – and local tractor buffs will come together for… Continue Reading
THE INDEPENDENT NEWS Ed. — The following are responses to questions posed by The Independent News to candidates for two seats as Virginia Dare Soil & Water Conservation District Directors in the election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Answers to our questions in this series… Continue Reading
Ed. — This story originally ran in the Sept. 6 print edition. THE INDEPENDENT NEWS VIRGINIA BEACH — Over the Labor Day Weekend, well before Hurricane Dorian neared, farmer H.M. Dudley and his son, Ryan Dudley, harvested field corn near the intersection… Continue Reading
BY JANE BLOODWORTH ROWE PUNGO – Memorial Day weekend will find Bob and Phoebe Braswell, the honorary mayor and first lady of Pungo, presiding over this year’s Pungo Strawberry Festival, with “Rise and Shine — It’s Strawberry Time” as this… Continue Reading