McKee Foods aka Little Debbie to expand Stuarts Draft facility

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that McKee Foods Corporation will invest $34 million to expand production at its manufacturing facility in Stuarts Draft in Augusta County. Virginia successfully competed against Arkansas for the project, which will create 54 new jobs.

Augusta GOP Chair Dan Moxley calls it quits

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Perhaps signaling a seriousness in his challenge for the state senate seat currently held by Senator Emmett Hanger, Dan Moxley resigned Monday as chairman of the Augusta County Republican Committee.

Or his resignation could be from pressure from others brought about by his ill-advised challenge (see Rumor has it coup to take place tonight at Augusta County GOP meeting) to Supervisor Carolyn Bragg when he announced a last-minute cancellation of the mass meeting that resulted in confusion but brought out determined Bragg supporters who overwhelmingly voted her in as the GOP nominee for November (see Augusta County follow-up to rumor of coup attempt).

Updated: Augusta County GOP follow-up to rumor of coup attempt

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Coup, or no coup for the Augusta County Republican Committee (see Rumor has it coup to take place tonight at Augusta County GOP meeting)? As of 10:00 p.m. Tuesday night, there had been a filibuster by chairman Dan Moxley that included hours of discussion about last week’s failed attempt to keep Supervisor Carolyn Bragg off the ballot for GOP nominee in the November election (see Mass meeting still on despite questionable actions by Augusta County GOP chair Moxley, former chair  Bill Shirley). No business was conducted. People were leaving in droves after three hours of what has been status quo for this committee.

News-Virginian political reporter Bob Stuart was in attendance (see Augusta County GOP faces inner turmoil).

From reports coming out of the meeting (I missed it because we were enroute from Richmond to Augusta County), here is a summary of what happened up until around 10:00 pm:

Photos: Augusta County’s Monday mass meeting

By Lynn R. Mitchell
Photos by Kurt Michael

Supervisor Carolyn Bragg addressed Monday’s Augusta County mass meeting for the South River District to vote for the Republican nominee for November. Bragg was appointed to the position in March when David Beyeler passed away but to remain in the seat she had to win the Republican nomination for November’s election. Congratulations on her victory.

We’re live at the Augusta County mass meeting for South River supervisor candidate

By Lynn R. Mitchell

6:30: Folks are milling around for tonight’s Augusta County mass meeting to vote for a supervisor candidate from South River. A bit of drama developed over the weekend when Augusta County Republican Committee Chairman Dan Moxley and former chairman Bill Shirley held an eleventh hour executive meeting Saturday afternoon to form a nomination committee to “qualify” the two nominees.

After stacking the nomination committee with friendlies to the two chairs, they proceeded to disqualify sitting supervisor Carolyn Bragg who was appointed to the board in March after the death of Supervisor David Beyeler, and allowed their nominee, Tanya Gigliotti, to be unopposed.

Late Sunday night an announcement was put up on the ACRC Facebook page announcing tonight’s meeting had been cancelled.

Mass meeting still on despite questionable actions by Augusta County GOP chair Moxley, former chair Bill Shirley

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Former Augusta County Chairman Bill Shirley and his hand-picked underling Dan Moxley have pulled a shady deal as was predicted by those who have been victims of their shenanigans in the past.

Late Sunday night they cancelled tonight’s planned mass meeting with this notice on their newly-formed Facebook page:

Augusta County Republican Committee

15 hours ago

IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!

In accord with the Augusta County Republican Committee Bylaws, the Candidates and Nominating committee has presented the name of one qualified candidate to the Rules and Resolutions committee.  With only one certified candidate, the mass meeting is cancelled, and Tanya Gigliotti is the Republican nominee for the South River District Board of Supervisors seat.

Who is Tanya Gigliotti? And why has Carolyn Bragg, currently the sitting supervisor, been disqualified?

1. I suspect the nominee is a friend of Dan Moxley and/or Bill Shirley.

2. Despite the effort of Misters Moxley and Shirley, tonight’s mass meeting IS STILL ON.

All South River registered voters: Be at the Government Center at 6:30 tonight to vote for your candidate. This is why good conservative Republicans run as Independents in Augusta County.

Augusta County tonight: South River mass meeting for supervisor

By Lynn R.  Mitchell

On Monday evening at 6:30, registered voters of the South River District of Augusta County will gather at the Government Center in Verona to choose a candidate for SUPERVISOR, the position currently held by Carolyn Bragg who was appointed after the death of the late sitting supervisor. The winner of tonight’s meeting will be the Republican candidate for the November election.