Clarke County officials have announced steps the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will take to try and prevent further problems with herbicide spraying along roads. But a local environmentalist believes those measures are inadequate.

Clarke County resident Wingate Mackay-Smith recently was honored for her many years of work to promote environmental conservation. Mackay-Smith was one of two people who received the Gerald P. McCarthy Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Environmental Conflict Resolution.

A proposed extra high voltage electrical transmission line could significantly harm Clarke County’s rural and historic character, say county officials, who are encouraging residents to attend an upcoming public meeting to learn about plans for the line and voice their opinions.

Launched in the spring of 2026, this program successfully brought high-impact, hands-on environmental literacy lessons to all third-grade students across Clarke County Public Schools (CCPS), culminating in student-led Action Projects.

A rezoning request that would enable a proposed 134-home subdivision to be developed in northeast Berryville is now in the Town Council’s hands. The council has scheduled a special meeting at 3:30 p.m. June 29 to examine the proposal as a group and hear from the developers about it.

A Northern Virginia furniture retailer has received permission to open a warehouse, distribution center and outlet store at a former industrial site in Berryville. A 260,000-square-foot, U-shaped building that once housed the largest apple distribution facility east of the Mississippi River occupies the 22-acre location.

Clarke County officials have drafted a 74-page document for use in making decisions about developing land in the countryside. A public hearing on the proposed Rural Lands Plan will be held by the Clarke County Planning Commission during its next business meeting at 9 a.m. July 10.

Valley Link Transmission Company LLC announced on Tuesday morning a proposed 260-mile, 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission line called the Valley North Project that preliminary information indicates would go through both Frederick and Clarke counties, according to a media release.

The Clarke County Planning Commission on Friday postponed — yet again — considering a special-use permit application by the White Post Village Association (WPVA) at its request.

Recent rainfall didn’t get rid of the drought in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Groundwater supplies are hurting. So are farmers dealing with “a tremendous loss” of hay they need to feed their cattle, according to a Virginia Cooperative Extension official.