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Farmville splashpad set to reopen

When will the splashpad reopen? That’s a pretty common question we get asked. We can tell you the Farmville splashpad will reopen this Saturday, for a season that runs through Sept. 1. The splashpad will be open daily from 8 a.m. to dusk. 

Now there are a few ground rules to follow here. First, no pets allowed. That’s no pets in the splashpad area period. Second, any children must be accompanied by an adult. You can’t just drop them off at the opening and then come back by to pick them up. You also can’t drink the water and people with sore or inflamed eyes, colds, infections or cuts are asked to stay away.

For anyone wondering, the Farmville splashpad is free for everyone. There is no charge to use it.

Back in September 2022, the town council voted unanimously to build the splashpad, placed on the same piece of property as Lions Park, but closer to the trail. Lions Park is located on West Third Street, at the entrance to the Wilck’s Lake island area. This splashpad is approximately 5,000 square feet and was paid for using money from the town’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

Route 360 gets VSP focus 

This week, the Virginia State Police will be cracking down on speeding along the entire length of Route 360. That effort started on Tuesday, May 20 and will cover the road all the way down to South Boston, where it meets with Route 58. 

Crash data compiled by Virginia State Police shows that in just over a three-year period, there were 311 crashes along the approximately 83-mile stretch of Route 360. Eight of those crashes were fatal, and of those eight, three occurred on a Tuesday, the same day as the enforcement effort.  There were also 189 crashes resulting in injuries.

Speeding is also an issue along Route 360, with state troopers determining that speed was a factor in 52 crashes, three of which were fatal.

Virginia State Police previously partnered with other law enforcement agencies last May to do targeted enforcement along Route 58 from Emporia to Danville.  There was also an enforcement effort last August along Route 460 from Petersburg to Christiansburg.

Prince Edward athletes commit to colleges

Three Prince Edward County High athletes have announced where they’ll be playing at the next level. Kamani Watkins will travel to Hollins University to compete as part of their track and field team. McKenna Vogel, meanwhile, has committed to Campbell University, where she’ll be part of the school’s soccer team. And finally, De’Alonzo Walker has committed to Virginia Commonwealth University, where he’ll continue his journey in track and field.