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FARMVILLE – The first of the traffic experiments at Prince Edward schools has started. One of the biggest issues cited by parents has been a traffic logjam for middle and elementary school students, during dropoff in the mornings and pickup in the evenings. 

Every week, The Herald receives at least one email or message on Facebook about traffic problems at Prince Edward schools, with the majority focused on the elementary. Parents are upset about being blocked in by others, about long lines with what they see as no organization and yes, with residents parking in the wrong spot. 

To deal with part of that, VDOT and school officials are asking all parents with middle school students to only make a right turn after dropping your child off in the mornings. After that, they ask middle school parents to use Granite Falls Boulevard to get back on Route 15. 

To read more about changes coming to Prince Edward schools, click here.

Centra changes mask policy 

Almost three years after admitting their first COVID-19 patient, Centra Southside is updating its mask policy. The hospital is switching to making masks optional, as of March 17. Centra officials say the hospital’s Infection Prevention team has been closely monitoring community spread and hospitalizations and are confident this is a safe step for the community. 

Procedural masks will continue to be provided at the hospital. Also, patients, visitors and caregivers who want to continue wearing a mask are free to do so. All visitors will continue

to be required to wear a procedural mask for interactions with all COVID-19, influenza, RSV and

other respiratory isolated patients.

“We encourage the public to continue to practice good hand hygiene, masking when not feeling

well and staying up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters,” hospital officials said in a statement. 

An alternative to spring break 

Farmville resident Katie Angle had a unique experience, as she spent spring break serving others through James Madison University’s Alternative Spring Break Program. Angle traveled to Moncure, North Carolina to volunteer with Camp Royall.
The student-led Alternative Spring Break trips took place from March 11-18. Each trip focused on a social issue, such as homelessness, resettlement, environmentalism or community wellness, in a specific region. The 90 participants embarked on 11 spring break trips around the country. The students spent the week living simply, focused on service in their destination community but also on teamwork and reflection within their group.

Hampden-Sydney receives final ranking 

The Hampden-Sydney Tigers may have gone out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but they’ll finish this year in the nation’s Top 20 for D3 schools. The National College Athletic Associations announced their final basketball rankings this year, mentioning that the Tigers finished 18th. 

That marks the highest end-of-season ranking for the Tigers since the 2003-04 season, where they came in 10th. This year, Hampden-Sydney finished with a record of 22-7, only its fourth 20-win season in 20 years. 

The Tigers’ 22 overall wins, and the 14 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) wins (14-2), are the most under fourth-year head coach Caleb Kimbrough since he took over prior to the 2019-20 season, and also the program’s highest win totals since 2012-13. The season’s biggest win came during a 85-70 road victory at then No. 1 and eventual national champion Christopher Newport University on Dec. 13, 2022. 

Town sets another PUD meeting 

If you have questions about what planned unit developments (PUD) would mean for Farmville, next week is the time to ask. On Tuesday, March 28, the Moton Museum will play host to a question and answer session, where residents can talk with staff from the Town of Farmville. As it stands now, there’s not much flexibility with Farmville’s zoning ordinances. It’s either build single family homes or apartments in specific places. Basically, if a PUD is allowed, a developer could come in and propose something outside of those rules that the planning commission and then the town council could look at.
The current plan details multiple places in town where planned unit developments could make sense. One is the area of South Main Street and Clark Street, down by the Sheetz gas station. Another is the Sunchase area, with a possible front on East Third Street but behind the hotels. A third involves Merriwood Farms Road, in the area around and behind Walmart.  

The town council has yet to take up a vote on this proposal. That could happen later this spring. 

Longwood junior receives Big South award 

Longwod redshirt junior Eliot Dix has been named the Big South Co-Player of the Week, the conference announced. 

Dix was on fire for Longwood last week, batting an absurd .706. He racked up a dozen base hits and had two separate five-hit games. He posted three doubles, two runs, an RBI, a walk, and he also stole a base.

 On March 15, he helped Longwood take down Richmond for the first time since 2013. He went 5-5 with a run and an RBI in the Lancers’ home win. Dix continued his hot streak into the weekend for Longwood’s conference opening series against Gardner-Webb, in which he had a five-hit game in the series finale in an incredibly close series.

Thus far on the season, Dix is hitting .407 to go along with 13 RBIs and a home run and has a career average of .346 at Longwood.