PODCAST · society
The Valley Today
by Janet Michael
The Valley Today is a radio show and podcast dedicated to shining a light on the vibrant community leaders and local events that make the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia truly special. Insightful conversations, engaging stories, and event details connect listeners with the heart and soul of the valley, showcasing its unique culture, initiatives, and people. Guests are recorded (mostly) in advance in local coffee shops, at local businesses, and during local events. The radio program airs just a few minutes after noon every weekday on The River 95.3 and Sports Radio 1450.
Episodes
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A Community Mental Health Conference
If you've ever felt like you were the only one dealing with a loved one's mental illness, this conversation is for you. Janet Michael talks with Alan Umstead, Executive Director of the You're Not Alone Ministry, and Katherine Schroeder, Population Health Manager for the Lord Fairfax Health...
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Better Together in Mount Jackson
Two Mount Jackson businesses, one new idea, and up to $1,000 to get it off the ground: that's the pitch behind the town's new Better Together program. Janet Michael heads south to Mount Jackson to catch up with Town Manager Olivia Hilton and Assistant Town Manager Greg Beam about the new grant,...
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Passport to Page Valley
Five Page County winemakers, brewers, distillers, and mead makers have teamed up, and their new passport is giving visitors a reason to stay in Page County a little longer. Gina is out this Luray-Page Day, so Janet Michael heads to the Zooms with Cassandra Wallace of Wisteria Farm & Vineyard and...
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Mini Livestock 101
There's no such thing as a "teacup pig," and that mini pig you're eyeing could still top 100 pounds. On this Extension Office Friday, Janet Michael is joined by Virginia Cooperative Extension agents Elizabeth Baldwin (Page County) and Cynthia Fairbanks (Warren County) for a down-to-earth...
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Beyond the BRCA Gene
No family history of breast cancer? You still need that mammogram. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Janet Michael sits down with Dr. Anita Minghini, breast surgeon and Medical Director of Breast Care Services at Valley Health, to bust some of the most common myths about breast cancer, from who…
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Guardians of Our Community
A 10-year-old who pulled a drowning child from a lake. An off-duty officer who saved his own wife with CPR. These are the kinds of stories that fill the room at the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber's Valor Awards, and Janet Michael gets a preview with Taylor Coumes, Director of Event Management…
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Believing in Magic
Janet recorded this one from the pilot's seat of a real helicopter, perched on the roof of the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum and hanging about 10 feet out over Cork Street. A few weeks after watching a crane lift it into place, she climbs aboard with Executive Director Dawn Devine and Taylor...
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Less Than Two Minutes
If a fire started in your home tonight, you might have less than two minutes to get out, and Deb Fleming wants to make sure you spend those minutes getting out instead of grabbing your laptop. Janet Michael sat down with Deb, Executive Director of the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the...
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Frederick County's School Tax Referendum
Frederick County voters will see a school sales tax question on their ballot this November, and here's what it actually does. Janet Michael sits down with Frederick County Administrator Mike Bollhoefer and Frederick County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. George Hummer to walk through the…
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Your Backyard College Experience
Think you have to go away to a four-year university to get the "real" college experience? Think again. On this Laurel Ridge Community College episode, Janet Michael and Director of Marketing Guy Curtis are joined by John Owens, coordinator of Student Life & Engagement, and student ambassadors…
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Buzzing About Business
What if the tasks keeping you up at night could just… take care of themselves? On this Valley Business Today, recorded in the lobby of the Front Royal Warren County Chamber of Commerce, Janet Michael and Chamber President Niki Foster sit down with Joe Peters, owner of Buzzy Work Pro, a Front…
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The Tourism–Economy Connection
Small business is economic development, and Frederick County's new economic development director is ready to plant her flag on that hill. For Tourism Tuesday, Winchester-Frederick County edition, Janet Michael and Justin Kerns sit out back at the Visitor Center with Amanda Killen, the new…
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Bringing Dolly's Books to Clarke County
Imagine a preschooler racing to the mailbox every month, shouting, "It's my book day!" Janet Michael sits down with Beth Williams, Executive Director of the Clarke County Education Foundation, to talk about the foundation's push to bring Dolly Parton's Imagination Library back to every child from...
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Parks, Programs, and Progress
A rooftop tennis complex on top of a free parking garage at Jim Barnett Park? It's a real proposal, and Winchester Parks Director Chris Konyar is here to walk through the facts. Janet Michael sits down with Chris at Jim Barnett Park for their regular check-in on everything happening at…
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E-Bikes on the Roadway
That new e-bike in the driveway can hit 20 miles an hour, and Captain Warren Gosnell wants parents to think hard about what that means on a road shared with 6,000-pound SUVs. It's Public Safety Thursday, and Janet Michael is live in the studio with Captain Gosnell of the Frederick County…
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Out of the Darkness
A hula lesson, a string of honor beads, and a moment where you realize you are not alone — the Out of the Darkness Community Walk packs all of that into a single Saturday morning at Sherando Park. Janet Michael sits down at the Espresso Bar on the Old Town Walking Mall with returning guests...
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More Than Camping
A haunted trail, campsites decked out for Halloween, and Yogi Bear himself — fall at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Luray is a lot more than pitching a tent. On this Luray-Page County edition of Tourism Tuesday, Janet Michael and Gina Hilliard of the Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce welcome...
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Unstuck
"I was stuck. You guys unstuck me." That's what one participant told Winchester CCAP Executive Director Andrea Cosans, and it's the heart of THRIVE, a new two-year program helping local families move from constant crisis to real self-sufficiency. Janet sits down at CCAP with Andrea and Jordan...
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Adventures in Cheese
There's a cheese shop on the Old Town Walking Mall where you can taste anything in the case before you buy it, and yes, they make grown-up Lunchables. Janet Michael and Brady Cloven of Friends of Old Town pull up a chair at Fleur de Lis Cheese Shop with owner Terri Boyd, two years after she first...
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Hidden Hunger
For some kids in our area, Friday's school lunch is the last meal they can count on until Monday's breakfast. Janet Michael checks back in with Elise Stine-Dolinar of Bright Futures Frederick/Winchester to talk about the hidden hunger in our local schools, and how neighbors across Winchester and...
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Road Work Ahead
New lanes on I-81, a brand-new bridge at Exit 313, and longer turn lanes on the roads you drive every day: VDOT's Ken Slack is back with the latest on the road work around the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Janet Michael checks in with Ken, communications specialist for VDOT's Staunton District, on...
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Medieval in the Mountains
North Mountain Vineyard & Winery's first Ravenwood Faire is almost here — and owner Jill Edlich says getting a 90-vendor medieval festival ready on a working vineyard has been its own kind of harvest season. Janet Michael and Kary Haun catch up with Jill for Shenandoah County Tourism Tuesday,...
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Valley Venture Scavenger Hunt
Grab a team, grab a driver, and get ready to venture across the Northern Shenandoah Valley — for a good cause. Janet is back on the Zooms with Gina Hilliard, president of the Luray-Page Chamber of Commerce, and Greg Stockton, development director for Seniors First, to talk about the Valley…
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Planting Seeds, Harvesting Change
The Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association is bringing back its fall symposium after a pandemic-era hiatus — and this year it comes with a theme, a full slate of local experts, and a challenge for every gardener in the room. Janet talks with Candace DeLong, Frederick County's...
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Community Health: Mobile Mammograms
A brand-new, 36-foot pink mobile mammography unit just rolled into the Shenandoah Valley — and Janet Michael is sitting right next to it on the Winchester Medical Center campus to find out what it means for local women's health. On this Community Health episode, Janet talks with Jenny Grooms,...
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Planes, Cars, and Community
Wings & Wheels is coming back to the Winchester Regional Airport on Saturday, October 3rd, and it's free to get in the gate. Janet sits down with Taylor Coumes of the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber and Pete Warren of United Bank to talk about how this beloved community event — think warbirds,...
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Art, History, and Horses
It's Tourism Tuesday, Berryville/Clarke County edition, and that means one thing every September: Art at the Mill is back. Janet Michael is joined by Nathan Stalvey, Executive Director of the Clarke County Historical Association, for a full rundown of what's new this fall — from the juried art...
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The Long Road Home
When a disaster destroys your home, the shelter is never meant to be the ending point — it's step one. Janet Michael sits down with Deb Fleming, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of the Greater Shenandoah Valley, for a deep dive into the Red Cross's Shelter Resident Transition (SRT)...
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More Than a Bus Stop
After a record-breaking summer, the YDC is diving straight into a packed fall season — and Executive Director Sarah Fishel joins Janet Michael at the YDC's Loudoun Street home to walk through all of it. From a brand-new after-school program to two beloved traditions making their long-awaited...
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Running for Recovery
A local 5K is doing double duty this year — raising money for scholarships and keeping a beloved friend's memory alive. Host Janet Michael is joined by Guy Curtis, Director of Marketing at Laurel Ridge Community College, along with Julie Judy and Meredith Speir-Cavalier, co-founders of The…
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Don't Touch That Dial
Would your car still have AM radio if automakers got their way? Janet sits down with Andrew Shearer, President/Owner of Royal Broadcasting, which owns The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450, to talk about why AM radio still matters, and why it might disappear from new cars for good. Andrew breaks…
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15 Years of Art, Music, and Milestones
It's Tourism Tuesday, Berryville/Clarke County edition, and Janet is on the Zooms with Martha Reynolds, Executive Director of Barns of Rose Hill, for a rundown of a huge year: new exhibitions, a brand-new midweek concert series, and a completed 10-year endowment challenge. From a colorful new...
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Pies, Pups & Pints
It's the Shenandoah Valley's biggest fall tradition, and it's turning 52. Host Janet Michael sat down with Darla McCrary, co-chair of the Shenandoah Valley Apple Harvest Festival, at the Espresso Bar on Winchester's Old Town Walking Mall to talk pie contests, pony rides, and pints of hard cider....
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Scammed
Even a veteran law enforcement officer can almost get scammed — and that's exactly what happened to Captain Warren Gosnell of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, who joins Janet Michael for Public Safety Thursday to break down how today's fraudsters are getting smarter, sneakier, and harder to...
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More Than Membership
Ever called the Chamber of Commerce to complain about a price hike at the Dollar Tree? Someone has — twice. On this episode of Valley Business Today, Niki Foster, President of the Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, joins Janet Michael to clear up exactly what the Chamber is, what it...
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From Makers to Mixology
It's a two-for-one Tourism Tuesday! Host Janet Michael and Justin Kerns of the Winchester-Frederick County Convention & Visitors Bureau head to downtown Winchester's historic former bank building, The Exchange on Loudoun, to talk with co-owners Molly McGehee-Hanson and Jillian McGehee about the...
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Way Down Yonder
Pawpaws are Virginia's forgotten native fruit — and this fall, Blandy Experimental Farm is throwing them a party. Janet welcomes back Melanie Mullinax, Communications & Events Manager at Blandy, to talk about the return of Pawpaw & Pints on September 13th, complete with a locally brewed pawpaw...
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Hot Dog Crawls and Civil War Relics
The Dawg Days of Summer Hot Dog Crawl sold out its very first year — over 3,000 hot dogs, a live band, temporary (and a few permanent) tattoos, and fans who flew in from as far as Chicago. Janet Michael sits down in the Secret Garden behind the Espresso Bar with Brady Cloven, Executive Director…
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Kids, Cranes, and Helicopters
There's a helicopter on its way to downtown Winchester right now — and it's landing on a rooftop. Janet sits down with Dawn Devine, Tammy Stevenson, and Taylor Wilmoth of the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum to talk about the museum's boldest exhibit yet: a real helicopter, craned onto the Sky...
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Hob Nob in the Valley
Hob Nob in the Valley is back — and it's still the most refreshingly nonpartisan political event you'll attend all year. Host Janet Michael sits down with Cynthia Schneider (CEO) and Taylor Coumes (Director of Event Management) from the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber, along with Brandon Lorey,...
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Exploring New Market
New Market is having a moment — a new gelato shop is moving in, a grab-and-go cafe is on the way, and a furniture store is still going strong after 37 years. It's Shenandoah County Tourism Tuesday, and host Janet Michael catches up with Kary Haun from Shenandoah County Tourism, Savannah Smith…
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Keeping Seniors Independent
When Juli Ferrell's own mother could no longer drive herself to doctor's appointments, a low-cost transportation service called WellTran became a lifeline — now, just three weeks into her new role as Executive Director of Seniors First, Juli is bringing that same personal understanding to an...
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More Than a Meal
NW Works is throwing its 11th annual Farm to Table dinner on September 12th — and for the first time in years, tickets to the general admission event are still available. Janet talks with communications coordinator Morgan McIntosh and CFO Todd Devine about what makes this Middletown street dinner...
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Top 15 in the Nation
It's Community Health Day, and Janet sat down with Dr. Nick Restrepo, Valley Health's Chief Quality and Patient Safety Officer, to unpack some huge news: Valley Health has just been named one of the nation's top 15 health systems by Modern Healthcare and Premier Inc. Dr. Restrepo breaks down what...
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Feeding Our Elders
With National Senior Citizens Day landing this Friday, Janet sits down with Les Sinclair, Communications and PR Manager for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, to talk about a group that's too often overlooked in the conversation about hunger: our senior citizens. About one in five people the food…
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Belle Grove's Big Beverage Bash
Shenandoah Sips is back at Belle Grove, and it's bigger than ever — six wineries, four distilleries, a cidery, and a full lineup of non-alcoholic options, all in one very sippable location. Janet catches up with Kristen Laise (Executive Director) and Paige Ulevich (Festivals Coordinator) about…
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Free Healthcare, No Barriers
A free medical, dental, and vision clinic that asks nothing of you but showing up — no insurance, no income screening, no residency requirement. On this episode, host Janet Michael talks with Gina Hilliard, President of the Luray-Page Chamber of Commerce, and Ben Dolewski, Executive Director of…
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Save Energy, Save Money
Turning down your water heater by a few degrees, switching one bulb at a time, and slicing up a $2 pool noodle can add up to real savings on your electric bill — and Karen Poff is back to show you how. Janet Michael welcomes local Extension agent Karen Poff, who manages the Northern Shenandoah...
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Don't Let Cost Stop You
It's Laurel Ridge Community College Day on The Valley Today, and today's conversation tackles one of the biggest myths standing between people and a degree: the belief that they can't afford it. Host Janet Michael is joined by Guy Curtis, Director of Marketing, and Buddy Wilson, Director of...
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It's Your House
A Warren County family is closing on their brand-new home this week — and Janet got the news firsthand, sitting inside the house just days before it happened. In this episode, Janet talks with Andrea Ross, Executive Director of Warren County Habitat for Humanity, about what it really takes to…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Valley Today is a radio show and podcast dedicated to shining a light on the vibrant community leaders and local events that make the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia truly special. Insightful conversations, engaging stories, and event details connect listeners with the heart and soul of the valley, showcasing its unique culture, initiatives, and people. Guests are recorded (mostly) in advance in local coffee shops, at local businesses, and during local events. The radio program airs just a few minutes after noon every weekday on The River 95.3 and Sports Radio 1450.
HOSTED BY
Janet Michael
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Valley Today have?
The Valley Today currently has 1000 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Valley Today about?
The Valley Today is a radio show and podcast dedicated to shining a light on the vibrant community leaders and local events that make the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia truly special. Insightful conversations, engaging stories, and event details connect listeners with the heart and soul of the...
How often does The Valley Today release new episodes?
The Valley Today releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 1000 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to The Valley Today?
You can listen to The Valley Today on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Valley Today?
The Valley Today is created and hosted by Janet Michael.
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