The Shadow
Welcome back, Shadowers! As the last page of 2024 prepares to turn, it’s time to look back at what the Highlands Reality TV shows brought us this year: scandals, triumphs, lawsuits, resignations, and—a much-needed dose of—a fresh new start. Pour yourself a strong cup of coffee (or eggnog, I won’t judge), and let’s dive into the 2024 Highlands Emmy Awards.
If 2024 had a theme, it’d be “So long, and farewell to the drama.” If you had told me at the beginning of 2024 that the season was going to be filled with at least 10 public servant resignations, two major shutdowns of both a city building department and a business by the State Fire Marshal, the ousting of 4 elected officials, along with three major lawsuits, I would have probably have told you to lay off the silly sauce.
But here we are.
So let’s kick things off with the undisputed Winner of the Prime-Time Emmy Awards for 2024: the dazzling disaster of the “410 Main Street debacle.” And what made that fiasco truly shine wasn’t just the alleged legal gymnastics—it was the sheer audacity of it all. Billed as the project to revitalize downtown Covington, 410 Main Street (better known in its pre-scandal era as “Project Sparkle”) aimed for greatness but instead delivered a blockbuster of alleged backroom deals and bureaucratic bedlam.
This “must-see prime-time drama” quickly devolved into a high-stakes game of alleged wheeling and dealing, where taxpayer-owned properties and public funds seemed to become the prizes. Enter the Mayor, taking a personal interest in making sure 410 Main really sparkled—and his uncertified Building Official. Together, they apparently green-lighted renovations and operations without pesky things like permits or valid certifications. Because, hey, who needs rules when you’ve got vision, right? And it seems things wouldn’t be complete without a little clairvoyant magic to allegedly steer $20K cash to the owner’s way the day before all hell broke loose.
Enter the Commonwealth Fire Marshal to hose everybody down with a healthy dose of reality. He promptly shut down the city’s building department and 410’s operations. Turns out, when you sidestep codes, cut corners, and put 100’s of kids knowingly in harm’s way, the Fire Marshal doesn’t hand you an Emmy—he issues termination orders.
However, it seems the TV series isn’t done yet, as while the owners have all but vanished the scene with the cash and prizes, there’s a new 2025 season starting with Mountain Rush now leasing the space. Stay tuned.
In the Day-Time Emmy Awards, 2024 brought plenty of legal drama to the Highlands. Alleghany County was (and still is) involved in several lawsuits to the tune of a whooping $10M+ in claims for alleged bad public servant behavior. Dewey Perkins also sued the City of Covington for the Council’s unreasonable decisions impacting his place over on South Marion.
Previously, on the Alleghany-Covington Department of Social Services Reality TV show, whistleblower Deanna Ratliff didn’t just throw a wrench into the machine—she hurled the whole toolbox—and now it might cost $5M to fix the department. Her allegations paint a portrait of dysfunction so vivid, it’s practically hanging in the Emmy Awards Museum: retaliation, incompetence, and state law violations galore.
However, in their cliffhanger season finale, new board member Kim Jefferson was voted on the Island, and Vice Mayor and DSS Chairman David Crosier was voted off. And now, the stage is set for a new 2025 season, complete with a revamped cast of characters. Will the board elect a new chairperson who’s paying more attention to the deafening cries of a fed-up public than how the color of one’s hair looks on camera? Or will they perfect their ostrich impersonations, heads firmly buried in the sand, waiting for the masterclass lawsuit on “How Not to Run a Social Services Department?” Let’s hope the sequel is less “Trainwreck: The Little Fiefdom Chronicles” and more “Accountability: We Remembered Who We Serve…”
Speaking of Little Fiefdoms, 2024 wouldn’t be complete without the Emmy-worthy soap opera featuring our very own “Best Supporting Actress” aka the Covington Small Business Coordinator. The burning question on everyone’s mind: since she dramatically tore down the department’s Facebook page last month—seemingly in retaliation for multiple FOIA requests that dared to ask blunt questions—what does she actually do all day? Handcrafting a new list of favorites? Practicing the art of selective service? Or perhaps perfecting her “I’m too busy for transparency” excuse?
And now, apparently, with her Knight in Shining Ego—aka the recently dethroned Mayor voted off the island, who’s left to shield her from the fallout of her alleged unethical and illicit behavior? It’s like watching the end of a season where a villain’s armor vanishes, leaving us on the edge of our seats. Will she rise from the ashes with a new understanding of how a public servant should act, or will we see her voted off the island as well? Cliffhangers like these make you almost look forward to next year—almost.
Over in the “Children’s & Family Emmy Awards,” the 2024 season of the Alleghany Highlands Public School Board drama show delivered a much-needed shake-up. Jacob Wright’s defeat by Robert “Bob” Umstead was less of an election and more of a political reckoning. Umstead secured 62.05% of the vote to get on the Island, a resounding rejection of Wright’s leadership.
Wright’s loss and vote off of the Island came amid allegations of harassment by former student Riley Reynolds. Wright’s accolades and excuses weren’t enough to sway voters, who sided firmly with Reynolds and Umstead. Turns out, accountability isn’t just for the classroom.
Now here’s a surprising plot twist: everyone in the school system—teachers, janitors, even the cafeteria staff—has to pass a background check. But school board members? Nah, apparently they just pinky promise they’re upstanding citizens and call it a day.
Cue the eyebrow raise.
In just a quick five-minute sleuthing session, a rather interesting pattern emerged: several board members seem to have a documented need for speed, with records that scream out a new season of “Fast and Furious: School Board Drift.” We’re talking lead feet, pedal-to-the-metal moments, and even an episode of “To Race or Not to Race?” Perhaps they were just training for a new “School Board Derby?”
And finally, the Emmy Award for Best Actor goes to…
Mayor Tom Sibold. He started off 2024 as the King of the Hill, only to be embroiled in one controversy after another. He even tried an alleged lynch mob-style stalking strategy to intimidate business owners in the 200 block of Main Street because they weren’t falling in line, asking too many questions and revealing too many uncomfortable facts. He was finally voted off the Island in November by his peers, along with his Vice Mayor sidekick.
In his grand finale exit speech, he decided to channel a blend of Shakespearean drama and middle-school grudge match. He accused The Shadow and the Virginian Review of spreading lies and “deceitful” information and publicly promised to retaliate by shutting them down. Apparently, holding elected officials accountable is a crime in his book.
And there you have it, the 2024 Highlands Emmy Awards.
I’m out of time, out of coffee, but I want you to know that I’m extremely excited about 2025. We have new leadership and have established clear mechanisms of accountability. The Highlands, with all its quirks and controversies, is a wonderful place to be, has been forever changed by your vote and unflinching attention to what’s right. Leaders who thought they could coast under the radar are now realizing that, yes, people are watching.
And yes, people care.
Happy New Year folks, I’ll see you in 2025 with more amazing stories.
