The Jefferson County Commission will spend the next several months to prepare the FY2026 county budget. Read the Full Story >>
Steve Pearson
Making Changes In 2025
The Observer marks 5 years under the current ownership and looks forward to changes in 2025. Read the Full Story >>
Public Hearing For Middleway Water Bottling Project Postponed To February
The special meeting of the Jefferson County Planning Commission that was scheduled for Tuesday, December 17 has been cancelled. Read the Full Story >>
Jefferson County Plans To Purchase Building From APUS
The Jefferson County Commission announced plans to purchase a vacant office building from American Public University. Read the Full Story >>
Jefferson County Commission Reviews Impact Fees
The Jefferson County Commission is reviwing impact fees for new construction. Read the Full Story >>
New Plan Submitted For Middleway Water Bottling Facility
Sidewinder Enterprises submitted a new concept plan for its Mountain Pure water bottling facility project in Middleway on November 15 2024. Read the Full Story >>
Plan for Middleway Water Bottling Facility Rejected
The Jefferson County Planning Commission voted on November 12 2024 to reject the concept plan for a proposed water bottling facility in Middleway. Read the Full Story >>
Republicans Sweep Jefferson County Votes
29,447 ballots were cast in Jefferson County during the recent election (including election day, early voting, and absentee ballots). That number represents a turnout of 63.99% of Jefferson County’s registered voters. Read the Full Story >>
Middleway Values History & Community
Middleway traces its history to a land grant of 420 acres from the Governor of Virginia to John Smith in 1734 Read the Full Story >>
Residents Are Asking Questions
Many Jefferson County residents are frustrated with the decisions of our local governments and how our elected officials conduct business. Read the Full Story >>
Jefferson County 2024 Election Results
There were 46,016 registered voters eligible to vote in Jefferson County according to the report provided by Nikki Painter, the Chief Deputy Clerk of Jefferson County, following the official election canvass completed on November 12 and 13. Painter’s report shows that 29,447 ballots were cast in Jefferson County during the recent election (including election day, Read the Full Story >>
County Commission Looks At Changes To Impact Fees
Jefferson County has been collecting impact fees on new construction projects since 2004. The initial fee schedule was based on a 2003 report prepared by TischlerBise, a Maryland-based consulting firm that specializes in fiscal and economic planning for local governments. The county had TischlerBise update its recommendations again in a 2015 report. At that time, Read the Full Story >>
Public Hearing for Draft Comprehensive Plan Will Be December 4
The Jefferson County Planning Commission formally delivered the draft of the “2045 Comprehensive Plan” to the County Commission on October 17. This started a 90 day window for the County Commission to schedule a vote to adopt, amend, or reject the comprehensive plan and the accompanying future land use guide. The County Commission’s first order Read the Full Story >>
County Elections Focus On Local Issues
The 4 new candidates who win seeats on the Jefferson County Commission will be diving in quickly to some complex issues. Read the Full Story >>
School Levy Supports Teacher Pay & Key School Programs
Jefferson County voters will decide on a $25 million/year excess levy to fund the schools. Read the Full Story >>