Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 2 · column 4 of 4 · from the scan, no model involved
River 4 feet low
Some long-time Clarke County farmers say the current dry spell may be the worst since the 1930s.
Pickup trucks have been seen cruising down the often ankle-deep Shenandoah River which reportedly is as much as four feet below average. Statistic show rainfall year to date is nearly seven inches bel the 72-year average in the northern Shenandoah Valley.
Most wells still are producing water, but many older, more shallow wells are going dry, according to area well drillers.
Farmers are among the hardest hit. Many com crops intended for sileage dried so fast there was not enough moisture remaining for the crop to ferment properly.
Hurricane a dud
Hurricane Gloria was a real dud in Fauquier County.
“We lucked out,” said Don Askew, Fauquier resident highway engineer. “Some parts of the county didn’t even get enough rain to settle the dust.”
Weather observers reported 1.25 inches of rain in Warrenton and 1.39 inches north of The Plains between Thursday evening and Friday morning.
County officials reported no damage or accidents or flooded roads due to the hurricane.
Four families in Linden were without power for almost five hours Friday because of a cracked insulator, but Virginia Power District Manager Michael Malloy said the incident could have occurred during any rain.
County has no insurance
Fauquier County government has no general liability insurance and the prospects of getting coverage during the next eight months are grim, said County Administrator Steve Crosby.
Fauquier’s general liability policy was cancelled last Wednesday and for now Fauquier is “self-insured” against property or personal iryury claims should an accident occur for which the county is responsible.
That means the county would have to settle claims with general revenue funds and will have to budget insurance money as it would any other budget line item until a policy can be purchased.
The county’s vehicle insurance as well as policies for the sheriffs department and volunteer fire and rescue companies are unaffected by the cancellation.
Mr. Crosby said the county had been notified of imminent cancellation of the policy by Penco of Nashville, Tenn., in June and since has been trying to find a company that would insure Fauquier.
95.1%