Dukes fall to Elon in CAA Quarterfinals

DIGITAL EXTRA: Previewing the FCS Playoffs with Sam Herder of HERO Sports FCS

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) - It’s the last call Beverly Rossano expected to hear from one of her one of her closest friends early Friday morning. “My heart just dropped honestly I was speechless,” Rossano said. Rassano learned that the devastating house fire on Glass Road in Chesterfield which claimed six lives included her friend Cynthia Seaborn’s family, including her two children. “She was always there for her kids making sure they were doing what they needed to in school that they were happy,” Rossano said. Rossano says she’s been giving Seaborn space to process the tragedy, but it hasn’t prevented her from trying to help. Beverly and the managers of The Boathouse in Hopewell, where they work, put up a fundraiser for Seaborn and her family. “We had a conversation actually last week about people that need help and that when you want to give help, you don’t want to rob someone else of the experience of wanting to help you,” Rossano said. “The company decided that what would be best is to be able to donate to that, to have the funds for them to do what they needed to as far as any expenses, hospital, living expenses and funeral expenses.” Rossano understands the road ahead for he Seaborn and her family will be tough, but she wants them to know they won’t have to face those challenges alone. “We all love her and we just want her to be OK,” Rossano said. “She’s a great woman, she’s a wonderful mother and she deserves all the help that she can get.” To view the GoFundMe, which has raised $12,000 as of Saturday evening, click this link.

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Shenandoah Valley Organic is building a new processing plant in the Shenandoah Valley and they are looking to hire employees. But during the pandemic, the hiring process was run a little differently. COVID-19 protocol restrictions at the plant do not allow walk-ins for an open house, so that’s where the idea for a drive-thru open house was born. On Monday, applicants could drive up and receive information about the company and, if they wanted to, could fill out an application on the spot. Vice President of Human Resources, Roy Norville, said that if the opportunity presented itself they could even hold interviews right then and there. Norville said the pandemic is changing the recruitment process. “A lot of companies, all of us, are having to make adjustments and this is just one of those. There has been a lot of social media recruitment attention that we have been learning to embrace,” Norville said. The new processing plant is under construction and will be done later this year. Norville said they may have more drive-thru open houses in the future.

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) — The Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA has achieved the no-kill benchmark after increasing its overall save rate for its animals to 93 percent. Huck Nawaz, executive director of the RHSPCA, said over the past two years, the organization has worked hard to increase its save rate from 40 percent for cats to 90 percent, and for dogs from 80 percent to 98 percent. Save rate, also referred to as the live release rate, is calculated by dividing the number of positive outcomes by the total number of outcomes (including euthanasia). A live release rate of 90 percent is the industry benchmark for a shelter to be called “no kill.” While the shelter achieved this save rate, Nawaz said the RHSPCA will not use the title “no-kill shelter” out of respect for the community and other shelters doing great work. “The language has just been so divisive in our community, and I think that it’s caused fractures that we are just healing from and moving past,” Nawaz said. “Our goal today is to save every animal that comes into our care is that — always realistic. Maybe or maybe not, but we’re certainly going to try.” Nawaz said many different programs helped the RHSPCA increase its save rate this year, including addressing each animal’s individuals needs through the Have a Heart Fund. The program is paid for by the community and helps with medical expenses for animals, including some who may otherwise have to be euthanized. The fund has helped the shelter reduce medical euthanasia from 634 in 2018 to 72 in 2020. “That fund has allowed us to get to that 93 percent rate,” Nawaz said. “We are in dire need of more money for that fund this year so all proceeds raised during the Great Community Give this Wednesday, April 21st for the SPCA will go directly towards that goal of $25,000.” You can help the RHSPCA continue its mission of creating a community free of pet homelessness and animal suffering by clicking here.