At a work session earlier this week, some members expressed hesitation to granting collective bargaining rights to teachers, instead offering alternatives that resemble a similar setup. The board is expected to vote Sept. 17.

The expected vote comes at the end of a 120-day timeline set in motion when a majority of teachers in the district submitted signatures for an affidavit letting the school system know they are in favor of obtaining collective bargaining.

“I was disappointed by the general tone of the conversation,” Williamsburg-James City Education Association President Marco Sardi said of Tuesday’s discussion. “It seems like the board is not in favor of hearing from employees in a formal setting, and that’s really disheartening.”

A few board members expressed support for the idea of teachers airing their concerns, but they stopped short of supporting bringing them to the bargaining table.

“I’m still just listening and gathering information,” member Kimberley Hundley said. “I would love a way (for) teachers to get some of the things that are rightfully and respectfully theirs, because they’re professionals, without a whole lot of money and bargaining.

“I don’t even like bargaining,” Hundley added. “Something about bargaining bothers me.”

Michael Hosang said he’d been working with unions for years and that negotiating with union representatives creates a negative relationship. “It’s very rarely been in a positive light — it’s always been adversarial, but that’s the nature of the beast,” he said.

He said allowing collective bargaining would give up power held by the board.

“Once you give up that power, it’s gone,” Hosang said.

Randy Riffle, however, expressed frustration that the employees were seemingly lacking board support.

He mentioned that the superintendent meets with workers in the school system monthly to hear concerns. “We haven’t given them really an opportunity to do that with a board perspective,” he said.

“This is a tough thing, because I think this is some of our workers saying something to us and we are not giving them maybe the best chance to go about this,” Riffle said. “We were elected to do tough things. We were elected to get baggage.”

Andrew Cason, treasurer of the WJCEA, said after the work session that he hoped the school board would do some more research on what collective bargaining would actually entail, particularly non-adversarial approaches to bargaining.

“The board should look at the resolutions passed in other localities,” Cason said. “If they look closely at those resolutions, there are none that transfer power from the board to any other organization.”

“What a collective bargaining resolution does is set new parameters for writing employee contracts, which include an effort to bargain in good faith with the employee representatives,” he added.

Cason said the size and scope of employees’ issues “requires a process in which we are negotiating partners and not powerless employees begging for changes which leadership is inclined to deny.”

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com

The “Future Festivals” are part of the city’s efforts to develop a two-year workplan, also known as the 2025-26 Goals, Initiatives and Outcomes.

There will be seven festivals spread over two weeks, beginning next week:

• Sept. 10 at Bicentennial Park, 320 Court St.
• Sept. 11 at Walsingham Academy, 1100 Jamestown Road
• Sept. 13 at Crim Dell Meadow, William & Mary campus
• Sept. 16 at Kiwanis Park, 125 Longhill Road
• Sept. 17 at Highland Park Community Park, 703 N. Henry St.
• Sept. 18 at former DMV site, 952 Capitol Landing Road
• Sept. 19 at Quarterpath Recreation Center, 202 Quarterpath Road

All of the events will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., except for the Sept. 13 event at William & Mary, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The events will feature games aimed at getting feedback from the community. Food and drinks will be provided.

“All these games are designed to be interactive and fun,” Mayor Douglas Pons said in a video explaining the goal-planning process. “We have hamburgers and hot dogs and free drinks, and it’s all free and provided by the city” in the hopes of getting community members to come out and give feedback.

The mayor explained that city staff will form a vision and goals for the city moving forward based on the feedback.

“This GIO process helps us build the vision for Williamsburg in the future,” Pons said. “Let’s think 20, 40 years down the road — what is it that you want to see Williamsburg be?”

There will also be an online survey to collect feedback from those who can’t make it to events in person. The survey will launch this month, according to the city.

Resident feedback along with City Council priorities and city staff input will go before City Council for approval in November.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com 

Broad Street Realty Midtown LLC applied to put residential space where commercial space is currently allowed in building one of Midtown Row at 221 Monticello Ave., according to city spokeswoman Nicole Trifone. The larger complex that Current Midtown is part of is what’s called Midtown Row.

Midtown Row includes restaurants, shops, apartments, entertainment, office space and a village green for outdoor programming and community event space.

If approved, the change could bring three three-bedroom units and two four-bedroom units to the first floor.

The Architectural Review Board approved some exterior design changes on window tint in August, but the company needs approval of an amendment to its current special use permit and site plan for the plan to move forward, Trifone said.

City Council would need to approve the request after it is reviewed by the Planning Commission, she said.

Broad Street Realty Inc. bought the apartment complex in 2022 for $122 million, according to a news release from the company.

The property comprises 240 student housing units with 620 beds, along with a retail component with over 63,000 square feet of leasable space.

Current Midtown’s website mentions its location near William & Mary and amenities such as a pool, hot tub and fitness center. The complex is pet friendly and offers private bedrooms and bathrooms.

The complex is currently sold out, according to its website, but people can rent a bedroom and bathroom in a four-bedroom, four-bathroom apartment starting at around $1,100. Prices go up as the number of rooms goes down, and a one-bedroom apartment rents for around $2,000.

Broad Street Realty declined to comment until later in the application process.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com

International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2498, which represents firefighters and paramedics from Williamsburg, York County, James City County and Poquoson, recently submitted resolutions containing suggested language to allow for bargaining to each of the localities.

The group also represents 911 dispatchers in York County, who serve as dispatchers for all four of the localities. The submission of the resolution comes as the Williamsburg-James City County School System is expected to vote on whether to give bargaining rights to employees.

The efforts by first responders are the latest in Hampton Roads — a collective bargaining task force was recently established in Newport News. Leaders in Norfolk and Virginia Beach rejected collective bargaining earlier in the year and Portsmouth approved collective bargaining in November 2023.

“All four localities are in the process of trying to obtain collective bargaining, but it’s a little bit harder for some jurisdictions just because of the makeup of their board,” said Chris D’Annibale, a member of Local 2498.

D’Annibale, 39, is a firefighter and paramedic with James City County and is vice president for James City County in Local 2498. Vice presidents for each locality act as presidents for the individual localities, all under a union president.

Local 2498 acts as any normal union would, helping members with anything from political issues to advertising on social media, but it does not have the ability to bargain, D’Annibale said. Still, D’Annibale said the union provides important protection for members.

“If you get hurt at work, and the county says, ‘Well, you’re no use to us anymore’ and they can just terminate you because if you can’t work, then you don’t have a job,” he said.

“So, what we do is we provide protection where we make sure if it’s a workman’s comp issue, that they get every coverage that they can through the workman’s comp. So, we have a workman’s comp lawyer that we have on retainer that we work with pretty much on a daily basis.”

D’Annibale said the resolution is the beginning of the early stages of the process to gain collective bargaining rights.

Before the guidelines of collective bargaining are discussed, the union would have to get a majority vote from all workers to indicate whether they want their locality to engage in collective bargaining.

“It’s a fairly long process,” D’Annibale said. Members of each locality would only bargain with leaders of their locality. “We don’t play in each other’s sandboxes,” he said.

Collective bargaining is a two-way street that benefits both parties, D’Annibale said, “because the employer gets to say, ‘Well, this is what we expect,’ and so we have to hold up that part of the contract.” He noted that if negotiations come to an impasse, first responders cannot strike, but they can and would picket.

“(C)ollective bargaining is the means to perform the mutual obligations of the public employer and its employees to negotiate in good faith at reasonable times and places with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment with the intention of reaching and executing a written agreement,” the resolution reads.

None of the four governing boards in the Williamsburg-York area have met since receiving the resolution on Aug. 19. A James City County spokesperson said only that the board appreciates the work of all emergency personnel.

The prohibition in Virginia on collective bargaining for local municipal employees ended in 2021.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com 

Five haunted houses, six “terror-tories” and four different shows have been promised by the theme park to instill fear in visitors — so much so that the park recommends not bringing children in after 6 p.m. beginning on Sept. 6.

Howl-O-Scream — now in its 25th year — will take place on select days through Nov. 3. In addition to the evening haunted houses and shows, the park’s classic roller coasters will be available. New this year will be a 5K on Sept. 29.

There are also two new haunted houses, two new “terror-tories,” one new show and new elements “with menacing scares and more screams than ever before,” according to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Members can get a sneak peak at one of the revamped haunted houses this weekend.

“Virginia’s premier Halloween event takes screams to the extreme with new, startling scares throughout the park,” Busch Gardens said in a news release, “leaving no tale of terror left unturned.”

Haunted houses

Some love them and some absolutely despise them, but clowns are back with a new haunted house called Clown Town, which according to the park, includes clowns cast out of Festa Italia because they were “too terrifying.”

“Now, shunned and vengeful, these twisted jesters have forged their own dark domain — Clown Town. In their eerie enclave, they are the rulers of all, and their whims dictate who will escape … and who will remain trapped in their demented circus … for all eternity.”

Another new haunted house is Monster Manor, described by Busch Gardens as a “chilling laboratory” where an evil doctor “is bringing his dark arts into grotesque reality. … Here, the boundaries of humanity are torn apart, and the screams of his abominations echo through the night.”

Haunted houses Lost Mines, Death Water Bayou and KILLarney DIEner are all back and have been revamped.

___

Scare zones

There are six scare zones or “terror-tories” this year, including a new one called The Bash in the France section of the park. Here, Howl-O-Scream characters from years past will celebrate the 25th anniversary “for a night of ghastly revelry.”

Also new is Stalker Street in the New France area of the park, featuring sinister scarecrows that stalk the streets. Four previous “terror-tories” are returning: Ripper Row in England, Fest-Evil and Gorgon Gardens in Italy and Scary Tale Road in Germany.

For those little ones who do venture into the park after 6 p.m., special “no boo” necklaces are available for sale, although a scare-free time is not guaranteed.

___

Shows

An all-new Fiends show — Fiends: The FREAKquel — comes to the Abbey Stone Theatre with Transylvania’s Doctor Freakenstein and a Hollywood-style blockbuster about his life.

“With the help of his trusted sidekick Igor, the Doctor invites each of his iconic fiends — Wolfman, Drac, The Bride, and the Creature of the Black Lagoon — to join his filmmaking festivities in a pop-culture centric song and dance extravaganza,” according to Busch Gardens.

Returning shows includes Monster Stomp on Ripper Row, which opens Sept. 26, along with the singing contest Phantoms of the Festhaus in Germany and the brass quartet Skeletones in Fest Italia.

___

For the kids

On Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 21 through Nov. 3, kids (ages 9 and under) are invited to dress up for Halloween Spooktacular. The daytime not-so-spooky fun in the Sesame Street area includes family friendly rides, a haze maze, a scavenger hunt, trick-or-treating, shows, a costume parade and a Halloween dance party.

___

What else?

Food and drinks will be available throughout the park, including at six themed “BOOze bars.” There are also photo opportunities, Howl-O-Scream merchandise and, on Sept. 29, the first annual Fiends Frenzy 5K, for which participants are encouraged to dress up in their spookiest attire. Registration is available at buschgardens.com/williamsburg/events/fiends-frenzy-run.

This Saturday through Monday, members can get a look at the revamped KILLarney DIEner haunted house before it opens for Howl-O-Scream.

For more about Howl-O-Scream, including days and times, visit buschgardens.com/williamsburg. Generally, Howl-O-Scream is open Fridays through Sundays, with more days added after Sept. 26.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com

The investment will go toward capital infrastructure projects including overhaul equipment and additional improvements, the company announced Monday. Part of the money will go toward increasing the capacity and capability of the Williamsburg brewery’s warehouse.

“Investing in the communities where our people live and work is part of who we are,” Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch, said in a news release. “We’ve been producing high quality, great tasting products for generations, and continued investments in our facilities, like Williamsburg, help to position our business, communities, and industry for continued success.”

The Williamsburg brewery, which is located in James City County near Busch Gardens Williamsburg, has been operating since 1972. It employs over 400 people from the area, making it one of the major economic drivers.

The investment comes after Anheuser-Busch invested close to $2 billion in its facilities across the country over the last five years, according to the release. It’s also part of the company’s longstanding commitment to supporting local communities.

In October 2022, Anheuser-Busch announced a $20 million investment as the Williamsburg brewery celebrated its 50th anniversary. The plant was the ninth established by the company, which now operates 12 flagship breweries across the nation in 11 states. The company has over 120 facilities and employs around 65,000 people in the United States.

“Today’s announcement is another demonstration of Anheuser-Busch’s commitment to our brewery, which has been in operation for more than 50 years,” said Tom Jokerst, general manager of the Williamsburg brewery, in Monday’s release.

“This $6.5 million investment will allow us to continue brewing some of America’s most recognized and beloved brands right here in Virginia and make certain that we are able to uphold the highest-quality brewing standards for our products,” Jokerst said.

Terry Banez, CEO of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce, said the investment underscores Anheuser-Busch’s commitment in Virginia and “the vitality of our local manufacturing industry.”

“We are grateful that they are a part of our business community and for their positive impact on the local economy and community,” Banez said.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com  

The Virginia Department of Education released Standards of Learning exam scores — earlier this week. Most Hampton Roads school divisions saw gains in math and science pass rates last year, according to the data. Big gains were also seen across the state in pass rates on the writing assessment.

The numbers showed gains in reading, writing, history and social science, math and science overall for WJCC Schools.

“I am proud of our students’ achievement and appreciate the thoughtful dedication of the teachers, staff, and school leaders that made these 2023-2024 SOL gains a reality,” Superintendent Olwen Herron said in a statement.

“I also recognize opportunities for continued growth and affirm our commitment to pursue excellence and champion the success of all students. Together with our funding partners, I look forward to the work ahead to invest in opportunities and outcomes for all learners to excel,” she continued.

All 16 WJCC schools are fully accredited. However, the division’s chronic absenteeism rate — the rate of students absent for 10% of the year or more total — dropped from over 16% to 10.6% for the most recent school year, according to the school system. That trends lower than the state chronic absenteeism rate.

While the overall numbers are encouraging, WJCC schools saw a gap of 20% or more when comparing white student performance to Black student performance in all areas. The school system noted the following as examples of growth:

• English pass rates among Black students grew nearly 3%.
• Math pass rates among Black students and English language learner students grew 3%.
• Science pass rates among students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students and Black students all grew 5%.

Pass rates for students in WJCC Schools and York County Public Schools for the 2023-24 school year are listed below. The rates in parentheses are from the 2022-23 school year.

WJCC SOL pass rates for all grade levels and all students

• Reading: 77.75 (76.41)
• Writing: 80.46 (69.60)
• History and social science: 70.91 (70.42)
• Mathematics: 76.56 (75.00)
• Science: 74.76 (72.02)

WJCC SOL pass rates for white students in all grade levels

• Reading: 87.70 (86.74)
• Writing: 89.08 (79.28)
• History and social science: 82.66 (82.93)
• Mathematics: 87.21 (85.63)
• Science: 87.22 (83.66)

WJCC SOL pass rates for Black students in all grade levels

• Reading: 60.64 (57.72)
• Writing: 63.39 (43.89)
• History and social science: 52.05 (50.71)
• Mathematics: 56.87 (53.29)
• Science: 53.82 (48.15)

YCPS SOL pass rates for all grade levels and all students

• Reading: 86.59 (86.64)
• Writing: 87.02 (77.23)
• History and social science: 79.74 (80.00)
• Mathematics: 86.48 (85.53)
• Science: 80.00 (80.50)

YCPS SOL pass rates for white students in all grade levels

• Reading: 89.65 (89.61)
• Writing: 89.48 (81.27)
• History and social science: 84.94 (84.53)
• Mathematics: 89.43 (88.68)
• Science: 84.54 (85.17)

YCPS SOL pass rates for Black students in all grade levels

• Reading: 74.11 (73.79)
• Writing: 75.48 (63.27)
• History and social science: 60.50 (61.49)
• Mathematics: 74.20 (70.72)
• Science: 61.33 (60.61)

At the state level, more than 70% of school divisions have shown improvement in reading in grades 3 to 8, and more than 75% made gains in grades 3 to 8 in math.

Pass rates are still lower, in some cases notably so, than before the pandemic. Disruption to schooling caused by closures and other precautions led to widespread learning loss. Reading, math and science pass rates at all area divisions still have not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Rates began to improve last year. This year, state officials credit some of the gains to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s $418 million “All in VA” plan. The plan focused on addressing learning loss, student achievement and chronic absenteeism using several strategies, including “high-dose tutoring.”

The state is in the final stages of approving a new school accountability system, which will include a school report card aimed at making it easier for parents to understand school performance. The first report cards are expected to be released next summer.

Staff writers Nour Habib and Eliza Noe contributed to this story.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com

Today was new student move-in day at William & Mary, and the 18-year-old from Alexandria was among the hundreds of students who showed up excited to start the next chapter of their lives — even if it meant some raw nerves for some.

“I’m feeling a lot of things right now,” Zecca said as she moved into Monroe Hall, which houses first-year Monroe Scholars, some of the university’s highest performing students. “I really don’t want to be separated from my family.”

More than 1,600 new and transfer students moved in at William & Mary on Friday. Students hauled everything from cellos to minifridges and many, many large blue plastic bags, using large wheeled green bins to lighten the load. Returning students will move in Sunday, with classes starting Wednesday.

Monroe Hall, where Zecca will live for the next year, was recently renovated as part of a nearly $23 million effort to update dining and residence halls on campus. Large common spaces were added, and various student-recommended changes were made, such as adding gender-inclusive bathrooms. About 130 freshmen will live in the dorm, which was constructed in 1923.

The renovations at Monroe — which included the addition of air conditioning — were the first steps of the university’s Housing & Dining Comprehensive Facilities Plan, said Maggie Evans, William & Mary’s associate vice president for student affairs.

The plan will continue with the opening of a new residence hall, Cedar Hall, in July 2025, as well as the re-opening of another renovated residence hall, Old Dominion Hall, in August 2025. The university also plans to debut the West 1 Housing & Dining Development, a complex of four residential buildings and a dining pavilion, in August 2025.

“I’m just looking forward to the college experience,” said Zecca, who expects to study psychology and linguistics.

Nearby outside Monroe Hall, Will Basham was unloading a minifridge, fan and other things with his mom in the grass. The 18-year-old said he’s excited to join the ultimate frisbee club at the university.

“I’m super pumped,” he said. “I’m excited to meet new folks and excited to have a lot more freedom and independence.”

Stationed throughout campus to help new students moving in were orientation aides, who wore fluorescent yellow shirts as they cheered, sang and waved signs, directing parents where to park, providing bins and giving various tidbits of advice.

“It’s going so great,” said aide Lisa Coleman, a 20-year-old senior. “We’re waving hi to all the parents, saying hello, giving people advice about parking — just getting everyone excited. We’re so excited.”

Coleman said many students seemed a bit anxious, but that’s normal for a move-in day.

Lily Westhelle said she had a lot of mixed feelings. The 18-year-old freshman said she was nervous to be away from her family and friends, but she was excited at the same time.

“I’m looking forward to all my classes,” Westhelle said. “I love that I can just take things I’m interested in and that’s hopefully how I’ll find my major.”

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com

The school board approved a policy change Tuesday that adjusted the division’s ban on cell phone use at school for all grade levels. A similar ban was in place previously for K-8 students, but high school students were allowed to use their phones if they had permission.

“This is really going to take all of us,” school board member Randy Riffle said at Tuesday’s board meeting. “This is gonna be a little tough at the beginning … I get stuck in my phone all the time … It’s a little scary. I get it.”

Enforcing the policy may be a “losing battle” in the beginning, Riffle said, but he said he thinks it will unlock new achievement levels for students in the division in the long run.

The policy change comes after Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order mandating that school systems devise ways to create cell phone free environments at school. WJCC’s ban will be enforced with a tiered punishment system, with the student being completely banned from bringing their phone to school on the fourth infraction.

School board member Kimberley Hundley said she and Riffle talked with some community members on Monday about how the policy could affect students.

Some asked what resources would be available to students who are “addicted” to their cell phones, Hundley said.

“I see someone laughing in the audience,” she said at the meeting Tuesday, “but I did see a child whose cell phone was removed and they hyperventilated.”

“It is a real thing,” Hundley added. “It sounds funny, but I’m hoping that guidance counselors or someone will have some tips to help students who may have an addiction, and that may be hard for them, because then that is a distraction from their learning if they’re having issues with that.”

Also on Tuesday, the school board heard pushback during public comment to the idea of school employees being given collective bargaining rights.

While some teachers and parents of students spoke in favor of school workers having a say in the terms of their working conditions, a number of community members said it was a bad idea.

“The (public school) system is owned and operated by the citizens and the taxpayers for the benefit of the children who reside here in our community,” James City County resident Chris Henderson said. “I cannot find a single example where a union has been introduced into a school system, where costs have gone down and performance has gone up. Those are the metrics on which this proposal should be judged and it fails.”

“Empowering a union will usurp the authority that’s been granted to (the school board) by the voters, and as a voter, I object to that,” he said.

Notably, the Williamsburg James City Education Association already has a large presence as a voice in the school system and provides resources to many WJCC employees. The school board is expected to vote on whether to grant collective bargaining rights to employees in general, not to the WJCEA.

The WJCEA could be selected by employees to be their representative in collective bargaining, but the school board is set to vote on whether to allow collective bargaining at all.

Andrew Cason, treasurer of the WJCEA and a teacher at Jamestown High School, advocated for including workers in negotiating the terms of their employment, saying, “I think it’s a pretty simple option.”

“No shade thrown at our superintendent, but superintendents in Virginia can negotiate their pay — why not teachers, why not support staff?” he said.

The school board is reaching the end of a 120-day timeframe set in motion when the WJCEA submitted an affidavit in May for the school division to consider whether to allow collective bargaining. The affidavit included signatures from most of the roughly 1,000 teachers in the school system.

The board’s Sept. 17 meeting will be its last chance to vote on the matter before violating the timeframe.

In other business, the board awarded a $550,000 contract to McDonough Bolyard Peck for help with construction management services for two new pre-kindergarten centers at Norge Elementary and Clara Byrd Baker Elementary. The firm will help oversee construction of the centers, each of which is expected to house around 250 students.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com 

The 7:15 p.m. ceremony in Wren Yard on Wednesday will coincide with the first day of classes, according to the university. This year’s opening convocation ushers in the final semester of the Year of the Arts celebration at William & Mary.

“Cleve Francis’ career is classic William & Mary,” W&M President Katherine A. Rowe said in a news release. “Since before his time as a graduate student, he has pursued two loves: music & medicine. … (He) has much to teach our students about pursuing excellence with grit and flair.”

Francis was born in Louisiana and received his bachelor’s degree from Southern University in 1967. He then pursued his master’s in biology at William & Mary, graduating in 1969.

While at William & Mary, a faculty mentor encouraged him to pursue his “soul-folk” music and helped raise funds for Francis to record “Follow Me,” his 1969 album.

Francis went on to pursue his medical doctorate at the Medical College of Virginia, now the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, and then established Mount Vernon Cardiology Associates in northern Virginia.

In the early 1990s, Francis took a break from medicine to pursue music. He signed a recording contract in 1991 with Capitol Records Nashville, then called Liberty Records. He was celebrated as a trailblazing Black country artist and performed in venues across the country, including the Grand Ole Opry.

“After facing obstacles to getting his music played on country radio stations and a lack of industry support, he eventually returned to practicing medicine,” according to the release. “Based on his experience, he formed the Black Country Music Association in 1995 to help spotlight and advocate for other Black country artists.”

Francis retired in 2021 after selling his practice to Inova Health System in 2015. However, he is still a diversity adviser for Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, and he founded its Dream Big Initiative, which aims to put underserved young people on medical career paths.

“In recent years, his influence on country music has received renewed attention. He was featured in an exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and one of his albums — “Walkin’” — is on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington, D.C.,” according to W&M.

Francis received the Rosedale Collective’s first Hazelhurst Award and a Black Opry Icon Award, and in 2022, an anthology of his 1969 recordings was released by Forager Records under the title “Beyond the Willow Tree,” the release said.

Francis’ autobiography, “Beyond the Weeping Willow: A Heart’s Journey Through Music, Medicine, and History,” is scheduled to be published by the Country Music Hall of Fame and the University of Illinois Press in spring 2025.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com