As 2025 gets off to a great start, Augusta County departments took a moment to reflect on some of the wonderful accomplishments and milestones reached this past year. From expanding services and partnerships to breaking ground on innovative projects, here's a look at some exciting highlights that shaped our year.
Library: Expanding Access to Knowledge and Community
The Augusta County Library had an unforgettable year, cementing its role as a pillar of community support:
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Partnered with Staunton City Public Schools to deliver 15,220 meals during the summer.
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Reached young readers throughout the summer with 1,800 books delivered through the Books on Wheels program.
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Welcomed 137,388 visitors across library locations and facilitated the checkout of 321,029 physical and 62,823 digital items.
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Drove 9,639 miles with the library van, ensuring accessibility to services across the county.
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Hosted 2,014 meetings, creating spaces for community collaboration.
4-H: Leading the Way for Youth Empowerment
Augusta 4-H continues to thrive with impressive achievements:
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Its in-school program reached more than 1,500 students across county elementary schools.
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The 4-H Livestock Skill-a-thon Team brought home first place in Virginia and secured a third-place finish at the National 4-H Livestock Skill-a-thon Contest in Louisville, KY.
IT: Innovating for Growth and Security
The Information Technology team tackled transformative projects to support county operations and future growth:
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Advanced the Enterprise Resource Planning, or ERP Project, enhancing efficiency in Finance and laying groundwork for implementation in HR, Payroll, and Community Development.
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Completed major network installations, including those for the new Parks and Recreation activities and office space, the remodeled HR and County Attorney Offices, and the new space for the Emergency Communications Center (9-1-1) training room and office spaces.
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Broke ground on the new County Courthouse project, installing a webcam to provide real-time construction updates. Work to review and validate the quantity, sizing, and pathways for underground conduits with facilities management, contractors, and subcontractors is ongoing.
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Collaborated with the network design and documentation in support of the new interview room system for the Sheriff’s office, installing two new physical servers.
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Assisted in the design of and network setup for the new animal shelter at the former Verona Elementary School.
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Upgraded the security for critical systems, including the camera, door, time clock systems, and ECC’s server, and completed GIS's Next-Gen 911 project.
SVASC: A Haven for Animals
The Shenandoah Valley Animal Services Center (SVASC) celebrated a year of growth and community impact:
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Secured acceptance into Hill’s Food, Shelter, and Love program, reducing costs while ensuring quality food for shelter animals.
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Obtained nearly $20,000 in grants from ASPCA and Petco Love.
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Cared for 1,361 animals, with 502 adoptions, 370 stray animals reclaimed by owners, and 327 transferred to rescues or other agencies.
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Successfully operated a second emergency shelter (the second in two years!), providing for the housing and care of 32 dogs at a second location for six weeks before adoption or transfer.
ECC: Keeping Communities Connected and Safe
The Emergency Communications Center (ECC) hit key milestones:
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Processed 32,028 emergency 911 calls and 85,270 administrative line calls.
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Guided 269 emergency medical dispatch calls, providing life-saving assistance to residents.
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Engaged with the community through events like the Augusta County Fair, Worlds of Work, Kids Matter Day, local parades, and high school career fairs.
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Participated in an emergency airport drill at the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport.
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Renovated the 911 center and office space.
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Hosted the 1st Annual Trunk or Treat at the Government Center.
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Began implementation of a new radio system, improving field communication for public safety teams throughout the Staunton, Augusta, Waynesboro (SAW) region.
Social Services: Supporting Families in Need
Shenandoah Valley Social Services worked tirelessly to support SAW residents:
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Processed 17,213 benefits applications for financial and medical assistance.
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Maintained a monthly caseload of 33,129 benefits and self-sufficiency cases.
Economic Development: Building Opportunities
Economic Development celebrated a significant milestone in the partnership with Shamrock Farms, leading to:
Parks and Recreation: Fun and Fitness for All
Parks and Recreation had a record year of outdoor fun and events:
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Welcomed 15,100 swimmers to county pools and recorded over 265,095 minutes in program activities.
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Traveled 9000+ miles on trips near and far!
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Partnered with over 100 businesses and organizations to deliver memorable events.
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Natural Chimneys hosted 12,900 individual nights at the campground and we learned a lot about our campers in the process!
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1183 bags of ice bought
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Top selling item after ice and firewood was Cow Tales
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Ice cream dominates top 10 best sellers
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Most sold beverage: Dasani water
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We sold 146 more Natural Chimneys stickers than magnets
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Most sold soda: Coca-Cola
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Most sold sports drink: Blue Powerade
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Most sold chips: Route 11 Dill Pickle Potato Chips
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Most sold ice cream: Banjo Stick Bar
From record-breaking achievements to forward-thinking projects, 2024 has been a year of growth and innovation across Augusta County. We look forward to 2025 as we continue to build a brighter, more connected community!
[For updates of large projects, see County-wide Projects Update in our news section.]
