Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: What Harrisonburg’s 3–2 vote means for downtown housing and traffic
And check out 40th Annual Members' Show on the Harrisonburg Patch calendar

Hello Harrisonburg! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- What Harrisonburg's 3–2 vote means for downtown housing and traffic
- How Harrisonburg police helped expose the so‑called "Shopping Cart Killer"
- What JMU's newest Dukes mean for Harrisonburg's growing campus community
Also on today's calendar: 40th Annual Members' Show and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: What is the difference between a jeweler and a jailer? 🤔 (Answer below!)
From our Partner
Today's Harrisonburg Patch AM is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. After investing billions to light up their network from big cities to small towns, T-Mobile is America's Best Mobile Network in the US according to Ookla Speedtest®. Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data 1H 2026. We thank T-Mobile for their support in helping to keep communities like ours connected and for making today's Harrisonburg Patch AM possible.
Find a T-Mobile store near Harrisonburg.
- Thursday: Heavy afternoon thunderstorms, with a high of 85 and low of 61 degrees.
- Friday: Humid with a t-storm in spots, temps: high: 80, low: 62.
- Saturday: Sun and some clouds, with a high of 80 and low of 60 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. The Lindsey, wins approval in 3-2 city council vote (hburgcitizen.com) — Harrisonburg City Council has narrowly approved rezoning for The Lindsey, a four‑story mixed‑use project downtown that will replace Lindsey Funeral Homes and add student and resident housing plus retail. Neighbors remain concerned about parking, traffic, and neighborhood impacts, even after developers scaled back units, parking and height while increasing commercial space.
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2. Monica White Met Anthony Robinson on a Dating App. What Came Next Is Straight Out of a Nightmare (oxygen.com) — Harrisonburg appears at the center of a chilling serial killer case, as local police charged Anthony Robinson with murdering two women whose bodies were found off Linda Lane. A survivor's account, now dramatized in a film, reveals how she narrowly escaped him while investigators later tied Robinson to multiple victims he allegedly met through dating apps and lured to motels.
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3. James Madison University welcomes class of 2030 (riverreporter.com) — James Madison University in Harrisonburg is welcoming its class of 2030, bringing students from 40 states, D.C., Puerto Rico and 20 countries to the Valley. The school highlights new Dukes like Reece Krajkovich and Teegan Handy while touting JMU's strong academics, research focus, and high post‑graduation employment for Virginia students.
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4. 'Her biggest legacy': Harrisonburg nonprofit discusses impact of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (whsv.com) — Families in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County are receiving nearly 150,000 free books through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, coordinated locally by the Community Foundation. Almost half of area children under five now get monthly books, including bilingual options, and organizers say they're committed to sustaining the program as a lasting literacy legacy for local kids.
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5. Clock ticking on JMU's quarterback decision (whsv.com) — With JMU's season opener against Liberty just days away in Harrisonburg, head coach Billy Napier still hasn't picked between quarterbacks JC Evans and Camden Coleman. Evans brings bowl-winning experience and mobility, while Coleman offers proven FCS starting time and leadership, and the staff is weighing consistency and mistake-free play before naming a starter.
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📸 Around Harrisonburg
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Harrisonburg
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
- FPEC: Advisory Board Meeting
Edith J. Carrier Arboretum 780 University Blvd, Harrisonburg, VA 22807
8:00 am - Mineral Museum Hours →
James Madison University Virtual Events Festival Mineral Museum
1:00 pm - Pavilion Reserved
Edith J. Carrier Arboretum 780 University Blvd, Harrisonburg, VA 22807
4:45 pm - Movie on Festival Lawn →
James Madison University Virtual Events Festival Lawn
9:00 pm - 40th Annual Members' Show →
Park Gables Gallery at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, 1491 Virginia Ave, Harrisonburg
2:00 pm - Mozaic Dance Team Audition Workshop →
James Madison University Virtual Events The Union, Warren 256
8:00 pm - Community Gear Swap →
90 N Main St, Harrisonburg
9:00 am - Fall Community Gear Swap →
Walkabout Outfitter, 90 N Main St, Harrisonburg
11:00 am - Mineral Museum Hours →
James Madison University Virtual Events Festival Mineral Museum
1:00 pm - Weeks of Welcome Field Day →
James Madison University Virtual Events Hillside Field
5:00 pm - Mozaic Dance Team Pre Audition Workshop →
James Madison University Virtual Events UREC Group Exercise Studio 2 (Room 378)
8:00 pm - Shenandoah Valley Watercolor Society Splashing Color For 40 Years →
Park Gables Gallery at VMRC, 1491 Virginia Ave, Harrisonburg
5:00 pm
Friday August 28
Sunday August 30
Monday August 31
Friday September 4
📣 Harrisonburg Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- BoxLunch / Hot Topic posted a job opening for Part-Time Assistant Manager - Level 2 in Harrisonburg. Apply here.
- Lowe's Companies, Inc. posted a job opening for Retail Sales – Part Time in Harrisonburg. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Harrisonburg here.
Ok Harrisonburg! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A jeweler sells watches and a jailer watches cells. (Thank you Jean D. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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