Most Nelson County families went to sleep the night of Aug. 19, 1969 not knowing rain from the remnants of Hurricane Camille would intensify and blitz parts of the county with more than 27 inches of rain.

Creeks turned into raging rivers that swept away homes and families, resulting in 125 deaths. The bodies of 33 of those victims were never found and eight of the dead were never identified.

Fifty years later in August, a few hundred people gathered at Nelson County High School to remember the lives lost and the massive recovery effort. A series of remembrances and events throughout 2019 were held to commemorate the storm and its devastation that forever changed the county.

Those headlines and more are among the top stories of 2019, as compiled by the Nelson County Times.

Music, slide shows and personal stories were plentiful in 2019 as many recalled the fateful storm that claimed so many lives. Phil Payne, a longtime Nelson attorney who served on the Camille Steering Committee, which planned remembrances for those killed and the many who stepped up in the time of crisis, said at an anniversary gathering: For the families of those for whom we gather here today to remember, words cannot express their loss. Retired Nelson judge J. Michael Gamble, a county native who recalled his own memories of witnessing horrific destruction in the storms aftermath, recalled so many residents, not waiting for help, who came out with power tools, equipment and their bare hands to clear debris and open roads, a testament that would have made those who perished proud. The Nelson County Board of Supervisors in August unanimously passed a resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary and placed a wreath next to the Hurricane Camille memorial at the Nelson courthouse in Lovingston. The board declared Aug. 20 as a day of remembrance for the county. The storm dumped as much as 31 inches of rain in five hours and caused $100 million in property damages across the county, according to the resolution.

A yak named Meteor gained acclaim across the Internet after escaping its owner en route to a butcher in September and died after being struck by a vehicle. According to Nelson County Animal Control Officer Kevin Wright, the yak had been in a trailer from Buckingham headed for the market when it found its way down Front Street in Lovingston and into the mountains to evade capture. Though its time on the lam was short-lived, the animals journey captured headlines and generated much talk in Nelson. If any yak can escape slaughter, it deserves to live in peace, said Nelson resident Vanessa Miller Turner, who offered sanctuary.

Facing a challenge from Republican Daniel Jones, Nelson Sheriff David Hill won a second term in office on Nov. 5 with 3,288 votes, or 55% of the total vote. Hill edged Jones by 608 votes and captured nine of the countys 10 precincts, losing only the Schuyler precinct. Leading up to the election, some former Nelson deputies accused Hill of being unfit to lead and creating what they described as an unhealthy, toxic work environment. Hill, who ran as an independent and topped three other candidates in the 2015 election, said the citizens had spoken with his victory and it warmed his heart. Im sorry many of these people have been caught up in all this drama, Hill said.

On May 2, Roger D. Beverly, of Lovingston, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Winfred W. Watson, 48, of Charlottesville. The Nelson County Sheriffs Office said an argument led to the stabbing and Beverly was found hiding in trees not far from where Watsons body was found. Watson was stabbed multiple times and then set on fire, according to authorities. Beverly, 34, also is charged with concealing a body, a felony. He is scheduled to face a preliminary hearing Jan. 15 in Nelson General District Court, according to court records.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline a natural gas project from West Virginia to North Carolina, including a 27-mile stretch in Nelson County where opposition has been fierce ran into a new obstacle in July when a federal appeals court panel in Richmond threw out a federal permit because it failed to adequately protect endangered or threatened species on the projects path. Meanwhile, in early October the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal of a decision by a Richmond-based federal appeals court in 2018 that revoked a permit the U.S. Forest Service issued to allow the pipeline beneath the Appalachian Trail between Augusta and Nelson counties in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Construction of the pipeline, first proposed five years ago, is more than two years behind schedule and over budget by a few billion dollars in large part because of court rulings that have vacated federal permits for the project.

In December, Nelson supervisors voted 4-1 in favor of passing a resolution making Nelson County a Second Amendment sanctuary, a formal stance against any possible infringements on the Constitutional right to bear arms, which some fear is under threat by a new Democratic majority in the state legislature. A large crowd overflowed the boards meeting room to speak both in favor of and against the resolution, most wearing Guns Save Lives stickers handed out by the Virginia Citizens Defense League. Supervisor Ernie Reed voted against the resolution. More than 100 counties, cities and towns in Virginia have become Second Amendment sanctuaries following the Nov. 5 election.

In July Frederick Watson became the new full-time Nelson circuit judge, ending a longtime arrangement of the judge splitting time between Nelson and Amherst counties. The move was advantageous for the court dockets in Amherst and Nelson circuit courts as Judge Michael Garrett, who had for the previous four years served both counties, assumed a full-time role in Amherst.

In December the Nelson County Board of Supervisors bid farewell to Thomas Bruguiere, Jr., who served the West District seat since 2000, and South District Larry Saunders, who served two terms. Bruguiere opted not to run again and David Parr, a veteran Nelson County School Board member, replaced him as of Jan. 1. Saunders lost his seat by a slim margin to Robert G. Skip Barton. The Nelson County School Board also had some turnover with Margaret Clair winning the Central District seat as a write-in candidate, defeating interim member Doris Bibb, who also ran as a write-in. Bibb was appointed to the board after former member Dave Francis retired in August. Shannon Rothgeb Powell was elected to the West District seat vacated by Parr and East District representative George Cheape was elected after he previously was appointed to the seat following the resignation of Debbie Harvey.

In February breweries along the Brew Ridge Trail founded in Nelson County by a handful of breweries and the Nelson County Department of Economic Development was given a weeklong celebration 10 years after forming. Heidi Crandall, co-founder of Devils Backbone Brewing and Distilling Company, said being a part of the trail is about teamwork, with a goal of getting consumers to Nelson County.

The Nelson County Board of Supervisors this year approved a request for construction of a bed and breakfast directly across from the Waltons Mountain Museum in Schuyler. The Waltons-inspired home, called John & Olivias Bed & Breakfast Inn, opened in 2019. The Waltons was a TV show featuring the life of a Depression-era family in Virginias Blue Ridge Mountains. The late Earl Hamner, Jr., a Nelson native, created the show based off his book Spencers Mountain.

Reach Justin Faulconer at (434) 385-5551.

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Camille remembered, Second Amendment sanctuary movement hits and a yak escapes: Nelson County's top stories of 2019 - Lynchburg News and Advance