Image zoom Credit: Jillian Mitchel
For Lindsay Hoopes, second-generation owner of the family-run Hoopes Vineyard in Napa Valley, California, necessity was, without question, the mother of invention. Taking the reins from her father, Spencer Hoopes, in 2012 allowed her to put her own fingerprint on the business of grape growing and wine production. Then, in 2017, and again in 2020, the Napa wildfires ravaged the vines and scorched the grapes. Like other vineyards in the world-famous area, Hoopes Vineyard proved vulnerable to the whims of nature.
When the 2017 fires hit in the middle of the harvesting season, Hoopes team got the grapes off the vines as quickly as they could, not yet sure what impact the smoke would have on the crop. Lo and behold, in December 2018, we noticed that it was showing signs of smoke taint, Hoopes recalls. It was a difficult thing to test for. What seemed fine at first became
Virginia’s new hands-free driving law takes effect on Jan. 1
No handheld texting, music, GPS
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A new Virginia law will make it illegal to use a cellphone while driving for any reason.
Roanoke County police Sgt. Spencer Hoopes said it’s a welcome change. The current law only bans typing or reading texts or emails and it’s hard to enforce.
“The ultimate goal here is safety on the roadway,” said Hoopes. “They could be looking at their phone for GPS purposes, they could be changing music, looking at various other apps, dialing a phone number, all of which pose a potential distraction.”