This content is unavailable. Please contact customer service for more information.
Already a subscriber? Login or Activate your account.
You've reached the end of the standard E-Edition.
This content is unavailable. Please contact customer service for more information.
'Round the Mountain announces storytelling workshops to support Southwest Virginia artisans (copy) (copy) (copy)
Upcoming storytelling workshops are expected to provide an
opportunity to help artisans strengthen their voices.
SPorter / Submitted photo
'Round the Mountain Artisan Network is hosting two upcoming Storytelling Workshops designed to help Southwest Virginia artisans strengthen their personal and professional storytelling skills.
The workshops are made possible through funding from Virginia Humanities and are part of an initiative to support artisans in sharing the stories behind their craft, creative processes, and cultural contributions to the region.
The first Storytelling Workshop will take place on Friday, July 24, from 3-6 p.m. at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace in Abingdon. A second workshop will be held on Friday, Aug. 14, from 3-6 p.m. at The Floyd Center for the Arts in Floyd.
Participants will explore ways to communicate their unique stories through artist statements, interviews, marketing materials, and conversations with visitors and customers.
"Storytelling is an essential part of Appalachian craftsmanship and the creative economy of Southwest Virginia,” said Kim Davis, executive director of ‘Round the Mountain Artisan Network. “Our artisans do more than create beautiful work, they carry forward stories, traditions, and experiences that connect us to our communities. These workshops provide an opportunity to help artisans strengthen their voices, share their journeys, and ensure the stories behind their craft continue to inspire future generations.”
'Round the Mountain Artisan Network connects artists, makers, and communities throughout Southwest Virginia by promoting regional craft, supporting creative entrepreneurship, and preserving Appalachian traditions.
For more information about ‘Round the Mountain Artisan Network, visit roundthemountain.org.
Page A1
SPorter
Harvest broccoli when the flowerhead is full size but before the
buds open for the best flavor.
Page A1
SPorter
Harvest broccoli when the flowerhead is full size but before the
buds open for the best flavor.
Library paving work approved
Staff reports
Floyd Supervisors on June 23 gave the go ahead for grading and paving work to be done at the library to rework the area to get a better water flow and take care of several problem areas in the parking lot.
The board approved a $69,950 bid for Shortt’s Excavating and S&S paving to remove an old asphalt curb, ditch along the south of the building, regrade along the west side of the building and pave the lot. Officials are hoping to get the contractors lined up for August.
The county also accepted a bid for a new cleaning service. With five bids received, officials went with Provision Cleaning Services, a Floyd-based business, at a cost of $50,960 per year.
Starting on Aug. 1, the county will take control of animal control in the county. The original memorandum of understanding with the Sheriff’s Office had that the office could relinquish control of animal control with a 60-day notice. The department will now be governed by the county administrator.
Due to the administrator taking on that workload and others, the board voted unanimously to up the salary by 3.5 percent.
In other news, the county approved a $56.9 million budget for fiscal year 2027, which began July 1.
Supervisor Jerry Boothe noted that there are things each of the Supervisors might not like in the spending plan but maintained that this is one of the best budgets the county has put together in his time on the board. He noted that he had been at past meetings where the budgets were off by $5 million.
Mountain Valor Fest set for September (copy)
Mountain Valor Veteran Services will host Mountain Valor Fest 2026 on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Crooked Mountain Campground in Floyd.
Admission is free, and gates open at noon.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Virginia Department of Veterans Services will both have representatives on site, offering benefits counseling, enrollment assistance and resource navigation to veterans and their families. More than three dozen federal, state and local community agencies are expected to participate.
“Most of the veterans we serve have never had someone sit down with them and walk through what they’ve earned,” said Katt Whittenberger, a 21-year Navy veteran and the organization’s founder and executive director. “That’s what this event is — we bring the resources to them, at no cost, in their own community.”
The event will feature two live acts. Dr. Phil’s Kimo Therapy, a Roanoke-based band rooted in Appalachian punk, rockabilly and blues, will perform alongside Glam’r Kiti, an 80s rock tribute act. A 5:30 p.m. remembrance ceremony will honor those lost on Sept. 11, 2001, and through the wars that followed.
Mountain Valor Fest also includes food trucks, live music, a kid zone, military displays, artisan and retail vendors, and community resource exhibits. Federal and state agencies will be joined by local organizations providing services that often fill gaps traditional veteran support systems miss. Additional vendor and exhibitor space remains available for both resource providers and vendors. BAE Systems returns as primary festival sponsor for the third consecutive year. Blue Cross Blue Shield is the Kid Zone sponsor.
Mountain Valor Veteran Services serves veterans of all generations, their families, survivors and caregivers across seven rural Southwest Virginia counties: Floyd, Montgomery, Pulaski, Franklin, Carroll, Patrick and Wythe. Since its founding in 2024, the organization has reached more than 3,000 veterans, family members, survivors and caregivers, with 1,200 served in person. The nonprofit was named 2025 Nonprofit of the Year by the Floyd County Chamber of Commerce.
“Rural veterans face barriers that veterans near major metro areas don’t,” Whittenberger said. “We skew older, less reliant on digital communications, and are significantly more isolated. Distance and fewer resources means veterans are incredibly disconnected. This event closes that gap for one day — and we keep building from there.”
Mountain Valor Fest 2026 is free and open to all. The event is accessible for those with mobility limitations.
Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print.
You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it.
When you're happy with your selection, click the checkmark icon next to the clipping area to continue.
