Supervisors get election updates
A Floyd County deputy takes time to vote in the Courthouse District.
Signs on the front lawn of the county courthouse remind residents early voting is available.
Meeting on Thursday, Jan. 29, after weather postponed the scheduled Jan. 27 meting, Floyd officials got an update from electoral board chair Paul Kitchen concerning an upcoming election.
Kitchen told Supervisors that a special election on April 21 is likely to deal with a constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to redraw the state congressional map.
Last week, a Tazewell County judge struck down the initial passage of the proposed amendment, complicating the matter.
Tazewell Circuit Judge Jack Hurley ruled that the legislature violated its own rules in convening in special session in October to adopt the proposed amendment before the next election of House Delegates. Redistricting, Hurley said, was not part of the procedural resolution that had allowed the assembly to remain in session, finding that the initial adoption of the proposed amendment on Oct. 31 did not come before the House election four days later because 1 million voters had already cast ballots since early voting began on Sept. 19.
"For this Court to find that the election was only on November 4, 2025, those one million voters would be completely disenfranchised," he said.
The court released the order shortly after the Senate voted 21-18 along party lines to set a special election on April 21 for voters to decide whether to amend the constitution to allow mid-decade redistricting.
The House and Senate also sought to move the venue for litigation over constitutional amendments to Richmond, a move that Hurley called unconstitutional. House and Senate Democratic leaders argued that Republicans can’t win at the ballot box and are abusing the legal process to block Virginians from voting.
A day after Hurley’s ruling, a House bill passed along party lines that would amend the state budget to spend $5.2 million for the special election. House Speaker Don Scott said after that vote “That court does not have the final say.” Democratic leaders announced they had filed a notice of appeal with the Virginia Court of Appeals.
Former Attorney General Jason Miyares vowed to fight the effort to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts “by any means necessary,” calling the push for a vote on the constitutional amendment a power grab that ignores the will of voters. Miyares now co-chairs the group Virginians for Fair Maps.
In 2020, a bipartisan commission was established to oversee political redistricting. Facing deadlock, the Virginia Supreme Court ultimately created the maps in 2021 and they are the ones used as of now. The General Assembly’s plan to redraw congressional maps could give Democrats a 10-to-1 advantage on congressional representation in the state. Currently, the state has six Democratic representatives and five Republican representatives.
In Floyd, according to Kitchen, the cost of the special election would be an estimated $17,000, which could be offset by the budget amendment that would clear $5 million for the election.
Kitchen also let county leaders know of two other bills in the works pertaining to voting.
Senate Bill 438 mandates two Sundays of early voting (the second and third Sundays before the election), a change from the previous optional status.
House Bill 71 addresses satellite voting places, potentially making them mandatory. This is a concern for Floyd County due to the significant financial and logistical burden of operating multiple locations compliant with security requirements.
Board members discussed the need for additional satellite polling places or early voting sites, particularly in outlying districts such as Green Mountain and Indian Valley. These areas have residents who work outside the county, with schedules that make voting during standard hours challenging. Suggestions included outreach programs to educate voters about absentee and early voting options, as well as feasibility studies for additional polling locations.
Kitchen explained that adding satellite voting places would multiply costs, including securing suitable locations, staffing and IT security. Current polling places are balanced with approximately 2,500 registered voters each, and turnout is consistent.
Husky pups
Husky pups
New trooper trainees graduate
Three new Virginia State Police trainees, who graduated as part of the 144th class from the State Police Training Academy on Jan. 30, will be taking assignments serving Bland, Smyth and Wythe counties.
The three were part of 94 graduates – the largest class of trooper-trainees since 2018.
The soon-to-be graduates of the 144th Basic Session are from every corner of the commonwealth, as well as Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia, as well as the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, Jamacia, and Mexico.
The new troopers have received more than 1,300 hours of classroom and field instruction in more than 100 different subjects, including de-escalation techniques, strategies to assist people in mental health crisis, ethics and leadership, fair and impartial policing, constitutional law, emergency medical trauma care, and public and community relations. The Trooper-Trainees of the 144th Basic Session began their 28 weeks of academic, physical, and practical training at the Academy on June 25, 2025.
Now that they’ve graduated, the trainees will spend a six weeks paired with a field training officer in their patrol areas.
Serving Floyd and Montgomery counties are Logan Michael Doss of Ivanhoe, Justice Andrew Fannon of Dryden and Jeremiah Cain Robertson of Pearisburg.
Doss, is the great-great-grandson of Combat Medic Cpl. Desmond Doss, who saved an estimated 75 men at the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. Corporal Doss’ life was the inspiration for the 2016 movie “Hacksaw Ridge.”
Livability exchange set for March 25
The 12th Annual Livability in Action Regional Exchange will be held March 25 at the German Club in Blacksburg.
Lightning round speakers will touch on topics like hurricane relief and recovery, housing, downtown revitalization, community-university partnerships and more. Plus, how local governments used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support their communities after the Covid-19 pandemic will be highlighted.
Speakers will share information about the Floyd Center for the Arts Living Traditions Festival, ongoing Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, the New River Health District's Rise Above program, the housing continuum, and much more.
The event is free and open to the community with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and the program running from 9 a.m. to noon at 711 Southgate Drive, Blacksburg.
