Parker Ryder scored 25 points in Richlands' win over Marion.
Parker Ryder scored 25 points in Richlands' win over Marion.
Richland_clinch_valley
History may be found at local antique mall
Earl Keene with a Sears Catalogue.
Tazewell VA – Pages of history are among the thousands of items at M&E antiques and Vendors Mall in Tazewell.
Among the countless pieces of furniture, jewelry, glass and tools, Earl Keene gets from estate sales there are newspapers, magazines and catalogues. A recent purchase brought a special edition tab of the Clinch Valley News published in 1934.
The tab, titled “Tazewell County, America’s Most Beautiful Section" featured pictures and information from all parts of the county. Tazewell boasted about the Hotel Tazewell, which had 30 rooms with baths. It also offered dining room services in the Shamrock Grill.
The Federated store and a Piggly Wiggly were among the businesses. Appalachian Power touted its services for everything from refrigeration to electric milking and coal loading.
Farmers Bank of Clinch Valley, established in 1889 advertised capital of $200,000, surplus of $50,000 and resources of $3,800,000. Walker Chevrolet offered Buick, Oldsmobile and Chevrolet cars and GMC trucks.
Owner, Noel Walker, was serving as Mayor in 1934. The town offered Clinch and Valley Theatres   North Tazewell had Sunrise Bottling Company which sold Rhythm Punch, Squirt, Tazewell Orange, Lucky Giant Cola and Wascott Ginger Ale.
Richlands had its own electric company as still does today and boasted that it “yielded a handsome profit.’ The town also bragged of having the greatest railway center between Bluefield and Norton.’
Bluefield featured Leatherwood Farms, an ice cream company, bakery and other businesses. Pocahontas is featured in the Tab as a modern coal town offering all the amenities. Not to be outdone, Cedar Bluff got its plug as well
If county history isn’t your thing, there is a Nov. 22, 1963, edition of the Bristol-Virginia-Tennessean.  The entire front page is devoted to the shooting of JFK.Â
Long before Amazon or WalMart, there were catalogues for people to shop without leaving home. Â Â While Montgomery Ward, JC Penny and others had faithful customers, Sears was the heavyweight champ.
Keene, a retired rural route carrier, smiled as he picked up a 1992 edition, one of several he has gotten when buying estates. “I had 640 customers on my route, they, (the catalogues), were so big I couldn’t haul all of them at once.
It would take us a week or more to get them out to everybody," he said. Â
  Â
 Â
Jaxson Short squares off with an opponent. Richlands and Tazewell both have home matches this week.
Jaxson Short squares off with an opponent. Richlands and Tazewell both have home matches this week.
Richland_clinch_valley
Gillespie named county attorney
Tazewell Va. – Former Supervisor Aaron Gillespie is the new Tazewell County Attorney.
The board of supervisors voted 4-1 to hire Gillespie at the Jan.13 meeting, with Curtis Breeding casting the dissenting vote. Gillespie will start work Feb. 1 and his salary will be $120,000 per year.
County Administrator Eric Young said Gillespie, who is currently in private practice, will be given leave as needed to complete pending court cases. Gillespie replaces Chase Collins, who resigned last year.
In other action the board;
*Heard from County Engineer Kenneth Dunford that work has started on the drainage project at Richlands Elementary School. Â They also voted to appropriate $16,000 to complete the drainage lines beneath the baseball field.
*Heard from County Engineer Kenneth Dunford that sinkhole repairs at the airport are on hold until funding is obtained.
*Referred a request to allow ATV travel on Healing Springs Road to the Recreation Development Authority.
 *Extended the maturity date for a $150,000 loan to the IDA until June 30.
*Donated $500 to Labor of Love Mission to assist with a coat drive at Nuckolls Hall.
*Voted to join the VACO purchasing agreement for localities with Appalachian Power.
*Set a public hearing on the second amendment sanctuary status for the February meeting.
*Appointed Shana Plaster and Chuck Presley to the Cumberland Plateau Planning District board.
 *Heard from Nathan Shockley of ProMed about opening an ambulance company in Richlands.
*Set a public hearing to set the real estate property tax rate for the February meeting.
*Set a public hearing for the February meeting to consider naming route 646 at SWCC Charles R. King Drive.
*Adjourned until Feb. 3 at 4 p.m.
Richland_clinch_valley
Robinson named schoolboard chairman
Jillian Crisp from Tazewell and Lillian Wimmer from Graham were chosen as State officers for the Jobs for Virginia Graduates program. Crisp was state delegate and Wimmer was state secretary.
Tazewell Va- Erik Robinson will lead the Tazewell County School board this year.
Robinson was elected by acclamation at the Jan.12 school board meeting. He replaces Irene Mullins who will now serve as vice chair. The board will continue to meet on the second Monday of the month at the career and technical center.  The public portion of the meeting will start at 6:30 pm.
In other action the board:
*Heard from Chandra Ashby, supervisor of testing that all three County high schools received distinguished ratings from the department of education ‘s accreditation program. She explained the rating system to the board. Readiness, growth, grade and graduation are the pillars. Distinguished, on track, needs work, off track and needs extra attention are the categories. The County has four schools on track and six off track
*Approved the code of conduct for school board members.Â
*Designated Deputy Superintendent Deidra Hill to attend board meetings in the absence of the Superintendent.Â
*Approved the personnel list as presented.Â
*Recognized Sophia’s Robinson for her appointment to the Virginia Department of education student advisory board.Â
* Approved the VSBA policy updates.Â
*Approved the agreement with East River Soccer Association.
*Adopted the resolution for the definition of antisemitism in Virginia K-12 schools .
*Declared Feb.2-6 School counseling week.
*Adjourned until Feb.9.
