Wynnter Boyd set the new RHS career scoring record in hid final game in the Blue and White. Boyd scored 11 in the RHS loss at Union giving him 1,514 for his career.
Wynnter Boyd set the new RHS career scoring record in hid final game in the Blue and White. Boyd scored 11 in the RHS loss at Union giving him 1,514 for his career.
Mayor Joe Beasley prepares to take the Polar Plunge into Lincolnshire Lake. The annual event raised money for Tazewell Today and Billy Wagner Park.
Mayor Joe Beasley prepares to take the Polar Plunge into Lincolnshire Lake. The annual event raised money for Tazewell Today and Billy Wagner Park.
Hurricane Helene and recent flooding have made EMS personnel in Richlands and across the county aware of the need to be ready to respond quickly.
The town’s police department, fire department and rescue squad held an open house, Jan. 26 to show the public new equipment and talk about its capabilities. The town now has two golf carts, a side by side, a boat and a trailer equipped to use as a mobile command post.
“Over the past two and a half years, this group of dedicated professionals has worked tirelessly to build a strong, unified team dynamic. That commitment has translated into exceptional service not only for the town of Richlands but for the surrounding region,’ Police Chief Ron Holt said.
The command post is staffed with the same radio equipment the sheriff’s office has. They recently obtained a drone equipped with camera and radio capability and Deputy Chief Adam Crouse is trained to operate it. Crouse said the town has also obtained permission from the FAA to allow the Drone to go beyond the line-of-sight restrictions meaning it could be used to check neighborhoods.
They also equipped an ambulance that was taken out of service to be used at the scenes of fires and other disasters. Personnel could use it to check firefighters, administer first aid or oxygen, or simply allow people to get warm.
Richlands is now a standalone emergency management agency.” That does not mean we do not want to work with the county. What that means is we can now work directly with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and bring resources to this end of the county much more quickly,’ Holt said.
Sheriff Brian Hieatt, Major Jonathan Hankins and Captain Randi Ann Davis attended the open house as did Tazewell Police Chief Stan Lampert. Holt said the mobile command post is like the one the sheriff’s office has and will be available for use wherever it is needed.
“We used the sheriff’s mobile command post during Helene and the flooding of February 2025. Having our own frees the sheriff’s to be used elsewhere if needed," Matt Whited, who heads the town’s EMS operations said.
The trailer has Starlink satellite connections to aid with communications. Whited said Richlands is one of just four towns in the state to be a standalone emergency management agency.
The department also has an area designated for use as an Emergency Operations Center during disasters. That allows Ems personnel and others to meet and coordinate efforts, receive updates on the situation and communicate with federal and state agencies.
Holt said all the equipment has been purchased with either grants or donations from local businesses or individuals.
Laura Hudson
Laura Hudson
Early voting in the special election to redraw Virginia’s Congressional districts was supposed to begin March 6.
However, Judge Jack S. Hurley Jr. issued an order halting election workers from preparing for the election. That ruling is in effect until March 18 and would prevent the state from complying with the mandatory 45 days of early voting.
The state Department of Elections originally told all registrars to halt preparations or distributing ballots until Further notice. However, they issued a new opinion, Feb. 24, saying the ruling applied only to Tazewell County where the order was issued.
Tazewell County electoral board members were summoned to court during the Feb. 19 hearing where Judge Hurley issued the order.
“The order specifically names me and temporarily restrains me from ‘administering, preparing for, taking any action to further the procedure of the referendum, or otherwise moving forward with causing an election to be held on the proposed constitutional amendment,’” “I have no intention of violating the court’s order,’ Tazewell County Registrar Brian Earls told Cardinal News last week.
That means no ballots will be mailed for absentee voting nor will in person voting be conducted in Tazewell County until the order expires or the state Supreme Court rules on the legality of the election.
Other localities are either preparing to go forward with the election or in some cases passing local resolutions preventing the use of county property to hold the election.
Attorney General Jay Jones has appealed both the rulings issued by Hurley to the Supreme Court which has not ruled on the matter.
The historic Section House in downtown Richlands sustained heavy damage from the winter weather.
The building’s heat pump apparently stopped working during the recent cold spell resulting in the pipes freezing and bursting. Mayor Rod Cury said the building was insured but did not say how much repairs would cost.
The building is operated by the Section House Committee and depends on donations and fund raisers for its support.
No time frame for making the repairs has been made public. The damage resulted in the poetry workshop and reading scheduled as part of the winter honey festival being moved to the arts center in Cedar Bluff.
The Mary Sue Dean Poetry reading and workshop will now be held March 12 at the arts center, (old mill). It will feature Rob Merritt, distinguished professor of creative writing at Bluefield University.
Merritt will lead the workshop for aspiring writers of all genres from 3:30 until five pm. He will offer tips on publishing your work, networking and more. There will also be time for discussion.
A public reading will be held starting at 7 p.m. with a short discussion will follow. Merritt will also have books for sale at the event.
