Landon Absher hauls in a pass.
Landon Absher hauls in a pass.
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Buffalo Trail expands to Tazewell County
Buffalo Trail and county officials cut the ribbon for the new resort last week.
ATV riders can now go from the Hatfield McCoy trail in West Virginia to Virginia on one ride.
County officials joined Gordon Lusk and members of his staff to cut the ribbon and welcome Buffalo Trails Virginia to Tazewell County Oct. 26. Lusk recently bought land from the county that was part of the spearhead trail system and bought the cabins on the property and the nearby store from other owners.
Lusk’s company owns Buffalo Trail resort in Bluewell, West Virginia, and plans to link the two properties together. The county will continue to own and operate the park and the EMS station that are in the same area. He worked with the county’s Recreation Development Authority as well as Spearhead Trails to bring the project to fruition.
County Administrator Eric Young said the agreement linking the two trail systems was a key part of the deal. Young said he was excited about the investment and to see what the company had planned for the property. Celina Hastings, representing Buffalo Trails, said they are excited to bring people to the area, and the company was happy to be part of the project. Hastings worked for trailhead before joining Buffalo Trails eight years ago. She said there were several opportunities for the company at the property.
Supervisor Curt Breeding, who is also on the RDA recalled visiting the property before it was developed and talking to a lot of people about developing the vision for the park. He said Rick Wood, who represented the county on Spearhead’s board and the RDA board, with playing key roles in the project.
Pocahontas Mayor Ben Gibson said he had watched the resort develop from vacant land to a park and is looking forward to seeing what Buffalo Trails does with the site. The park is about five minutes outside the Pocahontas corporate limits.
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Grant to fund road improvements in the county
Tazewell Va. – Phase two of a plan to improve Tazewell County’s roads will get underway soon.
Congressman Morgan Griffith’s office announced last week that the county has been awarded a $2,118,842 grant from the US Department of Transportation. The money will be used for improvements to six high-risk corridors with rural two-lane roads that pose risks to the safety of motorists, travelers and pedestrians.
Road improvements will include 10.8 miles of double centerline striping, 10.7 miles of rumble strips, 1.38 miles of high-friction surface treatments, 60 signs, and targeted transition zone upgrades. Project work will be directed towards Jewell Ridge Road, Falls Mills Road, Baptist Valley Road, Wardell Road, Indian Creek Road and Kents Ridge Road.
This grant money was made available through the DOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant program. The county used funds from an earlier grant to complete a study of roads in the county and identify safety risks. County Engineer Ken Dunford presented the study to the board of supervisors at its March meeting.
“They looked at crash data, economic data, and transportation modes. With all this data they looked at roads that had the most crashes and compiled a high injury network. They listed the top 30 and prioritized them,’ Dunford said. The county used funds from the first Safe Streets grant and the coal roads fund to pay for the study.
They also worked with 911, VDOT and other agencies to complete the study. The study showed crashes in the county increased from 2017 to 2022 despite there being less traffic. The data showed 5,248 crashes in the county between 2017 and 2024. There were 50 fatalities and 300 severe injuries because of those crashes.
The highest number of crashes occurred between October and December, but the more severe injuries and fatalities occurred between May and July. “They looked at crash data, economic data, and transportation modes. The complete study is available on the county website.
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Elswick ready to go to work on school board
Freddie Elswick
Tazewell County’s newest school board member says he wants to give back to the community that has helped him.
Freddie Elswick was sworn in as the interim representative for the Northwestern District last week. He was the only applicant for the job and will serve the 14 months left on the term of Donna Lawson Culbertson who resigned in September.
A graduate of Richlands High School, Elswick also graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in economics. He currently serves as the General Manager of Ramey Automotive in Richlands, Virginia. “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve the students, families, teachers, and staff of Tazewell County Public Schools. This community has given so much to me, and I see this as an opportunity to give something back. I take the responsibility seriously, and I’m looking forward to getting to work,” Elswick said.
Elswick and his wife, Katy, are proud parents of their daughter, Henley. Deeply rooted in the Richlands community, Elswick has dedicated much of his time to supporting local youth. His community involvement includes coaching football, baseball, and softball, serving on the Richlands Little League board, and helping create opportunities for young people. He also founded the Blue Tornado Touchdown Club, an organization dedicated to supporting Richlands athletics and the young athletes who represent their community.
Above all, Elswick said he has a deep love for his hometown and the people who call it home. He takes great pride in his Richlands roots and believes strongly in giving back to the community that helped shape his life. His passion for helping young people grow, succeed, and become responsible citizens is central to his desire to serve on the Tazewell County School Board.
He will begin service at the November meeting and serve until Dec. 31, 2027.
Maddie Webb was one of the leaders for Richlands.
Maddie Webb was one of the leaders for Richlands.
