Averi Fuller and the Richlands softball team had a winning week. Michele Ball
Averi Fuller and the Richlands softball team had a winning week. Michele Ball
Richland_clinch_valley
Students Help Restore Former Coal Mine Land at Virginia Energy's 20th Annual Arbor Day Event
The Virginia Department of Energy (Virginia Energy) hosted its 20th annual Virginia Arbor Day celebration April 23 near Richlands in Tazewell County, where nearly 70 students from Richlands High School helped restore a former coal mine site by planting 500 trees across three acres as part of the Commonwealth's ongoing commitment to revitalizing coal communities through environmental stewardship and economic development.
"This annual celebration is a testament to what is possible when we honor the land and invest in the next generation," said Michael Skiffington, Acting Director of Virginia Energy. "The students from Richlands High School are planting more than trees today — they are planting roots of environmental leadership in a community that has long powered our Commonwealth. Transforming this former mine site is exactly the kind of forward-looking work Virginia Energy is proud to champion."
This long-running event has restored more than 45 acres with over 13,000 trees since the program's inception in 2005. This year's planting featured economically valuable and ecologically important hardwoods such as red and white oak, maple, and locust, along with fruit-bearing species including persimmon and black cherry that support wildlife habitat and future recreational opportunities.
"Tazewell County has a proud coal heritage, and it's incredibly rewarding to bring young people out to a former mine site and show them firsthand what responsible land reclamation looks like," said Randy Moore, Virginia Energy Director of Coal Programs. "These students are seeing that the end of mining is not the end of the story — it's the beginning of a new chapter for the land and for the communities that depend on it. Programs like this bridge our mining past with an environmentally rich future."
Beyond tree planting, students participated in hands-on learning at interactive educational stations. Demonstrations included renewable energy technologies, a model surface mine to illustrate the coal mining process, emergency response equipment showcased by Virginia Energy's mine rescue team, and additional exhibits highlighting career pathways in the energy and natural resources sectors.
"I think this is important because we really need to know how we can affect our future and whether it's doing stuff like this and helping the earth and the planet that we live on, or if we don't know this stuff we could really affect it negatively," said Cameron Spencer, 11th grade, Richlands High School.
The initiative also advances the goals of the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative, which is dedicated to restoring forests on coal-mined lands throughout the Eastern United States. The Virginia Department of Forestry donated the trees for the event.
"This is invaluable to the students. There is only so much I can do in the classroom. But having students hands-on in the field with the resources that were presented them today [...] there were just so many great things for them to take part in and learn from," said Steven England, biology and environmental science teacher at Richlands High School.
Virginia Energy was supported by community and agency partners who joined in celebrating this milestone 20th annual event. Partners include the Metallurgical Coal Producers Association, CNX, Ramaco Resources, Virginia Clean Cities, Dominion Energy, the federal Office of Surface Mining, Virginia Department of Forestry, Virginia Department of Transportation, and Richlands High School.
Bee-N Thrifty Consignment cut a ribbon signifying its expansion April 24. The store is located at 581 Patriot Avenue and carries a variety of clothing and other items.
Bee-N Thrifty Consignment cut a ribbon signifying its expansion April 24. The store is located at 581 Patriot Avenue and carries a variety of clothing and other items.
Richland_clinch_valley
Republic and county agree on landfill repairs
An agreement between Republic Waste Management and Tazewell County will lead to completion of a new cell at the county landfill.
Following a closed session at its April 21 recessed meeting the board of supervisors approved a revision to the County’s contract with the company to complete construction of cell 5A at the landfill.
The change order would provide that Republic complete construction of the remainder of Cell 5A for $1.5m. Cell construction began in late 2023 but was delayed due to unexpected rock and sink holes.
The project was still under construction in September 2024, when Hurricane Helene damaged the work site, destroying four acres of synthetic liner. As a result, the project was not finished before the county ran out of space to dispose of waste.
The county’s contract with Republic provided for Republic to transport the county’s waste to another landfill and pay $5,000 per day in damages to the county if the construction missed that deadline. The contract also provided that Republic could be excused from the delay during the event of an overwhelming unforeseen circumstance.
After the hurricane Republic paid to transport county waste to Mercer County’s landfill, until Republic completed a portion of the new cell in January 2025.
Republic submitted just over $3m in invoices for construction costs to the county in March 2025. The county has withheld $1.6m from payment of those invoices, because the county believed the invoices included costs to repair storm damage. The Board also deducted the $5,000.00 per day damages from the county’s payment.
Since then, the parties have been in discussions with FEMA, the county’s insurance carrier, and each other to determine which party is responsible for the cost to repair the storm damage, the delay in completion, and the cost of finishing the project.
The change order agreement approved last Tuesday agreed that the cost to complete the damaged portion of the cell as of the day before the storm was $1.5m. The agreement also assigned Republic’s contract with their subcontractor completing the work to the county. The agreement provides that the subcontractor will complete construction, while Republic remains responsible for supervision, quality, and damages from delays.
County Administrator Eric Young said, “We will continue to withhold payment on previous invoices, because we are entitled to consideration for the late completion of the project and those invoices include costs of storm damage repair for which we are not responsible. Although the intervening storm complicates those calculations, we believe we can settle these issues now that work is again underway. This change order is a fair and accurate cost for completing the project, which does not include costs related to repairs from the storm.”
The Board did agree to pay a $200,000 portion of previous invoices for rock removal as part of the agreement. The Board will continue to negotiate a resolution of the dispute regarding responsibility for storm damage.
Richland_clinch_valley
Council approves plans for new restaurant
Tazewell will soon have a Taco Bell.
During its April 14 meeting Town Council approved the planning commission’s recommendations for construction of the restaurant in the area near Advance Auto.
The plans call for the building to be completed and the restaurant open by fall of this year.
In other action council:
*Received a financial statement, work plan and budget from Tazewell Today. They also recapped events from the previous year. The group has been accredited for another year by Virginia Main Street.
*Received an update on development of the town’s comprehensive plan for the town.
*Approved a poll vote to purchase four new vehicles for the public works department.
*Approved the recommendation of the planning commission for the new county fire department site.
*Voted to approve a resolution of support for the charter of the Tazewell County Airport Authority.
*Learned from Town Manager Leeann Regon that the ribbon cutting for the Clinch River Pavilion and Riverwalk will be held May 1. The ribbon cutting will be held at 11:30 May 1.
*Approved a donation to the 2026 Tazewell High School Project Graduation committee for $700.
*Approved a donation for $3000 for the annual Juneteenth celebration to the Friends of Juneteenth committee. The 2026 event will be held on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21. Saturday’s event will take place on Main Street, where a program featuring guest speakers will be followed by a parade to Carline Avenue for more festivities. Sunday’s event will happen at Nuckolls Hall at the Tazewell County Fairgrounds. More information will be provided as the Friends of Juneteenth completes their planning.
*Approved the Rt 16 Rally and Music Festival event, along with a $10,000 donation to be used for this event. The Rt 16 Rally and Music Festival is a collaborative effort of the local businesses Wayfarer Appalachia, Uncharted Adventures, and Back of the Dragon. The event will happen on Main Street on Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6, and will feature live entertainment.
