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Jim Talbert
Graham High School seniors Elise Jacobs and Madeline Young were
recognized for their outstanding academic achievements....
Elise Jacobs At this month’s school board meeting, Graham High
School seniors Elise Jacobs and Madeline Young were recognized for
their outstanding academic achievements.
Elise Jacobs (left), daughter of Mike and Laura Jacobs, was
named the Graham High School Class of 2026 Valedictorian. Elise
will continue her education this fall at Virginia Tech.
Madeline Young (right), daughter of Eric and Joanne Young, was
recognized as the Class of 2026 Salutatorian. Madeline, known as
“Maddee” to family and friends, will attend Emory & Henry
University this fall.
Page A2
Jim Talbert
Graham High School seniors Elise Jacobs and Madeline Young were
recognized for their outstanding academic achievements....
Elise Jacobs At this month’s school board meeting, Graham High
School seniors Elise Jacobs and Madeline Young were recognized for
their outstanding academic achievements.
Elise Jacobs (left), daughter of Mike and Laura Jacobs, was
named the Graham High School Class of 2026 Valedictorian. Elise
will continue her education this fall at Virginia Tech.
Madeline Young (right), daughter of Eric and Joanne Young, was
recognized as the Class of 2026 Salutatorian. Madeline, known as
“Maddee” to family and friends, will attend Emory & Henry
University this fall.
Richland_clinch_valley
Food City Free Fuel for a Year Sweepstakes
Jim Talbert
ABINGDON, VA – Food City recently announced that the grocery retailer will be conducting two exciting summer sweepstakes programs. The winners will receive Free Fuel for a Year.
Shoppers will automatically receive one entry into the sweepstakes each time they spend $20 in a single transaction using their ValuCard at participating Food City locations. Mail in entries will also be accepted.
The first sweepstakes kicked off on June 10 and runs through June 30, 2026 and the second sweepstakes will take place July 1 through July 31, 2026.
Two winners will be randomly selected during each sweepstakes to receive the grand prize of free fuel for a year. The grand prize will be awarded in the form of 52 Food City gift cards in the amount of $50 each.
Students at Southwest Virginia Community College will have greater access to free, nutritious food thanks to a $3,500 grant from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation.
The funding will support SWCC’s Food for Thought student food pantry, helping more students meet basic needs and stay focused on their education.
The grant is part of Food Lion Feeds’ “Nourishing Our Neighbors” program, which supports local organizations working to address food insecurity.
“Many of our students are balancing school, work and rising living costs, and too many are struggling to afford food,” said Lisa Haywood, dean of student success at SWCC. “This grant helps ensure our students have reliable access to the food they need to succeed.”
The Food for Thought pantry provides free food and essentials to SWCC students throughout the year. The additional funding will help expand inventory and increase support for students experiencing food insecurity.
The Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation supports community partners across its 10-state footprint in their efforts to fight hunger. Since 2001, the foundation has awarded more than $25 million in grants to help nourish communities.
TAZEWELL COUNTY WILL CELEBRATE 8th ANNUAL JUNETEENTH
Jim Talbert
The Friends of Juneteenth of Tazewell County invites the entire community to the eighth annual Juneteenth celebration, June 19, 20 and 21, with events spanning film, music, poetry, and dance, all highlighting local history, culture, and worship. Juneteenth is the oldest known commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States and is a unified celebration across all races. Juneteenth blends "June" and "Nineteenth" and commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved people were free. The announcement came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, highlighting the painful gap between a law's passage and its real-world enforcement. "We try to keep with the historic traditions of how Juneteenth has been celebrated, but do new things, too," says Jeanette Wilson, chair of the Friends of Juneteenth planning committee, which has been hard at work since March. The committee includes members from throughout the county. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Friday, June 19 — Documentary Film Screening 7:00 PM | Tazewell Train Station & Visitors Center, 135 Railroad Ave, North Tazewell, Virginia The documentary film "A Silent Fire," directed by Tazewell native Macie Alford and produced by Jorge Rey of Beartown Film Bureau, documents a mysterious fire in Burke's Garden, Virginia, that claimed the lives of four Black children and explores why so many stories in Black history go overlooked. A collection of local Black historical writings will be displayed by the Tazewell County Public Library.
Saturday, June 20 — Juneteenth Program, Parade & Festivities 11:00 AM | Altizer Stage, Main St, Tazewell, Virginia (Rain location: Nuckolls Hall, 134 Saddlebred Ln, Tazewell, Virginia) The Main Street program will highlight the rich local African American culture and heritage with poetry readings, songs, dance, children's skits, and an honoring of elders. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Darrin Martin, president of Bluefield State University, whose career has been devoted to education in many capacities. The program includes the traditional reading of the Town of Tazewell's Resolution designating Juneteenth as a holiday, an action the town took even before the federal government did so. Following the program, at around 1:00 PM, the celebration moves into the streets with a parade from Main Street to 374 Carline Avenue, the site of the former Black elementary school that served the Tazewell community. The public is invited to gather for food, fellowship, and fun, with music, children's activities, and booths provided by the local hospital, service organizations, and several local colleges and universities. Sunday, June 21 — Worship Service & Sunday Dinner 11:00 AM | Nuckolls Hall, 134 Saddlebred Ln, Tazewell, Virginia Worship is an integral part of celebration among many African Americans, and everyone is welcome to join the community worship service led by Rev. Todd French. Following the service, a Sunday dinner will be served featuring many favorite African American dishes. Throughout the weekend, expect to see colorful clothing reflecting African American culture. "I plan on wearing my African dress," says committee member Veda Ferguson. "Juneteenth dresses aren't just about style for style's sake. It's a way to celebrate the freedom to dress the way you want, a freedom slaves didn't have." It took more than 150 years for the day freedom came to Texas to become a recognized holiday, and a Tazewell County native played a crucial, often-overlooked role in making that happen. Rev. C. Anderson Davis was born in Pocahontas, VA, and later served at John Stewart Methodist Church in Bluefield, WV. He is credited with drafting the original Juneteenth proclamation, which Texas state representative Al Edwards used in 1979 to sponsor the bill making June 19th an official Texas state holiday. For this reason, Davis is often called the "grandfather of Juneteenth." Rev. Michael Bratton, a committee member who also grew up in Pocahontas, has long been aware of Davis's legacy. "Since my youth, I've heard of the great service he rendered in the area of civil rights," Bratton says. "We are very honored and thankful for the foresight and faithful service of this fellow Tazewell County native. Surely we stand on his shoulders, and we honor and thank the Lord for the memory of his contribution to the two Virginias."
The push for national recognition continued through the work of Opal Lee, known as the "grandmother of Juneteenth," whose decades of advocacy culminated in Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday on June 17, 2021. Virginia had already granted it state holiday status on October 13, 2020. All are welcome. For updates, visit the Official Page for Tazewell County Friends of Juneteenth on Facebook. Come celebrate freedom, honor history, and build community together.
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