Emily Vance and her Fly Nails team recently moved to a new location at 18291 Governor GC Peery Hwy., Pounding Mill. Fly Nails had a ribbon cutting and other events to celebrate the new location.
Emily Vance and her Fly Nails team recently moved to a new location at 18291 Governor GC Peery Hwy., Pounding Mill. Fly Nails had a ribbon cutting and other events to celebrate the new location.
Tazewell Va. – The late Gene Hurst was named Citizen of the Year and several businesses received awards at the 2026 Tazewell County Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner.
Hurst, who recently passed away, was the owner of Hurst Scott Funeral Homes in Richlands and Tazewell. He was honored for his service in the Richlands Lions Club where he was the longest active member.
He also served in leadership roles at Richlands First Methodist Church and had served in the national guard and the American Legion. He was an avid supporter of Richlands High School sports and school activities
He and his wife regularly supported the SWCC foundation and the Festival of the ARTS.
They are being at this year’s festival which is currently ongoing. Hurst’s family accepted the award on his behalf.
The chamber honored Back of the Dragon with a tourism award. They annually host a motorcycle rally and other events throughout the year. Bee Noodle’d Restaurant was honored as Small Business of the Year. Bee Noodle’d is a family-owned business located just off Main Street in Tazewell.
The Tazewell Community Foundation was given an award for their work on the new clinic that will be opening later this spring. Amanda Hale was recognized as volunteer of the year. The Wayfarer Restaurant was also honored with an award.
Guest Speaker Kristina Rose talked about the importance of business and personal branding. Rose offered several tips on social media postings and cellphone photography. She said potential clients and employers check people’s postings to get an idea of who they are.
Gabe Gillespie has been solid all season for the Blues.
Gabe Gillespie has been solid all season for the Blues.
 A special prosecutor has been appointed and a new court date set for a former Tazewell County teacher.
Jessica McCoy, 42, of Cedar Bluff is charged with two counts of abduction of a minor and two counts of cruelty to a child. All four charges are felonies and stem from an incident in February 2025, when McCoy was employed at Richlands Elementary as a special education teacher.
She was indicted by a grand jury on March 10 and retained the services of Attorney Bob Briemann. The case was scheduled for a plea April 7, but the court granted an April 16 request for a special prosecutor. Russell County Commonwealth’s Attorney Zach Stoots was appointed.
The case was rescheduled for June 8.
Officers with the Richlands Police Department charged McCoy after investigating claims that a 5-year-old special needs student had been taped to a desk.
Ginger Shortt of Raven was also charged with two counts of cruelty to a child and one count of failure to report child abuse by a mandatory reporter.
Shortt is awaiting a May 12 preliminary hearing in juvenile and domestic relations court. Shortt worked in the same classroom as McCoy before being dismissed from her job with the school system.
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Tazewell County’s new fire company moved closer to reality at the April 7 meeting of the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors meeting.
The board approved the bylaws and budget for the company. It will be known as Tazewell County Volunteer Fire Department and will consist of 12 stations organized into three battalions.
The department will be governed by the board of supervisors, while the county administrator and director of public safety will appoint the inaugural administrative chief and three battalion chiefs for two-year terms. After the inaugural terms, the positions will be voted on by the board of supervisors from a list of candidates selected by the membership.
The bylaws also contain job descriptions and qualifications for each position. In addition to the administrative chief and battalion chiefs the bylaws call for district chiefs, Captain, Lieutenant and Chaplain.
The company will have a board of directors that will manage the financial affairs of the company. The board also approved a stipend budget of $326,000 for fiscal 2027.
Later in the meeting the supervisors approved committed the $1.1 million in projected revenue from the Bristol Casino to fire and ems services.
In other action the board:
*Heard from Frank Belcher requesting speed bumps or other means of slowing traffic on Selena Road.
*Heard from Nathan Shockley of ProMed Ambulance Service about a certificate of need for the company.
*Heard from Jeanette Wilson requesting assistance for the Juneteenth celebration.
*Approved the Tazewell County Airport Authority’s amended charter.
*Ratified a poll providing $35,000 to the Department of Social Services for their utility assistance program.
*Ratified a poll providing northwestern district funds to Clinch Valley Community Action for assistance with Richlands residents’ utility bills.
*Appointed Kyle Cruey to the Recreation Development Authority.
*Approved $20,000 from the northern district fund to the Center for Christian Action.
*Heard from County Engineer Ken Dunford that bids for rebuilding the Cedar Bluff Transfer station should be available for review at the May meeting.
*Approved $5,000 from the general fund and $2,000 from northern district funds to the Baptist Valley Fire Department.
*Recessed until April 21 at 6 p.m.
