Billy Wagner addresses the crowd.
Billy Wagner addresses the crowd.
Daniel and Nathanael Gross, students in Mr. Robert “Spot” Steele’s masonry class at Tazewell County Career and Technical Center! The brothers competed against eight other masonry teams in the Virginia State Fair SkillsUSA masonry competition and brought home first place.
Daniel and Nathanael Gross, students in Mr. Robert “Spot” Steele’s masonry class at Tazewell County Career and Technical Center! The brothers competed against eight other masonry teams in the Virginia State Fair SkillsUSA masonry competition and brought home first place.
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Work progressing on school repairs
Tazewell Va. – Tazewell High’s cafeteria is open and work on the gym is progressing.
School Superintendent Dr. Chris Stacy said he ate lunch at the school last week and the cafeteria looked great.
Anne Young from Thompson & Litton said the contractor is finishing work on the bottom floor. They are framing the locker room and will do ceiling tiles and electrical work. She said there were three complaints filed with the Occupational Safety Health Administration.
One dealt with dust, one with noise and one with asbestos. She said the dust and noise complaints were none actionable, and they were awaiting word on the asbestos.
Young also told the board work would start on bathrooms at all three high schools on Oct. 19. Board member David Woodard said work was scheduled to start on the bathrooms Oct. 5.
Young said the work was held up because of the asbestos. Woodard said the work was originally scheduled to begin in September and if the contractor were not going to stay on schedule, he would ask the board to consider revoking the contract and rebidding the project.
In other action the board:
*Learned that all board members received awards from the Virginia School Board Association and that David Woodard received the award of distinction, which is the highest award the association gives.
*Recognized the carpentry students, who repaired the bleachers at Bulldog Stadium.
*Recognized masonry students Daniel and Nathaniel Gross, who finished first out of eight teams at the state Fair competition.
*Proclaimed October as Bullying prevention month.
*Learned that Oct. 19-23 is school bus safety week.
*Learned that Red Ribbon Week is Oct. 23-31. The week focuses on making healthy choices.
*Recognized Richlands High School for achieving Virginia Distinguished School and for achieving the highest test scores in the county two years in a row.
*Approved the budget planning calendar for fiscal 2027-28 as presented by finance director Gary Matney and appointed Woodard and Brannon Breeding to the budget committee. The public hearing for the February meeting.
*Received an update on virtual academy students from Chad Brown.
*Learned from Director of Testing Channy Ashby that six schools exceeding expectations from the state. Ashby also updated the board on the testing schedule.
*Held a public hearing on the appointment of a new school board member from the Northwestern District. Charity Hurst spoke in support of Freddie Elswick.
*Heard from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Chris Stacy that the geotechnical work has been completed, and work will soon start on installing lights and bleachers at Graham High.
*Heard from Stacy that Tazewell County is second to Wise County in the number of students enrolled in Governor’s School.
*Met in closed session to discuss the northwestern District school board appointment.
"The 2026 Tazewell Comic Con returns to Nuckolls Hall Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. with games, vendors, a Slime Lab, and a costume contest. This is a free, family event for the entire community.
"The 2026 Tazewell Comic Con returns to Nuckolls Hall Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. with games, vendors, a Slime Lab, and a costume contest. This is a free, family event for the entire community.
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County to require background checks before funding non profits
Allegations that a local nonprofit had a sex offender on its board has led Tazewell County to adopt a new policy regarding how it funds those organizations.
During the Oct. 6 meeting of the board of supervisors, Tazewell resident Jamie Rasnick spoke to the board about the matter. Rasnick said she was concerned about the safety of children at community events.
She said she had learned that a former member of Tazewell Today’s board was a registered sex offender. Since Tazewell Today hosts events in the community that children attend Rasnick asked what screening the board has in place to assure the community that this does not happen again.
Rasnick told the board that she was not there for a certain individual but pondered if there was a policy in place to make sure there are no other registered sex offenders volunteering or serving on any committees or boards. Rasnick suggested background checks for any organization that uses county facilities, funding or promotion of events for children.
County Administrator Eric Young told Rasnick that Tazewell Today was a function of the Town of Tazewell and asked if she had addressed the matter with them. Rasnick spoke to town council at its Oct.13 meeting.
Board members discussed the matter with Young and County Attorney Aaron Gillespie and agreed that a policy was needed. Supervisor Kyle Cruey moved and Curtis Breeding seconded the motion, which passed unanimously, directing Young and Gillespie to draft a policy requiring any agency that receives donations from the board to verify in writing that they do not have any registered sex offenders on their board or in volunteer positions.
The county rule would require any organization that had a sex offender involved to pay back any money received from the county.
“The board resolved going forward to require any nonprofit group to whom we donate funds to certify that they do not employ sex offenders or have any on their board. We are working on amending the application forms for these groups and getting notice to them that they will need to reapply,” a press release from the county said.
Tazewell Today has operated since 2015 and became part of the Virginia Street program in 2020. It is not affiliated with the county and has rarely received funding from the board of supervisors.
The group has used the board room at the county administration building for gingerbread house contests at Christmas and it rents Nuckolls Hall for bingo and other events. The organization released a statement Oct. 14 and said it would have no further comment until the full board convened.
“Tazewell Today, Inc. recognizes the seriousness of recent public allegations concerning the possible involvement of a registered sex offender in our organization's past leadership. We understand the concerns these allegations have raised within our community and believe it is important to address this matter with transparency, factual information, and a commitment to public trust.
"As part of our efforts to address these allegations, we have reviewed available historical organizational records. Unfortunately, we could not locate a complete list of board members dating back to the organization's founding. However, based on the records available for review, we did not identify the person in question on any official board membership listing. Unfortunately, records indicate that the person in question did in fact attend organizational board meetings between January and June 2020, during the tenure of a previous Executive Director and Board. While his attendance and involvement during this period are documented, we have been unable to locate official documentation establishing that he served as an appointed member of the Tazewell Today Board of Directors.
"We believe it is important to distinguish between attendance at board meetings, participation in organizational activities, and formally serving as an appointed board member.
"We also recognize the limitations of the historical records currently available. Our findings reflect the documentation we have reviewed and should not be interpreted as a definitive account of every individual involved with the organization throughout its history.
"Furthermore, the concern raised at the recent Town Council and Board of Supervisors meeting was not brought directly to Tazewell Today. A concern was raised concerning promoting a local business and its practices. We made it clear we do not govern the practices of local businesses and discontinued the conversation when it became inappropriate.
"Tazewell Today is deeply disappointed that our organization received no official communication from Tazewell County following the resolution adopted at the October 6, 2026, Board of Supervisors meeting concerning allegations involving our organization.
"We are particularly concerned that a decision affecting Tazewell Today was made without first providing our organization an opportunity to present available documentation, address the allegations, or participate in a fact-finding process.
"This decision has already affected our community. A longstanding, previously confirmed community event scheduled at Nuckolls Hall was canceled without the county notifying our organization.
"While we respect the responsibility of elected officials to address matters of public concern, we believe decisions with significant consequences for community organizations should be based on verified information, open communication, and a fair opportunity for all parties to respond.
"Tazewell Today fully understands and respects the public's concerns regarding the individuals entrusted with leadership positions in community organizations.
"We agree that appropriate background screening of board members, officers, and committee chairs is an important measure to maintain public confidence and protect the interests of our community.
"As a result, we are actively working to implement background checks for our leadership and strengthen our organizational policies and procedures to ensure greater accountability and transparency moving forward.
"We also ask the community to recognize that Tazewell Today has experienced significant changes in leadership, governance, and organizational operations since 2020.
"The individuals currently serving on our Board of Directors and in executive leadership were not serving in those capacities during the period in question.
"No member of Tazewell Today's current Board of Directors is a registered sex offender. We take this matter seriously and will take necessary steps to formalize appropriate screening and verification procedures to ensure these facts and show our commitment to the community’s safety and trust.
"Tazewell Today, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening our community, supporting local businesses, preserving the character of our historic downtown, and creating events and opportunities that bring people together.
"Our volunteers, board members, and leadership devote countless hours to making Tazewell a better place to live, work, and visit.
"We are committed to addressing concerns responsibly, establishing stronger safeguards, and continuing to serve Tazewell with integrity.
"We recognize that public trust must be earned and maintained through responsible leadership, transparency, and action. We will not dismiss legitimate community concerns, nor do we believe our organization or its current leadership should be judged solely on allegations involving an individual's participation approximately six years ago, particularly when the available documentation does not establish that individual's formal board membership.
"Tazewell Today recognizes outstanding attendance at our events, indicating there is no public safety concern. We sincerely appreciate the continued support of our community, volunteers, businesses, and partners."
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Mathais appeal going forward
Whether a Broadford woman gets a new trial is now in the hands of the Virginia Supreme Court.
After conducting an evidentiary hearing on Sept. 9, Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Richard Patterson ruled Sept. 17 that Marticia Mathias was denied an appeal she was entitled to due to ineffective assistance of counsel.
That order was forwarded to the clerk of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
The Supreme Court had issued an order July 1 directing the circuit court to schedule and conduct the evidentiary hearing to determine if Mathias unequivocally and timely instructed her attorney to note an appeal and whether she was denied an appeal she otherwise would have taken due to ineffective assistance of counsel.
After hearing from witnesses, Patterson took the matter under advisement. He ruled on Sept. 17 that Mathias did unequivocally and timely instruct her attorney to note an appeal. The Supreme Court held its ruling on Mathias’ motion for habeas corpus until it had the results of the evidentiary hearing.
