Zach Cooley poses with legendary TV star Vicki Lawrence, his wife Emily, daughter Bella, and friend Jeremy Miller (far right) ahead of Lawrence's performance at the Newton Performing Arts Center in North Carolina on Saturday, May 9.
Zach Cooley poses with legendary TV star Vicki Lawrence, his wife Emily, daughter Bella, and friend Jeremy Miller (far right) ahead of Lawrence's performance at the Newton Performing Arts Center in North Carolina on Saturday, May 9.
Wythe County has earned two 2026 Achievement Awards from the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo), recognizing innovative local government programs that strengthen public safety, outdoor recreation and quality of life in rural communities.
The county was honored for "Launching Wythe County Emergency Services: A Regional Funding and Rural Response Model" and "The Reed Creek Blueway." VACo announced the awards May 11, selecting 40 programs statewide from 103 submissions.
“Receiving two VACo Achievement Awards is a tremendous honor for Wythe County and a reflection of the hard work, collaboration and forward-thinking leadership taking place across our community,” said Allyson Williams, public information officer and grants coordinator for Wythe County. “These projects demonstrate how rural localities can create meaningful solutions that improve quality of life, strengthen public safety and invest in long-term community development.”
Launching Wythe County Emergency Services: A Regional Funding and Rural Response Model
The award-winning Emergency Services initiative recognized Wythe County's efforts to establish a county-led Emergency Services Department to improve the reliability and consistency of emergency medical response countywide. The program highlighted the county's use of regional funding, phased implementation, community education programs and support for volunteer agencies to build a more sustainable emergency services system.
Since launching in spring 2024, Wythe County Emergency Services has expanded training and public education opportunities, established a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and secured more than $540,000 in grant funding to support equipment, workforce development and community preparedness initiatives.
The Reed Creek Blueway
The Reed Creek Blueway project was recognized for transforming informal and often unsafe creek access into a structured, publicly accessible outdoor recreation corridor. The project established permanent public access points at Kents Lane Portage Park and Millers Creek Portage Park through strategic easements and grant funding partnerships.
The Blueway provides safe, legal and free public access for paddling, fishing and outdoor recreation while supporting tourism and economic activity in Wythe County. The project was funded in part through a $100,000 grant from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.
According to VACo Executive Director Dean Lynch, this year’s submissions showcased “the creativity, leadership, and commitment county officials bring every day to solving real challenges and improving the quality of life for residents across the Commonwealth.”
The VACo Achievement Awards program is a competitive statewide program that recognizes innovative local government programs across Virginia.
Senah Stephens
On Tuesday, May 5, hundreds of 11th-grade students gathered at The Millwald Theatre to hear from a recent George Wythe High School graduate who will soon be getting her MD. The “Legacy and Leadership: Inspiring the Next Generation” event, sponsored by the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum and other local organizations, was designed to inspire students as they develop goals for the future. Motivational speaker Senah Stephens took the stage and shared her journey from a dairy farm in Wythe County to a residency in orthopedic surgery in Roanoke. She advised her audience, “We can do much harder things than we give ourselves credit for.”
Stephens, who was born and raised in Wythe County like her father and grandparents before, talked to students about growing up on a farm on the edge of town.
“Being the first in my immediate family to complete graduate school and become a doctor is a huge privilege and, equally, a huge responsibility,” she said. “Like me, you may find yourself considering career possibilities that no one around you has accomplished. I want to empower you today to pursue any career of your choosing.”
Stephens acknowledged that her goals during and after high school have required work and sacrifice. She and her mother sold baked goods at the Wytheville Farmer’s Market to help fund her dancing classes. When she attended Virginia Tech, she worked two part-time jobs to cover expenses. Throughout her journey to medical school, Stephens said, “I knew I had the drive and ability to get the resources I needed.”
After graduating from GWHS and the Southwest Virginia Governor’s School in 2018, Stephens pursued Bachelor of Science degrees in biochemistry and biology at Virginia Tech. With the college credits she earned in high school, she completed her dual majors plus a minor in chemistry in just three years. After undergraduate school, Stephens gained health care experience working in a dermatology clinic for one year. In August 2022, Stephens enrolled at the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. She will receive her MD this month, and in June she will begin the next phase of her medical training: a five-year residency at Virginia Tech- Carilion Clinic in Roanoke. Stephens told the audience, “My career choice is a marathon, not a sprint… Remember that some of the most rewarding careers require the most sacrifice and investment.”
Stephens encouraged students to follow their passions when they consider what they’d like to do after high school. “It’s important to love what you do.” She assured students, “With hard work, solid planning, and a continued belief in yourself, you can create a future that will satisfy your biggest dreams.”
As a child, Stephens portrayed “young Edith” for the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum. She told students she has always been inspired by Edith’s story of “independence, confidence, and resilience.” The path Edith traveled from rural Virginia to the White House has given Stephens hope during her journey from milking cows on her family’s dairy farm to operating as an orthopedic surgeon. She expressed gratitude to her family and members of the Wytheville community who supported her along the way. Stephens advised students, “Don’t be afraid to rely on others in times of need.”
The “Legacy and Leadership” program was hosted by The Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum, Wytheville Community College, The Millwald, Wythe County Public Schools, and Bland County Public Schools. It opened with Betsy Ely, a retired English teacher, portraying Edith Bolling Wilson and reminding students of Wilson’s unusual life experiences. At the conclusion of Senah Stephen’s speech, Deanna Bradberry, Director of Institutional Advancement at Wytheville Community College, reviewed post-secondary programs available to students at WCC. She also assured students that financial aid was available and that she could help them pursue their goals.
Farron Smith, founder of the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum, said in an email after the event, “Education is at the core of the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum’s mission, and we hope this program provided the spark to inspire our Wythe and Bland students to think about, plan for, and set goals for their futures.”
While the overwhelming number of Virginia’s Revolutionary War soldiers are buried in eastern and central Virginia, over 100 are interred in the far Southwest corner of the Commonwealth.
Wythe County has 24 confirmed patriots buried here, according to a 1999-2000 report by the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.
The study identified 1,444 Revolutionary War veterans buried or recognized in Virginia cemeteries outside Colonial National Historical Park in Yorktown. The study lists 637 French veterans and 99 Virginia veterans memorialized there.
The study further identified 66 cemeteries statewide with three or more such burials.
Those from Wythe County include John Crockett, Michael Cleves, William Cleves, John Harkrader, John Hoppess, John Hounshell, Conrad Keesling, Hugh McGavock, James McGavock, John Montgomery, Michael Neff, James Newell Sr., Stephen Sanders, John Sayers, William Sayers, Christian Seybert, Christopher Simmerman, Robert Steele, John Steffey, Lawrence Stephens, Henry Umberger, Michael Walters, William Ward and Zachariah Wells.
Around the regions, there are more.
Among those identified from Bristol and Washington County are: Edward Barker, William Beatty, James Campbell, John Campbell, John Carmack, William Carmack, William Y. Conn, Robert Craig, Rev. Charles Cummings, James Davies II, Samuel Duff, John Dunkin Jr., Michael Fleenor, James Jacobous Fulkerson, George Gamble, Phillip Greever, Israel Hayter, Samuel Hensley, Rev. Ezekiel Hobbs, James Hope, Peter Johnston, William King, Samuel Meek, Richard Montgomery, William Moore, James Piper, James Scott, John Sharp, Evan Shelby, William Snodgrass, Samuel Vance, Samuel Widener, John Wright.
Smyth County shows Zachariah Blankenbeckler, John Brody, John Buchanan, Joseph Cole Jr., John Campbell, Edward Crowe, Nicholas Darter, Elisha Duncan, George Killinger, Francis Preston, William Preston, James Scott, John Shannon, William Tate and Richard Williams.
Tazewell County shows William Brooks, Lowe Brown, Thomas Gillespie, II, Mathias Harman, James Moore, Archibald Thompson, William Thompson, James Witten and Thomas Witten.
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