Zach Cooley poses with pop legend Sheena Easton after her sold-out March 21 performance at the Millwald Theatre in Wytheville.
Zach Cooley poses with pop legend Sheena Easton after her sold-out March 21 performance at the Millwald Theatre in Wytheville.
Rural Retreat's Caleb Gibson won over Parry McCluer's Brody Julian in the Class 1 126 State Wrestling Championship.
Rural Retreat's Chaz Penwright and Mathews' Ivan Schaible wrestled in the 157 Class 1 State Wrestling Finals.
Rural Retreat's Justin Walker won over Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy's Grant Gardner in the 138 State Wrestling Championship.
The Wythe County Board of Supervisors honored the Rural Retreat High School wrestling team for its VHSL Class 1 state championship at its March 24 meeting.
Chair “Jamie” Smith presented a resolution recognizing the Rural Retreat Indians, who won the 2025-2026 state title with 216 points on Feb. 21 at the Salem Civic Center. It marked the program’s fifth state championship. Caleb Gibson claimed his fourth individual title at 126 pounds, Chaz Penwright his second at 157 pounds and Justin Walker his first at 138 pounds.
In other action, the board advanced Fox Den, Olive Branch and Crawfish roads for possible inclusion in the VDOT Six-Year Plan.
Officials also authorized negotiations to sell surplus VHF radios and related equipment to Bland County and adopted a resolution supporting establishment of a wastewater pre-treatment program to meet Virginia DEQ requirements.
Wytheville’s interim town manager guided Town Council through proposed budget adjustments Monday, with cuts under consideration as officials prepare for the fiscal year ahead.
Chris Slemp led the March 23 work session discussion on the upcoming budget.
Slemp said Downtown Wytheville has requested additional funding to expand events for the town’s Fourth of July celebration on the 250th anniversary of the country.
Slemp explained that the proposed $14.5 million capital budget is inflated largely by wastewater treatment plant repairs needed after Hurricane Helene. Of that total, $6.9 million is tied to storm damage, with about 95 percent of the money expected to be reimbursed through FEMA. Without the hurricane-related request, the capital budget would fall below $7.7 million, in line with the current year’s spending plan.
An ambulance remount project saw its updated quote reduced by $5,000, with a grant application filed to cover half of the cost.
Snow removal equipment funding was trimmed by more than $18,000, and a town hall remodeling allocation was cut by $5,000.
A proposed $50,000 message board at Withers Park was removed, and two new police vehicles were added back at a cost of $90,000; take-home vehicles were eliminated in favor of two new pool vehicles by request of the police department.
Bridge replacement plans were scaled back to one per year in Elizabeth Brown Park, and Slemp said, an $8,000 savings was realized on a scoreboard at Scott Memorial Middle School through a donation.
The proposed operating budget stands at approximately $24 million. The first reading of the budget is scheduled for May 11, with final adoption planned for June 8.
At the School Board’s Feb. 26 meeting, Superintendent G. Wesley Poole updated officials on the fiscal 2027 budget, saying the locality's composite index had shifted from 0.3243 to 0.3249, which decreases state funding and increases the required local contribution.
Poole also discussed rising health insurance costs and the possibility of employee raises for the next fiscal year.
Discussing the budget, teacher and parent Lindsey Jackson expressed concerns about the capital improvement plan. She said she did not want to diminish plans for Spiller Elementary but argued that Fort Chiswell High School should be prioritized for renovation.
Jackson noted that Rural Retreat and George Wythe high schools have aesthetically pleasing facilities, while Fort Chiswell needs similar upgrades.
Poole addressed the capital improvement plan in his budget remarks, stating that no capital projects are currently included in the fiscal 2027 budget. He cited a waiting period between projects and the need for existing debt service to wind down before new debt can be issued.
Poole referenced state legislation that would give localities the option to impose a 1 percent sales tax dedicated solely to school construction. The measure could accelerate projects; however, a Senate Committee continued the measure until next session on a 14-0 vote.
At the previous meeting, Poole noted that the funding formula and a continued drop in enrollment creates a budget gap officials will have to work around. Current enrollment figures are at 3,525; however, lower grade level enrollment has been trending down for several years so the budget will be built on an enrollment of 3,450.
In other news, Gretchen Robinson provided a school health update, highlighting the updated responsibilities and vital role nurses play in a wide range of student health issues.
