Honaker’s Kate Jessee and George Wythe’s Zoey Childers fight for the ball during the Region 1 state semifinals.
Honaker’s Kate Jessee and George Wythe’s Zoey Childers fight for the ball during the Region 1 state semifinals.
Mural work to begin
Wytheville is first in line for a regional mural.
Work on a public art piece on a building along Tazewell Street is scheduled to begin Monday.
Downtown Wytheville announced that Roanoke-based artist Jon Murrill would begin working on a downtown mural, work that will stretch through May 8. Several parking spaces along Tazewell Street will be blocked to accommodate a lift, the organization said. The group also prompted residents to stop by and check out the work and talk with Murrill.
Murrill spent several years teaching art courses after graduating with a master’s degree in art from Radford University before transitioning to making large-scale murals full time. He earned his undergraduate degree from Roanoke College in 2009.
His work can be seen across Virginia and all the way to Brazil.
Murrill says his work aims to be a celebration of Appalachia.
Residents raise concerns over data center
Questions over the proposed data center planned for Progress Park continued to swirl, particularly after an April 6 report from the county’s engineer that excavation work on the site resulted in a stop-work notice.
The reported work included tree cutting and tracked equipment near drainage areas; the engineer urged the developer to finalize and submit full plans and agreed to require enhanced sediment controls to reduce the risk of siltation.
The 99-acre site is being prepped for a data center announced late last year on Lot 35 in the industrial park, operated by Solis Arx.
Progress Park has been marketed as a certified stie for data center development for more than a decade; however, residents have continually pushed back against plans for a development there.
During the Board of Supervisors meeting on April 14, several concerned residents spoke out again, highlighting environmental harms among other issues.
Denis Davis cited a report from earlier this year that warned of noise levels, light pollution and environmental pollution. She said that at some centers, a hum is audible for up to two miles, leading to sleep disruption. The light pollution also throws off sleep patterns while other pollutants from centers have been linked to increased cancer, respiratory and cardiac risks.
Davis said the development appears to run counter to the Joint Industrial Development Authority’s mission to “achieve and sustain the optimum quality of life” for Wythe County.
Jeff MacQuarrie noted that the county hasn’t discussed how potential profits – up to $10 million per year – would be used. He also pointed out that Solis Arx’s web page is still just a landing page and there has been no meeting set with the executive, despite assurances that would happen. MacQuarrie asked if “this is the type of company the board wants to do business with.”
Gary Gardner pointed to an NPR report that said Northern Virginia data centers have raised local temperatures by 4 degrees across an eight-mile radius, while Sarah Bates expressed frustration and despair watching events unfold.
Bland, Wythe voters show up against redistricting amendment
Though the measure was narrowly approved statewide, Bland and Wythe voters came down solidly on the “no” side of a constitutional amendment aimed at re-drawing Virginia’s 11 congressional district.
In Bland and Wythe, like the remainder of Southwest Virginia, voters overwhelmingly rejected the amendment that would give Democrats a 10-1 advantage in the state.
The plan was developed by the Democrat-led General Assembly to temporarily reshape districts prior to the November mid-term elections.
According to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, the amendment passed 51.45 percent to 48.55 percent, or 1,574,509 to 1,485,657.
In the 9th Congressional District, the lone Republican safe district after redistricting, 84 percent of the votes were cast against the plan.
In Wythe, 9,021 voted against the measure, with 1,906 voting in favor. The county reported a 50 percent turnout. In Bland, 88 percent of the votes were “no” votes, with 2,178. 308 voted “yes” in Bland.
Thought the redistricting plan won approval at the ballot box, it may not be over as it faces several challenges in the courts with the state’s top court ultimately to decide.
Republicans had early filed several actions challenging the legality of the process for the amendment. The state’s top court is set to hear arguments on Monday. Courts prior to the vote allowed the referendum to proceed but said it would rule afterward whether the vote was valid.
On Wednesday, Tazewell County Circuit Judge Jack Hurley Jr. issued another ruling against the amendment. Before the election, Hurley had ruled the effort violated procedural requirements. On Wednesday, the judge ruled that the amendment was invalid.
Another case in Richmond challenges the 10-1 maps.
Free doc screening at cultural center
The Wytheville Training School Cultural Center will host a free public showing of the new documentary “A Silent Fire” on Saturday, April 25, offering the community an opportunity to engage with a powerful and long overlooked chapter of Southwest Virginia history.
“A Silent Fire” follows Virginia Tech student researcher Macie Alford as she uncovers an 1880 newspaper report describing a mysterious fire in Burke’s Garden that claimed the lives of four children. Despite the tragedy’s magnitude, Alford discovers that the event is absent from local histories, oral traditions and community memory. Her investigation reveals a deeper story about how elements of Black history in rural Appalachia have been lost, silenced or forgotten.
“This documentary invites us to confront the gaps in our shared history,” said representatives of the Wytheville Training School Cultural Center. “It reflects the importance of preserving stories that were never given the space they deserved.”
A Tazewell County native and first-generation college student, Alford is a prominent student leader and History major at Virginia Tech. Her academic work centers on Black rural education, community connected research, and advocacy for marginalized students. A Silent Fire marks her first major documentary project, blending rigorous scholarship with a commitment to uncovering hidden histories.
Co director and cinematographer Jorge Rey is a war veteran whose global experience documenting untold stories informs his filmmaking. His portfolio includes award winning documentaries, PBS broadcast films, and visual storytelling for nonprofit organizations. His recent work highlights the people, culture, and history of Appalachia.
The free screening is set for Saturday, April 25, at 5 p.m at the Wytheville Training School Cultural Center at 410 E. Franklin St.
The screening will be followed by a community conversation about the film’s themes, the importance of historical preservation, and ongoing efforts to recover lost narratives in southwest Virginia.
The Wytheville Training School Cultural Center is dedicated to preserving African American educational history, fostering intergenerational learning, and uplifting stories that shape the cultural fabric of Wythe County and beyond. Through exhibits, programs, and community partnerships, the Center works to ensure that local history is remembered, honored, and shared.
