The Fort Chiswell Class of 2026.
The Fort Chiswell Class of 2026.
The Rural Retreat High School Class of 2026
The Rural Retreat High School Class of 2026
Funds sought for solar feasibility
Wytheville Council on May 11 gave the go ahead to seeking funding for a feasibility study for a solar project at the town landfill.
Director of Public Utilities and Engineering Billy Anderson told council members that the Department of Environmental Quality has allowed closed landfills, like Wytheville’s, to be used for solar.
Anderson said the consultant would provide a student evaluating the potential solar project’s costs, revenues and financing opportunities.
The study, which Anderson called a proof of concept, would be around $40,000, with an additional $25,000 needed to complete the project afterward.
Council also agreed to look at ways to bring funding to Bethel AME Church.
Patricia Austin, speaking on behalf of the house of worship built in 1892, highlighted the urgent structural repairs needed at Bethel, saying that historic buildings don’t wait and every delay increases costs for repairs.
Austin noted that the town, with a modest investment, can unlock larger sums from the state and federal governments that could be used to help repair the historic church. She said the church has been unsuccessful in applying for multiple grants.
Joseph Hand said that he believes there may already be funds in place, particularly through the downtown façade program, that could benefit Bethel.
In other news, Council unanimously approved a Saturday, July 25, street closure on East Franklin and South Fifth for the Wytheville Training School Cultural Center’s fifth annual street fair, set for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The inaugural Mayor’s Cup Blood Drive, scheduled for noon to 6 p.m. on June 11, held in collaboration with the American Red Cross, Edith Bolling Wilson Museum and Wythe County Community Hospital was announced.
Data center dominates citizens time
The planned data center for Progress Park continued to pack citizens time at the May 12 Wythe Supervisors meeting, with residents coming in fairly split on the development.
Marcie Zon addressed water consumption predictions at the data center, noting that the Solix Arx construction is promised to operate on a closed-loop cooling system that will use around 2,000 gallons of water per day. Zon compared that to water needs elsewhere in the community, pointing out that a busy Starbucks will use more than 3,000 gallons per day, some car washes use more than 6,000 gallons daily and splash pads can soak up anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 gallons per day.
Zon urged trust in the board’s judgment, saying the project could support tax stability, school improvements, enhancements to emergency services and better infrastructure.
Zon’s thoughts were echoed by Joe Debord Jr., who emphasized the need for economic development in Wythe County, comparing the Solis Arx project to a Meta center in Sumner County, Tennessee. Debord said Meta ended up investing $1 million in local schools outside of Nashville.
Debord said embracing growth can benefit the community and advocated for strategic development in designated areas, such as Progress Park.
“We got to have the money folks, just that simple,” he said.
Sheri Burris questioned the amount of economic impact a center would have, particularly in regards to work force. She said that data center typically only have 10 to 25 permanent employees after construction and warned that tax incentives, land use and energy use don’t translate to employment benefits and actually accelerate job losses through automation. She urged Supervisors to focus on investing in local jobs and industry that won’t leave working families behind. Â
“We should not have to adapt,” she said. “We should not be trading away our workforce for warehouses of servers. We should be investing in humans and we should be investing in industries that hire locally, train locally and grow locally.”
Donna Nichter also expressed concerns about the dangers Artificial Intelligence poses, including privacy violations, deepfakes that undermine social trust, economic disruptions and the loss of critical thinking.
Andy Kegley again urged the county to rescind its January 2025 resolution welcoming data centers to Wythe County.
