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Local News

  • Grayson County balances budget

    INDEPENDENCE – Grayson County has managed to close the deficit in next year’s budget without a tax increase, dipping into its reserve account or affecting any core services.
    County Administrator Jonathan Sweet said the board’s two favorite words last week when he told supervisors there was a “balanced budget.”
    Though the supervisors began budget talks facing a potential $1.4 million shortfall between requested expenditures and projected revenues, the county staff able to close that gap.

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  • What's the buzz on cicadas?

    BLACKSBURG — While certain areas of Virginia are abuzz with the sound of cicadas, the Twin Counties will stay relatively quiet on that front.
    The arrival of the 17-year wave of the noisy and colorful cicadas — different than the annual summer brood of insects — has been much dreaded, but Virginia Tech Entomologist Eric Day says that Twin County residents shouldn’t have to stuff too much cotton in their ears to block the buzzing.

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  • VDOT paves way for road work

    HILLSVILLE — The new state transportation funding model has paved the way for two Carroll roads to be added to the secondary six year plan to receive improvements, the county supervisors learned at their Monday meeting.
    The Virginia Department of Transportation’s Dan Huff shared the news that changes made to construction funding during this year’s legislative session generated just $15,000 to improve unpaved roads in 2013, but that amount will continue increasing over time.

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  • Company still looking at Wildwood

    By SHAINA STOCKTON, Staff
    Last year, the Blue Ridge Crossroads Economic Development Authority (BRCEDA) requested help from the Virginia Tobacco Commission to attract a potential business to Wildwood Commerce Park.
    The tobacco commission had offered BRCEDA a $6 million grant to help with the development of Wildwood, contingent upon the unnamed prospect agreeing to locate in the commerce park, located at the Exit 19 intersection of Interstate 77 and Virginia 620 in Carroll County.

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  • 6th District candidates emerging

    Two candidates are now vying for the Republican nomination to replace retiring Del. Annie B. Crockett-Stark (R-Wytheville) in the November election.
    Rural Retreat businessman and farmer Jack Weaver is the latest to announce a bid for the 6th District Virginia House of Delegates seat. Jeff Campbell, the former mayor of Saltville, already is seeking the party’s nomination.

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  • Carroll water projects advance

    HILLSVILLE — Two Carroll County water projects advanced, at least on paper, as the Public Service Authority approved financing documents Monday.
    County officials made headway on the Coon Ridge water project, approving the process of awarding the contract to the lowest bidder, contingent on federal funding agency Rural Development signing off as well, according to PSA documentation.
    Authority members also adopted the loan resolution required to pay for a water system installation at Interstate 77’s Exit 1 at Lambsburg.

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  • Mother missing, but not forgotten

    While investigators from two states try to get information out of the last person known to have seen a missing mother of four, well-wishers on Sunday kept a social media page dedicated to Desia Rae George lit up with Mother’s Day wishes.
    On Sunday alone, there were 26 posts to the “Find Desia Rae George” page on Facebook, not counting other thoughts and prayers not specific to the holiday.

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  • First guards begin training at prison

    INDEPENDENCE — The first of numerous sets of correctional officers began their three-month training Friday at the River North Correctional Center in Grayson County.
    Ben Wright, warden of the soon-to-open prison, updated the Grayson Board of Supervisors on the progress of the facility as he begins building his staff of nearly 350.
    “This has been a night that’s been long coming for us,” said Supervisors Chairman Mike Maynard during the board’s regular monthly meeting last week.

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  • McGrady wins Democratic nod in 6th District race

    HILLSVILLE — Jonathan Lee McGrady officially won the Democratic Party nomination this week to run for the 6th District House of Delegates seat this fall.
    The Carroll County attorney and tree farmer hopes to succeed Del. Annie B. Crockett-Stark (R-Wytheville), who is retiring. He was unopposed in his bid for the nomination.
    McGrady, 43, has practiced law with his father, Joe McGrady, in his hometown of Hillsville since graduating from William & Mary in 1995.

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  • Natural gas to flow soon in Carroll

    HILLSVILLE  — The new natural gas pipeline manager and utility specialist made his second appearance before the Carroll Industrial Development Authority on his first day on the job May 6.
    The first occasion that Earl Hagee spoke to the IDA occurred back in the fall when he was still an employee of MasTec, the company that won the contract to install the pipeline to serve Mohawk as a job retention effort.

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The Galax Gazette is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Galax, Grayson, Carroll, and surrounding areas.