Local News

An estimated 1,800 Twin County residents have sought information about applying to the Affordable Care Act from two outreach program workers based at Tri-Area Community Health Center in Laurel Fork.
Of those, about 100 have completed and turned in their own application to comply with the law that requires all people to have their own health insurance, the program many times referred to as “Obamacare” for the chief executive who got it passed.

DUGSPUR — A family of three lost their home at 10538 Floyd Pike in a Nov. 27 fire.
Hillsville Fire Department received an alarm at 4:42 a.m. to respond to an emergency at the home of the family of Joe Reed.
The owner reported that a flue fire started at the fire place or wood stove in the back of the home, according to information from the fire department. The owner tried to throw water on the blaze, but it broke through the wall at the chimney.

HILLSVILLE — A space heater apparently caused a Nov. 23 fire at 569 Sylvatus Highway Nov. 23 at approximately 1 a.m.
Hillsville Fire Department volunteers responded to the Star trailer park, owned by Emory Bearden and rented by Curtis Keith to house several seasonal workers for the Christmas tree harvest, according to emergency officials.
“Fire started from a space heater that set a wall on fire, then the electrical circuit shorted out and burned a small amount under the trailer,” firefighters said in a news release.

RICHMOND — Virginia Tobacco Commission staff has recommended granting $962,500 to pay for the first phase of a sewer expansion to make the Wildwood Commerce Park more attractive as a potential site for food processing.
The tobacco commission received five proposals requesting $20.7 million under its “megasite” industrial park grants, with $12.7 million of assistance funds budgeted, according to information from the state agency. This made the selection process very competitive.