Local News

Tomato plants with a fungal disease that's ravaging gardens this year need to be disposed of properly, lest they damage next year's crop, Virginia Cooperative Extension agents warn.

Gardens in the Twin Counties and throughout the East have experienced a "tremendous loss" of garden tomatoes due to late blight, said Extension agent Kevin Spurlin.

"Unfortunately, the disease is quite devastating with complete crop losses common," he said. "There are measures that home gardeners need to take soon to limit the infection potential next year."

HILLSVILLE — A 50-year-old New Castle man accused of robbing a Hillsville bank has waived his preliminary hearing.

Richard Donald Hawes faces a charge of robbery after he demanded money from a teller at Grayson National Bank in Hillsville Aug. 6.

Police traced Hawes to New Castle and arrested him on a warrant at his home there, though the suspect had obscured many of his features behind a cap, large sunglasses and a bandanna and other generic clothing.

Jeff Matthews Museum, located on West Stuart Drive in Galax, saw more 200 visitors just during the week of the Old Fiddlers' Convention, and curator Tony Burcham believes the increase is due to a large, unfinished mural painted on the building and the publicity it's receiving.

Before the mural, the plain brick building near the Galax Public Library was hardly identifiable.

Local artists David and Brigette Payseur started the painting last month when they were approached by the museum's board of directors.

HILLSVILLE — When they might otherwise have still been in bed last Saturday morning, five Carroll Public Service Authority members voted to hold separate public hearings in the future on taking a piece of land for the regional water project and raising rates.

Authority members held a special breakfast meeting at 7 a.m. to consider these topics at Countryside Restaurant, as Gary Larrowe, county administrator and PSA executive director, explained the situations that the Carroll public utilities arm faces.