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Local News

  • Gun show bill passes senate committee

    RICHMOND — A Senate committee on Monday endorsed legislation that would require criminal background checks for nearly all firearms purchased at gun shows like the annual Labor Day event in Hillsville, advancing a bill advocated by families and survivors of the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings.

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  • Public record for 1/14/09 edition

    Editor’s Note: This information is taken from open court records and is a matter of public record. The listings are complete. The newspaper, as a matter of fairness, will not honor requests to omit any listing.  

    District Court

    These sentences were recorded in July in the Grayson County General District Court office, Independence. Sentences may be appealed:

    Kenneth Ray Patton of Independence, guilty of failure to register as a sex offender; sentenced to 30 days in jail; pay $516 costs.

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  • Rescue squad on hold pending review

    HILLSVILLE — Lambsburg Rescue Squad is not being dispatched on emergency medical calls until further notice because of an unspecified breach of protocol, Carroll County officials discussed at the Jan. 12 supervisors meeting.

    The new operational medical director for most squads in Carroll, Dr. Jason Edsel, briefly referred to a recent matter involving the Lambsburg Rescue Squad when discussing the need for uniform medical protocols and training with emergency medical services, mostly staffed by volunteers.

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  • Regional water authority reaches agreement

    INDEPENDENCE – The Virginia/Carolina Regional Water Authority officially announced last Thursday that it has reached an agreement with a property owner for an option to purchase land to build a new regional water plant.

    In the authority’s regular meeting Jan. 8, Chairman Bryan Edwards — who also serves as Sparta, N.C., town manager — said testing is still needed on the proposed site, and should be finished around April 1.

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  • Fancy Gap a tourism hot spot

    HILLSVILLE — Fancy Gap is the garden spot for business in Carroll — and it needs water to grow, said the county's business developer on Jan. 12.

    Investment in both water and sewer could bring new jobs and businesses to Fancy Gap, as the Blue Ridge Parkway prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2010, Bernie Deck told the county supervisors at their regular meeting, as many Fancy Gap business and property owners watched from the audience.

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  • Galax making charter changes

    Galax City Council, which recently hesitated to approve changes to the city's 55-year-old charter, held a hearing on the proposed amendments at its Monday's meeting.

    Most of the changes included fine-tuning and updating the charter's language to make it easier to adopt ordinances, said City Manager Keith Holland.

    “The hesitation was about the time, whether or not we'd get it in on time,” said Holland. The deadline to submit the changes to the General Assembly for approval was Jan. 14.

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  • How to avoid heater accidents

    Winter is here and with it comes the need to prepare for falling temperatures.

    “Preparation is the best way to protect your family from the dangers that come with extreme cold and wintry conditions,” says Dr. Craig Smith, health director for Mount Rogers Health District, which includes Galax and Carroll and Grayson counties.

    “We are urging residents to plan ahead and practice safety at home and while traveling.”

    Heater Safety

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  • Robber strikes again

    Police say the suspect who robbed Galax's First Citizens Bank on Jan. 2 struck the First Citizens Bank at Valley View Mall in Roanoke last Wednesday around 4:30 p.m.

    The robber — who matches the description of the Galax suspect — walked into the Roanoke branch and demanded money, leaving with an undisclosed amount of cash.

    According to the Galax Police Department, the robber was also seen that day at the First Citizens Bank in Christiansburg, an hour prior to the Roanoke robbery.

    The Christiansburg bank was not robbed.

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  • ON THE AGENDA

    RICHMOND — While no progress has been made on a proposed music venue outside Hillsville, two state delegates who represent the county have proposed bills to allow Carroll County to levy an admissions tax.

    Both Del. Ward Armstrong (D-Henry County) and Del. Bill Carrico (R-Fries) have proposed their own bills on the admission tax issue.

    Armstrong's is House Bill 1902, and Carrico's is House Bill 1751.

    Both bills approach adding an admissions tax in the exact same way.

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  • Abduction suspect located

    Galax police officers arrested Pablo Aguilar-Ramirez, 21, of Bryn Mawr Drive in Galax on Jan. 12 for the Sept. 29, 2008, abduction of his estranged girlfriend at a home on Hanes Road in the city.

    Aguilar-Ramirez was arrested at a residence near the original incident site on Hanes Road.

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