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Local News

  • Grayson pays bonuses after saving on insurance

    INDEPENDENCE – The Grayson County Board of Supervisors approved a new ordinance earlier this month allowing the county the option to provide bonuses to its employees.
    County Administrator Jonathan Sweet prefaced the public hearing on Jan. 10 by pointing out that, according to state law, the county must pass the ordinance in order to provide any type of bonus above the salary for any of its employees.
    Sweet said the ordinance was brought up by the fact that most jurisdictions provide their employees with some form of bonus, usually around the holidays.

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  • State tax refunds will arrive as debit cards this year

    If you usually receive your state tax refund by check, you’ll have to choose a new option.
    The 2012-2014 Appropriations Act approved by the 2012 General Assembly eliminated paper refund checks to save money.
    The state issued more than 1.2 million refund checks last year, and will save about $200,000 in printing and mailing costs annually under the new law.

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  • Bipartisan effort seeks to restore felons' civil rights

    UPDATE 1/15/13:

    RICHMOND — Legislation endorsed by Gov. Bob McDonnell to return civil rights to nonviolent felons emerged from a Virginia Senate subcommittee without a recommendation Tuesday.

    A motion to recommend the bill failed on a 3-3 vote, with all of the votes against the measure coming from McDonnell’s fellow Republicans. The tie vote was enough to keep the measure alive for the full Privileges and Elections Committee.

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  • Bipartisan effort seeks to restore felons' civil rights

    UPDATE 1/15/13:

     

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  • Jackson named new Hillsville town manager

    HILLSVILLE — Travis Jackson is retiring as the area director for USDA Rural Development after 32 years to become the new Hillsville town manager.
    Town council members unanimously approved hiring Jackson on Monday night, after a motion by Vice Mayor Ed Terry, taking only a few short minutes to fill the position that had been vacant since June.
    Town officials quietly celebrated the circumstances that led to being able to hire Jackson.

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  • Virginians have mixed views on gun laws

    Nearly half of Virginia voters favor stricter state gun laws and two-thirds support putting armed police officers in public schools, according to a new statewide poll released last week.
    In the Quinnipiac University survey, a majority of registered voters voiced support for national bans on assault weapons and sales of high-capacity magazines. But 50 percent of voters believe gun ownership helps protect people from crime.

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  • New chief plans changes in Hillsville

    HILLSVILLE — There’s one main idea that Chief Greg Bolen wants to enforce about the Hillsville Police Department — that it’s a part of the community.
    In the coming months, the department will have more police walking the beat, bike patrols will return to the streets, officers will assist with keeping school zones safe and the agency will launch a Facebook page. The goal of these programs is grounding policing and public safety efforts in the community.
    It all goes back to the fact that the department exists to serve, Bolen said.

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  • Bills aim to keep training centers open

    More supporters of the Virginia training centers have stepped up efforts to convince the General Assembly to protect the facilities for the intellectually and developmentally disabled from closing.
    Gov. Bob McDonnell proposed closing four of the state-run facilities, including the Southwestern Virginia Training Center in Carroll County, and reducing the fifth to 75 beds as part of an idea to shift more residents to community care situations.

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  • Governor proposes ending gas tax

    RICHMOND — Virginia’s gasoline tax would be eliminated and its retail sales tax would increase from 5 percent to 5.8 percent under a transportation funding plan Gov. Bob McDonnell unveiled Tuesday.
    The governor’s proposal also would increase vehicle registration fees, impose a $100 annual fee on alternative fuel vehicles and shift revenue from the state’s general fund to provide more dollars for roads, rail and transit.

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  • Ending Gas Tax: Reader Reaction

    The governor's proposal was one of the most talked-about topics on The Gazette's Facebook page this week. Here's what some readers had to say:

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