Today's News

The Small Business Development Center at Crossroads Institute has helped gain funding for 100 new and expanding businesses in Galax and the Twin Counties — topping all of Virginia’s SBDC offices.

While a remarkable achievement on its own, despite the downturn in the economy, 96 of these businesses — all started within the past three years — remain open. Some are even expanding.

In two separate incidents, the Galax Police Department arrested and charged two couples with a series of thefts in Galax and Mount Airy, N.C.

According to a Galax police report, officers arrested a Tennessee couple March 26 at Wal-Mart after Sgt. Danita Jackson observed them operating a vehicle matching the description of one police were looking for.

Jackson, with the assistance of Detective Aaron Criner, arrested Margie E. Phillips and Roby Lynn Hawkins, both age 29.

HILLSVILLE — The Carroll supervisors seemed thankful to receive a level funding request from the county school system Monday.

Schools Superintendent Greg Smith made his presentation to the Board of Supervisors at a special meeting, the same presentation he gave the school board a couple weeks prior.

The $11.5 million local funding request is the same as the current year’s budget — though the figures show that more of the local money will go towards paying debt service, while less will go toward operations as compared to the current year.

As times get tough, more people are applying for loans and grants via the Internet and mail, but a lack of research into unknown financial institutions has resulted in about 50 people in the area in the past year being scammed out of a combined $15,000 to $20,000, estimates Galax Police Sgt. Chris Brown, holding a folder of fraudulent letters, e-mails and checks.