Today's News

INDEPENDENCE — Grayson Sheriff Richard Vaughan was among department heads presenting county supervisors their budget requests for the 2010 fiscal year on March 11.

Last year, the sheriff's office was granted $684,238.

Vaughan — whose $53,689 department request was 7.8 percent higher than last year — explained his reasoning for the increase to the board of supervisors.

HILLSVILLE — Regina Dalton won't let multiple sclerosis get her down — and she's doing what she can for others, too, through a new support group in the Twin Counties.

"My personal motto is 'I have MS, but MS doesn't have me,'" she explained when talking about what led her to launch the Twin County MS Support Group. "I'm not going to give in to it... I have too much to live for."

Though her eyesight has worsened and her energy level has dropped, Dalton remains defiant.

HILLSVILLE — While closure of the Hillsville residency is in the forecast, so too are changes for the Virginia Department of Transportation's services.

The number of roads on the six-year plan will basically shrink to two — and both of those involve spending federal funds to improve Virginia 620 at Exit 19, Bob Beasley, VDOT resident administrator, told the Carroll supervisors in an appearance at Monday's meeting.

Maintenance will make roads with more than 10,000 vehicles on them the focus.

After spending nearly three hours in closed session on Feb. 23 interviewing seven candidates for two seats on the Galax School Board, city council appointed Helen Kyle and reappointed Ray Kohl during Monday's meeting to fill the positions.

The terms for Kohl, who serves as school board chairman, and vice chairwoman Theresa Lazo are set to expire June 30. Lazo decided not to seek reappointment.

This is Kyle's second stint in public office. She previously served on Galax City Council.