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Today's News

  • Season of Giving

    Don’t be a Scrooge this holiday season. Give like you mean it.

    Or rather, be like Scrooge, but make that the transformed Scrooge who saw the meaningfulness of helping others and found the true spirit of the season in Charles Dickens’ classic Victorian Christmas tale.

    You don’t have to be visited by three ghosts on Christmas eve to do the right thing this year — especially when so many people are out of work and face the grim specter of need as brought on by the poor state of the economy.

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  • Letters to the Editor for 12/15/08

    Civil rights eroded in U.S.

    One thing I heard little or nothing about in the groundbreaking 2008 elections, was the disastrous erosion of civil rights in this country.

    Nor have I heard any subsequent discussion of George W. Bush’s assault on the Constitution, which he called a “(deleted) piece of paper.”

    Barack Obama is moving into an Imperial Presidency that would have warmed Richard Nixon’s heart.

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  • Don't fall for 'free money' offers

    A Rooftop of Virginia client was conned out of $900 in credit card charges last month after a grant-writers research company in Raleigh, N.C., promised to find free money, only to provide a list of governmental agencies that already provide free services.

    Grant Writers Research Network offered to help an elderly woman find grants to help her repair her home, said a concerned Tammy Webb, community resource service coordinator of Rooftop of Virginia Community Action Program.

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  • Court sets aside 4-6 weeks for Hammer trial

    INDEPENDENCE — Independence attorney Jonathon Venzie, one of the lawyers representing Frederick Hammer on five charges of capital murder and 11 other charges, told Grayson Circuit Judge Brett Geisler that Hammer's trial could last between four and six weeks.

    The charges against Hammer stem from the killings of Ronald Hudler, 73; his son, Frederick Hudler, 44; and farm worker John Miller Jr. , 25, on Jan. 24.

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  • Tempest in a tree stand

    HILLSVILLE — The latest dust-up between Carroll County and Hillsville is all tied up with a Christmas bow. Two days after Hillsville held its annual Christmas tree lighting, county officials insisted the town's artificial

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  • State to appeal dog custody case

    HILLSVILLE — Dogs being held in the state's care as the result of an investigation into a Carroll County man appear to be in legal limbo at the moment.

    In investigating reports of poor conditions in kennels owned by David Winesett of Coulson Church Road, Virginia State Police seized 63 dogs.

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  • Responsible spending

    In response to your Nov. 24 editorial “Policing the budget,” I’m disappointed that it was filled with such a lack of understanding about local government budget management.

    Our board never criticized the Sheriff for “needing the money.” Any comments made were related to a well-founded concern about the sheriff’s budget exceeding expenses the county had budgeted.

    We expect every department of Grayson County government to abide by the budget passed. In Grayson County, budgets are firm.

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  • Whitetop blasting continues

    INDEPENDENCE — A rock quarry in Whitetop was granted permanent permission from the Grayson Board of Supervisors to blast after a six-month probation period.

    Tim Miller owns the quarry on Middle Fork Lane and approached the board back in April for an amendment to his special use permit to allow blasting.

    During the meeting in April, several residents voiced their concerns and asked the supervisors to look at requirements that Miller had not met from his original special use permit before granting an amendment.

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  • Phipps free after verdict overturned

    INDEPENDENCE — Tony Byron Phipps II, 20, of Independence has been released from police custody after winning his appeal of a malicious wounding conviction and being granted a new trial.

    Phipps appeared in Grayson County Circuit Court Dec. 4 for a bond hearing. Judge Brett Geisler set a secured bond of $25,000, which was later posted. Phipps was released after serving more than 12 months in prison.

    He was convicted in May 2007.

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  • Animal cruelty charges taken under advisement

    HILLSVILLE — A Carroll General District judge on Nov. 25 took animal cruelty charges against a brother and sister from Fancy Gap under advisement for six months.

    George Daniel Rigney, 76, and Ruth R. Robertson, 74, had more than 50 dogs at their Fancy Gap properties on Elk Spur Road, and many of those animals were suffering from highly contagious cases of mange.

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The Galax Gazette is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Galax, Grayson, Carroll, and surrounding areas.