Today's News

Numerous seniors have contacted the Better Business Bureau in Western Virginia to report suspicious phone calls claiming to be from Medicare, according to a BBB alert issued last week.
The consumers were told they needed to provide their banking information in order to replace expiring Medicare cards. The BBB is alerting seniors that this is a scam.

HILLSVILLE — The increased revenue that county schools will request from the Carroll supervisors won’t even cover the new expenses coming from state and federal government mandates, the school board discussed at its March 14 meeting.
And educators still don’t know what the impacts on federal programs that sequestration will have on Carroll schools.
The changes to federal and state revenues that Superintendent Strader Blankenship discussed in his first budget presentation aren’t huge at this point.

HILLSVILLE — A new fixed base operator has Twin County Airport on the radar of many helicopter pilots from the region.
Bill Bryant had gotten interested in flying first with radio controlled models, but then spun up his involvement in flying by building his own helicopter in 2000.
He fabricated the frame and installed a Geo Metro engine in the aircraft, which he often flies at 500 feet above the Twin Counties.

INDEPENDENCE – The Grayson County School Board approved its 2013-14 budget on March 11 with a more than $172,000 shortfall on the revenue side.
Board members will hold a joint budget work session with county supervisors on March 18 to try and close the gap.
The budget, with revenues totaling $20.7 million, includes a 3 percent raise for all staff and will likely be tweaked in the coming months as the board looks at replacing old vehicles and cost savings associated with an early retirement plan.