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Today's News

  • Tourism, recreation jobs could combine

    HILLSVILLE — Hiring one new employee to oversee both Carroll tourism and recreation is about reaching out, county officials say.
    It’s about outreach to new segments of Carroll citizens and to people who may want to visit the county and participate in local events, according to Assistant Administrator Nikki Shank.
    There’s also a practical benefit, such as having only one department head instead of two.

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  • Fries employees will lose health insurance

    By LARRY CHAMBERS
    Staff

    FRIES — Four full-time Fries employees will lose their health insurance effective June 1.
    At the Feb. 7 Fries Town Council meeting, Vice Mayor Nancy Hawks made a motion  — due, she said, to the town’s financial situation  — to eliminate all town employees’ health insurance and to supplement each employee's salary by $250 per month.
    Even with the pay increase, the elimination of health insurance would save the town $18,000 a year.

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  • Cuts, unfunded mandates led to school budget crisis

    Brian Spencer is chairman of the Carroll County School Board

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  • Readers' Hotline 3/26/12

    Made us proud
    The special section of The Gazette on March 16 was a great recognition of local high school sports teams, coaches and support staff. The honors are certainly deserved as the teams have worked long, hard hours on the court. But also, in the classroom, as most of these students are also listed on the honor roll page for Galax High School. You make us proud. Congratulations to all.

    Take a stand

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  • If Virginia's gas tax is so low, why are fuel prices so high?

    Follow the money.
    When it comes to Virginia’s gasoline tax, that’s one foggy trail.
    A debate about the state’s gas tax has triggered a fresh round of questions:
    Why hasn’t the tax — a key source of road money — been raised in 25 years, a time span exceeded only by Alaska?
    And why, if Virginia has the seventh-lowest gas tax in the nation, are our pump prices in the middle of the pack?
    The answers are more relevant than ever.

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  • Tax increase won't replace trash fee in Grayson

    By LARRY CHAMBERS
    Staff

    INDEPENDENCE — The controversial trash fee was a topic of discussion at the Grayson County Board of Supervisors’ budget work session this month.
    Chairman David Sexton made a motion to discontinue the fee-to-tax approach for revenue collection as previously discussed, and to discontinue the coupon system and the collection-site approach for solid waste collection services.
    Mike Maynard seconded the motion, which passed by a unanimous vote.

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  • Galax police reach out to at-risk youth

    Galax Police Chief Rick Clark says he is still haunted by a young man who fell through the cracks of society, despite efforts to help him turn his life around.
    A kid full of potential, he unfortunately got involved with drugs and ended up in prison.
    Troubled youth like this are the people that the Galax Police Department and other Galax agencies hope to help over the next two years with a $250,000 grant to create mentoring and apprenticeship programs.

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  • Girl Scouts travel back in time for 100th anniversary

     

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  • Public record for 3/21/12 edition

    Editor’s Note: This information is taken from open court records and is a matter of public record.  The listings are complete. The newspaper, as a matter of fairness, will not honor requests to omit any listing.  
    For information on this column or questions, call 236-5178, ext. 213.

    Marriages

    These marriage licenses were recorded in November and December of 2011 in the office of Susan M. Herrington, clerk of the Grayson County Circuit Court, Independence:

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  • Tide, Cavaliers lead post-season voting

     

     It’s no secret that, collectively, the three local high schools gave the Twin County area its most successful basketball season in recent memory, perhaps ever.

    That fact was not lost on those outside of the area, either.

    District postseason honors in both boys’ and girls’ basketball were swept by Galax and Carroll County, while Galax’s boys and Carroll’s girls took home player and coach of the year awards in their respective regions.

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