Features

Last November, missionary Doug Donithan — originally from Grayson County — made the dangerous trek back to his home city of Tacloban in the Philippines to help his neighbors deal with the devastating aftermath of super typhoon Haiyan (also called Typhoon Yolanda).
Because of the chaos and debris that the storm had left behind, many relief efforts had trouble reaching the communities to help. To get back home, Donithan had to fly to another island, travel to his island by boat and then hire a van to drive back to his house.

HILLSVILLE — The annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet on April 10 at the Southwestern Virginia Training Center sang the praises, quite literally, of community services provided to the residents there.
Andrew Shannon, director of volunteer services and gospel singer himself, conducted the mostly musical recognition of more than 400 volunteers much like a revival.

By SHAINA STOCKTON, Staff

This story was written by Penelope Moseley and was submitted for the Hale-Wilkinson-Carter Home Foundation.

HILLSVILLE — The Hale-Wilkinson-Carter Home Foundation is reopening Mayetta’s Market on April 3 after a winter break.
The market features quality handmade original art and crafts in many forms, as well as publications by local talents.
Laura Cassell, who turned age 94 in January, has worked tirelessly this brutal winter to replenish her inventory at the market.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 15.2 million visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2012 spent $902 million in communities nearby.
That spending supported 12,168 jobs in the areas adjacent to the parkway, including the City of Galax and Carroll and Grayson counties. It’s hard to know how many of those jobs are local, as the federal report did not break down the spending or employment by locality.

HILLSVILLE — When the best biscuit maker contest heated up among Hardee’s employees in four states, Mary Marshall of Hillsville kept her cool and baked away.
Boddie-Noell, the largest Hardee’s franchise in the United States, named Marshall on Feb. 23 as the champion after months of competition among 700 biscuit makers from 335 restaurants from Virginia, the Carolinas and Kentucky.

HILLSVILLE — Willa the therapy dog attracted attention with her offer of helping children learn how to read at Carroll County Public Library last Thursday.
Willa, a dainty and quiet doberman, attended by humans Rebecca Gatchel and Sarah Largen, is a very important participant in the Paws to Read program.

ABINGDON — Elvin Jennings of Hillsville knows a thing or two about winning big in the Virginia Lottery, according to gaming officials.

HILLSVILLE — Those recognizing Sallie Hall for her 38 years with a nutrition program through the Virginia Extension Service served up a heaping helping of fun on Jan. 4.
Organizers lured Hall to the Carroll Senior Citizens Center for a “roast,” as well as a spaghetti dinner dished out of a row of crockpots.
Hall took time to greet each of the approximately 50 people in attendance, before opening gifts presented by storyteller Vickie Town and hearing memories by Matthew Miller, an Extension agent who worked with her for about six years.