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Features

  •
    Morris remembered as dedicated...

    By SHAINA STOCKTON
    Staff
    Frank Edward Morris lived most of his life in Galax and made extensive contributions to the community, especially throughout his long career at American Mirror Company.
    Morris, who passed away on Feb. 3 at age 72, is remembered as a hard worker and a dedicated salesman.
    Morris started working at American Mirror in 1962, and after a couple of years training at the plant and throughout the company, he was made sales manager in 1964.

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    The house that Fuller Center built

    HILLSVILLE — The Fuller Center volunteers built a house, but it’s up to recipient Krystal Rosier and family to make it a home, in the words of Chase Stevens, who worked on the project at Carroll High School.
    More than 30 people gathered with Rosier and family to dedicate the new house that first took shape on the grounds of Carroll County High School before being transported north on Main Street to Crestview Drive last summer and finished on site.

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    Transplant gives family hope for...

    Audrey Hope Gillespie may have been born with a rare disease that left her with half a heart, but you’d never know from her sweet, playful nature and her brilliant smile.
    And as if to make up for that little heart, the hearts of her family are singing with joy after musicians both local and national have volunteered to play a concert this weekend to help pay her medical expenses.
    The happy 10-month-old’s cheerful demeanor never hints at the struggles she has been through in her brief time on earth.

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    Allen house part of statewide...

    RICHMOND — One place being celebrated during the “Year of the Virginia Historic Home” is the house built in 1911 by J. Sidna Allen in Fancy Gap.
    Gov. Bob McDonnell declared 2013 the year of the historic home because Virginia’s Executive Mansion will turn two centuries old, according to information posted to a website for that purpose, historicalhomes.virginia.gov.

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    Fancy Gap class sends Sandy Hook...

    HILLSVILLE — Fancy Gap students want 1,000 paper cranes to carry a message of peace to the children at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn.
    Fourth and fifth graders in Anita Semones’ class continue reading “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes,” a story about a girl who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima to die later of leukemia from exposure to radiation.
    Sadako knew the Japanese adage that if you make a thousand origami paper cranes, you get a wish, the teacher explained. But Sadako died after finishing only 644.

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    Canine Classroom

    By SHAINA STOCKTON
    Staff

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    The Dream Lives On — with video

    By SHAINA STOCKTON
    Staff
    Years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream of racial equality with the world. Society since that time has changed drastically, making King’s dream a reality.
    Decades after his death, many still find the strength in his words to pursue their own dreams, no matter how difficult they may seem.

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    New River Trail had 1 million...

    New River Trail State Park attracted more than one million visitors and had nearly 6 percent more attendance than in 2011.
    The trail that passes through Carroll and Grayson counties and Galax followed the trend that allowed Virginia State Parks to set a new attendance record in 2012.
    State parks attracted 8.366 million visitors, an increase of 7 percent. The new record is a 4 percent increase over the previous attendance record of 8.065 million visitors, set in 2010.

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    Besieged By Buzzards

    By SHAINA STOCKTON
    Staff
    Groups of black silhouettes circle the air over the hospital and hover around local businesses and residences, roosting in trees and giving some people the creeps.
    During the winter months, scavenger bird sightings in the Twin County area have become more common. As vultures and buzzards settle in for their long winter’s nap, the community is not feeling quite as comfortable.

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    TCRH welcomes first baby of 2013

    Twin County Regional Hospital welcomed the first baby of 2013 on Jan. 1 at 9:20 a.m.
    Aubrey Nicole Vaughan, daughter of Danielle Atkinson and Tyler Vaughan Sr. of Woodlawn, was born closest to the midnight mark that brought us into the new year.
    Aubrey came into the world weighing seven pounds, eight ounces, and measured 20-and-a-half inches long, according to the press release.
    She was delivered at the hospital by Carlos J. Blattner, MD, of Blue Ridge Physicians for Women.

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    Wrestler Tully Blanchard goes from...

    HILLSVILLE — Organizers of Christian Family Fun Day have tagged their next event, bringing a famous wrestler to Carroll County High School for the “Ring of Truth.”
    After wrestling with the likes of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Ole Anderson in the original “Four Horsemen” and winning titles as a team member and on his own, Tully Blanchard now describes himself as “a champion of Christ.”
    Blanchard wrestled from 1977 to 1989 in the WCW and the WWE until his drug and alcohol usage sort of pinned him to the mat.

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    Galax woman advocates for disabled

    By SHAINA STOCKTON
    Staff
    Through her extensive volunteer work through Appalachian Independence Center (AIC), Leigh Ann Heath of Galax now feels confident in her ability to make a positive difference for others.
    “Before, I felt like I wasn’t a part of my community,” she said. “Now, I have more confidence in myself. I’m not afraid to go out in public like I used to. I an get up in front of others and talk about what I do without feeling insecure about myself.”

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    Galax man makes strong showing in...

    By SHAINA STOCKTON
    Staff
    After years of hard work and preparation, Alfonzo “Fonzi” Hernandes Cobos of Galax is climbing the ladder as a bodybuilder.
    On Nov. 3, 2012, he took first place in the lightweight class bodybuilding competition at the Elite Muscle Classic in Greensboro, N.C. He also placed second in the overall competition.
    Cobos, 23, was born in Veracruz, Mexico, and moved to the United States when he was 12 years old. He is a graduate of Galax High School.

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    Inspirational living techniques...

    By SHAINA STOCKTON
    Staff
    With my eyes closed and my mind clear, I focus on the task in front of me: confronting an emotion that most people don’t put at the forefront of their mind, at least if they can help it.
    The feeling in question: doubt, an emotion that plagues everyone at certain points in their lives.
    “Allow yourself to feel doubt in your mind, to completely feel it, and let me know when you are there,” coaches Cindy Halley.

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    Hail to the cheese: local dairy...

    By SHAINA STOCKTON
    Staff
    White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford prepared a selection of fine foods from every corner of America for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s 24 holiday dinners and receptions this year, and cheese from Meadow Creek Dairy of Galax will be featured on the menu.

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    MERRY CHRISTMAS!

    Santa isn’t scary if you’re sleepy, as this little tot found out at the annual Galax Elks Lodge Christmas party, where Toys for Tots helped deliver presents to children.

    Toys, hot dogs, anti-drug comics, coloring books, fruit and candy stockings were given to an estimated 385 children.

    Twin County Toys for Tots assisted Santa and the Elks with delivering presents to children at the party.

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    Charities pack hundreds of food...

    Volunteers in Galax and Hillsville packed boxes of food and other essentials on Dec. 20, for the Galax Ys Men’s annual Community Christmas Chest and the Carroll Christmas Fund.
    Carroll Christmas Fund volunteers first organize the donations into categories and then fill the 630 boxes that went to deserving families to ensure that they enjoyed a happy holiday season.

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    Grandmother performs emergency...

    "I believe that we all have God-given instincts. We just have to stay calm and listen to them," said Angela Crowder, who had to deliver her daughter's baby when she went into premature labor Dec. 3.

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    Toys for Tots helping 1,038 local...

    The coordinators of the local Toys For Tots campaign are working to raise money and collect toys to serve 1,038 needy children in Galax, Carroll and Grayson this year.
    Bob Hines and Kendy Sawyer said they anticipated serving 500 children, but the need was greater than expected.
    On Wednesday, they bought a carload of toys at Roses department store in Galax, enough for 174 children from ages 0-3.

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    Carroll tree to decorate state...

    AUSTINVILLE — Virginia Department of Forestry workers harvested the Virginia Capitol’s Christmas tree off Coulson Church Road on Monday, which means it will be the second time this Colorado blue spruce will take a holiday turn.
    The tree’s donors let the foresters know this tree helped a family celebrate the holiday in a past Christmas.