Citizens: Mandatory sewer rules unfair WISE — No matter what the price, no matter when it comes, some county citizens say paying a fee for the right to keep using septic tanks is just plain unfair.
“If you can’t afford to eat, you don’t need sewer service,” quipped one citizen Tuesday night, saying he’d borrowed the observation from former longtime county supervisor Edgar Mullins. Read More | Post Comment JODI DEAL / Staff Writer
The Rev. Frances McCoy will retire at the end of this month from All Saints and St. Mark’s Episcopal churches in Norton and St. Paul. During her time at the Norton church, its pipe organ, shown behind her, was fully restored.
Episcopal priest retires: McCoy celebrates 18 years of service NORTON — She’s known for her friendly demeanor and ability to teach.
She’s known for blessing animals and helping with community Thanksgiving events.
She’s also the first permanent female leader All Saints Episcopal Church has ever had.
Now, The Rev. Frances McCoy plans to retire at the end of this month.
In her 18 years as rector at All Saints in Norton and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul, McCoy has taught a lot of lessons. But the former teacher who grew up in a West Virginia coal town has never made anyone feel forced to interpret scripture in a certain way, members of her congregation say. Read More | Post Comment JODI DEAL / Staff Writer - 1 opinion posted
Bold Camp man found dead A Wise County sheriff’s investigator says it is too soon to speculate on what caused the death of a man whose body was found late Tuesday night, more than a mile from his house.
Police seek the community’s help in tracking down where the man went and what he did between his last contact with family members and the discovery of his body nearly one day later. Read More | Post Comment JEFF LESTER / News Editor
New St. Paul council ousts police chief ST. PAUL — It didn’t take town council’s new majority long to set the tone for its style of governance.
Moments after its four newest members were sworn into office Tuesday, council voted unanimously — although reluctantly on the part of some — to offer Police Chief Scott Brooks two options: Take a low-level position with a dramatic cut in pay, or take a 30-day severance package and be on his way. Read More | Post Comment KEITH STRANGE / Staff Writer
St. Paul council nixes town committees ST. PAUL — Moments after effectively removing the town’s chief of police, the newly-elected St. Paul town council dissolved all its standing committees and appointed council members to oversee the various town departments.
The motion was made by Councilman Raymond Trent, who suggested the move would serve to make Mayor Kyle Fletcher and council members department heads. Read More | Post Comment KEITH STRANGE / Staff Writer
Dominion seeks pump and haul permission WISE — When you go, it’s got to go somewhere.
The same goes for the construction workers who’ll be laboring away in Virginia City for the next four years building a coal-fired power plant.
Dominion Virginia Power and The Shaw Group, the firm hired to build the 585-megawatt Virginia Hybrid Energy Center, plan to have up to 1,000 total workers at the site during peak construction times, and have proposed a system of porta-potties and “toilet trailers” to give folks a place to do their business. Read More | Post Comment JODI DEAL / Staff Writer
Gap council re-hires Polly for two months BIG STONE GAP — The day after he retired, Town Manager George Polly was rehired, this time as Interim Town Manager until Aug. 31.
Polly, whose retirement was official on June 30, was not present when council, at its July 1 organizational meeting, voted to employ him in the interim post for two months, from July 1 to Aug. 31. Read More | Post Comment IDA HOLYFIELD / Editor - 1 opinion posted
Appy council votes to reappoint Luntsford APPALACHIA — Town council members on Monday night voted unanimously to reappoint current Town Manager Fred Luntsford at their organizational meeting set for Monday, July 7, at 6:30 p.m.
Council had, in early June, advertised Luntsford’s position at Luntsford’s urging after he informed them he intended to accept Big Stone Gap’s offer of employment as town manager, pending a vote by that council at its June 10 regular meeting. Read More | Post Comment IDA HOLYFIELD / Editor
Hoppin’ good time! Gap July 4 Festival activities began Saturday and continue all week. At the Splish Splash Pool Bash Sack Race, competition is fierce, but it looks like Justin Barker leads the pack approaching the finish line. Waiting to declare the winner is Assistant Pool Manager Bill Rasnick, at right. See the band Old School and this year’s t-shirt on Page 3 (PDF edition). Read More | Post Comment photos by ELISSA POWERS
Train horn soundings to resume in Appalachia APPALACHIA — Some time this weekend, the sounds of Norfolk-Southern train whistles will begin again at the town’s Kilbourne and Pine Street railroad crossings.
The town’s “Quiet Zone” status — with no train horns sounded at the two crossings — was attained several years ago, but is now coming to an end.
Town Attorney Mike Abbott told council Thursday night that in order for the town’s Quiet Zone to continue, the town had to meet a June 24 deadline for submitting safety and signage compliance plans which would deter motorists from going around crossing barriers. Read More | Post Comment IDA HOLYFIELD / Editor
Hunt, Austin lead Trail cast in 45th anniversary season BIG STONE GAP — Dr. Michael Hunt and Melanie Lane Austin started rehearsals for The Trail of the Lonesome Pine outdoor drama with the goal of bringing vitality and freshness to a story that is 100 years old, yet timeless.
But the 45th season of the show, which is based on John Fox Jr.’s best-selling novel, has accomplished much more than that, this year’s director and assistant director say.
Read More | Post Comment IDA HOLYFIELD / Editor
Museum ‘Walk of Fame’ to honor region’s standouts BIG STONE GAP — In celebration of its 60th anniversary, the Southwest Virginia Museum is establishing a “Walk of Fame” to honor Southwest Virginians who have made significant contributions to our state, nation and world.
The “Walk of Fame” will be located on the grounds of the museum. Inscribed tiles will be permanently set into the museum grounds, Director Sharon Ewing said in a Thursday interview. Read More | Post Comment IDA HOLYFIELD / Editor
Horse riders, others angry about campground rules Despite more than a hour of back-and-forth discussion between John Flannagam Dam officials and members of a local horse enthusiasts club, no compromise was reached concerning a recent ban of day-use visitors from Flannagan campgrounds.
The discussion took place during last week’s Dickenson County Board of Supervisors meeting. A large crowd attended the June 24 meeting to voice discontent with the recent decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns the Flannagan project, to enforce an existing regulation that only allows paying campers to use facilities at its campgrounds. Read More | Post Comment TERESA MULLINS / Staff Writer
Former addict helps guide others to recovery CLINTWOOD — Marlene Stanley understands firsthand the demons that plaque alcohol and drug abusers. And now she is using her experience to help others overcome their addictions.
Stanley is the support leader for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups in the area. As a former user, she has an understanding and compassion for those who suffer from addiction. And because of her experience, she offers wisdom and encouragement to group members that only someone who has fought addiction can give. Read More | Post Comment TERESA MULLINS / Staff Writer
Survey to assess litter control program The Assign-A-Highway program has been in effect in Dickenson County since 2004. But has it been an effective way of keeping area roadways clean?
That’s the question members of the Dickenson County Litter Control, Black Diamond Resources Conservation and Development Council and the coordinator for the Assign-A-Highway program set out to answer last week. Read More | Post Comment TERESA MULLINS / Staff Writer
Salary scales adjusted for veteran teachers, secretaries CLINTWOOD — The Dickenson County School Board voted last week to adjust the salary scales for school and central office secretaries and teachers with 34 or more years of service.
The board voted unanimously to grant a 10 percent salary increase to school and central office secretaries and a $1,000 base increase to teachers with between 34 and 40 years of experience. Teachers with more than 40 years of service will receive a $2,000 increase to their base salary. Read More | Post Comment
Many new Virginia laws now in effect RICHMOND — Several new laws that took effect Tuesday in Virginia resulted from the criminal dogfighting conviction of NFL quarterback Michael Vick and the mass shootings at Virginia Tech.
Read More | Post Comment DENA POTTER / Associated Press Writer
State economy sluggish; better next year Virginia’s economy is expected to be sluggish for the remainder of 2008 before improving in 2009, and single-family building permits, which fell more than 20 percent in both 2006 and 2007, are forecast to continue declining over the next two years. Read More | Post Comment
Can You See Me Now? We Hear What People Look Like
Can you hear what a person looks like? "The mere sound of a person’s voice contains important, embedded biological information,” says Susan Hughes, assistant professor of psychology at Albright College in Reading, Pa., who has researched vocal attractiveness and body symmetry. Posted Wednesday, July 2, 2008 7:25 pm CDT
Are Men or Women More Likely to Have Memory Problems in Very Old Age?
Women over age 90 are significantly more likely to have dementia compared to men in their 90s, according to a study published in the July 2, 2008, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Research shows that dementia risk for both men and women increases from age 65 to 85, but this most recent study is one of few that looks at people over age 90. Posted Wednesday, July 2, 2008 7:25 pm CDT
High Altitudes and Heart Disease
Quickly ascending to a high altitude can challenge the healthiest people, but it can spell extra trouble for individuals with a heart problem, according to the July 2008 Harvard Heart Letter. How your heart will respond to the challenges of high altitude depends on how high you are going, what you plan to do there, the state of your heart, and your overall fitness. Posted Wednesday, July 2, 2008 7:25 pm CDT
Fireworks Should be Breathtaking, Not Bone-Shattering
Fourth-of-July fireworks always draw a crowd but those beautiful bursts of color can lead to catastrophic injuries if not used with care. This Independence Day, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) advises Americans to enjoy the spectacular celebrations but urges adults and children to exercise extreme caution by leaving fireworks to the professionals. Posted Wednesday, July 2, 2008 7:25 pm CDT
Fortified Military Foods: Probiotics Aim to Promote a Healthy Gut
Because they suffer from high incidences of diarrhea, U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan will soon receive ice cream sandwiches, peanut butter bars and vanilla pudding desserts filled with probiotics, with the hope that good bacteria will help curb intestinal illness. Posted Wednesday, July 2, 2008 7:25 pm CDT
Sleep Problems Associated with Menopause Vary Among Ethnic Groups
Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep increase as women go through menopause according to research by Rush University Medical Center. Waking up earlier than planned also increases through late perimenopause but decreases when women become postmenopausal. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Some Poor Households Opt for Cigarettes Over Food
Cigarettes or adequate food is a tough choice for some poor families, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of low-income families, those containing a household head or spouse who smoked cigarettes were at about 6 percent higher risk for being “food insecure” — not always able to put enough food on the table. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Solution to High Energy Costs Could Lie Underground
Sandia National Laboratories researcher Georgianne Peek thinks a possible solution to high energy costs lies underground. And it’s not coal or oil. It’s compressed air energy storage (CAES). Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Weekends Slow Weight Loss
Saturday can be the worst enemy for our waistlines, according to researchers at the School of Medicine. They found that study subjects on strict diet and exercise programs tend to lose weight more slowly than expected because they eat more on weekends than during the week. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Consumers' Refrigerators: a Danger Zone
Research shows that only 20 percent of consumers use thermometers, and a mere 30 percent are aware that they should have them in their refrigerators. “You don’t have to go to a restaurant or to a party to get sick,” said Fur-Chin Chen, Ph.D., a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee. He found a variety of pathogens in a quarter of the refrigerators he inspected during a recent study. Vegetable bins were the most contaminated. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Mushrooms the Hidden Superfood
A load of antioxidants, nutrients and vitamins are available in the produce aisle from white and brown fungi, commonly known as mushrooms. Mushrooms are low in calories, cholesterol and sodium, and they provide plenty of fiber and flavor when cooked. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Pesticides Persist in Ground Water
Numerous studies over the past four decades have established that pesticides can move downward to reach the water table at detectable concentrations. This study found that the pesticides detected most frequently in shallow ground-water samples were predominantly from two classes of herbicides—triazines and chloroacetanilides. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Research Casts New Light on History of North America
Research by a Valparaiso University geography professor and his students lends support to evidence the first humans to settle the Americas came from Europe, rather than crossing a Bering Strait land-ice bridge. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Curbing Kids' Risk-taking Behavior
One of the best places to teach families about the importance of wearing a helmet when riding a bike, and buckling up and riding in the back seat of the car, is in pediatric trauma centers. A study from U-M C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital shows that brief interventions for at-risk kids admitted to trauma centers gives them the tools they need to curb risky behavior and even prevent future injury. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Hubble Sees Stars and a Stripe in Celestial Fireworks
This image, taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, is a very thin section of a supernova remnant caused by a stellar explosion that occurred more than 1,000 years ago. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Making Peace with Your College Student
Just a few weeks ago you were anxiously counting the days until your precious child came home from college. Now you just can’t wait to restore the peace in your home and get the kid back to school again. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Asteroid Impacts on Earth: A Protection Plan
One hundred years ago this week, a huge explosion took place in the atmosphere over Tunguska. Today, there is a low probability -- but not zero -- that an asteroid loitering out there in space has Earth's name on it. A melding of technology and space governance could negate such events from happening in the future. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
Post-exercise Caffeine Helps Muscles Refuel
Glycogen, the muscle’s primary fuel source during exercise, is replenished more rapidly when athletes ingest both carbohydrate and caffeine following exhaustive exercise. Athletes who ingested caffeine with carbohydrate had 66% more glycogen in their muscles four hours after finishing intense, glycogen-depleting exercise, compared to when they consumed carbohydrate alone. Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:38 pm CDT
