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Man, horse drown in Bark Camp Lake
Jun 18, 2013 | 227 views | 0 
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Best Friend Festival
Jun 18, 2013 | 1 views | 0 | 9 | |
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Carlos Fields, right, was the winner of the Best Friend Festival's inaugural 'Duck Dynasty' lookalike contest, which drew a huge, enthusiastic crowd to downtown Norton. Beside him is first runner-up Tommy Baker Jr.
Big bats: West All-Stars use strong offensive effort to sweep East
Jun 18, 2013 | 1 views | 0 | 10 | |
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ABINGDON — The West All-Stars pounded out 22 hits and scored 18 runs Friday to take a 10-6 and 8-4 sweep of the East All-Stars in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Southwest Virginia Senior All-Star Softball Challenge at Falcon Field.
The softball all-star games featured recent high school graduates from throughout southwest Virginia, stretching from Lee County to Pulaski County.
Five different players accounted for 12 hits in the first game.
Tazewell’s Bri Sparks went 4-for-5 at the plate with a RBI and two runs scored. Sparks recorded two doubles and two singles in the win.
Union’s Tasha Smith finished with a 3-for-4 plate performance and had two RBIs in the win for the West, while Allie Baker, of the Division 1 state champion Honaker Lady Tigers was 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Emily Kendrick, also of Honaker, went 2-for-4 at the plate and had two RBIs.
Kendrick also picked up the win on the mound for the West team after giving up three runs on a five hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
Kendrick was named as the West’s MVP for the first game of the twin bill.
Central’s Taylor Yeary, who started the game at catcher, went 1-for-2 at the plate for the West team and recorded a RBI in the win.
Virginia High’s Kelsey Nave was named as the East’s MVP in game one after going 2-for-4 at the plate with a RBI and making several key defensive plays for the East at shortstop.
Logan Viers, of Abingdon, also finished 2-for-4 at the plate for the East team.
In the second game, the East scored a run in the top of the first off of Union pitcher Demi Reynolds. But, the West responded in the bottom of the frame with two run.
Eastside’s Samantha Cole started the bottom of the first with a single up the middle, while Alex Bartley, of Honaker followed with a single.
Reynolds grounded out to first base, but Cole and Bartley moved up to third and second bases before a single from Kendrick scored Cole.
Bartley then scored on a two-out single from Smith.
The West added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning when Baker reached first on a fielder’s choice play. Baker then scored on a RBI-triple from Cole.
Cole then scored on an error by the East to give the West a 4-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Cole added another run as a pinch-runner for Yeary to put the West up 5-1.
The East added two runs in the top of the sixth inning, but the West scored three more runs in the bottom of the frame with runs from Yeary, Eastside’s Brianne Atwood and Bartley to seal the win.
![Members of the West All-Stars pose for a team photo Friday after sweeping the East All-Stars in the FCA Senior All-Star Softball Challenge at Falcon Field in Abingdon. KEVIN MAYS PHOTO. <a href="/pages/submit_photo_reprint">Click Here</a> to order photo reprints](http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/704/assets/8Z5R_6_17_All_Stars_Team.jpg "Members of the West All-Stars pose for a team photo Friday after sweeping the East All-Stars in the FCA Senior All-Star Softball Challenge at Falcon Field in Abingdon. KEVIN MAYS PHOTO. <a href="/pages/submit_photo_reprint">Click Here</a> to order photo reprints")
Mine denied: Ison Rock decision affirmed
Jun 18, 2013 | 5 views | 0 | 10 | |
| 10 | | Wild finish: Hall takes checkered flag, Gibson gets DQ at LPR
Jun 18, 2013 | 1 views | 0 | 11 | |
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COEBURN — Mitch Gibson came from the back to the front twice in Saturday’s running of the 25-lap Pure 4 Division race at Lonesome Pine Raceway.
In the end, however, Gibson was disqualified and Dan Hall picked up the win the race.
Gibson, who was visibly upset after the race following the decision of LPR Race Director Bobby Helton, was disqualified because of aggressive driving.
The Coeburn-based driver was involved in incidents with two drivers in the race after he started the event at the end of the 12-car pack.
Gibson had the fastest qualifying time in the division, but was started at the back of the field.
“The car is legal on everything, but they still wanted me to start in the back,” Gibson said. “They didn’t give me a reason why they wanted me to start in the back, they just said they wanted me to start in the back.”
Helton said Gibson was put in the back because of a competition rule at LPR.
According to track rules, Helton said that if you win a race in a support division race — such as the Pure 4 Division — then you are required to start at the back of the pack in the next race.
Gibson won the Pure 4 race on June 1, but did not run on June 8. Saturday was Gibson’s first time back at LPR since he won on June 1. So, Helton said he was required to start at the back of the field.
In the first nine laps of the race, Gibson worked his way through the field and took the top spot away from Jackie Jackson on lap 10 after the two battled side by side for a couple of laps.
On lap 11, the two cars touched going into turn one and Gibson went spinning between one and two, while Jackson ran into the driver side door of Gibson.
Jackson drove Gibson up into the outside banking of turn two as the caution flag fell.
Both Jackson and Gibson were sent to the back of the pack and Gibson rammed his vehicle into the back of Jackson during the caution-flag period.
On the restart, Dan Hall took the lead, while Gibson again worked his way through the field.
Gibson tapped Hall from behind several times in the late laps of the race.
On the final lap Gibson and Hall touched coming out of turn four and down the frontstretch. Hall went up on the track and tagged the outside wall, while Gibson went across the finish line.
“We were running wheel to wheel and I came across the finish line and then they disqualify me,” Gibson said. “You can’t race down here.”
Hall had a different view of the final lap, stating the Gibson came up on him.
“I thank God that nobody was hurt, especially me,” said Hall. “I just cant figure a race is worth that much win. It’s not to me anyway.”
Helton said his decision to disqualify Gibson was because of Gibson’s aggressive driving throughout the race.
“I’ve got zero tolerance for rough driving,” said Helton. “That was my ruling. I saw (the finish) and that was my ruling.”
Billy Presley finished second in the race, while Jason Yates placed third and Marty Strouse and Tim Presley rounded out the top five.
In the feature event of the night, Ryan Stiltner ran away from the field to take a win in the Late Model Division.
Adam Gray, Hayden Woods, Kevin Wolfe and Derek Woodward rounded out the top five.
Rob Austin, of Castlewood, won the Super Street Division, followed by Freddie Taylor, Joey Sykes, Roger Neece and James Meadows.
In the Mod 4 division, Kirby Gobble finished ahead of Duke Bare, while Brad Ball finished third.
John Ward and Dennis Arnold rounded out the top five.
Roby Orr was the winner in the Pure Street division, while Bare took his second, runnerup finish of the night. Rusty Ratliff, Iggy Greer and Scotty Hurley followed.
In the Iron Warriors division, Emory Ratliff took top honors, edging out Rannie Breeding for the win.
Michael Husted finished third with Mike Boyd and Jamie Meadows completing the top five.
![Mitch Gibson (94) and Jackie Jackson make contact between turns one and two at Saturday’s Pure 4 race at Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn. KEVIN MAYS PHOTO. <a href="/pages/submit_photo_reprint">Click Here</a> to order photo reprints](http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/704/assets/9M7L_6_17_LPR_06_94.jpg "Mitch Gibson (94) and Jackie Jackson make contact between turns one and two at Saturday’s Pure 4 race at Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn. KEVIN MAYS PHOTO. <a href="/pages/submit_photo_reprint">Click Here</a> to order photo reprints")
