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The Santa Train, shown at left during a past year’s stop at Clinchco, will make its annual run on Saturday. The train will make four stops in Dickenson County so Santa and his helpers can throw out toys and other treats.

Santa Train runs Saturday

November 18, 2010

The Santa Train will make its 68th run through the mountains of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 20.The train will make 14 stops...

Glenda Collins and other officials involved with the state’s FAMIS program are puzzled by the low number of people who have enrolled their children. PHOTO BY GLENN GANNAWAY.Click Hereto order photo reprints

FAMIS program still under-utilized

November 18, 2010

According to estimates by the Virginia Healthcare Foundation, Wise County has a lot of children who qualify for no-cost health insurance.The...

One of the demands on cancer patient Mona Huff of Wise is her daily requirement of pills. Huff is one of several patients who receive support and financial help from MEOC’s Mountain Laurel Cancer Support and Resource Center. PHOTO BY GLENN GANNAWAY.Click Hereto order photo reprints

For cancer patients, Mountain Laurel can be a mainstay

November 17, 2010

When Mona Huff of Wise received a leukemia diagnosis at age 43 on May 17, 2009, she considered it a death sentence.In the year and a half since,...

JEFF LESTER PHOTO.Click Hereto order photo reprints

Toast to the flag

November 15, 2010

Anthony Willis, right, an Air Force veteran of Vietnam, delivers a toast to the flag Thursday at Wise County's fifth annual Veterans Day...

R.J. ROSE PHOTO.

Fallen soldiers honored

November 15, 2010

Flags stand ready Friday for a ceremony honoring Civil War and other veterans buried in the Coeburn cemetery. For story and more photos see...

Virginia Association of Counties leadership for 2010-11 includes, left to right, First Vice President Catherine M. Hudgins, Fairfax County; President Bob Adkins, Wise County; Immediate Past President Phillip A. Bradshaw, Isle of Wight County; President-Elect Barbara A. Favola, Arlington County; Secretary-Treasurer Harrison A. Moody, Dinwiddie County. VACO PHOTO.

Adkins to lead state association of counties

November 11, 2010

For the first time, the president of the Virginia Association of Counties is from Wise County.District Two county Supervisor Bob Adkins was elected...

Carla Maggard, widow of Vietnam veteran Dwayne Maggard, was grand marshal of Saturday’s Veterans Parade. Here, she is piloted by Leonard and Beschell Rogers. PHOTO BY GLENN GANNAWAY.Click Hereto order photo reprints

Veterans tribute For veterans, warm hearts on a cold day

November 11, 2010

BIG STONE GAP — It may have been cold and snowy Saturday afternoon, but, as state Del. Terry Kilgore said, spectators had “warm hearts” for the men...

Tommy Miller's Drafting 1 class from the Wise County Career-Technical Center is ready to build and launch their own model rockets. You're welcome to come to Lonesome Pine Airport Nov. 20 to watch the fruits of their labor shoot into the sky. JODI DEAL PHOTO.Click Hereto order photo reprints

Gearing up for rocket launch

November 11, 2010

WISE — Lonesome Pine Airport? Try Lonesome Pine Spaceport.Saturday, Nov. 20, student-built rockets will be blasting into the air, almost certainly...

Big Stone Gap Town Council heard from several opponents of the "two-on-one site" school consolidation plan Tuesday, including John Schoolcraft. PHOTO BY GLENN GANNAWAY.Click Hereto order photo reprints

BSG council resolution urges 'multiple' schools

November 11, 2010

BIG STONE GAP — Big Stone Gap Town Council passed a resolution Wednesday urging the Wise County Board of Supervisors and Wise County School Board...

Noah Porter (left) and James Mullins pause to look at the “house of pressure,” one of the training aides new students in the “PluggedIn” construction and weatherization program at Mountain Empire Community College saw during Friday’s kick-off event in Goodloe Center. PHOTO BY GLENN GANNAWAY.Click Hereto order photo reprints

New program prepares adults for green jobs

November 10, 2010

BIG STONE GAP — Twenty-four adults started getting “plugged in” to the 21st century workforce Friday at Mountain Empire Community College’s Goodloe...

K-9 Deputy Wes Mullins and Appco, the county’s police dog, have been partners for two years. Appco has put in about eight years on the job and it is nearing time for him to retire. PHOTO BY PAULA TATE.Click Hereto order photo reprints

Drug dog nears retirement; fund created for replacement

November 9, 2010

Dickenson County's police dog, Appco, turns 10 in January and it's near time for him to retire.So the sheriff's department is raising money to buy...

Shown left to right turning a ceremonial shovel of dirt for a new Health Wagon clinic are County Administrator Shannon Scott, Health Wagon nurse Paula Meade, Health Wagon founder Bernadette Kenny, Health Wagon Executive Director Teresa Gardner, Board of Supervisors Chairman J.H. Rivers, Industrial Development Authority Chairman Kenny Gilley, State Del. Clarence 'Bud' Phillips, 'Papa' Joe Smiddy and architect Luther Cain. JODI DEAL PHOTO.Click Hereto order photo reprints

Health Wagon plans new Wise clinic

November 8, 2010

Thirty years ago, Sister Bernadette Kenny, a Catholic nun and nurse practitioner, began wheeling around the mountains of Southwest Virginia...

Some people, including local photographer Roddy Addington, can’t resist a trip up to the High Knob area following a snowfall. Addington took advantage of Friday morning’s light snow to capture some beautiful images of the white stuff covering roads, falling leaves and more. The region may not see another snowfall for awhile: forecasts call for a warming trend that will bring high temperatures in the mid- to high 60s, with lows in the high 30s to low 40s over the next several days.

November 8, 2010

Many local residents were surprised Friday morning to see a dusting of snow on the ground, thanks to unusually low temperatures and a lot of...

Boucher unseated; 28-year career to end

November 4, 2010

Former Wise County supervisor Jeff Salyers told a story that may sum up why Ninth District U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher lost Tuesday’s election.Tuesday...

As local folks took down signs that dotted the county during the recent election season, new signs started going up in Big Stone Gap to voice opposition to the latest school consolidation scenario. KEVIN MAYS PHOTO.Click Hereto order photo reprints

Opposition to schools plan mounting in Big Stone Gap

November 4, 2010

A new group has sprung up on Facebook in the wake of recent decisions to pursue construction of two consolidated county high schools on one site in...

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