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In Brief . . .
Highland County Board of Supervisors
¦ Highland's board of supervisors met Sept. 4 in the Highland County Modular Conference room. Supervisors Robin Sullenberger and Lee Blagg attended; Jerry Rexrode was absent. Audience attendees included board of supervisor candidates David Blanchard and Randy Richardson. ¦ The board approved amending the budget by $58,254 for the Virginia Preschool Pilot Initiative grant and appropriated half of the money to Highland County Public Schools. ¦ Sullenberger said there is no reason to participate in the gypsy moth program this year because the moths have not yet reached the county. The cost of participation would have been about $5,000. He based his decision partly on the recommendation of Virginia Cooperative Extension agent Rodney Leech and last month's briefing by John Wright of the state department of forestry. ¦ The Highland County Planning Commission will meet with the comprehensive plan review committee at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13 at the Highland County Public Library to review the draft of the plan. County administrator Roberta Lambert will coordinate a joint meeting between the commission and the board of supervisors, to be held before the end of the month. ¦ HCPS granted $50,000 of its third-quarter appropriation to pay for a newly arrived bus and fuel bills. ¦ Ron Malcolm asked the board, via the county administrator, for a state drought designation for the McDowell district. Sullenberger said, "I have no reservations pursuing that at all if there can be any benefit to it." The drought designation opens up some state and federal assistance, said Lambert. Sullenberger added there might be some low-cost loans available through the designation. The board directed Lambert to investigate whether the county would qualify for designation. John Sweet of Mustoe said his weather station reported precipitation six inches above normal for the year, but that his findings did not necessarily apply throughout the county and he would be happy to go over the data and prepare a statement that the weather data was for his spot only and precipitation in other areas was below normal. Sullenberger said, "That certainly proves the point that (the rain) is erratic." ¦ Supervisors went into closed session for personnel to discuss the assignment of duties of a county employee.
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