Hot Springs & Monterey, VA

Bath deputy helps bust crime ring Local burglaries lead to arrests elsewhere BY CHARLES GARRATT • STAFF WRITER       WARM SPRINGS - Quick work by Bath County Sheriff's Department investigator Lt. Noel "Timmy" Dunnagan led to the arrest Friday in Fluvanna county of two men suspected of being a major burglary ring spreading across eight Virginia counties. More ... 2-cent tax hike to come? Highland officials struggle to make ends meet BY JAMES JACENICH • STAFF WRITER       MONTEREY - Thirty-eight cents on the $100 valuation property tax rate is one of the lowest rates in Virginia, but that doesn't matter to landowners who complain they have trouble paying that amount. Add to that the 2006 reassessment that doubled some property values in Highland, and people start ... More ... Four arrested on drug charges in Bath       HOT SPRINGS - Deputies from the Bath County Sheriff's Department, along with members of the Alleghany Highlands Drug Task Force, arrested four people last week on drug related charges. Brandon Lee Tolbert of Covington was arrested at a residence on Route 615 outside of Hot Springs on two felony ... More ... In Brief . . . Highland County Economic Development Authority       Highland's EDA met Tuesday and reviewed some recent economic initiatives. Highland supervisor David Blanchard attended and spoke of his participation in the recently formed Highlands Woodworkers Guild. More ... Sexual assault trial results in conviction By Margo Oxendine       WARM SPRINGS - A 56-year-old man was convicted of aggravated sexual battery against a 14-year-old girl in Bath County Circuit Court last Friday. Judge Humes Franklin will sentence Elmer Mines, of Warm Springs, after a pre-sentencing investigation. More ... In Brief . . . Monterey Town Council       Highland County Recreation Commission chair Sherry Sullenberger asked town council last Thursday to waive the $1,125 meter connection fee for the proposed Highland County swimming pool. More ... Old Millboro school decision delayed again BY CHARLES GARRATT • STAFF WRITER       WARM SPRINGS - John Garland of Spectrum Associates sat patiently for almost fivehours Tuesday waiting for Bath supervisors to get to scheduled action on the old Millboro school campus only to agree to wait another 90 days while a citizen group from the Millboro area attempts to put together an al... More ... In Brief . . . Bath County Supervisors       Bath supervisors approved a rezoning request by Jay and Claudia Trinca for 0.55 acres on Route 39 west of Warm Springs. More ... Meeting Notice       Members of the Highland County Board of Supervisors will attend an Economic Development Authority meeting Tuesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. at The Highland Center in Monterey. More ... Comment heated on rules of public comment BY CHARLES GARRATT • STAFF WRITER       WARM SPRINGS - Bath County supervisors voted Tuesday to impose new rules on the two public comment periods normally held during each regular board meeting. Under the new rules, citizens wishing to speak during the public comment period must signup in advance. Each citizen must give his or her n... More ... Reassessment confuses residents       WARM SPRINGS - Bath County supervisors commented briefly Tuesday on a recent letter by David Hickey, president of Blue Ridge Mass Appraisal, while discussing the impact of canceling the recent reappraisal could have on county revenue. More ... Workshop whets appetites of local entrepreneurs BY JAMES JACENICH • STAFF WRITER       BOLAR - Did you know that Virginia is ranked No. 1 for business by Forbes.com the last two years? And that Entrepreneur.com named Virginia second best for entrepreneurs, Pollina Corporate Real Estate, Inc. calls Virginia the most business friendly state, and Virginia ranked second in its use of i... More ... In Brief . . . Highland County School Board       The senior trip to Virginia Beach is set for May 26-29. Board member Jim Blagg said the late submission of the request put the board in an awkward position of not having time to review the proposal. Board member John Moyers Jr. More ... Achievement Rachel Miller       VERONA - Rachel Miller recently achieved the rank of black belt in karate. She is a member of American Freestyle Karate under the instruction of Master Jon Bowersox. Miller is the daughter of David and Elaine Miller of Verona, and the granddaughter aaf Mustoe. More ... Births Hayden Jacob Paxton       LEXINGTON - Eric and Suzanna Paxton announce the birth of a son, Hayden Jacob Paxton, born March 8, 2008 at Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital in Lexington. He weighed 6 pounds and fiveounces, and was 20 inches long. Paternal grandparents are Bruce and Anna Paxton of Covington. More ... Staunton Jewish Film Festival premieres: 'Views From Life'       STAUNTON - April 11-17 Temple House of Israel, located in Staunton, will be presenting Views from Life, The Staunton Jewish Film Festival, a premiere, at Visulite Cinemas, Staunton. More ... Camp Accovac to host women's retreat       MILLBORO - Camp Accovac will host a women's retreat April 11 and 12. The theme will be "Awake, Sleeping Beauty." Praise and worship for each service will be led by the Rev. and Mrs. Rob Buchanan from the Advent Christian Church in Princeton, W.Va. More ... Bath supervisors work on budget       WARM SPRINGS - Bath supervisors spent several hours Monday with sleeves rolled up trying to find ways to continue cutting the 2008-09 budget and raise revenue. The first two items on the agenda were to review the calendar and the school budget advertisement. More ... DEQ to hold public meeting on Strait Creek water study       MONTEREY - The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality in cooperation with the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission will host a public meeting on April 22 in Monterey on a water quality study for Strait Creek and West Strait Creek. More ... BCSO issues scam alert       WARM SPRINGS - Bath County Sheriff, Larry Norfleetwould like to make the citizens aware of a phone scam operated in Bath County at the present time. Callers represent themselves as being from the Social Security Administration needing to confirmcertain pieces of information for a new card or to ... More ...       This was quite possibly the cry given 250 years ago, when the inhabitants of Fort Seybert realized they were under attack by Indians allied to the French, during the French and Indian War. More ... Homestead Preserve to release its first charter home       HOT SPRINGS - Homestead Preserve will releasing its first "charter home" next month, offering owners and prospective owners the first opportunity to have immediate access to an architecturally historic and fully furnished turnkey residence. More ... Spring Follies promise fun, frolic, lots of entertainment See a Show! By Margo Oxendine, Staff Writer       WARM SPRINGS - For 40 folks from across Bath County, and even one little boy from Highland, the past few months have been intense. They've learned to sing. They've learned dance steps. They've learned about stage presence. They've learned the importance of smiling. Above all, the Mountain Valley ... More ... Discovery Channel filming in Bath, helicopter used to cluster bomb       BATH COUNTY ­- A crew from the Discovery Channel has been in the area for a week to film part of a program on ways to save the planet. According to Jean Clark at the Lexington-Rockbridge Area Tourism Center, the portion of the program being filmed here is focused on reclaiming deforested areas... More ... Millboro Happenings By Gina Hamilton       An open house and ribbon cutting is planned this Saturday, April 12, from 2-5 p.m., at Allegheny Mountain Radio's station in Warm Springs behind the high school. A ribbon-cutting with the Bath County Chamber of Commerce will be held at 3 p.m. for the recently completed building addition and renova... More ... Achievement LeAnna Armstrong       WEYERS CAVE - LeAnna Michelle Armstrong was inducted into the Alpha Xi Xi Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society at Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, on Feb. 24. Armstrong was one of 50 inductees out of a student body of 4,000. More ... Free clinic to hold poker run       COVINGTON - On April 19, the Alleghany Free Clinic will be having its second annual poker run. The ride starts and ends at Belly Up Café. Bikes or cars can leave between 10 a.m. and noon. Prize for the best hand is $500. More ... Business Appreciation Week to be held May 16       Coordinated each year by the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, Business Appreciation Week has been scheduled for May 11-17 with this year's theme "The State of Small Business." Events will take place throughout the commonwealth to recognize the many Virginia businesses that contribute t... More ... WCHG hosts open house       HOT SPRINGS - Local radio station WCHG in Hot Springs will host an open house on Saturday, April 12 from 2-5 p.m. Everyone is welcome to stop by to see the "new" station. The building addition was finished in the fall of 2007, and the original part of the building was spruced up, thanks to a lot... More ... Library Notes Highland County Public Library By Tomi Herold,       The library is looking forward to celebrating National Library Week, April 13-19, and will offer programs, a prize drawing and amnesty on library fines. On Tuesday, April 15 at 10:30 a.m., a story time will be presented for preschoolers. The program will feature the library and how it... More ... Clean-up day scheduled       WARM SPRINGS - The seventh annual Bath County Spring Clean-up is scheduled for Saturday, April 19. This is a county-wide event and everyone is welcome. Notify the chamber officeof your planned clean-up route, so it can create an organized and efficient county-wide effort to eliminate unsightly ga... More ... BB&T hires new Hot Springs financial center leader       Hot Springs - Janet Seldomridge has climbed a long, singular ladder to break through banking's glass ceiling. Beginning in January, she became BB&T's new financial center leader in its Hot Springs office. More ... Bluegrass Jamboree raises about $5,000 for AMR       WARM SPRINGS - The recent Bath Bluegrass Jamboree raised approximately $5,000 for non-profit Allegheny Mountain Radio. According to WCHG station coordinator Bonnie Gills, final figures were still being tabulated this week. More ... You can help prevent child abuse       COVINGTON - Each year, tens of thousands of children are traumatized by physical, sexual, and emotional abusers or by caregivers who neglect them, making child abuse as common as it is shocking. The scars can be deep and long-lasting, affecting not just abused children but society. More ... ARH offers information on wills, directives       LOW MOOR - Alleghany Regional Hospital will participate in National Healthcare Decision Day on April 16 by offering free advance directives forms and information on living wills and naming an agent for health care decisions. More ... Volunteers needed to provide transportation to patients       ROANOKE - The American Cancer Society is searching for volunteers to assist with the "Road to Recovery" program in Alleghany and Bath counties. The American Cancer Society's "Road to Recovery" program is a free service for cancer patients who lack transportation. More ... Jackson River Garden Center springs into bloom By Margo Oxendine • Staff Writer       COVINGTON - Spring has sprung, as they say, and nowhere is this more evident than at Jackson River Garden Center in Covington. Connie Morgan and her husband, Jerry, bought the place in 2002. They're helped by the knowledgable Norma Curtin and Connie's mother, Margaret Pittman. More ...      Students in the forestry technology program at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College recently visited the farm of Mac and Lola McBride in Highland County, where they were able to see various kinds of forest management practices. Pictured are: (l-r ) Matt Kemo, Trevor Saville, Zach Greenwood, Stephen... More ... Invasive plant control sign-up begins April 15       MONTEREY - The Highland County Board of Supervisors has approved and broadened an invasive plant control program under which Highland landowners can apply for an incentive payment to offset chemical control costs for ridding property of targeted invasive species. More ... State parks seek YCC volunteers       RICHMOND - The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is looking for young women and men to serve the commonwealth. DCR is accepting applications for two three-week sessions of the Virginia State Parks Youth Conservation Corps, scheduled June 21-July 12 and July 19-Aug. 9. More ... Bath library celebrates National Library Week       HOT SPRINGS - The Bath County Public Library will celebrate National Library Week April 13-17 with the theme, "Join the circle of knowledge at your library." Patrons and visitors are encouraged to stop by the library, get a library card and check it out. More ... Wilke speaks to garden club at annual spring luncheon       MONTEREY - Saturday April 5, the Monterey Garden Club held its annual spring luncheon at the Highland Inn. Approximately 35 members and guests attended. Nancy Witschey and Barbara Hevener served as coordinators. More ... IRS payment packages go out       WASHINGTON - Starting next week, the Internal Revenue Service will mail special information packages to 20.5 million recipients of Social Security or Veterans Affairs benefits to help them get their 2008 economic stimulus payment. More ...