Welcome to Martinsville Field Notes, where you can find quick updates on what’s happening in Martinsville and Henry County every Friday. In this week’s column, you’ll hear about city council candidates, recent council decisions and a new check-in program that the police department is launching. Don’t forget to check out the last edition if you missed it.
If you have a story idea or something you’re curious about that I could look into for you, you can reach me at julianna@cardinalnews.org. There’s always something happening in Martinsville and Henry County, and I’d love to hear from you!
Hitting the streets to find the facts
City council candidates are required to live in Martinsville.
One job of a journalist is to check and make sure that’s true.
Candidates submit an address, along with other information, when they file with the registrar.
As I looked at the addresses and began plugging them into Martinsville’s GIS site, I was able to clear three names: L.C. Jones, Charles Niederstadt and Michael Greene. They were all listed as the owner of their filing address, and there was no additional owner’s address provided. Jones, Niederstadt and Greene filed their addresses on Pebble Road, Thomas Heights and Oakdale Street.
When I looked at Chad Hall’s address, he was listed as the owner, but there was an additional owner’s address listed in Bassett, where several people told Cardinal News they thought he lived. Hall is a rental owner in the city, so he owns several properties.
I decided to go to the house on Liberty Street that he listed when he filed to run. As I drove up, I expected to speak to a renter, but when I knocked on the door, Hall was there.
He told me I woke him up from a nap! He invited me in and told me about when he purchased the house, how long he and his wife had been living there and the status of his Bassett house. Hall has family members living in his Bassett home, and he said he just hasn’t gone through the trouble of switching his mailing address, including through Martinsville’s GIS site.
I looked at the address for the fifth council candidate, Verna Jenkins, who also goes by Tina, and the address on Fifth Street does not have her listed as the owner on the GIS site. The owner on the site was listed as a life estate, and Jenkins said that is who she bought the home from. She said that the GIS site must have not been updated, and that she has been living there and owns the home.
Martinsville Momentum approved for takeoff
City Council unanimously approved Martinsville Momentum, the city’s comprehensive plan that prioritizes housing, economic development, community identity, public safety, trust and communication.
Comprehensive plans are a legally required document by Virginia and serve as a guiding framework for the city’s annual budget and zoning ordinances.
The process included community input, data collection and work sessions with city council and the planning commission.
The group then identified themes to focus on:
- Economic opportunity and workforce development.
- Community identity, arts and culture.
- Affordable and quality housing.
- Public safety, social services and infrastructure.
- Governance, communication, equity and trust.
The group began drafting the plan in June 2025 and completed it in February 2026. They then received community feedback and presented the plan to the planning commission at its August meeting. The planning commission unanimously recommended the city council approve the plan.
Martinsville Police Department launches check-in program
The Martinsville Police Department is launching a check-in program to increase community trust, improve communication, identify crime trends early and address quality-of-life concerns, said Police Chief Chad Rhoads at the city council meeting on Tuesday.
The program is a revamp of the neighborhood watch program where residents can sign up to receive check-ins once or twice a month, either in person or by phone. Residents will be assigned a check-in officer.
“Depending on how many people we get in this program, officers may have one person to check in with, officers may have 20 people to check in with,” Rhoads said.
The check-ins will be confidential, but the concerns will be tracked to ensure closure, Rhoads said. Officers will hear concerns and connect residents to the appropriate department.
The Tuesday meeting was a “soft rollout,” Rhoads said, and the program should be up and running in mid-October. Forms will be on the Martinsville Police Department website but aren’t available online yet. Residents can also sign up at the police department.
