Plus: Two ways to spend the weekend in the heart of Appalachia.
Bristol/Southwest Zone
Bristol, Abingdon, all of far Southwest
Posted inPath to Solutions
Equipment donations from Northern Virginia are making a difference at Southwest fire departments
Minimal state funding for fire and emergency services in Virginia means rural localities must rely on grants and donations.
Posted inLocal
Buchanan County schools targeted by school construction scam
Local officials have not said how much money was targeted or how much was ultimately recovered.
Posted inSouthwest Area
Southwest Virginia Field Notes: New legislation pushes to increase monthly stipend for black lung benefit recipients
Plus: A music shop is coming to St. Paul, and early voting for the primaries ends Aug. 1
Posted inOpinion
Galax cancels its mural project that turned controversial. Here are 5 things to know.
The city rejected the original design for the mural, saying it didn’t represent Galax. Here are some aspects of the controversy that haven’t gotten much attention.
Posted inLocal
Dickenson County drug treatment center administrator hired, staff hiring begins
Center officials say hiring and insurance contracts are the final pieces before an opening date is set.
Posted inSouthwest Area
Upper half of Virginia Creeper Trail, destroyed by Hurricane Helene, set to reopen March 31
The rebuilt trail, which is expected to be completed in December, will have three months over the winter to “settle.”
Posted inLocal
Merger talks for Appalachian School of Law continue amid Buchanan County leadership turmoil
Local funding for the financially strapped school has been a point of contention between the board of supervisors and the county IDA.
Posted inOpinion
Southwest Virginia artist: By rejecting mural with ethnically diverse musicians, Galax sends a message that some aren’t welcome
Galax rejected a mural that shows an ethnically diverse group of musicians on the grounds that it didn’t represent the city.
Posted inPolitics
Spanberger: $7.3 million to be disbursed to rebuild housing damaged by Helene
The commonwealth received the money in 2025 through a federal Housing and Urban Development Department disaster relief block grant program.
