News

U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) recently announced $60.9 million in federal funding to help farmers in Virginia recover from Hurricane Helene. The funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, will be distributed to farmers to help repair and cover infrastructure, timber and market losses […]

Representatives from Rep. Morgan Griffith’s district office will hold office hours Wednesday, Aug. 13 in Gate City and Southwest Virginia. They will meet constituents on Aug. 13, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the Scott County Board of Supervisors meeting room in the Scott County Community Services Building, located at 190 Beech Street in Gate City. If you are unable […]

The Virginias (FCV), a lending cooperative serving Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland, announced that they are now accepting applications for the second round of grant funding through their Agricultural Career Enhancement (ACE) grant program. The goal of the ACE grant program is to support agricultural career development programs at postsecondary education institutions serving FCV’s territory, including those in agricultural […]

EO, a Virginia-based nonprofit known for transforming big ideas into community solutions, is thrilled to announce that registration is now open for nexEO — a groundbreaking two-day event happening at the EO Regional Workforce and Child Development Hub in Abingdon. Taking place Oct. 2-3, nexEO invites changemakers from across the region to come together for high-impact dialogue, collaboration and co-creation. […]

A new AARP report released July 22, ahead of Social Security’s 90th anniversary, reveals Americans’ confidence in the future of Social Security has declined by seven percentage points in the last five years, from 43 percent in 2020 to 36 percent in 2025. This is the lowest level since 2010, when confidence in Social Security was at 35 percent. Younger […]

A major supplier of methamphetamine and fentanyl, who conspired with others to traffic over 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl into Southwest Virginia, was sentenced July 24 to 145 months in federal prison. Andora Lee Smith, 62, of Whitesburg, Ky., previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine […]

You get a call from a panicked grandchild or other family member. They say they’re in a time-sensitive crisis — hospitalized after a car accident or jailed for example — and beg for immediate financial help. They may hand the phone over to someone they say is a police officer, lawyer or court official who provides detailed instructions for sending […]

“Silvopasture,” currently one of the buzzier words in American livestock management, isn’t much more than two words jammed together. Graziers are certainly familiar with “pasture.” “Silvo” comes from “silva” or “sylva,” a Latin word that means “woods” or “forest.” Combine them and you get both an image of a pasture studded with trees and a major departure from the traditional […]