OLD LEATHER GUN CASE TRACED TO FORMER URBANNA RESIDENT WHO WAS A GOVERNOR

When Marion Timbrook of Mechanicsville was cleaning out her great-uncle’s home in Rushmere near Smithfield, she came across a leather gun case dating back several generations. At first she thought it might be a gun case related to her great-uncle’s own guns since he had been an avid duck and goose hunter, but on closer inspection she noticed a faded etching in the leather that read “A.J. Montague.”

WRENN HONORED BY GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Bobby Wrenn was recently awarded a resolution on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia General Assembly during a regular meeting of the Emporia Rotary Club. Wrenn retired as the Greensville Circuit Court Clerk on March 1, after more than 50 years of service.

JAIL COST REPORT

For the 2018 fiscal year Northern Neck Regional Jail held its title for having the lowest operating costs of any jail in the state, regional or otherwise, the latest Jail Cost Report shows. Regional jails’ average operating costs were $69.45 per inmate per day, beating the statewide average of $87.20, but Northern Neck Regional Jail undercut both, with costs of $48.83 per inmate.

BARN QUILT TOUR FINALLY FORMING IN MADISON

For the past few years there has been discussion of expanding the Blue Ridge Barn Quilt Tour into Madison County. Now an Etlan woman and her two daughters are making that dream a reality. Nan Coppedge and her daughters, Kaci Daniel and Laura De Boer, are working with the Madison County Department of Economic Development and Tourism to create a barn quilt trail much like the popular ones in Highland County and neighboring Greene County.

HEMP PRODUCTION COMPANY CONNECTS WITH LOCAL FARMERS

Village Fields Hemp is a Georgia based hemp production company that is looking to have a big impact on farming in Southside Virginia and its surrounding areas. Focusing on the CBD oil market, the company was able to branch out into South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia in 2019. Farmers contracted through the program grow outdoor crops paid for and cultivated by Village Fields Hemp as well as receiving a cost share on the back end sell of the biomass.

JAVA LANDMARK TO CLOSE AFTER 63 YEARS

For over 63 years, Carroll Jennings has welcomed thousands into his garage where he has performed repairs and inspections. On Dec. 31, 2019, Jennings Garage will close for the final time. “I have had a lot of people who asked if I would stay in business,” Jennings said.

GUN-TOTING GRANNY HELPS FEED HUNGRY

One local grandma is in no danger of being run over by one of Santa’s reindeer; if anything, they should be on the lookout. Connie Sue Nester, of Meadows of Dan, is an avid hunter who uses her passion for the outdoors to help others. Nester isn’t your stereotypical 73-year-old; you won’t find her knitting by the fire or putting the kettle on to boil. You will, however, find her deep in the woods, gun in tow, looking for a deer to take down.

VIRGINIA MAN HAS BUILT A CHRISTMAS VILLAGE IN HIS LIVING ROOM EVERY YEAR SINCE 1975

It's not unusual to see holiday decorations adorn driveways and exteriors of homes in December. Many wait all year to throw up glitzy lights and reindeer memorabilia, maybe even a wreath or two. But one Virginia man has taken holiday cheer to a whole new level -- inside his living room, in a full-on custom Christmas village.

KIDS ENCOURAGED TO ENJOY LAWNMOWER DEMOLITION DERBY

Lawnmowers are being fixed up to be able to take hits, climb up and rev up and the kids are loving it. With the increased interest, Snider and Givens added seatbelts as a safety necessity to the derby because some kids were popping up out of their seats.

AUTHOR RECALLS MOUNTAIN-LOVING FATHER

The Greene County Historical Society hosted a book talk during its holiday open house last weekend with author Sherman T. Shifflett as he recalled his father, whose family was forced off the mountain to make way for Shenandoah National Park prior to his birth. In “Remembering a Blue Ridge Mountain Father,” Shifflett talks about life as one of 11 kids to a George “Harvey” Shifflett, who never got over the “eviction” from his family’s 250-acre farm in Rockingham County.

BROOKNEAL COUNCIL PLEASED WITH PARADE

Everyone was full of praise for how well the December 5 Brookneal Christmas Parade turned out at the December 10 council meeting. Public Works Director Mike Crews mentioned that he heard people say they thought it was one of the best parades the town has ever had! Crews also told council that the 2010 sanitation truck has been in the shop since November 19. “It was supposed to be out by December 9, but we don’t have it yet. We’ve been borrowing a truck from Gretna,” he said.

LONG WAIT FOR HOME-BUSINESS USE PERMIT ENDS

Halifax resident Erin Shaughnessey’s lengthy quest to obtain a town permit to operate an apparel business out of her home has come to a successful conclusion. On Tuesday, members of Halifax Town Council granted a special use permit to Shaughnessy that allows her to sell LulaRoe clothing from her 615 Mountain Road home without running afoul of town code.

TOWN OF STUART PLAYS ‘CHICKEN’ WITH VULTURES

In past weeks, some Stuart residents have been plagued by a large committee of vultures, with no end in sight. That issue has not been resolved, according to Murphy Brown, who owns property in the Town of Stuart. Brown has used an air horn to try to get the birds to relocate to less populated areas, but the “air horn failed after the third try. They got wise real fast. I got a recording of an eagle. That scared them good on the first try, then on the second, they spooked but were right back.

LONGTIME BLAND COUNTY MESSENGER CORRESPONDENT REMEMBERED

Longtime Bland County Messenger correspondent France Shupe died Dec. 9. For more than three decades, Shupe reported on the comings and goings in Ceres. Her columns were filled with news about community events, weddings, births, deaths, potlucks, fundraisers, homecomings and more. Shupe was a native of Bland County. She and her husband, Doyle, were married 54 years and had two children, Sam and Tammy, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

FORGOTTEN CEMETERIES FOR DEC. 25 EDITION

The Graybill – Linkenhoker – Thrasher – Pifer Cemetery is located on 803 Wheatland Road in Buchanan. Eighteen markers were found in a recent survey of this secluded and beautiful old cemetery, and one proven grave from recent research. These are all prominent families in the community and the forefathers of many generations of members of the current community.

LINFORD: REMEMBERING THE CHRISTMAS EVE DISASTER OF 1924 IN SALTVILLE

This Christmas Eve marks the 95th anniversary of the night the Muck Dam broke in Saltville. This tragedy is often referred to as the “Great Saltville Disaster.” Each year, as Christmas approaches, I reflect on the events of that night. I grew up hearing tales of the horror of the Muck Dam break from my Grandma Overbay, who lived in Saltville as a little girl and recounted stories she heard from those who had been eyewitnesses to the destruction.

MILLER: DO HAWKS EAT PETS?

I recently downloaded the Nextdoor app, the “social network for your neighborhood community,” to keep track of road closures and new developments in my rapidly growing community. It served that purpose, but it also gives me sometimes-startling insights into my neighbors’ concerns. Chief among those concerns is wildlife: Coyotes, bobcats (or bobcats misidentified as mountain lions), deer, and, lately, hawks. Yes, hawks.