The nationwide slowdown in home construction is having a local effect. Coffman Stairs manufacturing in Marion has laid off 19 employees, but four were recalled Monday, according to Virginia Employment Commission office manager Betty Keith.

Chickens and a parrot. Snakes and lizards. A pony. Seeds. Herbs. Weather. Storybooks about animals and nature. It’s hard to list everything that was featured Friday at Marion Primary School’s annual Discovery Day, and those subjects are just a start.

In Smyth County’s three municipal elections today, Saltville voters had the larger field of candidates from which to choose. Eight candidates were on the ballot.
Voters dashed Billy Whitely’s hope of unseating mayor Jeff Campbell by more than two to one, returning Campbell with 212 to Whitely’s 100.

The United Auto Workers/United Defense Workers strike against General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products in Marion entered its fourth week Friday evening with no end in sight, according to strikers on the picket line Thursday afternoon.

Two Smyth County schools are among those across the state the Virginia Department of Education recognized for raising the achievement of economically disadvantaged students.

Tim Witt was only a few months old in the winter of 1962 when his mother abandoned him and his four brothers in St. Paul. The Wytheville resident didn’t see his brothers again until 46 years later, at a recent reunion he initiated.

Getting easy-going Audie Blaylock on the phone is like talking with an old buddy.

Audie Blaylock (related story) speaks of reaching a point in his musicianship where he needed to step out on his own to follow his own artistic direction while remaining true to his love of bluegrass.
On Song of the Mountains’ lineup Saturday is a band with which he’ll have plenty in common, The Wilders. The Ozarks-inspired group calls itself a hillbilly band, but their brand new album, “Someone’s Got to Pay,” has influences from a handful of musical styles.

Public attendance at fundraisers helping the families of two law enforcement officers this winter and spring has remained strong, and an organizer of a fun event set for May 10 with that serious purpose expects a substantial turnout again.

A total of 17 candidates will appear on ballots for the May 6 town elections in Chilhowie, Marion and Saltville. The News & Messenger invited candidates in the Saltville and Marion contests to respond to a standard set of questions posed generally enough to give them room to craft answers and give voters insight into their philosophies and goals. Here are profiles of the candidates, in their own words.