Completely immobilized, the helicopter’s rotors whipping through the air were all that I could see. The smell of the aircraft’s fuel filled my nostrils. The noise from the air-rescue vehicle limited any chance of hearing conversation. However, a hand on my shoulder reassured me as the backboard was maneuvered into the almost-claustrophobic patient transport space.

A big, flat square of what look like reddish and off-white bricks took shape in Saltville’s well fields Wednesday and Thursday. On closer examination, the bricks at the Helen Williams Barbrow Interpretive Trail head are seen to be pavers, brick-like but thicker, capable of withstanding the weight of vehicles driving over and sitting on them.

Virginia State Police Trooper Kris Chapman continues to recover from injuries he sustained when a drunk driver struck his vehicle on the side of Interstate 81 at Seven Mile Ford last winter. That incident made him the first of eight troopers hit this year alone as they worked on the sides of the commonwealth’s highways.

No one at the gas pump leaves happy these days, but the Washington County Public School system has a frown worth more than $1 million.
According to Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tim Graves, the combination of the county’s bus and car fleet, coupled with rising utility costs, has put the system in excess of $1.2 million over its fuel and utilities budget. While there have been whispers of kids even losing field trips as a result, Graves said it hasn’t come to that – just yet.
“We’re not cutting field trips, but we are asking teachers to heavily scrutinize field trips,” he said.

Music and politics were in the air last week as students from Virginia Highlands Community College and Abingdon High School gathered on the college’s campus for three hours for the school’s first Rock the Vote event last Tuesday.

With fall here and flu season on the way, area health departments are preparing by getting the word out about the availability of vaccinations and stocking up plenty of shots.

In the Saltville Town Council chamber Monday as the council members and audience gathered for the 7 p.m. called meeting, a whiteboard stood like a billboard advertising the divisiveness that has beset the town and come to a head this month. 

The need to entertain the residents at Grace Healthcare Nursing Home in Abingdon spawned a curious way for the seniors to alleviate their boredom.
Instead of shuffleboard or bridge, the seniors play a different sort of game. A video game, to be exact.

It was fitting that Martha Bryan, a 34-year obstetrics nurse at Johnston Memorial Hospital would wind up the ground-breaking speeches.
She spends her days with families welcoming new life into the world. On Thursday, she was with around 500 people in a field ringed by wildflowers, welcoming a new life into the community.
Bryan pointed out that more than 100 years of planning went into designing the planned 251,000-square-foot hospital. She said employees were solicited for ideas that made it to the final phase, making the upcoming building a hospital created by the workers for the larger community. 

Chilhowie Police Chief Steve Price is issuing early notice to motorists about changed traffic patterns and expected delays during the main weekend of the Chilhowie Community Apple Festival.