COMMUNITY GIVING - The former Main Street United Methodist Church has made a series of donations to help the community. The funds were made possible by the Virginia Halterman Estate, which was originally willed to the church. With the generosity of the Halterman family that the church donated funds to the children of Petersburg Elementary School for the purchase of new playground equipment and $54,221.23 to the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Company. A donation was also made to the Landes Arts Center

Levy funding and strong community support have led to signifi cant improvements in student access, instrument quality, and overall growth for the Petersburg High School and middle school band programs. Band Director Faith Smith stated that recent levy funding enabled the program to invest in much-needed repairs and equipment, ensuring more students can participate regardless of fi nancial circumstances.“We were approved for $15,000 a year for the next several years, specifi cally for instruments and repairs,” Smith said. “That money has made such a difference.”

On January 9, at approximately 4:46 p.m., the Pendleton County Communication Center got a call from Rockingham County 911 about a gunshot wound. The incident was believed to have happened in Pendleton County.

Investigators spoke with the victim, Megan Garner, who said she was in Pendleton County delivering medical supplies. As she drove back toward Virginia on Route 33, Garner said a gray or silver Hummer SUV followed her. She reported that someone in the SUV pointed a gun out the window and shot at her van, hitting her in the arm.

Three cosmetology students at the South Branch Career and Technical Center have partnered with the Potomac Highlands Guild to help spread confi dence in the community by offering free services as part of their SkillsUSA competition project. Starting on Feb 19 at 4 p.m., young visitors to the Regional Youth Service Center in Petersburg will have the opportunity to get a free haircut or trim and have their hair styled with tinsel, temporary hair chalk, hairwraps or braids if they want. The project was designed by Amaya Bartlett, a graduate from Keyser High School, Chloe Kauffman, a graduate from Frankfort High School and Morgan Raines, a graduate from Harman High School. All three are cosmetology students at SBCTC who will be competing in SkillsUSA for the fi rst time this year.

WORKING TOGETHER - On Jan. 30, the Bayard Volunteer Fire Company responded with a crew of three to a mutual aid call in Preston County. The call came in at 1 p.m. and was for a working structure fi re. photo courtesy of bvfc facebook

Approximately 200 people are soon to be out of a job following an announcement last Thursday that Mettikki Coal will be permanently closing their Mountain View Mine in Tucker County. However, while the mine entrance is located in Tucker County, the closure will also greatly impact Grant County, where multiple coal reserves are located. The day following the announcement, Grant County Commissioner Tyson Rigglemen took to social media to address community questions about the closure. “I have been asked several times today how this closure will affect Grant County’s fi nances,” Riggleman said. “Our county assessor advised me this morning that the shutdown is expected to reduce Grant County revenues by as much as $400,000 in coal severance funds.