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Sports | Page 5 | Lady Warriors achieve basketball title.|Banquet praises Sports Leaders. Page 7 |Frazier, Mullins, Dotson top CMC team. T U E S D AY
the
March 14, 2017 Vol. 106 • No. 21 10 Pages
A Progressive Newspaper Serving OurOur Mountain Area A Progressive Newspaper Serving Mountain AreaSince Since1911 1911
PROGRESS
C HAMPIONS!
NORTON, VA 24273 USPS 120-120 $1.00
Jobs plan County board asked to endorse proposal JEFF LESTER NEWS EDITOR
Regional planning executive Duane Miller hopes the board of supervisors will sign onto the idea during its next meeting.
WISE — Three out of five local governments have now endorsed a proposal for the five to join forces on job creation. Lenowisco Planning District Commission Executive Director Duane Miller Thursday asked Wise County to make it four out of five. However, Miller didn’t request action that night. He realized some county supervisors first wanted more clarity about how a proposed regional economic development authority differs from other job creation initiatives now in place or being formed.
JAMIE SOWARDS PHOTO
The Central High School girls’ basketball team celebrates its Virginia High School League 2A state championship win Thursday in Richmond. The team defeated Martinsville 45-29. Look for full coverage in Sports, Page 5.
Prime city real estate sold
JENAY TATE PHOTO
Bundled up and under umbrellas in bad weather, more than a dozen gathered on the steps of the Wise courthouse Friday for auctions of prime real estate in downtown Norton. The properties once belonged to the late Sonny Armistead. JENAY TATE EDITOR AND PUBLISHER WISE — Two substantial blocks of property in downtown Norton were auctioned off Friday in foreclosure trustee sales on the steps of the county courthouse. New Peoples Bank was the lone and high bidder on one block of properties and the other group of properties across the street went to a current tenant in one of the build-
ings. More than a dozen people gathered in cold rain turning to sleet as B&H Lending, substitute trustee, described terms and conditions for Park Avenue properties that had been part of the late W.P. “Sonny” Armistead’s holdings. The sales were made pursuant to deeds of trust dated in October 2006 and in December 2008. Under umbrellas and wrapped in rain jackets were other Norton property owners, some real estate agents, bankers and various others. The auctioneer for Bart Long and Associates told the crowd that the
S U B S C R I B E R I N F O R M AT I O N H E R E
INSIDE: • Chase, crash lead to arrest. • Solar meeting scheduled. • Medicaid work mandate sought.
availability of such prime commercial real estate is a rare opportunity. One block of five multi-tenant buildings anchors Park Avenue and Sixth Street, from the corner to the alley out back next to the municipal parking lot. With offices, many store fronts for retail businesses and eight residential apartments, the auctioneer described it as a great investment and income-producing property. The location is as good as it gets, he said, as he opened with a request
AUCTION, PAGE 2
WHAT’S WHAT Miller gave supervisors a draft resolution supporting a proposal for Wise, Lee, Scott and Dickenson counties and the city of Norton to form an entity that would let the localities share the costs of and revenue from joint economic development projects. But Miller said he would probably seek the board’s approval at its next meeting, giving members time to study the idea further. There are many existing and planned jobs initiatives involving the coalfield region, and it’s easy to see how people can have trouble keeping them straight, he said. Those include the statewide GO Virginia initiative and a proposal by coalfield General Assembly legislators to create a new regionwide economic development marketing project funded by dollars from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and the Virginia Tobacco Commission. Once all of them are up and running, they will hopefully dovetail into cooperative efforts, he said. The resolution centers on a proposal that has been discussed in Lenowisco meetings for about two years, Miller explained. After Norton and Lee, Scott and Wise representatives began discussing it, Dickenson County expressed interest in taking part, he said. Norton city council and supervisors in Scott and Dickenson have approved the resolution. Lee County supervisors will consider it and are expected to approve it when they meet March 23, Miller said. Participants are talking with the Virginia Association of Counties about how to structure the organization so that each locality is not required to take part in every project it launches, Miller explained. For example, if two or more localities decided to pursue a project in Lee County, that might not necessarily be of enough benefit to Dickenson County for it to participate. The challenge is that formal regional revenuesharing authorities typically lock each participant into taking part in the costs and the revenue of each project, he said. A lot of recent legislation has tied economic development funding incentives to a requirement for regional project cooperation and revenue sharing, so it makes sense to pursue this regional proposal, according to Miller. He was asked what role, if any, the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority would play. Miller said the new initiative would comple-
PLAN, PAGE 3
PAGE 3: Don’t confuse regional economic development proposal with GO Virginia.
Trails group details actions JEFF LESTER NEWS EDITOR NORTON — The new director of the Spearhead Trails outdoor recreation authority introduced himself to city council March 7. Shawn Lindsey, who took the position late last year after supervising public works for local governments in southeastern Tennessee, noted that the Spearhead Trails staff is doubling in size this year to keep up with the work.
Spearhead Trails’ new director has trail network expansion on his mind. Consequently, the authority has outgrown its Norton office space and is relocating to the Coeburn depot building. Currently, the Spearhead Trails network focuses on off-road vehicle use, but the authority wants to expand its trails to include hiking, biking, equestrian and paddling trail users, Lindsey said.
The group also hopes to work with Appalachia, Big Stone Gap and Norton on a proposed rails-to-trails project that is in the works, he said. As the trails network and its uses expand, Spearhead Trails wants to add a program coordinator position, according to Lindsey. The authority covers seven Southwest Virginia
counties and Norton. It is seeking support funds of $25,000 per county, Lindsey said, and is asking the city and each county’s towns to contribute $1 per resident. Each locality that participates in this level of funding will get a 50 percent discount on trail passes for its residents, starting in 2018, according to Lindsey. According to City Manager Fred Ramey, Norton now gives Spearhead Trails slightly less than $1,500. The city’s population is 3,958.
the
March 14, 2017 Vol. 106 • No. 21 10 Pages
A Progressive Newspaper Serving OurOur Mountain Area A Progressive Newspaper Serving Mountain AreaSince Since1911 1911
PROGRESS
C HAMPIONS!
NORTON, VA 24273 USPS 120-120 $1.00
Jobs plan County board asked to endorse proposal JEFF LESTER NEWS EDITOR
Regional planning executive Duane Miller hopes the board of supervisors will sign onto the idea during its next meeting.
WISE — Three out of five local governments have now endorsed a proposal for the five to join forces on job creation. Lenowisco Planning District Commission Executive Director Duane Miller Thursday asked Wise County to make it four out of five. However, Miller didn’t request action that night. He realized some county supervisors first wanted more clarity about how a proposed regional economic development authority differs from other job creation initiatives now in place or being formed.
JAMIE SOWARDS PHOTO
The Central High School girls’ basketball team celebrates its Virginia High School League 2A state championship win Thursday in Richmond. The team defeated Martinsville 45-29. Look for full coverage in Sports, Page 5.
Prime city real estate sold
JENAY TATE PHOTO
Bundled up and under umbrellas in bad weather, more than a dozen gathered on the steps of the Wise courthouse Friday for auctions of prime real estate in downtown Norton. The properties once belonged to the late Sonny Armistead. JENAY TATE EDITOR AND PUBLISHER WISE — Two substantial blocks of property in downtown Norton were auctioned off Friday in foreclosure trustee sales on the steps of the county courthouse. New Peoples Bank was the lone and high bidder on one block of properties and the other group of properties across the street went to a current tenant in one of the build-
ings. More than a dozen people gathered in cold rain turning to sleet as B&H Lending, substitute trustee, described terms and conditions for Park Avenue properties that had been part of the late W.P. “Sonny” Armistead’s holdings. The sales were made pursuant to deeds of trust dated in October 2006 and in December 2008. Under umbrellas and wrapped in rain jackets were other Norton property owners, some real estate agents, bankers and various others. The auctioneer for Bart Long and Associates told the crowd that the
S U B S C R I B E R I N F O R M AT I O N H E R E
INSIDE: • Chase, crash lead to arrest. • Solar meeting scheduled. • Medicaid work mandate sought.
availability of such prime commercial real estate is a rare opportunity. One block of five multi-tenant buildings anchors Park Avenue and Sixth Street, from the corner to the alley out back next to the municipal parking lot. With offices, many store fronts for retail businesses and eight residential apartments, the auctioneer described it as a great investment and income-producing property. The location is as good as it gets, he said, as he opened with a request
AUCTION, PAGE 2
WHAT’S WHAT Miller gave supervisors a draft resolution supporting a proposal for Wise, Lee, Scott and Dickenson counties and the city of Norton to form an entity that would let the localities share the costs of and revenue from joint economic development projects. But Miller said he would probably seek the board’s approval at its next meeting, giving members time to study the idea further. There are many existing and planned jobs initiatives involving the coalfield region, and it’s easy to see how people can have trouble keeping them straight, he said. Those include the statewide GO Virginia initiative and a proposal by coalfield General Assembly legislators to create a new regionwide economic development marketing project funded by dollars from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and the Virginia Tobacco Commission. Once all of them are up and running, they will hopefully dovetail into cooperative efforts, he said. The resolution centers on a proposal that has been discussed in Lenowisco meetings for about two years, Miller explained. After Norton and Lee, Scott and Wise representatives began discussing it, Dickenson County expressed interest in taking part, he said. Norton city council and supervisors in Scott and Dickenson have approved the resolution. Lee County supervisors will consider it and are expected to approve it when they meet March 23, Miller said. Participants are talking with the Virginia Association of Counties about how to structure the organization so that each locality is not required to take part in every project it launches, Miller explained. For example, if two or more localities decided to pursue a project in Lee County, that might not necessarily be of enough benefit to Dickenson County for it to participate. The challenge is that formal regional revenuesharing authorities typically lock each participant into taking part in the costs and the revenue of each project, he said. A lot of recent legislation has tied economic development funding incentives to a requirement for regional project cooperation and revenue sharing, so it makes sense to pursue this regional proposal, according to Miller. He was asked what role, if any, the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority would play. Miller said the new initiative would comple-
PLAN, PAGE 3
PAGE 3: Don’t confuse regional economic development proposal with GO Virginia.
Trails group details actions JEFF LESTER NEWS EDITOR NORTON — The new director of the Spearhead Trails outdoor recreation authority introduced himself to city council March 7. Shawn Lindsey, who took the position late last year after supervising public works for local governments in southeastern Tennessee, noted that the Spearhead Trails staff is doubling in size this year to keep up with the work.
Spearhead Trails’ new director has trail network expansion on his mind. Consequently, the authority has outgrown its Norton office space and is relocating to the Coeburn depot building. Currently, the Spearhead Trails network focuses on off-road vehicle use, but the authority wants to expand its trails to include hiking, biking, equestrian and paddling trail users, Lindsey said.
The group also hopes to work with Appalachia, Big Stone Gap and Norton on a proposed rails-to-trails project that is in the works, he said. As the trails network and its uses expand, Spearhead Trails wants to add a program coordinator position, according to Lindsey. The authority covers seven Southwest Virginia
counties and Norton. It is seeking support funds of $25,000 per county, Lindsey said, and is asking the city and each county’s towns to contribute $1 per resident. Each locality that participates in this level of funding will get a 50 percent discount on trail passes for its residents, starting in 2018, according to Lindsey. According to City Manager Fred Ramey, Norton now gives Spearhead Trails slightly less than $1,500. The city’s population is 3,958.
