Established 1890 - Blackstone, Virginia, USA

Published: Thursday, August 7th, 2008

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NEWS FRONT PAGE . . .

The SECOND FRONT . . .

Somehow They Survived

   Fireman Buzz Bryant (left) was among those impressed by the Sunday morning survival of two drivers involved in this head-on crash on Hungarytown Road.
   Ricard Martinez (center) of Drakes Branch

was driving pick-up truck at left.
   A Blackstone woman was driving the Toyota Camry at right and escaped with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening. (Full story, page 10 in this week's print edition).


Cougar sightings continue

BABS driver spots mountain
lion on South Main Street

Blackstone, Game Commission
stepping-up efforts

   Concerns here about a mysterious cougar--one that apparently doesn’t mind roaming through residential areas--are escalating with yet another reliable sighting.
   Charlie Daniel, a driver for the Blackstone Area Bus System (BABS), reports seeing a cougar on South Main Street last Thursday morning, July 31st, at about 7:50 a.m. in the general vicinity of Dollar General. (More stories, page 3)
   Thursday’s sighting is less than a block from the home of Mrs. Shiras Scott Craig, who recently reported seeing a cougar near her home on 10th Street, and who has asked Blackstone officials to trap the animal.
   According to Daniel, he was coming back into town from the shopping centers, heading north on Main Street.
   Daniel said that as he passed the intersection of 10th Street, he saw the big cat on the right-hand side of the road near the home of Mrs. Irene Gearhart, who lives two doors south of Dollar General.
   “When it got to the street, it turned toward me like it was going to run . . . .
Read more >

Residents asked to be prepared

   Blackstone Police Chief Nick Kuzmiak this week encourages residents to be alert, observant, and ready to call police if they happen to see a cougar.
   Kuzmiak this week said, “Town Animal Control Officer Radcliff is working in cooperation with Officers from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. They are working diligently” and offer the following suggestions to residents:
   •Have a camera ready to take a photograph
   •Contact a neighbor upon a possible sighting. It may be possible to obtain an additional photograph.
   •If a suspicious track is noticed, cover the track with a bucket, to preserve the track, and contact the police department.
   •If the animal is observed jumping over a fence or going through thick brush, they may notice hair samples.
   •Residents are encouraged to call the police department (292-3323 or 3322) at any time to report a possible sighting.
    If you should happen to encounter a mountain lion while walking, experts say you should stop, make loud noises, wave your arms and make yourself larger than you appear, and call for help. Experts warn that turning your back and running can be a fatal mistake, because running is said to trigger an instinct for mountain lions to chase their prey.


A Little Spendin' Money

   There's nothin' like a check for a quarter-million dollars to make your birthday brighter.
   Glenn Jackson of Blackstone had 250,000 reasons to celebrate after playing the lottery.
   He picked the five winning numbers on July 22--the day before his 77th birthday. (Story in this week's print edition).

Councilman asked to
hold-off on questions
for Town Manager

Green offers list
to Palmore, Council

   Blackstone Town Councilman Ben Green says he gets a lot of questions about Town business from various constituents.
   So Green recently typed-up a list and was prepared to present it to Town Manager Larry Palmore and members of Council at Council’s July 21st meeting.
   Palmore appeared concerned about the process. “Are you going to send me the list, or is this going to be a recommendation for me to spend my time on from the Council first, or just under your direction, or how?”
   “I’ve got 15 questions I’d like answered, and whatever the right way to do it is, I just want to do it that way,” Green assured Palmore and members of Council. “These are questions I’ve been asked to look into.”
   Green, who already had made copies, offered to share the list with Palmore and Council. He said he didn’t want to read each  . . . . .
Read more >


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