I feel badly for making the Sheriff do extra work last week. I woke-up in the middle of the night and was certain I had heard two public safety personnel getting snippy with each other over the air, and that the argument ended with a barnyard epithet. I thought it possibly may have been a dream, so I spoke the next morning with someone in public safety who’s also an avid scanner listener. They, too, said they thought they heard something similar, but weren’t certain. So, doing what I do best, I asked questions.
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As it turns out, Sheriff Robert Jones went through a recording of all radio communications that night, and said no such exchange occurred. My sincere apologies to the Sheriff and anyone who may have been put in the hot seat. I guess I’ve been writing about so much profanity between public officials that it’s beginning to ring in these angelic ears of mine — along with my titinius which is about to drive me crazier than I already am. Maybe Nottoway County’s new $7 million radio system will prevent me from having such dreams.
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Happy Thanksgiving to all of you — especially our advertisers, readers, sponsors, contributors, letter writers, and you informants who provide us information that we otherwise wouldn’t receive. All of you quotable elected officials, too. Nottoway County today certainly has its challenges. There’s a shortage of money but an abundance of news. Nottoway County in recent years has become a cornucopia of controversy. If you don’t know what that fancy word is, look at today’s front page masthead. The Courier-Record news room’s cup runneth over. I’d be just fine with threequarters full.
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With all of the Thanksgiving dinners and folks gathering across the community, this should be a busy weekend for Nottoway County dumpster sites. The County’s “convenience centers” are open today (Wednesday) from 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. They’re closed Thanksgiving Day but are open Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m; Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m; and Sunday 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. I live in town and enjoy great trash collection, but once my two containers start getting full, I get antsy — and off to the Rt. 46 dumpster site I go.
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I get very little time to read for pleasure. I read a lot of stuff, but most of it’s work-related — looking through Board and Town Council meeting packets, notes from interviews, and those wonderful, uplifting Courier-Record Facebook comments. I don’t typically endorse books, but I must say that once I started reading Willie Ragan’s “Light of the Cross,” I had trouble putting it down. We enjoyed our interview with Willie last week, and we hope you like the story today on page 6. Willie’s a good man who’s been through a lot and can still smile and laugh at himself. We need more people like him and Janice.
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Trump hasn’t ended the war between Russia and Ukraine, but perhaps County Administrator Steve Bowen can bring about a verbal “cease-fire” between Supervisors John Roark and Daphne Norton. Here’s hoping that the approaching spirit of Christmas can ease tensions and have everyone rowing the boat together again. Administrator Bowen was asked last Thursday night to meet with the two Supervisors, and both Supervisors said they’re willing to talk and listen. That’s a good start.
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I’m the weakest link on a Town Tourism Committee that’s doing some good things. Model trains and a Christmas Bazaar are coming to the renovated Armory on Saturday & Sunday, Dec. 13-14th, from 12 Noon to 6 p.m. both days. There are already plans to extend next year’s Hometown Holiday Express & Bazaar to two weeks.
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My favorite night of the year in Blackstone — Grand Illumination — is this coming Friday, Nov. 28th, in Seay Park. With help from four local essay winners, Mayor Lafayette Dickens will throw the switch a few moments after 6:00 p.m. See the story and read the winning essays today on page. 7.
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