Columns & Opinion

Billy Armes of Blackstone caught these two bass back in Spring 1978 at the Fort Pickett Reservoir. One on left weighed 7 lbs., 4 ounces. The small one topped 4 lbs.

It’s Holy Week in Blackstone. I’m afraid it appears the next few days here may bear some similarities to the first Holy Week some 2,000 years ago — with plotting, treachery, and betrayal. *** Nottoway County is now considering not one but TWO new taxes to fund Emergency Medical Services (EMS): A new 10¢ per $100 valuation tax on real […]

It was a lovely day in May 1978 when Doug Deaton and Beth Moncure were introduced as King and Queen of May Day festivities at Blackstone Day School.

Among the successful Spring Gobbler hunters in April 1978 were Charles Green (left) with a 19 1/2-pounder and Darrell Lott with a 20-pounder.

NCAA basketball changed forever Dear Sir: When the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) took effect in the NCAA, everything changed completely. There must be limits placed on how much a player can be paid — and also penalties for transfers. The NCAA does not care about student-athletes anymore. They are after the dollar. The NCAA won’t even stop men from competing […]

Nottoway County Supervisors are busy number-crunching and have one of the toughest budget seasons in recent memory ahead. We’re hearing that the Board plans to propose keeping the County’s real estate tax rate at 45¢ per $100 valuation. To accomplish that, about $1.1 million will be taken from reserves. That’s not only a big chunk out of the County’s (our) […]

A call for unity in Blackstone Dear Sir: As elected officials, we are entrusted with the responsibility of serving the citizens of Blackstone with integrity, respect, and a commitment to progress. The recent events at Town Hall have been unfortunate, but they also present an opportunity for us to reflect and move forward together. Our town is stronger when we […]

Jean and Debbie Stephenson, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Stephenson of Ridge Road south of Blackstone, proudly displayed their father’s excellent crop of dark-fired tobacco in July 1964. Many plants had more than 20 leaves.

It was August 1959 when this wingless Army plane was hauled down Main Street on its way back to the local airfield. It’s the same plane that landed two days earlier in an alfalfa field on the Staples farm at Nottoway after two of its passengers bailed-out. With wings removed, the aircraft was towed by truck back to the airfield […]