News

“I’m testing more people than I have since the pandemic started, which is good.”

Blackstone Town Council will hold a Continued Meeting today (Wednesday) at 6:00 p.m. to adopt a budget for 2020-21. The next budget, which takes effect July 1st, includes a $2.00 increase in monthly garbage collection fees to help the Town buy a new garbage truck. It also includes 3% raises for Town employees and higher raises in the police department to keep up with Nottoway County, where a starting deputy now makes about $42,000 per year. We’ll give you a raise rundown in our next edition. I’ve learned over the years that folks love reading about salaries...except their own.

STORAGE UNITS WOULD REPLACE CAR WASH BAYS

Blackstone Police say they aren’t sure what caused this accident Thursday morning at Wal-Mart, where this vehicle backed into the local supercenter. Police identified the driver as 78-year-old Rene Vargas, Jr. (lower right) of Burkeville. Neither Vargas nor his wife (lower left) were injured, and he appeared to take Thursday’s accident in stride.

CITIZEN SAYS NEW SITE SHOULD BE FOUND FOR 1893 STATUE

ARMORY FOE BLASTS MAYOR, URGES BLACKS TO SPEAK-UP

Graduate Makayla Alvis was among the members of Nottoway High’s Class of 2020 enjoying a parade Saturday morning through downtown Blackstone. Makayla and her classmates received diplomas Thursday and Friday with assigned times in the auditorium due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Saturday’s procession was organized by class parents, and the Town of Blackstone purchased and erected a banner (inset) to congratulate graduates of both Nottoway High and Kenston Forest. Photo by Isaiah Jones

HOTEL GROUP MOVES AHEAD WITH PLANS

90-UNIT COMPLEX PLANNED FOR OLD VFW PARK

COUNCIL BACKS CHAMBER EVENT

MAYOR QUITS SUDDENLY TO EASE TENSIONS

I left town last Wednesday for a couple of days. Did anything exciting happen in Nottoway County while I was gone?

To help downtown restaurants expand dining capacities during the restriction-filled COVID-19 pandemic, Blackstone Town Council has approved a closure of Main Street for the next several Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

A $2,400 study by Danville-based Solex Architecture estimates that renovating the armory would cost $1.9 million. A previous estimate by another architect, working with the Harris Memorial Armory group, placed the project at $2.1 million.

Blackstone is moving closer to approving proposed wording for two questions to be placed on the Nov. 3rd ballot.

After a motorcade (below) through downtown Blackstone last Thursday evening, several members of Shiloh Baptist Church observed several moments of reflection and remembrance on the one-year anniversary of the May 28, 2019 accident in Dinwiddie County that killed four church members and injured seven others. Among the survivors was Grace Rhodes (left), who led the gathering in song in the church parking lot. Michael Somerville, who lost his wife, Wartena, prayed with daughter, Stephanie.

What a distressing time for our nation. I pray for continued peace here in rural Virginia. How in the world did that police officer in Minneapolis keep his job after so many prior complaints and incidents? Was it because of a powerful police union? I’ve been told that with some labor unions, you basically have to kill someone on the job to get fired. Well, he did. You’d think that a dirty cop would be smart enough (cunning) not to do something so inhumane and heinous in a city street, where every witness and passerby has a cell phone camera. George Floyd was handcuffed, subdued by four officers, and very much detained. May something good come out of his cruel, unnecessary death.

Tomorrow, May 28th, marks a very somber anniversary in Blackstone. It will be one year since the tragedy that killed four members of Shiloh Baptist Church. Eleven church members -- nine women and two men -- were riding in the church van when it was struck from behind on Rt. 460 in Dinwiddie County. It was shortly before 6:55 p.m.