I just built a new house and looked into internet. I checked into broadband but was told that there were no funds to run lines to a new address. Apparently there was a rural broadband fund that Trump and Muck have decimated. I signed up for Starling and it works great. I just despise Musk more and more every day and do not want him getting another penny from me.
It was our go to store for plants in the spring and bird seed in the winter, as they had locally grown sunflower seed. We are going to miss them. I am also going to miss the friendly conversations with the small staff we always had when we were there. I remember a time when it was affiliated with Southern States and one could always find those hard-to-find items in the bins that never seemed to be anywhere else.
Local Tykia Gray has launched a basic hygiene essentials drive for students in Westmoreland County, with the hope that there will be sufficient community support to expand for all students on the Northern Neck. She writes on FB, “Every student deserves to start the school year feeling confident and ready to learn. School success isn’t just about having pencils and notebooks it’s also about having access to the everyday essentials that help students feel comfortable, confident, and ready to learn.”
The Care Closet Drive relies on people power. Individuals, businesses, organizations, groups, and communities can help by donating items, spreading the word about the need and the care closet, and inviting others to help.
No matter the size of the donation, every one helps.
Items needed:
Tissues
Deodorant
Period products: Sanitary napkins and tampons
Toothbrushes and toothpaste
Combs
There are two ways to donate:
Buy items and, at least for now, connect with Tykia ([804-480-9900](tel:+18044809900)) to give them to her. Soon there will be drop-off locations.
Virginia’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) is a five-year plan that provides direction and focus for road safety efforts in the commonwealth. The steering committee that provides oversight to the update — made up of VDOT, Virginia State Police, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Health, and other state and local agencies and safety partners — invites public input to help shape the next plan and guide future safety initiatives.
The statewide survey is now open and will remain available through Aug. 23. This online survey asks Virginians to identify the most pressing safety issues within SHSP emphasis areas such as speeding, occupant protections, impaired driving and others, as well as to provide insight on which countermeasures, actions or strategies they believe would be most effective in reducing or eliminating those concerns.
The number of traffic-related deaths and serious injuries in Virginia decreased in 2025, but they remain at pre-pandemic levels. Public input to the plan through this survey will help focus our actions so that those traveling on Virginia’s highways and streets will arrive alive and unharmed.
The updated plan is expected to be released in early 2027.
