-
Tug River development proposal stalls amid EPA grant program freeze
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN WARFIELD — A $19.8 million plan to develop the Tug River corridor remains in limbo as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Community Change Grant program stalls under the Trump administration. Blake Moss with the Big Sandy Area Development District provided the Warfield City Commission with an update on the proposal in…
-
Martin County Schools Police Department adds second officer
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County Schools Police Department has added a second officer to its ranks. Justin Bellamy of Lovely has joined the department, Police Chief Chris Kidd announced Monday. “The name will ring familiar to some,” Kidd said. “He worked with us for several months at the Martin County Sheriff’s…
-
Martin County BOE holds tax rates steady, balances $20.5M budget
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County Board of Education will hold tax rates steady this year while balancing a $20.5 million budget for fiscal year 2026. The BOE voted unanimously Sept. 29 to keep the motor vehicle tax at 22.3 cents per $100 of assessed value, which District Treasurer Ernest Hale described…
-
Local newspapers keep communities strong
BY DEAN RIDINGS AMERICA’S NEWSPAPERS Strong communities don’t just happen. They rely on connection—residents knowing what’s going on, businesses reaching the customers who keep them open, and citizens having the facts to make good decisions. Local newspapers provide that connection in ways no other source can. In today’s fractured media environment, trust is the rarest…
-
This and that—a few random thoughts
Have you noticed the new drug commercials on TV? They advertise a certain medication for an illness or problem some may suffer from. But at the end of every commercial, they quickly spew out the long list of possible side effects. Some could even end in “death.” No thanks, I think I will pass on…
-
Brothers arrested after four-wheeler rams FedEx truck
BY ANNIE HOLLER MOUNTAIN CITIZEN TOMAHAWK — Two brothers went to jail Monday in Tomahawk after one reportedly attacked the FedEx truck with his four-wheeler. Harvey Mollett, 52, of Tomahawk, is facing a charge of first-degree criminal mischief while his brother Randall Mollett, 62, of Tomahawk, faces a charge of disorderly conduct, second degree. Deputy…
-
Interpersonal relationships and critical conversation
Your relationships will be few if you wait for everyone to come to you. More and more people are living in isolation. Their world is their telephone, friends are on their phones, church experiences are on their phones. Their recreation is on their phones. Most all of us spend more time on a cellphone than…
-
Martin County arrest report
INEZ — Martin County Sheriff John Kirk’s Office made the following arrests: Harvey Mollett, 52, of Tomahawk, was arrested Monday on Route 40 in Tomahawk on a charge of criminal mischief, first degree. Deputy Jameson Wall responded to the scene of an accident on Route 40 involving a FedEx truck and Mollett’s four-wheeler. Mollett allegedly…
-
Caught on camera: Transaction outside courtroom leads to meth arrest
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — A Lovely man went to jail Oct. 2 after allegedly making a drug transaction outside the courtroom in the Martin County Judicial Center, authorities said. It was just after 3:30 p.m. when court security officers noticed something unusual on the surveillance feed. Outside the courtroom, 49-year-old Amos Ray…
-
Martin County court docket
INEZ — Judge Brett Butcher heard the following cases Sept. 30 in Martin District Court: Joshua Baisden (arraignment) — Reckless driving; failure to illuminate head lamps; failure to or improper signal; inadequate silencer (muffler); intermediate licensing violations; no rear view mirror: Pleaded not guilty, pretrial conference 10/28/25 at 10 a.m. Patrick Blackburn (arraignment) — Possession…
