I-M Editor It was a “soft opening” without any fanfare on Dec. 19 as Lowe's opened its newest store in Emporia.

I-M Staff Writer For the second long holiday weekend in a row there has been a shooting.

Contributing Writer Ninety-five-year-old widow Indie Banks has lived independently for many years. She’s the mother of the church at Macedonia Baptist, does her own cooking, cleaning, and even chopping wood to take to her upstairs stove during the winter months. Her neighbors stop by to check on her daily and it just so happened neighbor Phillip Brown was in the right place at the right time on Dec. 7. On that day, Banks found herself in a bleak situation, her home was on fire, the rooms were engulfed in smoke and she was unable to make it down her steps to safety.

I-M Staff Writer On Dec. 2, a Greensville County Grand Jury indicted 27 people on 37 charges, including Thomas London, who is accused of the April 1 murder at Love’s Truck Stop and the attempted murder of a Greensville County Deputy, as well as Steven Antle, a man wanted by police and captured in Greensville County.

DON KORALEWSKI I-M Staff The City of Emporia and Greensville County are being asked to step up to the plate again for the Community Youth Center (CYC).

I-M Editor Landlords in the city of Emporia might want to consider an evaluation of their properties for health and building violations before the city gets an official evaluation program under way - which could be in place in the coming months.

I-M Editor Lowe's of Emporia opened its doors to the public on Friday morning.

I-M Staff Writer The Emporia Police Department now has a less than lethal new law enforcement tool—the X26 Taser.

I-M Editor Greensville Memorial Hospital has been memorialized as part of the series of Christmas Tree ornaments sponsored by the Riparian Woman's Club.

I-M Editor There are a lot of things the Emporia Redevelopment and Housing Authority can do to improve housing stock in the city - other than wait for city council to initiate a plan or project.