Sullivan County Commissioner Dwight King, of Piney Flats, told the other commissioners that the service is costing the county’s Highway Department $200,000 a year, and the county attorney has expressed concerns about the legality of the service.

It’s true that the low price of natural gas is partially to blame for the downturn in the coal industry, said Mike Miller, senior vice president with Marshall Miller and Associates, an engineering and geological consulting firm based in Bluefield, Va.

“We have one shot. This is not dress rehearsal. This is act one, scene one. You’ve got to go all out. That’s what we’re trying to do,” Phil Timp said this week. “None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. None of us are guaranteed the rest of today.”

“I am unable to confirm a hunger strike at Red Onion,” said spokesman Larry Traylor. “I am aware of a press conference this morning that they are beginning a hunger strike. Our response … is that Red Onion has always operated constitutionally and has protected the 8^th Amendment rights of offenders, and it has been nationally accredited by the American Correctional Association.”

On the Home Shopping Network, a demo with the T-fal Ingenio cookset says it makes cooking easier. Consumer Reports tested the T-fal, along with more than a dozen other kinds of nonstick cookware.

The Washington County and Johnson City Boards of Education met to discuss budget issues.

A new bill co-sponsored by United States Congressman, Dr. Phil Roe, hopes to make epinephrine shots in schools mandatory across the country.

A Buchanan County man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for selling drugs and guns to an undercover informant.

To make the past come alive for the Dan River Region’s high school seniors, the Danville Historical Society is offering two $250 scholarships this year that will get students directly involved in historic preservation.

Philipp Kotlaba had a tough decision to make this year. After getting into law schools at Harvard University, Yale University and Stanford University, the Virginia Tech senior had to narrow it down to one.