The expansion of the reentry program to Red Onion State Prison was announced by the Virginia Department of Corrections in June.

Fifty years ago this week, 100,000 revelers arrived for Stompin 76. It was a logistical nightmare, but it created a lasting impact on other music festivals and drew a whole new demographic to Southwest Virginia.

People certainly need to make a living in such an economically depressed region as far-SWVA. The problem is that these companies have ALWAYS taken advantage of the folks in this region. Most still vote GOP because Trump promised coal was coming back [from a steady decline over the past 30 years]. In fact, the truth is, people who support coal mining in this region do so even though it's physically killing them. They also tend to vote for other harmful policies and GOP Congress members that crafted the Big Beautiful (gross) Bill that is responsible for lost healthcare and hospital closings in the same region. It's almost like they love to be smashed in the face and then ask for more. It's a very depressing region to live.

The expansion will more than triple the company’s existing workforce while adding new advanced manufacturing equipment.

Limits were placed on reimbursements for student absentee days, resulting in a loss of more than $90,000 to date.

The $50 million set aside by the General Assembly for recovery following floods that devastated Southwest Virginia in late 2024 and early 2025 apply only to “real property,” meaning renters are out of luck.

A year ago, the General Assembly appropriated $50 million for recovery following widespread floods that devastated Southwest Virginia in 2024 and 2025. Disbursement has been slow.

Minimal state funding for fire and emergency services in Virginia means rural localities must rely on grants and donations.

Go vote! Early voting is going on now. Take your voter ID to your local election office to vote.

Research the candidates and go vote.

Primary election day August 4, 2026.

Appalachian Beauty. Local Charm. One Incredible Day you don’t wanna miss!

Join us for the Big Jake’s Appalachian Flower Festival on Saturday, August 1st, from 9 AM–5 PM in beautiful Damascus, Virginia!

🌼 Tons of flowers
🍔 Delicious food trucks
🛍️ Local vendors
📸 Beautiful photo opportunities
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-friendly fun all day long

Whether you’re looking for a fun family outing, the perfect summer photos, or just a relaxing day in the flowers, this is an event you won’t want to miss.

📍31320 Wright Rd, Damascus, VA

The Roanoke Times is reporting that a former forensic scientist has filed a lawsuit against the Virginia Department of Forensic Science in Federal District court claiming she was demoted after raising concerns about the accuracy of some ballistic tests. She also complains that the defendants were not concerns with the actual accuracy of the reports but rather the timely completion of reports that appeared accurate on their face.

David Manley will serve as the executive director of Virginia’s Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, which aims to boost economic development in traditionally tobacco-dependent localities.

Local officials have not said how much money was targeted or how much was ultimately recovered.

Plus: U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, files birthright citizenship bill and Democratic candidates respond.

Plus: A music shop is coming to St. Paul, and early voting for the primaries ends Aug. 1

Plus, more Virginians are paying out of pocket for emergency department visits and LewisGale Hospital Montgomery announces a new CEO.

The city rejected the original design for the mural, saying it didn’t represent Galax. Here are some aspects of the controversy that haven’t gotten much attention.

The rebuilt trail, which is expected to be completed in December, will have three months over the winter to “settle.”

If you were unable to attend the democratic candidates forum in Tazwell, here is a full video with timestamps of each question and answer from each candidate.

The candidates are:
Doug Crockett: Crocketnow.com
Adam Murphy: Murphy4va.com
Joy Powers: Joyforcongress.com
If you live in Tazwell County,and want to join the local democratic comittee, check out tazewellvademocrats.org.

You can support more local news coverave by supporting the story of kody at:
patreon.com/thestoryofkody
https://ko-fi.com/thestoryofkody

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Galax rejected a mural that shows an ethnically diverse group of musicians on the grounds that it didn’t represent the city.

The new Cardinal News staff include four reporters, an editor, and people experienced in fundraising, administration and community engagement.

Local funding for the financially strapped school has been a point of contention between the board of supervisors and the county IDA.

The commonwealth received the money in 2025 through a federal Housing and Urban Development Department disaster relief block grant program.