In her second run for the title Miss Virginia Association of Fairs Pageant, Miss Franklin County Agricultural Fair, Torie Shifflett, took home the crown. Shifflett, 22, competed five years ago. The Bridgewater College senior said education and experience made the difference this time around.…

Construction on a new communications tower in Westlake is expected to begin in the coming weeks following the approval by the Franklin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

The request is identical to one filed last month by Thomas “T.J.” Robertson, a former sergeant with the Rocky Mount Police Department who can be seen along with Fracker posing for a selfie in the Capitol’s Crypt.

The bill referencing the 1858 "Lincoln-Douglas debates" in which Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln went head to head on the issue of slavery mistakenly referenced Frederick Douglass,

Applebee's restaurants, including the ones in Martinsville, Danville and Rocky Mount, have been bought by a Texas family-owned company.

It was announced on Jan. 13 that Summit View Business Park in Franklin County will receive a grant of a little more than $1.01 million.

A Rocky Mount family is essentially homeless after a fire destroyed its home on the night of Jan. 7.

After starting back up last fall for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic brought most things to a halt, Franklin County JAM will hold open registration for the new semester on Jan. 18 at the Leonard A. Gereau Center for Applied Technology and Career Exploration at 4 p.m.

After being delayed for several months, the Franklin County Planning Commission finally gave the go ahead for a proposal by Blue Ridge Towers to build a communications tower in Westlake.

The Scruggs Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department started the new year with a new emergency response vehicle. The Chevy Silverado truck retrofitted with multiple lifesaving devices was put into service on Jan. 1 and has already seen its fair share of action.

Eastbound this week for their first Virginia General Assembly in Richmond are Jason Ballard, Marie March and Wren Williams.

Four years after construction began, the natural gas pipeline is still mired in legal challenges.

A long time Franklin County Planning Commission member is stepping down, making way for some new blood on the commission. Jim Colby has been serving as the Gills Creek representative since 2012. He is stepping down in the middle of his four-year term and his neighbor is filling his seat.

A grand old lady has a new name, title and owners. A home in the Moneta area of Franklin County has been named to the Virginia Historic Registry and the owners are now waiting to find out if it will be added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Residents of Rocky Mount will soon have another place to go to for a fresh cup of coffee.

The utility plans to add about 500 megawatts of solar and wind power to its energy portfolio over the next three years to comply with renewable energy mandates.

By now, anyone who’s paying attention knows that Smith Mountain Lake real estate is booming. “Everyone has to be somewhere,” the saying goes, but more and more people are deciding the place they want to be looks much more like Smith Mountain Lake than the urban concrete-scape they called hom…

Justin Smith claims that he was forced to resign after supporting two female co-workers who complained of harassment by the police chief.

Although Thursday's approval moves Mountain Valley one step closer to completing the pipeline, the long-delayed project still faces legal challenges, despite substantial construction progress already in place.

Schools added an additional day to the holiday break, vehicles skidded and some power lines were downed, but the morning show ended around midday and is already melting.

A crowd of more than 50 gathered Dec. 4 at the Phoebe Needles Camp and Conference Center for refreshments, presentations and fellowship to celebrate the Ferrum Lions Club’s 75th anniversary. The club was chartered Dec. 10, 1946, almost 75 years ago to the day of the celebration.

Taco lovers in and around Rocky Mount have cause for celebration. La Casa Del Burrito Taco Shop opened for business on Dec. 13.

Many people of a certain age who grew up hereabouts will recall the upheavals of riding the old Shooting Star roller coaster at Lakeside Amusement Park. If so, that sensation serves as a qualifier to define our region’s economic ups-and-downs during 2021.

A proposed new residential subdivision in the Hardy area of Smith Mountain Lake was given the go ahead by the Franklin County Board of Supervisors last week following months of delays.

An effort by a Penhook community group to fund paid EMT staff at Cool Branch Volunteer Rescue Department was given a final push last week in Franklin County.

Christmas Eve is generally a busy day for retail stores. It's the final opportunity last minute shoppers have to secure items for friends and family. Instead of spending the day assisting eager customers, one local merchant spent the day anxiously trying to figure out what happened to his op…