Virginia head coach Tony Elliott looks onto the field during the University of Virginia versus Florida State University football game at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
Virginia head coach Tony Elliott looks onto the field during the University of Virginia versus Florida State University football game at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
Weston Shaffer takes a turn leaping to a circle on the floor while being encouraged during a “positive passengers” team-building exercise at an Energy Bus for Schools assembly at Rocky Mount Elementary on Feb. 26.
A bestselling book has become a blueprint of change for students at Rocky Mount Elementary School.
The school is one of approximately 150 in the country certified for the program based on "The Energy Bus" by Jon Gordon. The goal is to build a positive school culture and reduce students' negativity.
The book tells the story of a man down on his luck who is forced to take the bus to work. Over the course of two weeks he meets unique characters on the bus who share 10 rules for a positive life.
The Energy Bus books written by Jon Gordon along with feeling stuffies are seen in the office of Matt Dunbar, Principal of Rocky Mount Elementary School. The book series intends to help school aged students thrive by cultivating a positive mindset, teamwork and leading with purpose.
Rocky Mount Elementary School staff read "The Energy Bus" collectively in 2023. Principal Matt Dunbar said they started having conversations about how the 10 rules can be applied at the school level for students.
"Our goal has been to build a resilient learner where that resiliency can transfer from elementary to middle to high school and to life," he said.
In the book, the 10 rules the main character is given help him take control of his own life. The rules encourage love and positive energy while removing negative people from the bus.
Dunbar said Rocky Mount Elementary has developed their own five rules for students. Those rules have become the basis for their program over the past three years.
"The first rule is: you are the driver of your own bus. The second rule is: set a positive vision for the road ahead. The third rule is: fuel your ride with positive energy. The fourth rule is: love your passengers. And the fifth rule is: enjoy the ride," Dunbar said.
Matt Dunbar, principal at Rocky Mount Elementary School, helped the school become a certified Energy Bus School.
The program does not change the core curriculum at Rocky Mount. Dunbar said it is just used as guidance for academic and social work at the school.
Over time, students have learned the rules and what they mean. Dunbar said students will admit they were not "loving their passengers" when they get into disagreements with other students.
Some teachers have started developing incentives for students to be kind to one another based on the book. Dunbar also mentions students who have done random acts of kindness during morning announcements.
Kaleb Marcelo-Diaz and his classmates do a team-building exercise during an Energy Bus for Schools assembly day at Rocky Mount Elementary on Feb. 26. The mission was to keep the balloon in the air using a pencil.
The elementary school has seen other positive impacts from embracing the program over the last three years. In the year before the program was implemented, the school lost its accreditation. The next year when the program started, the school was able to earn back its accreditation due to its science scores and attendance rate.
"We dropped our chronic absenteeism rate from 21%, which is 6% over the state threshold, to 14%," Dunbar said of the school's first year using the program. "The following year, we dropped it to 11%, and last year we dropped it between 6 and 7%."
Dunbar said science scores improved by 10 points in the first year and increased to 20 points in the second year. Last year's scores reached a 76% pass rate, which is six percentage points over the state threshold of 70%.
Rocky Mount Elementary School is a certified Energy Bus School, meaning the school has engaged in the framework from The Energy Bus books written by Jon Gordon to build a positive culture, and improve student engagement.
"We're still not the top of Franklin County public schools by any means, but we feel like we're moving in the right direction," Dunbar said.
Rocky Mount Elementary was also recently featured in the Energy Bus for Schools Field Guide for the work they are doing with the program. Jim Van Allan, president of The Energy Bus for Schools, visited the school earlier this year during a day-long Energy Bus program.
Rocky Mount Elementary School is a certified Energy Bus School, meaning the school has engaged in the framework from The Energy Bus books written by Jon Gordon to build a positive culture, and improve student engagement.
With the third year of the program wrapping up as Franklin County schools near the end of the school year, Dunbar said they will continue refining how they implement the program for their students. His goal is to have Rocky Mount students be a shining example when they move on to middle school.
"My desire is for someone at the middle school to call me and say they can see something different about these kids from Rocky Mount Elementary. That they are able to bounce back a little bit better than their peers," Dunbar said. "I haven't gotten that call yet, but we still have a bit of time to keep pouring this information into the kids that we have in front of us."
Jason Dunovant (540) 981-3324
Carter Bankshares Inc. has sold a large portfolio of nonperforming loans tied to businesses controlled by U.S. Sen. Jim Justice and his family to a subsidiary of Omni Hotels & Resorts’ parent company, according to newly available filings and records.
Former West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice ran for U.S. Senate and was elected, even as controversy and legal troubles swirled around his finances.
The Martinsville-based bank disclosed in a March 26 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it had completed the sale of the loans to an unnamed third party in an “as-is, where-is” transaction. At the time, the buyer was not identified.
Subsequent filings and public records indicate the purchaser is connected to TRT Holdings, the Dallas-based parent company of Omni Hotels & Resorts.
Property records filed March 25 in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, show the debt was transferred to an entity named White Sulfur Springs Holdings. The entity is registered at the same address as TRT Holdings and was formed earlier in March, according to Texas business records.
Carter Bank & Trust at 4 Commonwealth Blvd. in Martinsville.
In a statement, an Omni spokesperson confirmed that a TRT Holdings subsidiary acquired the senior debt tied to The Greenbrier resort as part of its broader investment activities. The company said it does not currently have operational plans involving Omni Hotels & Resorts and the property.
The transaction does not transfer ownership of The Greenbrier, but it gives the buyer a significant position as a primary creditor of the iconic West Virginia resort.
Carter Bank received $289.48 million in cash for the loans, which had an outstanding principal balance of $209.48 million at the time of the sale, according to the SEC filing. The loans had been classified as nonperforming and placed on nonaccrual status, meaning they were no longer generating interest income.
The portfolio stems from lending relationships with companies connected to Justice — a Republican U.S. senator from West Virginia and former governor — as well as his wife, Cathy Justice, and their son, Jay Justice. The loans were personally guaranteed by members of the Justice family.
Carter Bank had previously identified the Justice-related loans as a major concentration of credit risk. At one point, Justice-affiliated companies owed the bank hundreds of millions of dollars, with total exposure previously exceeding $700 million.
The relationship between the bank and the Justice family’s business interests — which includes coal, agriculture and hospitality operations — has been marked by repayment disputes and legal action in recent years.
The two sides reached a settlement agreement in 2023 outlining repayment terms, but the loans remained troubled. They were placed on nonaccrual status that same year, cutting off a significant stream of expected interest income for the bank.
In 2024, Carter Bankshares reported that the loans carried a balance of roughly $294 million under a payoff agreement. Despite that plan, the debt continued to weigh on the bank’s balance sheet.
By selling the loans, Carter Bank removes a substantial block of troubled assets and reduces its exposure to a single borrower.
Pro forma figures included in the SEC filing show that nonperforming loans would have dropped sharply if the transaction had been completed at the end of 2025 — from about $243.98 million, or 6.29% of total loans, to approximately $29.96 million, or 0.82% of total loans.
The bank said the transaction is expected to increase its tangible book value per share by about $3.49.
Carter Bank reported approximately $4.9 billion in total assets at the end of 2025 and operates more than 60 branches across Virginia and North Carolina.
Bank officials have said additional details about the financial impact of the sale will be included in upcoming earnings disclosures.
Representatives for The Greenbrier did not respond to requests for comment.
Franklin County residents will have the opportunity to speak out April 14 on a proposal that would raise their taxes.
County supervisors last month agreed to advertise a potential 7-cent increase to the county's real estate tax rate and a 2% increase to the county's meals tax. If approved, the 7-cent hike would be the first significant tax increase since 2018, when supervisors approved a 6-cent increase to the real estate tax rate, which is levied per $100 of assessed value.
Sandy
This proposal is more than double the 3-cent real estate tax increase suggested by Franklin County Administrator Steve Sandy during a presentation to supervisors last month. Coupled with the 2% meals tax increase, Sandy's suggestion would raise $4 million in recurring revenue for the county.
If supervisors go with the 7-cent increase instead of a lower number, Sandy says that and the meals tax increase would raise $8 million in recurring revenue.
In a phone interview with The Roanoke Times on Tuesday, Sandy said $3.2 million of increased county revenue will be designated to Franklin County Public Schools. While significant, it is below the $8.9 million the school requested to offset rising insurance costs and to complete phase three of the division's compensation plan.
The school division was also hit with a reduction of $2.3 million in state funding this year due to a change in Virginia's Local Composite Index formula, which measures localities' ability to pay based on property values and student population. This would be the second significant decrease in state funding for FCPS since 2024, when it was reduced by $3.7 million.
Sandy said the $3.2 million could be used to meet the school division's needs, such as funding a portion of the compensation plan, which has an estimated cost of $3.9 million. The plan would bring the pay structure of employees more in line with and more competitive with surrounding school divisions.
"We don't really dictate what the funds are used for," Sandy said of the school budget.
Franklin County School Board Chairman Jeff Worley, left, and Superintendent Kevin Siers listen to discussion during a joint meeting with the Franklin County Board of Supervisors in February.
Schools account for more than 53% of the county's budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The second largest is law enforcement and public safety, which represents nearly 14% of the budget and a majority of what the remaining $800,000 in increased revenue would be used for. Those funds would be used to hire six new firefighter/EMTs for the county and pay for two new ambulances for the county, Sandy said.
The remaining additional funds would be used to hire a new employee for the parks and recreation department and provide a 3% cost of living increase for county staff.
Sandy said the county staff is waiting on guidance from the supervisors on how they would like to see increased revenue used. They are waiting to see where supervisors ultimately decide the rate to be before making any decisions.
"Hopefully we will get some kind of direction from them as they hone in on the rate," Sandy said.
Supervisors have traditionally settled on a lower tax rate than the one advertised. A 2-cent increase to the real estate tax was advertised last year before supervisors voted to keep the rate flat. In 2018, supervisors advertised a 7-cent increase before agreeing to 6 cents.
Other large county purchases have not had a significant impact on the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, according to Sandy. The county is preparing to renovate the former Mod-U-Kraf building to become a new career and technical education center as well as a public safety and 911 dispatch headquarters.
Officials plan to utilize the former Mod-U-Kraf property in Rocky Mount as a new career and technical education building, plus a public safety headquarters and 911 dispatch center.
Sandy said a possible way to fund the new center would be through the use of a 1% sales tax increase in the county. The Virginia General Assembly this session approved a bill to allow localities to approve a 1% sales tax through a referendum with the money going toward school construction or renovation.
If signed into law by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, supervisors could put the referendum on ballots for a vote this November. The move could provide an additional $8 million in revenue annually for school construction and renovation in Franklin County.
As for this year's budget, a public hearing will be held 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Franklin County Government Center. Residents will be allowed to give supervisors their opinion on the proposed budget.
The full Franklin County budget can be found online on the county's website at franklincountyva.org. Sandy said an entire breakdown of the budget can be downloaded.
"It's all in there," he said. "Accounting for the balanced budget. All the revenue that is proposed and all the expenses that go along with it."
Following the Tuesday public hearing, supervisors are scheduled to adopt a budget on April 21.
New CTE facility planed in Franklin County
Joy Powers
The Bedford County School Board filed a motion Monday seeking to dismiss a lawsuit from a county resident who is running for Congress that claimed the board violated state law by not providing public notice on its recent vote to close Stewartsville Elementary School.
Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 9th Congressional District Joy Powers filed the lawsuit in Bedford Circuit Court a week after the March 12 vote, which passed 5-2, to close Stewartsville and send those students to Goodview Elementary School next year.
Both the hearing and planned vote were announced at the school board’s March 5 work session.
Former Bedford County School Board Chair Marcus Hill addresses the board during a public hearing on the closure of Stewartsville Elementary Sc…
Powers, also a Bedford County Public Schools parent, cited Virginia Code 22.1-79(8), which requires school boards to publish notice in a newspaper of general circulation at least seven days prior to a public hearing on school closure or consolidation.
“This case is about whether the rules that protect public participation actually mean anything,” Powers said in a statement. “Families were not given the notice the law requires, and they were not given a real chance to understand or respond to a decision that directly impacts their children.”
According to a motion to dismiss filed Monday, the school board claims it has sovereign immunity from being sued. The motion cites case law on the sovereign immunity claim and is requesting the court dismiss the case with prejudice, a legal term that would keep the plaintiff from refiling.
Goodview Elementary School fourth grade student speaks at public hearing against the closure of Stewartsville Elementary School Thursday evening.
The motion argues Powers failed to allege a jurisdictional interest and she “waived any alleged lack of notice of the public hearing by actually attending the public hearing” at the time of the March 12 vote. Powers had enough notice to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on March 11 prior to the vote, the motion reads.
The motion argues “the spectacular harm” the closure decision could have on Powers’ child does not give rise to standing and further states the plaintiff is not entitled to injunctive relief.
According to the lawsuit, the school board’s response to a FOIA request confirmed that no records of any required newspaper notice exist. No notice was published and the board introduced the closure plan, held a public hearing and voted to close Stewartsville all on the same day, Powers’ statement said.
“The issue is straightforward,” Powers’ filing states. “Virginia law required newspaper notice. That notice was never published. Without it, the board did not have the legal authority to act.”
Rather than asking the court to determine whether Stewartsville should close, Powers said it seeks to “enforce the procedural safeguards required by law” that are designed to “ensure families and communities have a real opportunity to be informed, engaged and heard before decisions of this magnitude are made.”
It seeks a temporary restraining order to pause implementation of the closure while the court reviews the case. If granted, this would preserve the current status of Stewartsville and require the school board to follow “proper legal notice and hearing procedures before taking further action.”
Many community members expressed frustration, saying they felt the school board lacked transparency during the public comment period before the vote to close Stewartsville.
Stewartsville parent Alicia Botts said that when the board previously voted against closing Stewartsville in 2024, when it was presented as one of four options to help address the division’s budget shortfall, there were several community meetings in advance of the vote. This time around parents were “blindsided,” she said.
“There was no preparing you for that for a second time,” she said. “And then to only be given seven days to try to rally up to fight against it — we don’t really have time to be upset over it.”
Members of the Bedford County Board of Supervisors also criticized how the closure decision was handled and the “optics” of the move in a joint budget meeting with school leaders after the vote.
A motion hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. June 4 in Bedford Circuit Court.
Justin Faulconer, (434) 473-2607
