Distributed FREE On Fridays For 12 Years July 23, 2021 www.pcpatriot.com Locally Owned And Operated Insuring You & Yours Stevens Funeral Home sold New owners, David and Michelle Norris plan to build on Stevens’ service to community By MIKE WILLIAMS The Patriot A mainstay of the Pulaski busi- ness community since 1890 – Ste- vens Funeral Home – has been sold. Karen Tuggle Brad Alley Lynn White Effective July 1, Norris Funeral Services, Inc. – owned by David Home • Auto • Life • Business and Michelle Norris – purchased the funeral home from the Ste- vens family. Terms of the sale were not dis- closed. Although the ownership has changed, S.W. “Skip” Stevens will continue on as funeral direc- tor / manager, and Margaret Hicks will remain in the business office. 611 East Main Street Intern Tyler Byrd, who joined Ste- Dublin, VA 24084 • 540-674-4678 vens in May, will remain as well. With the purchase of Stevens www.insurancecenterofdublin.com Funeral Home, Norris Funeral Services has now grown to sev- en funeral homes. The rest are in Southern and Central Virginia, and include Martinsville Chapel WEEKEND WEATHER Mike Williams/The Patriot in Martinsville, Mount Hermon Norris Funeral Services is the new owner of Stevens Funeral Saturday Chapel in Danville, West End Sunday Home in Pulaski, a mainstay of the Pulaski business community Chapel in Danville, Stuart Chapel Sunny, with a high near 87. Mostly sunny, with a high near for 131 years. Pictured here are the new owners, David and in Stuart, Driskill Funeral Chap- Light southwest wind. Chance 88. Chance of precipitation is Michelle Norris, and the Pulaski management team. (Front row, el in Amherst, and Scott Funeral of precipitation is 30%. 30%. from left) Margaret Hicks, Secretary; Michelle Norris and “Skip” Home and Cremation Services in Sunday Night - Partly cloudy, Stevens, Manager. (Back row, from left) David Norris and Tyler Chatham. Saturday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance Byrd, Intern. with a low around 67. of precipitation is 30%. The Norrises have two sons, Christian and Harrison, and two John have operated Stevens Fu- their great-grandfather, M.W. daughters-in-law, Kristen and neral Home since the death in Stevens in 1890 and was called Jenna. All four work in the family 1981 of their father, R.W. “Bob” Stevens Funeral Home and Am- business. Stevens. Skip and brothers Matt and The business was started by See STEVENS, page A5 Transit meeting Sept. 1 to seek Celebrating 141 years of service, public input on route changes and family owned. By MIKE WILLIAMS operates on an as-needed basis for these proposed feeder routes Traditional services The Patriot people who are not able to access would send transit buses to areas with traditional the fixed route bus stops. in and around the town which are values. Pulaski Area Transit will host a Since the change in 2018, PAT no longer served with the fixed Accepting public meeting on Sept. 1 to get has experienced a reduction in routes. pre-arrangements feedback from citizens on pro- ridership. As a result, the transit The two proposed feeder from other posed changes to the transit bus is exploring alignment and transit routes would have nine addition- funeral homes. routes. service changes. al bus stops including Pine Hill Financing for In September 2018, PAT moved The meeting Sept. 1 is to gain Trailer Park, the apartments on funerals available from a Demand Response opera- public input on the proposed ad- Bob White Boulevard, Memorial tion to a Fixed Route operation, dition of what Transit Manager Baptist Church on Peppers Ferry 414 N. Jefferson Avenue • Pulaski, Va., 24301 with two fixed routes in the Town Monica Musick and her assistant Road, 2nd Morehead Lane, Gator S. Todd Bruce, Manager/Owner of Pulaski that intersect at two Candace Draper called “feeder Mart in the Robinson Tract Road designated areas. routes.” area, the top of Virginia Heights 540-980-1700 The transit also operates an They explained to Pulaski ADA para-transit operation that Town Council on Tuesday that See TRANSIT, page A2 GREAT PAY. GREAT JOBS! NOW IS THE TIME TO GET THAT PAY AND JOB YOU DESIRE. STARTING PAY $11.50 TO $17.00 PER HOUR Classifieds UNSKILLED POSITIONS AT $12.00 AND $13.00 PER HOUR ALL SHIFTS – SIX COUNTIES FREE CALL OR COME TO OUR OFFICE TODAY! GO TO WORK TOMORROW! Valley Staffing Inc. Call 540-808-3949 Wright Ave., Dublin, Va. SOMETHING TO SELL? TO SOMETHING 540-674-3103 We've Got Got We've EEO Apply Today At www.valleystaffingjobs.comDRUG FREE Page A2 - The Patriot - July 23, 2021 Leeper Honored By Town Council Rental unit Pulaski Town Council approved a resolution Tuesday honoring Sgt. John F. Leeper upon his retire- ment from the Pulaski Police De- inspections in partment. Here, Leeper receives a framed copy of the resolution from Mayor Shannon Collins. the future for The resolution states that Sgt. Leeper has served a combined to- tal of 49 year as a member of the U.S. Army and the Pulaski Police parts of Pulaski Department in a career dedicated to the defense of the country and By MIKE WILLIAMS Public hearing on to the protection and welfare of The Patriot the town’s citizens. Sgt. Leeper inspection district served 20 years in the Army re- A public hearing will be held on tiring in 2004 with the rank of Aug. 3 concerning changes to the boundaries Sergeant First Class after serving Town of Pulaski’s Rental Inspec- in the 82nd Airborne; the 2nd Ar- tion District boundaries. set for Aug. 3 mored Division, the 29th Infantry Town Manager Darlene Bur- Division and the 24th Infantry cham told council Tuesday the said owners will be given sever- Division. He joined the police changes consolidate the town’s al months in which to respond to department in 1992 as an officer three existing districts to just two. the town to schedule visits. and served with distinction in the Burcham told council the Owners of the identified rent- Patrol Division as an officer, cor- town’s rental inspection program al properties in the two districts poral, sergeant and lieutenant and has not been used on a consistent will be sent a letter with registra- in the Investigations Division as basis over the years. tion along with a list of what of- a lieutenant of investigations for She said the same holds true ficials will be looking for during narcotics. He was awarded the with the town’s Vacant Building inspections, plus a list of the department’s Gallantry Star, two Registration Program. While it’s property owners’ responsibili- Unit Citations, the Honorable been on the books it hasn’t been ties. used in a consistent manner. Service Award and was named Burcham said some properties Squad Officer of the Year four “The Rental Inspection Pro- gram identifies areas of the town will pass inspection immediate- times. He retires on July 31 after ly and will be given a certificate 29 years with the department. where we have already seen blight or where it appears to be on the of approval for four years, while others will have minor correc- Mike Williams/The Patriot path to go into a blighted condi- tion without some successful in- tions and a time will be sched- tervention,” Burcham explained. uled for inspectors to come back Over the next year or two, of- and check on those. ficials with the town will be vis- Then some, she said, would be iting every rental unit within the found to have major issues that town’s rental inspection districts. will take longer to correct. She Property owners will be con- said the town’s ordinance details tacted by the town to schedule the cost of re-inspections after a rental inspection visits. Burcham certain period of time. Transit Continued from Page A1 Drive, the trailer park on Altoona know if they have overlooked Road, Case Knife Road and the an area in the town that needs a THANKS! Garner Avenue and Highland Av- transit stop. enue area. Those attending the meeting Thanks to these local merchants for helping the Dublin Lions Club Their proposal would also in- will be able to view large maps of crease the coverage of the pa- the current and proposed transit help our community by selling Lions brooms and mops. ra-transit route to include nine routes and stops and give feed- additional feeder stops. back and get an idea of how the Eye Care on the Ridge Martin’s Pharmacy Conrad’s Marine “We tried to hit every corner of proposed routes will operate. Dublin Dublin Pulaski the town that we had been miss- The meeting will be held from ing,” Draper told council. 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Pulaski Bob Donnelly Barber Shop Martin’s Pharmacy Dr. Cindy Southern Musick and Draper are hop- County IT Building at 80 Com- Dublin Pulaski Pulaski ing that during the Sept. 1 pub- merce Street in Pulaski in the lic meeting citizens will let them Maple Shade Building. Ramey Pawn and Gun The Carpet Shop Professional Door Dublin Fairlawn Dublin Maxim Eyes Optician Tom’s Restaurant Makin’ Waves Salon Dublin Pulaski Dublin ‘We Serve’ PULASKI FAMILY DENTISTRY Dr. Cindy Southern says, “Be true to your teeth, or they’ll be false to you!” 62 E. Main Street, Pulaski • 980-5129 Monday-Tuesday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. The Patriot - July 23, 2021 - Page A3 Casino Night, Back to School Night on tap The Marketplace, Pulaski’s gust 3 is sponsored by the T.G.