● OBITUARIES Page 4 ● OPINION Page 6 ● SPORTS Page 8 ● ON THE TRAIL Page 11 ● POST SCRIPTS Page 11 ● CLASSIFIEDS Page 14 Thursday, October 27, 2016 On The Trail 11 Celtic art contest winners announced. VOLUME 126, NUMBER 43 16 PAGES USPS 4395401 $1.00 Big Stone Gap, Virginia Millions headed to SWVA jobs effort JEFF LESTER al systems and cybersecurity. supply chain industries. COALFIELD PROGRESS NEWS EDITOR Also, the region will be a participant in a $497,000 Mountain Empire Community College’s Goodloe grant awarded to a West Virginia organization. Center auditorium was packed with local officials and BIG STONE GAP — Efforts to diversify the Virginia The funds are among nearly $28 million announced others coming to hear the grant announcements. coalfields economy will receive more than $6.65 million yesterday that will go to projects in 13 states as part of the in federal grants, Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Appalachian Obama administration’s Partnerships for Opportunity and LOCAL Regional Commission federal co-chairman Earl Gohl Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Grants awarded in Virginia with local impact include: announced here Wednesday. Initiative. The POWER Initiative assists people and com- • $3 million to Friends of Southwest Virginia in Locally, funds will expand tourism efforts and create munities that have suffered because of the downturn in opportunities in the growing industries of unmanned aeri- coal mining, coal power plant operations and coal-related See JOBS, Page 3 Mutual Huge drug project again sweep nets short almost 70 A half dozen individuals from Appalachia and BY GLENN Big Stone Gap are among those named in a list of GANNAWAY mass drug arrests that got underway Wednesday. NEWS EDITOR Commonwealth Attorney Chuck Slemp and Sheriff Ronnie Oakes held a press conference yes- Big Stone Gap’s terday with various law enforcement agencies to Mutual Pharmacy detail the status of what was dubbed Operation Complex Redevelopment Autumn Harvest. Project has come up short Executed by the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, twice in the contest for Virginia State Police and other law enforcement scarce funds. agencies, the operation included the arrest of 69 Town officials expect to individuals who have recently been indicted by the look into other funding multi-jurisdictional grand jury in more than 80 sources after twice apply- indictments, according to Wednesday’s announce- ing unsuccessfully for ment. The indictments include about 170 drug-relat- Virginia Department of ed offenses such as distribution, possession, and Housing and Community manufacturing of illegal narcotics, conspiracy to Development money. The distribute narcotics, child endangerment and con- town did win an tributing to the delinquency of a minor, prescription Appalachian Regional fraud, larceny, and distribution of narcotics within Commission grant of 1,000 feet of a school. $500,000 two years ago. The arrests stem from an extensive investigation The town applied for by the Southwest Virginia Regional Drug Task $600,000 in DHCD Force involving illegal drug activity in Wise County Industrial Revitalization and the City of Norton. Fund money in May after The Wise County Sheriff’s Office, Southwest learning in March that its Virginia Regional Drug Task Force, Norton City September 2015 applica- Police Department, Coeburn Police Department, tion for the same amount Wise Police Department, Big Stone Gap Police had not made the cut. Big Department, and the Virginia State Police participat- Stone Gap reworked its ed in the coordinated effort. The commonwealth application before apply- attorney’s office for Wise County and the City of ing a second time. Norton provided assistance during the Mass Arrest. Mayor James “Cotton” At press time, authorities had arrested about 30 Stone announced at of 69 indicted individuals and officers were still September’s council meet- PHOTO BY DAVID THOMP- working to arrest the others. On the list of those ing that DHCD had not either arrested or scheduled to be arrested from Big funded the Mutual project. Shindig “Unfortunately, we were David Thompson, a 1989 graduate, took photos of Saturday night’s bonfire denied,” Stone said. “So at Frog Level. See more Shindig photos on page 2. See SWEEP, Page 3 we’re going to have to revisit that project and see where we can go from here.” It’s possible the town Veterans lead shoebox drive for troops will seek funding from other sources and is also in contact with the BY GLENN GANNAWAY will be much greater. Originally from Knoxville, he lived with his Lenowisco Planning NEWS EDITOR Birse and Kerr are the president and vice grandparents before joining the Marine Corps. District Commission for president of Student Veterans of America at Currently in MECC’s paralegal program, Kerr assistance. When Andrew Kerr and Charles Birse say Mountain Empire Community College. They plans to attend Liberty University and study The Mutual Drug that connections to those back home are the got involved in Operation Shoebox when law; he would like to enter politics one day. closed in July 2013, stok- greatest gift for soldiers stationed overseas, Brenda Anderson, who attends Heritage Birse noted that Wise County’s many veter- ing concerns about the they speak from experience. Church of God, approached Kerr, the grandson ans could make a difference by simply writing future of downtown Big Kerr and Birse, both Marine Corps veterans, of the Rev. Ronnie and Patsy Mutter. “We letters to encourage the troops that veterans Stone Gap. The pharmacy are leading an Operation Shoebox drive to send decided to get involved and be the change we know what they’re going through. Added Kerr: and diner had been an Christmas packages to the troops. Both men want to see,” Kerr said. “after separation, you don’t forget about your anchor business with a did a tour of Afghanistan, while Birse was also Birse is in his last semester of general stud- brothers in arms.” 100-year-old name and a attached to an expeditionary unit that traveled ies at MECC and plans to enroll in a dental pro- “I still have all my letters,” Birse said. loyal clientele. The town through Kuwait, Africa, Spain, Italy, Israel and gram. Originally from Memphis, Tenn., Birse “Every picture a kid colored for me, I still have other countries. moved to Big Stone at age 16 and returned here it.” And, he said, school classes taking on a let- It’s easy for soldiers to become disconnect- after his Marine Corps service. “I could have ter- and card-writing project would be “a won- See MUTUAL, Page 2 ed from their lives when thousands of miles gone anywhere in the world and came to Big derful thing.” away from home. The shoeboxes will answer Stone,” he said. some material needs, but their spiritual impact Kerr also was attracted to Big Stone Gap. See SHOEBOX, Page 3 SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION HERE SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION Comprehensive plan work continues BY GLENN GANNAWAY The land-use plan, as Bright The commission has also revise the plan: “if there’s no dif- NEWS EDITOR said during the October meeting, stressed the importance of public ference in our future land use, is “what we want to do with the input. As commissioner Adam we’re in trouble already,” Gibson Big Stone Gap continues to town for the next 20 years.” Harvey said at the October meet- said. move forward on the update of its Such questions as whether to ing, the commission and town “The commission has recog- comprehensive plan. diminish or increase the amount council want to be aware of possi- nized the need to adapt the short The update will include a revi- of land zoned for various uses ble fallout and “rubs” for the pub- term and long range planning sion of the land-use plan con- such as industrial, residential and lic as the community considers the mentality of the comprehensive tained in the current comprehen- commercial are taken up in the impact of the comprehensive plan plan to foster a smooth transition sive plan. course of revising the plan. The revision. Both the planning com- from a failing industry-based And with the town already well current comprehensive plan was mission and town council will economy to an economy based on on its way along the path away based on surveys done in the mid- take comments at one or more service jobs, tourism-related busi- from a coal-based economy, the 1990s. public hearings, depending on nesses and cultural/heritage cen- update is becoming overdue. With the town continuing its whether the two bodies decide to tric institutions and activities,” As Matthew Bright, the town’s transition to service, outdoor hold a joint public hearing. Gibson told town council in planning administrator, put it at recreation and tourism in the wake Commission members have August. the October planning commission of the coal industry’s weakness, stressed the importance of “think- As mandated by the Code of meeting, the land-use plan guides now is the time to consider what ing outside the box” as the plan is Virginia, a municipal comprehen- the town’s development so that changes would best help the town updated. Noting the town’s transi- sive plan is to provide both short- Big Stone Gap will be in position move forward over the next 20 tion, Chairman David Gibson and long-term strategies and spe- to work toward its long-term eco- years, as commission members indicated in August that planners nomic goals. have said. keep one eye on the future as they See PLAN, Page 2 Page 2 Thursday, October 27, 2016 The Post Big Stone Gap, Virginia Do you remember . The PV Shindig, held the weekend of Oct.