Distributed Free On Fridays For 11 Years! October 30, 2020 www.pcpatriot.com Locally Owned And Operated Insuring You & Yours Early voting proves popular in Pulaski Co. “The setup for early voting has Saturday is the worked very nicely,” said Kathy Webb, the county’s Director of final day for early Elections. “We have been able to voting in Virginia move people through very easily and quickly while practicing so- Karen Tuggle Brad Alley Lynn White By MIKE WILLIAMS cial distancing guidelines.” The Patriot The fear of COVID-19 and the Home • Auto • Life • Business desire to avoid what are expected Already over a third of Pulaski to be long lines at the county’s 12 County’s registered voters have polling stations on Election Day cast ballots in this year’s election are credited for the amount of as voters have taken advantage of early in-person and mail voting. early in-person and absentee mail • Sample ballot for Pulaski Those who wish to vote early voting in a big way. County is on page A5 at the Registrar’s Office can still With less than a week to go do so through Saturday (Oct. 31). until Election Day, already over Webb said her office will be 33 percent of the county’s 23,150 • Polling places for Pulaski open today (Friday) from 8:30 registered voters have voted either and Wythe counties and a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and then again 611 East Main Street by mail or in person. Radford City are listed on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 Dublin, VA 24084 • 540-674-4678 Of the 7,735 who have already on page A9 p.m. Saturday is the last day for voted, 4,975 have done so in per- early voting, she reminded. www.insurancecenterofdublin.com son at the county’s registrar’s of- receive their ballot and a dispos- Also, ballot drop boxes will be fice, which voters found to be a able ink pen to use to fill out their located at each of the county’s simple, quick and smooth process. ballot. From there they are direct- polling sites and at the Registrar’s WEEKEND WEATHER Once arriving at the registrar’s ed to one of several private voting Office on Election Day in which office, voters are directed to go stands, and finally to the voting voters may deposit their mail ab- Saturday Sunday next door to the county’s EOC/In- machine where they insert their sentee ballots. formation Training Room. Once ballot to be scanned and counted. “We will receive and count all Mostly sunny, with a high near Partly sunny, with a high near there they are sent to a check-in All-in-all the process takes 54. Calm wind becoming south- 60. station, then to a second station to about five minutes. See ELECTION, page A2 east 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Sunday Night - Partly cloudy, Saturday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. with a low around 38. Daylight Saving Time will end Sunday, November 1 at 2 a.m. Don’t forget to set your clocks back to 1 a.m. And don’t forget to change your smoke alarm batteries too! Martin’s Opens INSIDE Hokies On Road Martin’s Pharmacy Gade at Calfee Virginia Tech looks opens new location Senate candidate to rebound from on Route 11 Daniel Gade to be Wake loss on road in Dublin. at festival Saturday. against Louisville. Page A10 Page A5 Page B1 New Positions, Companies & Area Great Opportunity If You Great Opportunity If You Live Live In Barren Springs, Pulaski and Galax, Hillsville and Floyd. Wythe County Estimated Drive Time Is Estimated Drive Time Of 15-30 Minutes 40 Minutes Classifieds All Shifts • $10-$12 Hr. Plus Incentive Pay Machine Operator and Warehouse Immediate job openings in production, packer, warehouse, logisitics, auto tech, auto body, administrative assistant. FREE All Areas • All Shifts • $10-$17 Hr. 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 Locally Owned & Operated • www.valleystaffingjobs.com Page A2 - The Patriot - October 30, 2020 Write-in effort underway to Elections Continued from Page A1 mail postmarked by Nov. 3 that in this week’s issue for Pulaski elect Simpkins as prosecutor is received by Friday (Nov. 6) at County voters. Patriot Staff Report Court Judge in the 27th Judicial noon. We will also be processing Don’t forget to bring a photo Circuit. Griffith had previously absentee drop box returns from ID to the polls on Tuesday, and A local group calling itself been Fleenor’s chief deputy for the polling sites through Friday remember to wear a face cover- “Friends of Angi Simpkins” is several years. (Nov. 6). ing. Social distancing guidelines promoting a write-in campaign The winner Tuesday will finish Once all these votes have been will be in effect. for the Dublin attorney in the Pu- out the final three years of term processed, Webb said they will Anyone with questions should laski County Commonwealth’s Fleenor won in 2019. be added to the absentee vote to- contact Webb at the Registrar’s Attorney race. Simpkins is in her twentieth tals from Election Day. Office at 87 Commerce Street in Only one candidate – Justin L. year of practicing law. She is a So, on election night, voting Pulaski or by phone at 540-980- Griffith – is listed on the ballot in 1994 graduate of Pulaski County results won’t be final until the 2111. Tuesday’s election. High School and the Southwest following Friday when these Tuesday’s election is about Griffith, a Democrat, is the Virginia Governor’s School. She votes are processed and counted. more than just the presidential current Commonwealth’s Attor- graduated from Virginia Tech And even then, a canvas of the race. ney. He took over the position on with a Bachelor of Arts Degree votes must occur before the final There is also a race for Com- July 1, succeeding Mike Fleenor in English in 1996. She then re- results are certified. monwealth’s Attorney with who was elected by the Virginia ceived her Juris Doctor Degree Based on the number of peo- Democrat incumbent Justin L. ple voting early across the coun- Griffith on the ballot. As report- General Assembly as a Circuit See SIMPKINS, page A3 Angi Simpkins try, most people are expecting a ed elsewhere in this issue, there heavy turnout for the election, also is now an organized write-in but Webb wouldn’t make any effort in support of Dublin attor- predictions locally. ney Angi Simpkins. “I am not one to predict,” she Incumbent 9th District Rep. Help Us Honor Our Veterans said. “I prepare every election for Morgan Griffith, R is unopposed the possibility of a large turnout.” in seeking another term in the Polling places in Pulaski Coun- House of Representatives. in the Nov. 6 Issue of ty remain the same as in the last Incumbent U.S. Senator Mark election. A list of polling places Warner, D is seeking re-election The Patriot in Pulaski and Wythe counties to a third term and is opposed by and Radford city are included in Daniel Gade, R. Do you have a loved one or friend who is a veteran? this week’s edition. And there are two Constitu- Or someone who is currently in the U.S. Military? There is also a sample ballot tional Amendments. If so, we’d like to feature them in our special Veterans Day Edition - Nov. 6. Norfolk Southern We must have your photo and information by Tuesday, Nov. 3. • We’re located at 138 N. Jefferson Avenue, Pulaski profit down, hauls less (in the brick building with “Coca Cola” on the side). OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nor- The railroad said it hauled 7% • Or email your information to: [email protected] folk Southern’s third-quarter profit less freight during the quarter. • Or mail it to: The Patriot, P.O. Box 2416, Pulaski, VA 24301 fell more than 13% as the railroad That hurt its earnings, but it rep- delivered fewer shipments and resents a significant improvement Name:___________________________________________________________________ results were held down by a one- from the second quarter when vol- time charge. ume was down 26% at the height Hometown:_______________________________________________________________ The railroad said Wednesday of the virus-related shutdowns. that it earned $569 million, or Norfolk Southern cut its oper- Branch: ____________________________ Rank:_______________________________ $2.22 per share. That is down from ating expenses 10% to $1.67 bil- $657 million, or $2.49 per share, a lion during the quarter and if the Years Served:______________________________________________________________ year earlier. But excluding a one- one-time charge were excluded, time $99 million asset impairment expenses were down 15%. charge, the railroad earned $2.51 The railroad is in the midst of Submitted By:_____________________________________________________________ per share. changing its operations to run on The railroad’s results beat Wall a tighter schedule and move more Daytime Phone Number:____________________________________________________ Street expectations. The seven an- freight with fewer people. Edward alysts surveyed by Zacks Invest- Jones analyst Jeff Windau said Submit your photo and information today. It’s FREE! ment Research expected earnings Norfolk Southern’s results show it of $2.36 per share. is making good progress on those NS said revenue declined 12% changes because it reduced costs to $2.51 billion, which was below even as it handled the increase in the $2.53 billion predicted.