Distributed FREE Each Friday January 13, 2017 www.pcpatriot.com Locally Owned And Operated Community Bulletin Board Down, But Not Done Pulaski Church of God Carries On Jenny Martin / The Patriot The main sanctuary at the Pulaski Church of God lies in rubble following Tuesday night’s massive fire that also gutted the church’s old sanctuary. Probe of church fire underway By MIKE WILLIAMS attended the service, "hundreds of individuals from The Patriot the church and com- munity worshiped the Members of the Pulaski Church of God gathered Lord and were for services Wednesday night as usual. Only this reminded that, 'We time the building in which they worshipped was dif- are the church, not a ferent. building.'" Two of the three structures which had comprised Fire destroyed both WEEKEND WEATHER the Pulaski Church of God burned late Tuesday the newer and older night in a massive, windswept blaze which appar- sanctuaries, with only SATURDAY SUNDAY ently had started well before fire fighters were the church's Family called to the scene. Life Center and gym- The congregation gathered Wednesday at the nasium surviving rel- Rain likely, mainly before 7am. Rain likely, mainly after 5pm. empty Duncan Automotive building - just across atively unscathed. Cloudy, with a high near 46. Cloudy, with a high near 52. Bob White Boulevard from the ruins of their Local residents wondered all day Wednesday Southeast wind around 5 mph Chance of precipitation is 60%. church. what had started the late-night fire. Likely that becoming southwest in the after- According to the Facebook posting of one who FIRE noon. Chance of precipitation is See , page 3 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Hurst selected as new school board chairman By MIKE WILLIAMS The Patriot Architectural firm named There's been a change at the top of the Pulaski for middle school project County School Board, and an architectural design vacancy on the board. He ran and won election to his firm has been chosen to begin the process of building first full term last year. a new combined middle school in the county. Upon being selected as chairman by the other Tuesday evening, Timmy Hurst, Draper District board members, Hurst said he had been fortunate to representative on the Pulaski County School Board, serve on the board the past two years. was unanimously selected as the board's new chair- "When I was first appointed, I said I wanted to be man for 2017. a good student of the board and learn as much as I Hurst replaces Ingles District representative Mike could of the workings of Pulaski County Public Barbour, who was selected by the board to serve this Schools. I feel like I've done an okay job with that," year as vice-chairman. Hurst was first appointed two years ago to fill a See HURST, page 2 Page 2 - The Patriot - Friday, January 13, 2017 Gropman urges Huber Honored During Reception Radford to throw Many hand shakes, many hugs, and a few tears were shed at the ‘Hail Mary’ to County Administration Building Wednesday evening as the Pulaski County Board of lure Tesla to city Supervisors, County staff, col- leagues - past and present, fami- By MIKE WILLIAMS Tesla's new product, and thinks ly and citizens gathered in honor The Patriot Radford would be as a good a of Pete Huber's 31 years of serv- place as any for Tesla to build a ice to Pulaski County citizens, Sometimes football teams try a factory from which to manufac- and to celebrate his retirement. "Hail Mary" pass to win the game. ture the glass shingles. Here, Huber (right) gets well Such plays have little chance of "I believe Radford can be that wishes from former Board of success, but every once in a while, place," said Gropman. "Our Supervisors Chairman Joe they work and the team wins an foundry property needs some help Sheffey. Huber’s successor, improbable victory. and we need the deep pockets like Jonathan Sweet, takes over the At Radford City Council's Musk and Tesla have." duties of County Administrator meeting last Monday night, Gropman said his idea is to get next week. Councilman Robert Gropman the city and its people to start a suggested the city try a "Hail strong, consistent grassroots cam- Pulaski County photo Mary" to bring a major manufac- paign to sell Tesla on the idea of turer to Radford. coming to Radford. Gropman's target - Tesla. Gropman likened the idea to Tesla is an American automaker what happened in Roanoke when and energy storage company it lured the Deschutes Brewery to based in Palo Alto, California. Led the city earlier this year. by CEO Elon Musk, Tesla spe- According to Roanoke.org, cializes in premium electric vehi- Deschutes Brewery, the fifth cles. largest craft brewer in the United Gropman presented a short States, announced March 22 that it video showing Tesla's newest ven- will build an East Coast brewery ture - solar rooftop shingles made in the City of Roanoke. The com- of textured glass that transform pany announced it will invest $85 light into power for your home million on a 49-acre site in the and vehicle. Roanoke Centre for Industry & In the video, Musk tells Tesla Technology, where it will employ shareholders of his meeting with 108. the company's solar engineering The company conducted a two- team about the new solar roof year search of several states and product. According to the cities before deciding on Bloomberg, Musk proclaimed the Roanoke. The Roanoke Regional new product will cost less to man- Partnership began talking to ufacture, ship and install than a Deschutes in 2012 as part of a traditional roof. And that was campaign targeting the craft beer before the savings realized on a industry. homeowner's electric bill. Company officials noted how Gropman sees the merit in they had been "blown away" with how the community had rallied Hurst See RADFORD, page 4 Continued from page 1 Hurst said. He thanked Barbour for his service as chairman the past four years. After a closed ses- sion the board announced Hurst the selection of RRMM Architects of Roanoke as the architectural design firm it wants to lead in the selection of a site for a new com- bined middle school in the county. The Patriot - Friday, January 13, 2017 - Page 3 fighters. "Public works, even the town Fire manager, the water plant guys came in because they don't work Continued from page 1 around the clock now. They were question won't officially be called in - because we were using answered for a few days at least. so much water - they came in to Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms make more water to keep the (ATF) personnel were on the tanks full. Public works … some scene Wednesday to investigate of our fire apparatuses needed the cause of the fire along with fuel. We were on the scene for 12 local officials, including Pulaski hours and fuel was an issue. Fire Marshal Todd Garwood. They came in and took care of According to Pulaski Fire everything," said Kiser. Chief Robbie Kiser, ATF's Kiser said the town's public involvement in the investigation works employees brought in is normal when a church - espe- excavators to lift parts of the cially a large church such as metal roof off the burning debris Pulaski Church of God - burns. so fire fighters could battle the "It's not that there's something blaze. suspicious," Kiser said. "It's just Also helping were REMSI, the the way they function." Pulaski County Sheriff's Office However, he stressed that and Pulaski Police Department. "we're all going in ruling nothing While water was an issue, out." wind was the worse problem. Kiser said Pulaski Police per- "It was blowing embers across sonnel will be guarding the fire the street. With the smoke, visi- scene 24 hours a day until the bility was really nothing. Once it AFT completes its investigation. started raining the wind stopped Kiser said the initial call of and that really helped," he said, possible trouble at the church noting that when the wind got came in at 10:52 p.m. Tuesday high some of the fire trucks "took night. some heat, but we protected "I had been at a meeting and them." had just gotten home. I was plan- Kiser said the blaze was one of ning to watch the 11 o'clock news those "hopefully once in a life- when the call came in," said time fires." It was, he said, the Kiser. biggest fire he had been involved The initial call from a passerby in fighting. "I helped fight the spoke of smoke in the area of the Farris dairy fire in Newbern and church. Kiser said the fire alarm it was big. But I can't recall being "tones" were set off alerting fire in a fire where we had 12 depart- fighters, and fire personnel head- ments involved. " ed for the area of the church. Kiser said both sanctuaries "When we got about halfway were destroyed, even though the there, a Pulaski Police unit old sanctuary is still standing, it arrived at the church and reported is not useable. heavy smoke. Two minutes later "We were able to save the we arrived on the scene and fire Family Life Center and gymnasi- was observed in the back of the Photos um. It was attached to the sanctu- sanctuary. By the time we got ary by a hallway - like a covered hooked up to a hydrant, fire Courtesy of walkway that was enclosed.