Wintry Blast Wreaks Havoc On Buchanan County Roads

by Scotty Wampler
Staff Reporter
   The season's first blast of snowy weather took motorists by surprise last Thursday, turning county roads into icy obstacles.
   Nearly 150 accidents were reported around Southwest Virginia, with at least eight of those occurring locally, according to Virginia State Police Sergeant Michael Conroy. That does not include the countless minor, non-reportable accidents, he added.
  Two accidents were reported at Shortt Gap as several drivers attempted to maintain control of their vehicles on the slick road. In one incident, a tractor trailer slid sideways, blocking both lanes of traffic, according to Trooper J.B. Starnes.
  Shortt Gap was closed for several hours due to the icy road conditions.
  Slick conditions on Big A Mountain created problems for the county school system, as well. Problems arose finishing a school bus run in the Council area due to the snow.
  "The weather caught us a little off guard," School Superintendent Tom Justus said.
  Justus confirmed several Council students were approximately an hour and a half late getting home due to the road conditions.
  Starnes said no injuries were reported in any of Thursday's traffic incidents.

Feds Return Files to Buchanan PSA Office

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor  
  The development of a procedure to expedite the clearing up of right of way issues on county roads is nearing completion, Assistant County Attorney Lee Moise told members of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors last Monday.
  Moise said a priority list of 28 roads has been determined to have right of way issues and he said the procedure under development should be a way to clear up those issues.
  Of the roads on the list of 28 identified has having “right of way priorities,” nine are in the Hurricane District; seven are in the Prater District; four are in the Rocklick District; three are in Knox District; two each are in the North Grundy and Garden districts; and one is in the South Grundy District.
  Priorities listed from one to 28 are as follows and include the road number, name, the district in which the road is located and when it was taken into the county system:
  *  County Road 2458, Lick Branch of Guess’s Fork – Hope Road, Knox, 2003;
  *  County Road 2011, Buckskin Road, Rocklick, 2003;
  *  County Road 2238, Beninger Road, Rocklick, 2002;
  *  County Road 4073, Left Fork of Viers Branch, Prater, 1992;
  *  County Road 3297, Turkey Gap, Prater, 1990;
  *  County Road 4262, Dewey Bostic Road, Hurricane, 2004;
  *  County Road 4133, Presley Road, Hurricane, 1989;
  *  County Road 2127, Burns Matney Road, Knox, 1999;
  *  County Road 3202, Laurel Street Road, Prater, 1997;
  *  County Road 4033, Nellie Road, Prater, 2004;
  *  County Road 3008, Red Rife Road, North Grundy, 1989;
  *  County Road 3033, Beach Log Road, South Grundy 1999;
  *  County Road 2004, Cabin Fork Road, Rocklick, 1992;
  *  County Road 5431, Farmer Road, Garden, 1993;
  *  County Road 2334, Hess Branch Road, Rocklick, 1998;
  *  County Road 4239, Breeding Road, Hurricane, 1999;
  *  County Road 4267, W. Ball Road, Hurricane, 1998;
  *  County Road 5145, Con Road, Garden, 2003;
  *  County Road 4293, Grover Hill Road, Hurricane, 2000;
  *  County Road 4285, Randall Combs Road, Hurricane, 1997;
  *  County Road 4269, Bottom Road, Hurricane, 1999;
  *  County Road 4266, R.H. Road, Hurricane, 1998;
  *  County Road 4187, Cook Hill, Hurricane, 2001;
  *  County Road 3273, Licklog, Prater, 1993;
  *  County Road 3201, Troy Yates Road, (two houses), Prater, 1999;
  *  County Road 2446, Nancy Sullivan Road (two houses), Knox, 1999;
  *  County Road 4117, Zella Deel Road (two houses), Prater, 1996; and
  *  County Road 3077, Ilene Lane Road, North Grundy, 2001.
  “We hope to try to bring two roads a month into the system,” Moise told members of the board last week. “That’s the goal.”
  He noted each road cleared up under the proposed procedure would require the mapping office to identify a solid starting point, a centerline and an ending point with a turn-around.
  Deeds would then be prepared using that description.
  “Eventually, we will get all roads with a certified plat and survey and then amend the deeds,” Moise said. “We hope to follow that procedure, but obviously it will take time. We thought it would be a way to clear up the roads.
  “There is an ongoing project to come up with criteria for new roads,” Moise added.
  No further discussion on the road right of way issue was heard at Monday’s meeting.

J.M. Bevins Wall Clean-Up Project Funding Okayed

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
  Monies needed to pay for the clean-up of a failed retaining wall at J.M. Bevins Elementary School were approved last week by the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors.
  Board members agreed to pay the low bid of $8,800 to Good Deal Corporation for the clean-up of the wall and further approved funds for change-orders on the project including $2,100 for additional debris removal by Good Deal and $686 for engineering fees to Terra Tech Engineering.
  School Superintendent Tommy P. Justus said when the contractor initially went in to remove the debris from the creek, it turned out there was more debris than listed in the original specs. Rock beneath the foundation of the wall also had to be removed.
  Justus explained all of the work has now been done.
  "What concerns me is Terra Tech didn't get it in the bid," said North Grundy Supervisor Carroll Branham about the fees and change order.
  South Grundy Supervisor Roger Rife had questions about the bid process and whether procurement was followed, but County Administrator W. J. Caudill noted the school system had been responsible for procuring bids on the project.
  Ultimately, board members approved the change-order and engineering fees unanimously on a motion by Branham and a second by Garden Supervisor Buddy Fuller.
  In other school-related discussion, board members talked about requests for payment of $38,283 for improvements at the bus garage related to software, a computer, tire removal equipment and three surplus vehicle.
  Administrative Assistant Joyce Presley noted all were considered capital improvement items since they involved improvements to the bus garage and equipment which she described as worn out.
  Last month, the items were on the board agenda for approval, but were tabled by the board after several members questioned whether they qualified as capital improvements the board had previously agreed to pay for as part of two allocations of $1.5 million each to the school system.
  Knox Supervisor Pat Justus said he did not think the items qualified as capital outlay.
  Presley said the items were originally listed on the $1.5 million list list of needs the school system had.
  She added that out of the first $1.5 million allocation, all projects had been paid for with the exception of the J.M. Bevins roof repairs and furnace projects still to be completed at Council and Grundy.
  The monies being requested for the bus garage, she said, would be taken out of the second $1.5 million allocation. So far, she said the only money spent there was for ceiling repairs and bills expected for windows at Hurley, Grundy and Council; and sewage repairs at Grundy.
  No action was taken.
  Board members did agree to pay a bill of $2,017.38 as reimbursement to Grundy High School for the purchase of a security system.
  In answer to a question from Branham about teacher aide contract costs, Presley noted that a meeting was planned with staff last week to start working on that.
  Justus noted that a task force has been formed to start looking at the situation closely.
  He added that the monies needed to offer teacher aides a contract would be included in the school system's 2006-07 budget.