The journey to making a difference in people's lives has been a tough one for Hurley native Brian Estep.
  But, when a little girl in his class nominated him for the Big Stone Gap Wal-Mart's Local Teacher of the Year in 2006, he discovered just how much it had been worth it.
  Recently, Estep, 29, found that he received the award in the program's eleventh year.
  "It was a long road to get there, but I'm very blessed," he says.
  According to the Big Stone Gap Post, he received a $50 gift certificate, a Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year logo tee-shirt, and a check for $1,000 for the school at which he currently teaches, Appalachia Elementary School.
  "We're really proud of him. He's come a long way throughout his 29 years," his mother, Linda, says.
  "As a little boy, he always talked about being a history teacher," his father Dale Estep says. "Me and their mom always taught them to do whatever they wanted to do, but to do the best job they could."
  Estep grew up as the middle child of Dale and Linda Estep and along with his brothers, Tony and Ryan, was encouraged to go to school, like many children in Buchanan County, to avoid the coal mines.
  His father worked underground for 21 years, leaving the job in November 1998 after being injured when a rock fell on him.
  "I waited one day too late to quit," Dale Estep says jokingly.
  His humor is just one of the characteristics that can be found in Estep, who laughs about cursive handwriting being his biggest obstacle this year.
  Mimicking the voice of a youngster, he says, "Mr. Estep, what's that? It doesn't look like an L."
  This year, Appalachia Elementary School moved him from the third grade to the second, where the emphasis is on English and Writing.
  It's a far cry from where Estep started out.
  When he graduated Hurley High School in 1996, he hoped to teach the seventh or eighth grade one day. Those plans changed after his student teaching experience showed him how great elementary children can be.
  "I just fell in love with the kids," he says.
  He attended Southwest Virginia Community College after high school for two years, also working part time at Food City in Grundy. But, after a friend and co-worker encouraged him to become a correctional officer, he traveled to Richmond, where he stayed from 1998 until 1999.
  At the time, Estep thought one of three things would happen, either he would love it, hate it or tolerate it and save his money.
  "I didn't love it, but it was tolerable," he says.
  However, it wasn't tolerable enough to stick around more than a year and in 2000, he moved to Wise to attend the University of Virginia's College at Wise.
  In 2003, he earned his Bachelor's Degree in elementary education with an emphasis in pre-K through grade 6 and started work as a Kindergarten teacher at J.M. Bevins Elementary School.
  For a whole year, Estep drove four hours a day to and from his home in Big Stone Gap. And, for a chance to do something he always dreamed of doing, he coached girls Junior Varsity basketball at Hurley High School that same year.
  "That year was rough, but I guess it's what new teachers do," he says.
  In 2004, he needed a change of pace, opting to become a substance abuse manager.
  "I always wanted to help, to make a difference or an impact in people's lives," Estep says.
  Regardless of the fact that he wasn't teaching, he says he was proud to be doing something that changed lives. But, his passion for teaching came calling again in 2005, when he was offered a position at Appalachia Elementary School.
  "AES is very similar to Hurley," says Estep. "And you know, Rebel pride never dies."
  The school is located in a community, he says, which has both a great work ethic and very involved parents.
  Reminding him of his home in Hurley, Estep says the parents in Appalachia make his job so much easier. With out the re-enforcement of involved parents, it is impossible to make school lessons really stick, he says.
  Of course, a good teacher helps.
  "For some reason, I just always wanted to teach," he says.
  Estep suggests his admiration for his own teachers may have encouraged him to follow in their footsteps.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now.  To subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.

  Beginning with the first issue in January 2007, the Mountaineer will begin publishing Hannibal A. Compton's A Moonshiner's Folly in its print edition.
  The book, originally published in 1915, has oft been requested and due to the demand, the H.A. Compton estate, which owns the rights to the book, has agreed to allow its publishing in a serialized format beginning in January.
  Back copies of the Mountaineer cannot be guaranteed, so those wishing to follow the story are reminded not to miss an issue. Subscription information is available by calling the Mountaineer at 276-935-2123.

  Virginia Department of Transportation officials say preparations for this winter's snow and ice hazards began long before December.
  "Snow season represents one of the busiest times of year for transportation departments," said David Ekern, VDOT Commissioner. "Like a football team in preseason, VDOT crews began training while temperatures were still warm to ensure that our equipment, supplies and crews were in top shape for the first wintry weather to arrive."
  In early fall, VDOT crews began dry runs to practice mounting plows and salt spreaders on their trucks and rehearsed their assigned snow routes, according to a press release from the department. For snow removal activities this winter, VDOT has prepared more than 3,500 pieces of snow-removal equipment and 3,900 crewmembers, and has budgeted $82.6 million statewide.
  "Our dedicated snow-removal professionals have honed their skills and are ready to work around the clock to make roads safe and passable during wintry weather," Ekern said.
  VDOT is responsible for clearing snow and ice from more than 57,800  miles of roads across the state. During snow events, VDOT plows interstate highways and major primary routes first. Crews then work to clear secondary roads and subdivision streets. The goal is to make all roads passable within 48 hours after the storm ends.
  In recent years, VDOT has employed new technology to help keep Virginia roadways maintained. Some examples include spraying liquid calcium chloride and  magnesium chloride on bridges and pavements before a storm starts to prevent snow and ice from bonding to the pavement; a statewide network of 41 weather sensors in roadways and bridges that allow VDOT maintenance crews to identify when and where road surfaces might be freezing; real-time traveler information drawn from crew observations, State Police dispatchers, pavement sensors, traffic cameras and other tools that is conveyed to the public using 511.
  "Although last winter was not as snowy as some previous years, we will prepare our supplies, budget and equipment to deal with anything Mother Nature sends our way this winter," Ekern said. "Motorists should also prepare by getting their vehicles ready for winter weather and by educating themselves about winter driving. Slowing down and knowing the road conditions before you leave home are the best ways to stay safe when driving in snow and ice."