School Zone Speed Violators Eyed
Traffic Patrols Will Monitor Activity

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
        If you’re speeding through a school zone any time in the next six months, it’s likely you’ll get caught and further, it’s now likely you will get a ticket.
        A $12,000 highway safety grant from the Department of Motor Vehicles to the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department is allowing the sheriff’s department to crack down on those who disobey posted speed limit signs and school zone warning flashers which are operational in the morning and afternoon hours in school zones around the county. It’s all aimed at making high traffic school areas a safer place for school buses and the children they carry and for slow moving school traffic arriving at and leaving from the schools with students, according to Sheriff Ray Foster.
       A $3,182 local match was provided to make the program possible. It also targets underage drinking and driving and according to Foster, the bonus is the ability to use radar obtained through the grant to help patrol the school zones.
       Primarily, he said the school zone patrols will occur at the four school zones where school resource officers are assigned – Twin Valley Elementary-Middle School, Council, Hurley and Riverview Elementary-Middle School.
      On a quarterly basis, or by special request, as part of the grant, the department will also conduct patrols in high traffic areas looking for drivers who are underage and drinking.
       According to Foster and Administrative Assistant Vicki Jones, radar guns received through the grant, “Wipe Out Underage Drinking and Driving,” will allow the department to establish probable cause to pull over a driver suspected of drinking when he or she is also speeding.
      In fact, Jones said, it was the department’s DMV grant monitor, who suggested the radar guns could also be used to patrol school zones and to further impact highway safety in that manner.
        Jones said successes in the current grant program could lead to the ability of the department to apply for additional grants for highway safety programs in the future.
       Foster noted in some instances, his officers have already been thanked for patrolling the school zones and he said there has been a noticeable difference in speed through school zones since the department first began its patrols and issuing tickets.
         “We hope it serves as a deterrent to speeders,” Foster said.

School's Out at Twin Valley!

        Schools at Twin Valley will be closed today (Thursday) and Friday to allow faculty, staff and students wishing to attend the state basketball tournament in Richmond to do so.
        Twin Valley High School’s boys basketball team made it into the semifinals after Saturday night’s win over Radford (see sports, this issue). The Panthers will face Twin Springs in the state semifinal game tonight (Thursday) in Richmond. The state finals are set for Saturday.
        Buchanan County School Superintendent Tommy P. Justus said Monday that after talking with administrators at the Twin Valley schools, it was evident a sizeable number of the faculty and students had intentions of making the trip to Richmond to watch the game.
        Administrative Assistant Joyce Presley said 17 teachers at the high school and 30 at the elementary-middle school, when polled Monday, had indicated their intent to attend the state tournament. Several hundred students, when polled, also announced their intent to make the trip with family to attend the tournament.
       As a result, the decision was made to close the Twin Valley schools for Thursday and Friday.
        All other schools in Buchanan County will remain open.
       Presley noted that in the past schools at Council and Grundy have been closed when their school teams have made it into competition at the state level.

Five to Seek Election to Council Seats, Mayoral Post

         Four Town of Grundy residents will seek election to three seats on Grundy’s Town Council in May.
        Buchanan County Voter Registrar Vicki Clevinger said Tuesday that four had beat the 7 p.m. filing deadline, seeking to have their names placed on the May 2 ballot.
      Incumbent Mayor Roger Powers remained unopposed in his bid for re-election to that post. No one else filed to seek it, according to Clevinger.
        In the Council race, incumbents Rebecca Shortridge-Elkins and Bob Hale, who filed several weeks ago, were joined on the ballot by incumbent Bill Stokes and newcomer Becky Stevenson, both of whom filed in the past week.
        The three seats on council and the mayor’s post will be decided in the May 2 election. Council members serve staggered terms of office so as to allow for experienced members of council to be members of that public body at all times.
       Clevinger noted several dates of interest related to the election remain for town voters including April 3 which is the last day to register to vote and to be eligible to vote in the May 2 election; April 27, the last date to vote absentee by mail; and April 29, the last date to vote absentee in person.
        For additional information about the town election, interested persons may call the Buchanan County Voter Registrar’s Office at 276-935-6534.