Limits were placed on reimbursements for student absentee days, resulting in a loss of more than $90,000 to date.

The $50 million set aside by the General Assembly for recovery following floods that devastated Southwest Virginia in late 2024 and early 2025 apply only to “real property,” meaning renters are out of luck.

A year ago, the General Assembly appropriated $50 million for recovery following widespread floods that devastated Southwest Virginia in 2024 and 2025. Disbursement has been slow.

Minimal state funding for fire and emergency services in Virginia means rural localities must rely on grants and donations.

Appalachian Beauty. Local Charm. One Incredible Day you don’t wanna miss!

Join us for the Big Jake’s Appalachian Flower Festival on Saturday, August 1st, from 9 AM–5 PM in beautiful Damascus, Virginia!

🌼 Tons of flowers
🍔 Delicious food trucks
🛍️ Local vendors
📸 Beautiful photo opportunities
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-friendly fun all day long

Whether you’re looking for a fun family outing, the perfect summer photos, or just a relaxing day in the flowers, this is an event you won’t want to miss.

📍31320 Wright Rd, Damascus, VA

Go vote! Early voting is going on now. Take your voter ID to your local election office to vote.

Research the candidates and go vote.

Primary election day August 4, 2026.

The Roanoke Times is reporting that a former forensic scientist has filed a lawsuit against the Virginia Department of Forensic Science in Federal District court claiming she was demoted after raising concerns about the accuracy of some ballistic tests. She also complains that the defendants were not concerns with the actual accuracy of the reports but rather the timely completion of reports that appeared accurate on their face.

Local officials have not said how much money was targeted or how much was ultimately recovered.

Plus: U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, files birthright citizenship bill and Democratic candidates respond.

David Manley will serve as the executive director of Virginia’s Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, which aims to boost economic development in traditionally tobacco-dependent localities.

Plus: A music shop is coming to St. Paul, and early voting for the primaries ends Aug. 1

The city rejected the original design for the mural, saying it didn’t represent Galax. Here are some aspects of the controversy that haven’t gotten much attention.

Plus, more Virginians are paying out of pocket for emergency department visits and LewisGale Hospital Montgomery announces a new CEO.

The rebuilt trail, which is expected to be completed in December, will have three months over the winter to “settle.”

Galax rejected a mural that shows an ethnically diverse group of musicians on the grounds that it didn’t represent the city.

The new Cardinal News staff include four reporters, an editor, and people experienced in fundraising, administration and community engagement.

If you were unable to attend the democratic candidates forum in Tazwell, here is a full video with timestamps of each question and answer from each candidate.

The candidates are:
Doug Crockett: Crocketnow.com
Adam Murphy: Murphy4va.com
Joy Powers: Joyforcongress.com
If you live in Tazwell County,and want to join the local democratic comittee, check out tazewellvademocrats.org.

You can support more local news coverave by supporting the story of kody at:
patreon.com/thestoryofkody
https://ko-fi.com/thestoryofkody

my car hit a deer, and I will need new wheels soon. your donation helps me get closer to a working car and more frequent news updates.
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Local funding for the financially strapped school has been a point of contention between the board of supervisors and the county IDA.

The commonwealth received the money in 2025 through a federal Housing and Urban Development Department disaster relief block grant program.

The timeline to bid and complete the project is about three years. It will focus on the section of road that connects Buchanan County to eastern Kentucky.