Posts by Michael Folks
Father Sentenced to 5 years In Malicious Wounding Of Infant Daughter
A Franklin, WV man has been sentenced to 5 years in prison in the malicious wounding of his weeks-old infant daughter at a Highland County home last February. Dressed in…
Read MoreMonterey Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty, Will Serve Months In Jail
A Monterey man charged last year with shooting at his girlfriend as she sat in her SUV will serve months in jail after pleading guilty in the firearms assault. Charles…
Read MoreHighland Supervisors Vote To Cover County Schools’ Matching Grant Spending Shortfall of $687,000
Highland County Supervisors have voted to cover a $687,000 schools matching-grant spending shortfall that has haunted them for months. In doing so, the board, in essence, is gambling on proposed…
Read MoreHighland County School Board Approves New School Calendar, New Teacher Pay Scale
It didn’t take long for Highland County School Board members to get back to work after electing a new chair and vice-chair during their first monthly meeting of 2026. The…
Read MoreHighland County Officials Consider Creating New Financial Director Position
Highland County officials appear to be warming to creating a new financial director position, but just how that position will be funded is still undecided. The brainchild to create the…
Read MoreHighland County Chamber Awarded $20,000 Advertising Grant For Maple Festival
The Highland County Chamber of Commerce has been awarded a $20,000 matching grant to spend on marketing for this year’s Highland County Maple Festival. In a Jan.23rd press release, Chamber…
Read MoreHighland School Officials Offer $5,000 Sign-On Bonus To New Teacher Hires
Highland County School officials are looking for a few good teachers, so they now are offering a one-time $5,000 sign-on bonus to qualified licensed applicants to come on board. During…
Read MoreHighland Officials Eye Court Fight To Block Repaying State $887,000 For Matching Grant Shortfall
Highland County officials are wondering if they can fight the state in court to block a required repayment of more than $887,000 due to a school matching grant spending shortfall.…
Read MoreHighland County Hires New Schools Superintendent, Ending A 40-Day Search
Forty days after Highland County school officials suddenly learned their superintendent was resigning, school board members have found a successor. On Aug. 4th, the three-member Highland County School Board voted…
Read MoreVirginia Tourism Generates A Record $35.1 Billion in 2024, Up 5.4 percent From 2024
Virginia’s tourism industry generated a record high $35.1 billion in visitor spending in 2024, marking a 5.4 percent increase over the previous year, state officials report. Gov. Glenn Younkin and…
Read MoreThree Highland Businesses Awarded Economic Development Authority Incentive Grants
Highland economic development officials are backing three local entrepreneurs by awarding $5,000 incentive grants for investment in their business ventures. On July 2nd, The Highland Economic Development Authority announced the…
Read MoreHighland Schools Superintendent Suddenly Resigns, School Board Scrambles To Find Replacement
Days after Highland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Drew Maerz announced his sudden resignation on June 26th, school board members are looking ahead at what comes next. Who will be their…
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