A hearing will be held today in Pittsylvania County Circuit Court to determine whether a lawsuit against the county will be dismissed.

If the lines stretching outside the door of the payment office of the Charles H. Harris Financial Service Center are any indication, most Danville residents are paying their property and real estate taxes on time.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian Moran made a swing through parts of Southside on Thursday, meeting with voters and picking up some endorsements.

The town of Chatham is set to hold a series of Christmas events this week by celebrating its roots with a peak back in time to the 1800s, when it was initially known as Competition.

Keeping a secret isn’t easy, especially when many on the Citizen of the Year Award committee members see the recipient daily. Nevertheless, Frank R. Campbell said he had no inkling he was being honored at the 77th Annual Citizenship Award Dinner held Thursday night at the Danville Golf Club.

A furlough at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. during the week of October caused Danville’s jobless rate to spike.

Many organizations in the Danville area are wrestling with plans to help the elderly, disabled and poor pay their utility bills this winter, and a group of about 20 concerned people met Thursday night to talk about ways to implement those plans.

Yorktowne Cabinetry in Ringgold has said it will not be closing the plant nor will workers be laid off at this time, as some local media outlets have reported.

Chatham was still in a state of emergency Thursday and residents won’t have access to potable water until today at the earliest after a main waterline ruptured Wednesday morning, forcing officials to shut down the supply and leave 2,000 customers dry.

Yorktowne Cabinetry in Ringgold has said it will not be closing the plant nor will workers be laid off at this time, as some local media have reported.
Steve Ostasiewski, human resources manager at Yorktowne, denied the reports of layoffs and the plant closure when contacted Thursday.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m.: God’s Pit Crew is distributing water at the Old Dutch Supermarket on North Main Street in Chatham until 7 p.m. or until water supplies run out.

There is apparently talk in Washington of Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine becoming the nation’s next secretary of education.

It was supposed to be a small holiday gesture from the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, but a vote Monday night to give county employees Christmas Eve off has a couple of county officials saying “ho, ho… no.” Extending the paid half-day Christmas Eve break to a full day for county employees sends a bad message when the county is facing a budget shortfall that could cost jobs, Board of Supervisors Chairman Coy Harville said.

Safety was rewarded at R.O. Harrell Inc. on Wednesday when employers treated their employees to a luncheon after the company earned four national safety awards. The South Boston bulk tanker company achieved these awards after no office employee, maintenance worker or driver suffered any injury throughout 2007 and part of 2008.

The Blue Knights, a motorcycle group of 24 retired law enforcement officers, is in its third year of teaming with Thunder Road Harley-Davidson and Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon to donate toys to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.

Police are still searching for a man who escaped from custody Tuesday night after giving a fake name. Danville police have identified the missing suspect as Michael Jerome Barksdale of White Street in Danville.

The town of Chatham has shut down its water supply because of a major break in its water line.

The Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an allegation of racial profiling made against the department, Sheriff Mike Taylor said Wednesday in a news release.

The Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a body found on the side of the road in Ringgold.

The City Council adopted a resolution on Tuesday night opposing a proposed mine in Pittsylvania County.

Danville City Council voted Tuesday night to let Regional One EMS increase its general service rates as requested, but balked at raising the mileage charges an average of almost 22 percent.

Leaders of the state’s Republicans and Democrats sounded off during a forum Tuesday on what went right and what failed for their respective parties in November’s elections.

Police have arrested one suspect and are looking for two others involved in a robbery Monday evening at the Purdum Woods apartment complex.

The Virginia Farm Bureau has awarded Callands beef and poultry producer Robert Mills Jr. with its first VFB Federation Young Farmer Environmental Stewardship Award.

Master Charles Cannon says identifying the remains of two followers was one of the most challenging things he has ever had to do.

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Members to vote on emergency vehicle transport price increase and rezoning laws

Retailers around Danville have reported better-than-expected post-Thanksgiving sales and said they are looking forward to a robust holiday shopping season overall.

The senator will open his office downtown sometime next month

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors hopes to make eastbound U.S. 58 in Ringgold a little safer for children getting on and off the school bus.

Lead paint, choking hazards - even toys that can impale children? Keep your little ones safe with the latest news on toy recalls, or search past recalls by age group, manufacturer and more. Especially at Christmas, check this database often from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission