Month: May 2019

RURAL RETREAT LAKE & CAMPGROUND OPEN FOR THE SEASON

by wytheUncategorized

WYTHEVILLE, Va. – Officials are excited that Rural Retreat Lake and Campground has opened for the season.

Wythe County Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Williams said he looks forward to starting another season at the lake.

“We are looking forward to seeing all the familiar and new faces as the lake opens for the season,” Williams said.  “Rural Retreat Lake is a great place for a family to relax and enjoy time together. We are also very fortunate to have dedicated management and support staff returning this year at the campground and pool.”

Williams said camping and shelter rates can be found online at the Rural Retreat Lake website: http://ruralretreatlake.com/reservations-rates-rural-retreat-lake/.

The Rural Retreat pool is scheduled to open up Memorial Day weekend. It will be open Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday it is open from noon to 6 p.m. It will also be open on Memorial Day from noon to 6 p.m. The pool will also be open the weekend of June 1.

On June 6, the pool will start operating from Thursday through Sundays. Operating hours are Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays noon to 6 p.m. The pool may also be rented for evening pool parties.

Rural Retreat Lake is a 90-acre impoundment owned by the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. Located just south of the community of Rural Retreat, Va., the lake is surrounded by the Rural Retreat Lake Park, a recreational facility operated by Wythe County.

For more information or to learn more about Rural Retreat Lake call 276-686-4331 or visit:   http://ruralretreatlake.com/.

Virginia Association of Counties Visits Wythe County

by wytheUncategorized

WYTHEVILLE, Va. – VACo’s Board of Directors traveled to Wythe County, Va. this past weekend for their spring meeting.

Wythe County Board of Supervisors Chairman Tim Reeves is currently serving as the president of VACo.

“The VACo Board of Directors enjoyed their visit to Wythe County,” Reeves said. “They were impressed with Wythe County and what we have accomplished. They were also really impressed with the Bolling Wilson Hotel and the downtown revitalization. They believe Wytheville is doing an outstanding job.”

The VACo Spring Board of Directors meeting takes place every April or May in the home county of the current president. There are currently 34 members on the VACo Board of Directors.

During their time in Wythe County, the board explored solutions for public policy challenges at the state and county level. The board also discussed how VACo and other counties can work together to improve life for all Virginians.

Reeves was elected president at the VACo Annual Conference in Bath County, Va. on Nov. 13,2018.

Reeves has been Chairman of the Wytheville board of Supervisors since 2014. Reeves was first elected to the Wythe County Board of Supervisors in 2011 as the Supervisor-At-Large.  Reeves has served on the VACo Board of Directors the past five years.

The Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) exists to support county officials and to effectively represent, promote and protect the interests of counties to better serve the people of Virginia.

The VACo Board concluded their trip by visiting different tourism destinations in the Wythe County area. The group traveled to Shot Tower State Park, toured the new APEX Center, and also toured Progress Park.

Honor Flight Event Held in Wythe County

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WYTHEVILLE, Va. – American Flags and patriotic music filled the auditorium on Fourth Street as veterans on their way to the nation’s capital stopped by Wythe County for a short ceremony.

Honor Flight Northeast Tennessee Founder and President Edie Lowry helped organize the group of veterans for the trip.

“Honor Flight is taking a group of veterans to Washington D.C,” Lowry said. “We have WWII, Korean and Vietnam Veterans on this trip. We have twenty veterans. We’re taking them to the memorials that were built in their honor. We will see all the memorials on Saturday.”

Lowry said she started doing fundraisers for St. Louis and the Kansas City hub in Missouri. Lowry said she started praying to God about a new project when she moved to Tennessee.

“I prayed to God for two years to help me decide if I was capable of doing this, and sure enough I’m on my fourteenth mission,” Lowry said.

Lowry said it is very emotional to see all the veterans come together and tell their stories.

“We have a lot of history,” Lowry said. “As we travel up the road to Washington, just to listen to their stories, what a rough life they had to live for our freedom. They are not thanked enough. This is a way to thank them. Our Vietnam Veterans never got that welcome home. Honor Flight Northeast Tennessee promises them they will get that best welcome home party that they well deserve.”

Wythe County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Joe Kincer was the emcee for the event.  

“Today we are welcoming the Honor Flight Chapter out of east Tennessee,” Kincer said. “It’s a group of veterans who are traveling out of Johnson City to see the memorials that were built in their honor. This is the fourth year that they have stopped here. They usually stop here as part of a welcome to Virginia and Wythe County. We want to show them how much they are appreciated for what they have done and what they do.”

Kincer said the two trips he went on with the veterans in the past meant a lot to him.

“I’ve had the honor of traveling with them on two trips,” Kincer said. “When you get the honor of sitting on that bus with them and not reading the history book, but listening to the men and women who wrote the history book and lived it. It is a real honor to get to hear that. We appreciate our local Ft. Chiswell High School band and our JROTC from George Wythe High School. They’ve been very supportive over the years. Citizens also show up and tell these guys how much they appreciate them.”

Advance Auto Donates Repair Manuals to Wythe County Library

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WYTHEVILLE, Va. – A tall stack of repair manuals for cars of all different makes and models now stands at the library thanks to a generous donation from the local Advanced Auto Parts.

Wythe County Public Library Branch Manager Anita Libby said this will be a great asset to people across the region.

“In the past, I have had a need for car and truck repair manuals,” Libby said. “We have not been able to supply that need because of the cost of the books. They are about $30 a piece. If you see this collection here, it is 79 books that were donated from the Wytheville Advance Auto. You multiply that by $30 and that is a healthy collection.”

Wytheville Advanced Auto Parts General Manager Rick Ferrence said his team is glad to help out the library.

“We’re just glad to help out the people of the county by donating it,” Ferrence said.

Libby said this is a gracious gift to the library.

“It will more than please so many residents to just be able to pull out their library card and pick up a book and fix whatever is wrong with their car,” Libby said. “This idea came from a customer who went to the Advance Auto in Wytheville, and said I wish we could check these out at the library. Then the management over there started thinking about it.”

Libby said officials then contacted West Wytheville District Board of Supervisor Member Charlie Lester about the idea.


“Lester said I’m pretty sure they would be receptive,” Libby said. “So he had them deliver them over here. I’m just amazed. They start in the 90’s and some of them go up to 2016. The manuals are for basic car repairs. We’re very fortunate that businesses in the community reach out to other people’s needs. It is community outreach to a local library. It warms your heart when a corporation will reach out and do something for a community.”