WYTHEVILLE, Va. – Wythe County will be hosting a free concussion education workshop for parents of youth football players next week, part of the county’s ongoing efforts aimed at making youth sports as safe as possible.

The informational seminar, which will be held at Wytheville Community College (Grayson Hall – Room 219), is slated to begin at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 25.

Kevin Williams, Wythe County’s director of parks & recreation, says the free event is part of a greater countywide initiative intended to minimize concussions and their consequences.

“Earlier this summer, the county held two separate concussion workshops for coaches and referees. At these events, local health officials discussed best practices in preventing concussions, as well as what to do in the event of a player showing warning signs of brain injury,” said Williams.

Scotty Vaught, who serves as Wythe County’s youth sports coordinator, has watched two generations pass through the county’s rec-league.

“Once concussions became a major topic on the national level, local sports officials began learning more about the long-term effects of head injuries,” stated Vaught, adding, “One result of our studies was to share the information we gathered with parents.”

The youth football league provided each child and parent with concussion literature at the time of registration this year, requiring each parent to read the publication with their child.

“Knowledge is power when it comes to preventing tragedy. By getting this information out there to as many people as possible, we believe that we’re doing our job in keeping kids safe,” said Vaught.

Monday’s concussion workshop will be taught by Traci Roberts, regional director of operations for Heartland Rehabilitation Services and is open free of charge to parents of youth football players in Wythe and Bland counties. Individuals desiring more information about the event are encouraged to call: (276) 223-4519.

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WYTHEVILLE, Va. – Wythe County Parks & Recreation Director Kevin Williams announced today that the Rural Retreat Lake Pool will be open – free of charge – to all local residents, Saturday, Aug. 23.

Williams says the county will be hosting a fire and rescue appreciation day at the park for families of the county’s first responders.

“None of us could ever adequately thank the first responders who serve our communities. We do hope, however, that by opening the county’s swimming pool up to the general public, free of charge, in their honor, we would at least be sending a message that we are aware of the work they do and appreciate it very much,” said Williams.

The free swim day comes just one week before the pool’s close for the season, which is slated for Labor Day weekend.

This week, with the start of school in Wythe County, the Rural Retreat Lake Pool changed its hours to weekend only, Saturday 12-6 p.m. and Sunday 1-6 p.m.

“We appreciate the county proclaiming a free swim day at the pool, in honor of fire and rescue responders,” said Ikey Davidson, Wythe County’s emergency manager.

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Wythe County and Wytheville Parks and Recreation Departments

Youth Football – 2014 Schedule

 

Saturday, August 23^rd @ Bland

9:00am – Wytheville Maroons vs. Bland Co. Bears – Varsity

10:15am – Max Meadows Pioneers vs. Rural Retreat Indians Orange – Junior Varsity

11:30am – Rural Retreat Indians Orange vs. Max Meadows Pioneers – Varsity

1:00pm – Sheffey Wildcats vs. Rural Retreat Indians White – Junior Varsity

2:15pm – Rural Retreat Indians White vs. Sheffey Wildcats – Varsity

3:30pm – Wytheville Maroons vs. Bland Co. Bears – Junior Varsity

 

Tuesday, August 26^th @ Scott Mem.

6:00pm – Jackson Eagles vs. Wytheville Maroons Silver – Junior Varsity

7:15pm – Wytheville Maroons Silver vs. Jackson Eagles – Varsity

 

Saturday, August 30^th @ Fort Chiswell High School

9:00am – Max Meadows Pioneers vs. Rural Retreat Indians White – Junior Varsity

10:15am – Rural Retreat Indians White vs. Max Meadows Pioneers – Varsity

11:30am – Bland Co. Bears vs. Jackson Eagles – Junior Varsity

1:00pm – Jackson Eagles vs. Bland Co. Bears – Varsity

2:15pm – Sheffey Wildcats vs. Wytheville Maroons Silver – Junior Varsity

3:30pm – Wytheville Maroons Silver vs. Sheffey Wildcats – Varsity

 

Tuesday, September 2^nd @ Scott Mem.

6:00pm – Wytheville Maroons vs. Rural Retreat Indians Orange – Junior Varsity

7:15pm – Rural Retreat Indians Orange vs. Wytheville Maroons – Varsity

 

Saturday, September 6^th @ George Wythe High School

9:00am – Rural Retreat Indians Orange vs. Sheffey Wildcats – Junior Varsity

10:15am – Sheffey Wildcats vs. Rural Retreat Indians Orange – Varsity

11:30am – Max Meadows Pioneers vs. Bland Co. Bears – Junior Varsity

1:00pm – Jackson Eagles vs. Rural Retreat Indians White – Junior Varsity

2:15pm – Wytheville Maroons Silver vs. Wytheville Maroons – Junior Varsity

3:30pm – Wytheville Maroons vs. Wytheville Maroons Silver – Varsity

 

Tuesday, September 9^th @ Scott Mem.

6:00pm – Rural Retreat Indians White vs. Jackson Eagles – Varsity

7:15pm – Bland Co. Bears vs. Max Meadows Pioneers – Varsity

 

Saturday, September 13^th @ Rural Retreat High School

9:00am – Rural Retreat Indians Orange vs. Rural Retreat Indians White – Junior Varsity

10:15am – Max Meadows Vikings vs. Sheffey Wildcats – Junior Varsity

11:30am – Sheffey Wildcats vs. Max Meadows Pioneers – Varsity

1:00pm – Wytheville Maroons vs. Jackson Eagles – Varsity

2:15pm – Jackson Eagles vs. Wytheville Maroons – Junior Varsity

3:30pm – Rural Retreat Indians White vs. Rural Retreat Indians Orange – Varsity

 

Tuesday, September 16^th @ Scott Mem.

6:00pm – Wytheville Maroons Silver vs. Bland Co. Bears – Junior Varsity

7:15pm – Bland Co. Bears vs. Wytheville Maroons Silver – Varsity

 

 

Saturday, September 20^th @ Bland

9:00am – Max Meadows Pioneers vs. Wytheville Maroons Silver – Junior Varsity

10:15am – Jackson Eagles vs. Rural Retreat Indians Orange – Junior Varsity

11:30am – Rural Retreat Indians White vs. Wytheville Maroons – Junior Varsity

1:00pm – Wytheville Maroons Silver vs. Max Meadows Pioneers – Varsity

2:15pm – Sheffey Wildcats vs. Bland Co. Bears – Junior Varsity

3:30pm – Bland Co. Bears vs. Sheffey Wildcats – Varsity

 

Tuesday, September 23^rd @ Scott Mem.

6:00pm – Jackson Eagles vs. Rural Retreat Indians Orange – Varsity

7:15pm – Rural Retreat Indians White vs. Wytheville Maroons – Varsity

 

Saturday, September 27^th @ Rural Retreat High School

9:00am – Wytheville Maroons Silver vs. Rural Retreat Indians Orange – Junior Varsity

10:15am – Jackson Eagles vs. Max Meadows Pioneers – Junior Varsity

11:30am – Max Meadows Pioneers vs. Jackson Eagles – Varsity

1:00pm – Rural Retreat Indians White vs. Bland Co. Bears – JV

2:15pm – Wytheville Maroons Silver vs. Rural Retreat Indians Orange – Varsity

3:30pm – Bland Co. Bears vs. Rural Retreat Indians White – Varsity

 

Tuesday, September 30^th @ Scott Mem.

6:00pm – Sheffey Wildcats vs. Wytheville Maroons – Junior Varsity

7:15pm – Wytheville Maroons vs. Sheffey Wildcats – Varsity

 

Saturday, October 4^th @ Fort Chiswell High School

9:00am – Max Meadows Pioneers vs. Wytheville Maroons – Varsity

10:15am – Jackson Eagles vs. Sheffey Wildcats – Junior Varsity

11:30am – Rural Retreat Indians White vs. Wytheville Maroons Silver – Junior Varsity

1:00pm – Bland Co. Bears vs. Rural Retreat Indians Orange – Junior Varsity

2:15pm – Rural Retreat Indians Orange vs. Bland Co. Bears – Varsity

3:30pm – Wytheville Maroons vs. Max Meadows Pioneers – Junior Varsity

 

Tuesday, October 7^th @ Scott Mem.

6:00pm – Jackson Eagles vs. Sheffey Wildcats – Varsity

7:15pm – Rural Retreat Indians White vs. Wytheville Maroons Silver – Varsity

 

Saturday, October 11^th @ Fort Chiswell High School – PLAYOFFS

9:00am – Game #1 – #1 seed vs. #8 seed – Junior Varsity

10:15am – Game #2 – #4 seed vs. #5 seed – Junior Varsity

11:30am – Game #3 – #1 seed vs. #8 seed – Varsity

1:00pm – Game #4 – #4 seed vs. #5 seed – Varsity

2:15pm – Game #5 – #3 seed vs. #6 seed – Varsity

3:30pm – Game #6 – #2 seed vs. #7 seed – Varsity

 

Tuesday, October 14^th @ Scott Mem. – PLAYOFFS

6:00pm – Game #7 – #3 seed vs. #6 seed – Junior Varsity

7:15pm – Game #8 – #2 seed vs. #7 seed – Junior Varsity

 

Saturday, October 18^th @ George Wythe High School

9:00am – Game #9 – Game #1 winner vs. Game #2 winner – Junior Varsity

10:15am – Game #10 – Game #7 winner vs. Game #8 winner – Junior Varsity

11:30am – Game #11 – Game #3 winner vs. Game #4 winner – Varsity

1:00pm – Game #12 – Game #5 winner vs. Game #6 winner – Varsity

 

SUPERBOWL XIX – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25^TH @ RURAL RETREAT HIGH SCHOOL

 

9:30am – Junior Varsity Cheer Mania

WYTHEVILLE, Va. — Organizers of the inaugural US-21 yard sale say the multistate, 70-mile long event was a great success.

Dubbed, “The US-21 Road Market Sale,” tourism leaders throughout western North Carolina and Virginia say the event required months of planning and involved the cooperation of dozens of local leaders from at least eight different localities.

“The yard sale was a huge success. Putting the event on didn’t cost any money, but took a lot of work from a lot of different people,” said D.W. Miles, founder of the yard sale’s flagship organization, “Take a Break from the Interstate.”

Tourism leaders in Wythe County say they counted at least one-hundred different households participating in the road market sale, in their county alone.

“Not only did this weekend’s yard sale allow the county an opportunity to market itself to out-of-state travelers, but it also provided residents along Grayson Turnpike with a sense of community,” said Jeremy T.K. Farley, Wythe County’s interim tourism director.

Miles agreed, saying the road market event showcased historic US-21, a road that was at one time the premier route for travelers from northern states en route to the beach.

“The traffic was a non-stop, continuous flow from Wytheville to Jonesville,” said Miles, who added, “We want to make US-21 a destination. There are just so many beautiful sights and it belongs to the people — all the state parks and national forest land along the way — it’s just a special road.”

Miles said his organization intends to promote the +70-mile yard sale on the last weekend of July, every year.

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RURAL RETREAT, Va. — The Wythe County Department of Parks & Recreation will be hosting four aqua Zumba sessions throughout the month of July at the Rural Retreat Lake Pool.

The one-hour long sessions will be held on each Tuesday of the month and instructed by Infinity Fitness’ Derek Ogle, a certified aqua Zumba instructor.

Aqua Zumba is Zumba in a swimming pool. The instructor leads the class from poolside while participants follow the shallow water workout. Moves have been specially adapted to combine the same dance movements used in a Zumba Fitness class with those used in aqua fitness classes, creating a fun and effective total body workout.

Participation in the class is open to all local residents ages 13 and over.

A $12 per session participation fee will be charged to each person participating in the weekly event in order to cover the program’s costs.

“Aqua Zumba provides a unique and fun way to promote health and fitness. We’re excited to see the new program launched and hope to have a large turn out for each of the sessions,” said Kevin Williams, Wythe County Parks & Recreation Director.

Local residents wishing to participate in any one of the four sessions are encouraged to pre-register, either by calling 223-4519 or by filling out the form on the Rural Retreat Lake’s official website (www.RuralRetreatLake.com). CLICK HERE to view the online registration form.

The four aqua Zumba classes are just a handful of summer activities scheduled at the Rural Retreat Lake Park & Campground. A full list of events can be viewed at the Rural Retreat Lake Park & Campground’s website.

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WYTHEVILLE, Va. – The Rural Retreat Lake Park & Campground got a new online home this week, with the unveiling of the public park’s new website, www.RuralRetreatLake.com.

County officials say the new site will prove to be far more user-friendly than the park’s previous webpages, which were scattered throughout the county’s general information website.

“Having a website dedicated exclusively to the Rural Retreat Lake will provide prospective visitors to the campground an easy way to access all the information available pertaining to the park; including hours of operation, rates and rules, reservation instructions and a list of upcoming events,” said Wythe County Parks & Recreation Director Kevin Williams.

The website was created in-house by the county’s public information officer, tallying to a final cost of just under $15.

“Had we bid out this project, the county would have been forced to pay thousands of dollars,” Williams added.

Over the past several decades, the lake park and campground has become a favorite destination for outdoor enthusiasts, including anglers, hikers, campers and picnicking families.

Several Northern Pike were stocked in the lake, between 1997 and 1999, which have provided breathtaking photos of catches through the years.

In addition to the lake’s great fishing opportunities, the county managed park has become a favorite destination for local residents, who receive a 10% discount when renting any of the campground’s +70 primitive and water / electric sites.

Individuals interested in camping at the Rural Retreat Lake Park & Campground can contact the lake directly at 276-686-4331 or visit the campground’s new website, www.RuralRetreatLake.com.

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SWVA Girls Softball Tournament Girls 11-13

SWVA Girls Softball Tournament Girls 10 & Under

RURAL RETREAT, Va. – Patrons to the Rural Retreat Lake Pool will find a new activity on the park’s calendar this summer, monthly dive-in movies.

Set to begin this Saturday, Wythe County Parks & Recreation leaders say they plan to showcase one movie each month at what they are referring to as a series of “communitywide pool parties.”

Once the pool closes at its regular time of 6 p.m. this Saturday, pool staff will immediately get to work transforming the pool into a pirate themed, swimmable movie theatre.

The gates will then reopen at 8 p.m. and thirty minutes later the 1985 hit movie, The Goonies, will be presented inside the pool area for a new generation to enjoy.

“We’re really excited about the dive-in parties and believe it will provide families with a low-cost and fun activity throughout the summer,” said Kevin Williams, director of Wythe County Parks & Recreation.

Children ages two and under will be allowed into the event free of charge, however, there is a $4 admission price for everyone else. The charges will help offset the costs associated with purchasing the rights to publicly display the movie, as well as compensate the park staff required to work the event.

Williams said that as a way to encourage swimmers to dress for the themed events, the county’s parks and recreation department will be offering a free bag of popcorn to all those who come dressed as pirates.

Park officials say that chairs will be limited and that visitors to the pool should consider bringing one from home.

Sponsors for this weekend’s movie are Forest Family Care, Rural Retreat Florist and Dr. Spraker DDS of Rural Retreat.

In case of inclement weather the movie will be played the following evening, June 15th at the sameime.

The Wythe County Department of Parks & Recreation plans to host two more dive-in pool parties this summer. One in July that will showcase the movie Lelo & Stitch and another the last Saturday in August which will present the movie Frozen. The dress theme for those nights will be Hawaiian and cartoon characters, respectively.

The pool’s regular hours will continue to be noon to 6 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

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RURAL RETREAT, Va. – Wythe County’s Parks & Recreation officials had hoped to have the Rural Retreat Lake Pool opened to the public by Friday, June 6. The date was selected to coincide with the last day of school in the county.

Unfortunately, multiple problems with the pool’s water pump have delayed its opening for one week.

With a new pump now installed, crews are working to filter the water inside the pool and bring all readings to acceptable levels.

“It’s a long process, but this is something we have to do,” said Kevin Williams, director of the Wythe County Department of Parks & Recreation.

According to Williams, the pool will undergo continuous filtering and heating throughout the weekend and into early next week.

“Once we’re finished, health inspectors will come out and inspect the pool for use and then we’ll be ready for the public.”

Williams says the popular pool is scheduled to reopen at noon on Friday, June 13 and that a community-wide dive-in pool party is slated for the following night.

The dive-in pool party will feature the movie The Goonies and is set to begin at 8:30 p.m. Patrons entering through the gates – which reopen at 8 p.m. – dressed as a pirate will be given a free bag of popcorn.

As of Friday morning, two Rural Retreat businesses have signed on as sponsors for the June 14 dive-in pool party, Dr. Michael Spraker DDS and Rural Retreat Florist.

The Wythe County Department of Parks & Recreation plans to host two more dive-in pool parties this summer. One in July that will showcase the movie Lelo & Stitch and another the last Saturday in August which will present the movie Frozen. The dress theme for those nights will be Hawaiian and cartoon characters, respectively.

The pool’s regular hours will be noon to 6 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

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RURAL RETREAT, Va. – Over forty children braved the unseasonably cool temperatures last Saturday to participate in the Rural Retreat Lake’s annual “Kids’ Fish Day.”

The event, which is part of a cooperative effort between the Wythe County Department of Parks & Recreation and the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries (DGIF), began at 9 a.m. and provided many children with their first opportunity to fish.

With DGIF trucks having stocked the lake’s trout pond the previous evening, the county’s youngest anglers were provided the first opportunity of the season to reel in one of Virginia’s famous Rainbow Trout.

Assisting the fisherman were two DGIF field officers and Wythe County Parks & Recreation Director Kevin Williams. The pair of DGIF officers aided the children in fishing, as well as provided casting and reeling instructions, while Williams drew names for prize winners.

Though all participants left the event with a random assortment of gifts, a few lucky prize winners went home with new fishing poles and tackle boxes; courtesy of local businesses, including Sand Mountain Outfitters, Wal-Mart and Kmart.

Though the temperature remained in the mid-40s throughout the morning, by noon, the water had warmed considerably and smiling children could be spotted all along the banks of the pond proudly posing for pictures with their catch.

“It was great seeing the kids – many of them fishing for their very first time – having a fun time and enjoying themselves,” said Williams.

Last weekend marked the first weekend of the season that the Rural Retreat Lake Campground was open to the public. Williams said the campground’s first week reopened was huge success and park officials are looking forward to another fun-filled season at the iconic lake.

Individuals interested in reserving a campsite at the 90-acre lake are encouraged to call: 276-686-4331.