Government

    Some parking fines and late fees are going up in the town of Bedford, the result of action by Bedford Town Council at its last meeting.
    Parking tickets remain at $10 and offenders have an extra three days to pay the fine. But if they fail to pay in a timely matter, the fines will increase to $20.
    There are also significant increases in fees for illegally parking in fire lanes or in handicapped spots.

    A full-scale renovation of the Bedford County Courthouse’s bell tower is expected to begin within 45 days, according to County Administrator Mark Reeter. The courthouse’s front will be enveloped in scaffolding.

School Board representatives met with the board of supervisors, Monday evening, in what District 3 Supervisor Steve Wilkerson later called a “fruitful” meeting. The meeting was a 5 p.m. work session in which the school board presented the school’s FY 2016 budget.
    “Our emphasis this year is on seven points,” said School Board Chairman Gary Hostutler as he began the budget presentation.

    A couple of striking police cars have taken to the roads and streets in the Bedford area. What really draws attention to them is that they are purple.

    Leanne Dudley, director of Bedford Domestic Violence Services, came up with the idea. She said she was looking for something new and different to promote domestic violence awareness. October is dedicated to the subject and the organization comes up with all sorts of purple themed  reminders,  but domestic violence happens all year.