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Government

  • Council considers 2 cent raise in RE tax

        A majority of Bedford Town Council appears ready to back no more than a 2 cents increase in the real estate tax rate, following budget work sessions held this past week.
        Council met last Tuesday and again on Monday to discuss the budget. At this past Tuesday’s meeting, council was expected to finish its discussion prior to publication of the tax rate for public comment.

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  • Local police cars promote domestic violence awareness

        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.

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  • Town raises penalty for misuse of town’s dumpsters

    Bedford has a law that limits who can dump household refuse in the town’s solid waste containers and what they can dump in them.
        A unanimous vote by Bedford Town Council last week raised the cost of breaking this law. The increase in the fines was prompted by widespread abuse of the town’s public dumpsters by people who are not town residents or who are dumping prohibited items.

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  • Town’s electric rates to increase this month

        Bedford electric customers will see higher electric bills after town council voted 6-1 to raise electric rates by 4 percent at its last meeting.
        Council was to meet this past Tuesday to consider raising penalties for those violating the rules surrounding use of the town’s solid waste container sites.
        “Not a single member of this council enjoys raising rates,” Councilman Jim Vest said of the vote to raise the electric rates.

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  • Comp plan moves on to supervisors

        No one showed up for the public hearing last week on the county’s revised comprehensive plan. The revised plan, which the planning commission has been working on since 2013, was unanimously forwarded to the board of supervisors after a revision on the section for parks and rec easements.
        “That sounds like a lot of easements,” commented District 4 Planning Commission member Josiah Tillett after reading the section.

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  • Supervisors endorse Virginia Mountains tourism designation

        Bedford County’s supervisors unanimously approved a resolution Monday endorsing a “Virginia Mountains” regional state tourism marketing designation for the county.
        Jerry Craig, the county’s tourism director, told the supervisors the county is currently in the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s “Central Virginia” marketing region.
        “We are the western-most county in the Central Virginia region,” Craig said.

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  • School budget

        The Bedford County School Board  is scheduled to formally present its budget for the 2015-2016 school year on March 23 to the county supervisors.
        On Monday, the supervisors were reluctant to comment on the budget prior to that presentation, but did question where additional funding would come from if that is eventually requested by the school board.

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  • BPD tries to fill openings

        Currently , staffing at the Bedford Police Department is down by a quarter of its allotted slots and Chief Todd Foreman is hoping to soon fill those positions.
        In all, the department at full force would have 24 officers; currently there are 18, including Foreman.
        “We’re trying to recruit,” Foreman said this week. “We’re having difficulties having good qualified applicants apply.”

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  • SNOW AND ICY CONDITIONS ON ROADWAYS DURING AFTERNOON COMMUTE

    Roads are snow-covered and icy as temperatures drop

    SALEM– (3:30 p.m.) With snow beginning to taper off in some areas of the district, contractors and crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation in western Virginia are actively plowing the interstate and primary roads. At this time, most roads throughout our region are being reported as moderate to snow-covered meaning that snow and ice are present on roadways.

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  • Supervisors take tax hike off the table

        A public hearing on the Bedford County budget, including the real estate tax rate, is scheduled for April 13, but that tax rate won’t be any higher than the current 52 cents per $100 in assessed value. When asked after a lengthy budget work session, Monday night, the supervisors said increasing the tax rate is not on the table for discussion.
        What was on the table for discussion was where the public hearing will be held. Some supervisors noted that their regular meeting chamber will probably not provide adequate space.

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