Government

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.

    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.

    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.