Government

    Bedford County’s supervisors are, once again, faced with more budget requests than they have money to pay for. 
    Susan Crawford, the county’s director of fiscal management, presented the supervisors with the budget that had requests that exceed current revenue highlighted in gray. For example, the Sheriff’s Office has requested 17 new vehicles. Seven of these were in the gray section. Each vehicle, fully equipped, will cost an average of $48,000.

    Last Tuesday Bedford Town Council voted to save some money and learned the town had a state champion mulberry.

    During citizens comments, Sandra Boyes told Council that Bedford has the Virginia state champion red mulberry tree at 528 South Street, in the side yard of the J. F. Wingfield House. The tree is 100 years old and is the survivor from a number of mulberry trees that were planted in Bedford as part of an effort to start a domestic silk industry.

    Virginia is one of 12 states that will go to the polls—or a caucus—this Tuesday, March 1, as part of the Super Tuesday primary voting by Republicans and Democrats to select their nominees for November’s presidential election.
    Dubbed Super Tuesday because so many states vote at once, and so many delegates will be allotted as a result, the results will likely play a big role in determining the nominees for each party.

    According to Sate Sen. Steve Newman, Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney Randy Krantz has the support of the local delegation to replace retiring Judge Harold Black as General District Court Judge.