Government

    The inmates get fresh air and the chance to contribute back to society.

    Bedford County gets cleaner roadsides.
    That’s the deal that’s been hatched out between the county and a group of low-risk inmates as the Sheriff’s Office kicked off its Inmate Work Force program last week.
    On July 16 the first crew, which uses low-risk inmates to perform needed community work, hit the roads picking up trash from the county’s secondary roads.

    Four Bedford City Council incumbents are seeking reelection for what will likely be very short terms—at least as a City Council.
    If reversion goes according to schedule, City Council will cease to exist on July 1, 2013 — to be replaced by a Town Council. Councilmen won’t automatically transition to this town council. They will all have to run for seats on the new town council in an election to be held in May 2013 if they want to serve on that elected body.

    Senator Mark Warner came to Bedford, Saturday, to hold a town hall meeting before a vocal, often critical audience. About 50 people gathered at Olde Liberty Station to listen to and ask Warner questions.

    Congressman Robert Hurt stopped by Fresenius Blueridge Dialysis last week on a tour of businesses in the 5th Congressional District. The visit took place on Wednesday as the area was recovering from power outages due to the massive derecho that struck the area the previous Friday.

    According to Stephany Dietrich, who heads the dialysis center, Blueridge Dialysis did not lose power, but it also has a generator.
    “We are a dialysis facility,” she explained.