Public Advised to Avoid Contact with Contaminated Water 

(Wise, VA) -- The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is issuing a recreational water advisory for the South Fork of the Powell River near East Stone Gap to the Powell River at Big Stone Gap. For the safety of people and pets, VDH is advising that recreational water activities, such as swimming, wading, tubing, and whitewater kayaking (where submersion in the water is likely), should be avoided. The advisory is issued out of an abundance of caution due to a sewage release from a Big Stone Gap Department of Public Utilities sewer force main on February 21, 2023, into the Powell River.

As of 10 am on February 21, 2023, VDH was informed by Big Stone Gap Public Utilities that approximately 50 gallons of sewage per minute from the force main was being released into the South Fork to the Powell River, following the main failure on February 21, 2023. Activities to repair the force main were expected to continue today, weather permitting. 

VDH has observed no evidence of impacts to drinking water at this time. 

Activities on the waterbodies, which are not likely to result in water submersion (boating, fishing, canoeing), may continue with proper caution to avoid contact with the water. 
Swallowing contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, with vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain or fever. Contact with contaminated water also can cause infections of the ears, nose, throat and skin. 
To prevent recreational water illnesses due to exposure to sewage release events, people should: 
Avoid contact with the waterbodies noted above and observe advisory signage posted at waterbody access points. 
Avoid any area of the waterbody where there is water with a foul odor, dead or dying fish, or discolored water. 
Promptly wash skin with soap and water if you cannot avoid contact with water in the vicinity. 
Seek medical care and notify your practitioner of the waterbody exposure if you experience adverse health effects after contact with the waterbody. 

 For more information on recreational water safety, see "Safely Enjoy Virginia's Natural Waters" and other materials at www.SwimHealthyVA.com.  

Big Stone Gap, VA. The "Gathering in the Gap" Music Festival at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park offers a one-of-a-kind evening of performances by Grammy award winning artist Rhonda Vincent, who was crowned the New Queen of Bluegrass by the Wallstreet Journal and who recently won IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year. Also featured on the main stage, well known cellist, pianist and composer Dave Eggar as well as IBMA Momentum Band of the Year — the Stillhouse Junkies!  This year's festival, which coincides with the park's 75th anniversary, will be held on Saturday, May 27 on the park's grounds. "Gathering in the Gap" is a celebration of the rich tradition of old-time, Americana and bluegrass music found in Southwest Virginia. Tickets can be purchased online at www.gatheringinthegap.org, by calling the park at 276-523-1322 or be stopping by the park during regular operating hours.

Entries Sought for Lonesome Pine Short-Story and Poetry Contests

Big Stone Gap, VA -- The MECC Foundation is pleased to announce the 47th annual John Fox, Jr. Literary Festival, featuring New York Times bestselling author Silas House, Wednesday, March 15 from 10 a.m. to noon. The festival is free and open to the public.
 
In coordination with the festival event, the MECC Foundation will host the 36th Annual Lonesome Pine Short Story Contest and the 19th Annual Lonesome Pine Poetry Contest. The deadline for submitting entries is Tuesday, February 28 at 4:30 p.m. Entry categories include adult, high school (grades 9 through 12), and middle school (grades 5 through 8) categories. Contest rules and information about the festival is available on the MECC Foundation website at https://www.mecc.edu/jffestival/. Winners of the contest will be announced during the Literary Festival Event. All winners will receive a cash prize.
 
The 47th Annual John Fox, Jr. festival will return to a live format in 2023, with a featured discussion on House’s latest novel, Lark Ascending. Following House’s presentation, the MECC Foundation will feature a special luncheon with House at the John Fox Jr. home in Big Stone Gap beginning at 12:30 p.m. Tickets for the luncheon are $30 and can be ordered by calling the MECC Foundation office at 276-523-7466. Tickets are limited, so please reserve early for this event.
 
Silas House is the New York Times bestselling author of eight books whose work frequently appears in The Atlantic and The New York Times. He is a former commentator for NPR and his work has been widely published in journals and magazines such as Time, The Advocate, Oxford American, Garden & Gun, and many others. He has lectured internationally and is widely regarded as one of the major writers of the American South.
House was born and grew up in Southeastern Kentucky. House’s first novel, Clay’s Quilt (2001), is now known as a foundational text for Appalachian Literature. Its two companion novels, A Parchment of Leaves (2003) and The Coal Tattoo (2005), were recently re-issued in new editions and are now known as The Appalachian Trilogy. House wrote Something’s Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal (2009) with Jason Howard. House’s fourth novel, Eli the Good (2009) emerged as a number one bestseller on the Southern lists and received the first annual Storylines Prize from the New York Public Library system, an award given to a book for use in the ESL and literacy programs of New York City. Same Sun Here (2012), co-written with Neela Vaswani, has received more than a dozen awards including the Nautilus, the Parents Choice, the E.B. White Honor Book Award, and many others. In 2018 his novel Southernmost appeared on Best of the Year lists of many magazines and was given the Weatherford Award and long listed for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. House has also written three plays that have been produced throughout the country.
In 2020 House received the highest honor for an artist in the Commonwealth of Kentucky when he was given the Governor’s Award for the Arts. He has also won the Appalachian Book of the Year, the Judy Gaines Young Award, the Intellectual Freedom Prize, the Caritas Medal, three honorary doctorates, and many other honors. In 2021 he was chosen as the Appalachian of the Year by a poll conducted by the podcast Appodlachia.
House served as a writer-in-residence at Eastern Kentucky University in 2004 and 2005 and at Lincoln Memorial University from 2005 to 2010. At LMU he also directed the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival. In 2010 House became the NEH Chair in Appalachian Studies at Berea College. He has served on the fiction faculty at the Naslund Mann Graduate School of Writing since 2005. House is also an editor at the University Press of Kentucky’s Fireside Industries imprint.
His latest work, Lark Ascending, has received critical praise. As fires devastate most of the United States, Lark and his family secure a place on a refugee boat headed to Ireland, the last country not yet overrun by extremists and rumored to be accepting American refugees. But Lark is the only one to survive the trip, and once ashore, he doesn’t find the safe haven he’d hoped for. As he runs for his life, Lark finds an abandoned dog who becomes his closest companion, and then a woman in search of her lost son. Together they form a makeshift family and attempt to reach Glendalough, a place they believe will offer protection. But can any community provide the safety that they seek?
For readers of novels such as Station Eleven, The Dog Stars, and Migrations, Lark Ascending is a moving and unforgettable story of friendship, family, and healing.
For more information on the MECC Foundation, please visit our website at www.meccfoundation.org. 

​Bristol, Tenn./Va. (Jan. 26, 2023) - Nickel Creek and Margo Price are among the top tier of what's shaping up to be an eclectic Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion lineup in 2023. The award-winning festival returns to Historic Downtown Bristol, Tenn.-Va. for its 23rd annual event September, 8-10.

Other acts included in the initial lineup announcement include Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, Watchhouse, The Mavericks, 49 Winchester, Larkin Poe, Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah, and Walderado, with more artists to be announced in the spring.

Over a dozen homes threatened due to 500-acre wildfire in Buchanan County. The Virginia Department of Forestry reports that a 15-member crew responded to the fire at 4 p.m. Friday and are still fighting the fire. A helicopter doused the fire from above, allowing crews to build fire lines all the way around the flames that at one point threatened dozens of structures. Damage was prevented to any homes. Crews are now in the mop-up phase, which entails going back to the lines and looking for hotspots and other concerning areas. This is the third wildfire in Southwest Virginia recently, as last week there was a 400-acre fire in Lee County and another 200-acre fire in that area over the weekend. The VDF encourages community members not to burn anything outside, especially with dry weather and windy conditions. 

Big Stone Gap man accused of setting a fire in bathroom at field in Pennington Gap. The Pennington Gap Police Department reports that 42-year-old Michael Newberry was found on video leaving a restroom at Leeman Field after setting a trashcan on fire. The footage also showed Newberry damaging Halloween lights on a nearby stage. He has been charged with arson to an unoccupied building, entering the property to damage, and destruction of property. 

Three adults and a juvenile have been charged in Wise County assault investigation. The Wise County Sheriff's Office reports that their investigation into an assault that reportedly occurred on October 30 in the Mill Creek area of Pound has led to the arrest of four people on felony assault charges. Kennedi Addington,18, of Pound, Gage Alexander Bowman, 18, of Wise, and Desirae Brook Mullins, 25, of Wise, along with a juvenile whose name is not being released were charged. No further details have been released. The investigation remains ongoing.