Local Features

The Lynchburg Lions Club recently presented eight full screen magnifiers to the Lynchburg Library. The Lions are known for their community service projects. Sight saving, eye care, and eye research are major priorities of Lions Clubs worldwide. The Lynchburg club purchased four magnifiers that have four times capability and four additional units that have three times capability. These units were placed in the Library where they will be available to anyone. They are one of many service projects made to the community by the Lynchburg club. The money generated for these donations came from the Club’s annual candy sale. The magnifiers were presented to Elaine Williams, manager of the Lynchburg branch of the Highland County District Library. They will be available to anyone who has vision impairment and who needs magnification to read or better see other materials. Pictured (l-r) are Lion Jim Faust, librarian Elaine Williams, Lions President Bob Roth, Lions VP Virginia Rhonemus and Lions Treasurer Chris Hamlin.

The Hamilton family has announced the 50th anniversary of the marriage of Randy Hamilton and Reta (Jones) Hamilton. Randy and Reta attended and graduated from Whiteoak High School together and married on March 24, 1973.

Hello! It’s time to make some biscuits. I love biscuits. Do you?

“God does almost everything,” says Caleb, 10. “He watches us while we’re asleep, and he watches us in the day, too. He never sleeps, and he never gets hurt. But the most important thing is he never lets us down.”

The Highland County Homeless Shelter recently received a $1,000 donation for its annual capital campaign from Merchants National Bank. The donation will assist the shelter in providing clients with shelter, food and utilities. The mission of the Highland County Homeless Shelter is to provide safe, temporary housing for homeless individuals and families, and to aid those that are homeless with the resources and referrals that will help them obtain and maintain permanent housing. Community support from local businesses like Merchants National Bank is imperative to the success of the Highland County Homeless Shelter, said executive director of the homeless shelter. Pictured (l-r) are Paul W. Pence Jr., Denise Fauber, Hawkins, Bertha Hamilton, Linda Smith and Jake DeHart.

A country music/gospel concert featuring Carson Peters and Iron Mountain will be held at the Hillsboro First Presbyterian Church, 201 E. Main St., from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, April 16. Everyone is invited and there is no charge to attend.

The last two weeks have brought with them two events that traditionally have meant significant changes in our lives. The first is the transition from Standard to Daylight Saving Time. I have generally made light of this saying that in the spring I lose an hour’s sleep that I won’t get back until November.

The Hillsboro FFA last month held its annual Alumni Consignment Auction at the Highland County Fairgrounds where many items were consigned the days leading up to the auction. FFA alumni members helped organize the auction by unloading and loading items and moving things that needed to be auctioned. The current FFA members directed traffic, held up item numbers, checked out machinery and made and sold food. It was an amazing day with 1,010 items clerked and 99.2% of the items sold. The event has continuously helped the Hillsboro FFA youth with furthering their education. The money raised at the auction goes toward the Hillsboro FFA Scholarship Fund. Without local members and volunteers the Alumni Consignment Auction would not have been possible. Pictured (l-r) are Abigail Fryman, Delaina Southworth and Rylea Scarberry.

Hillsboro FFA members recently competed in the Greenhand Quiz Contest which tests students’ knowledge on parliamentary procedure, FFA history and facts, business structure, and leadership. Kobie Miles, Rylea Scarberry, Grace Allen, Preston Fauber, Jackson Howland, James McCoy, Jacob Seaman, John Deans, Dylan Bender and Mathias Hostetler all participated. Miles and Scarberry tied for first place while Allen and Fauber followed placed third and fourth. Pictured (l-r) are Scarberry, Miles and Allen.

On Feb. 9, Fairfield FFA students Landry Hattan and Carson Shoemaker attended the District 9 Ag Power competition in Wilmington,hosted by Agpro. There were 12 teams present and Fairfield placed second, just two points out of first place. The Ag Power Diagnostics contest is designed to evaluate students’ knowledge in recognizing and repairing malfunctions in agricultural and/or industrial power equipment. They are judged on safety, use of tools and/or equipment, diagnostics and customer relations. The team now awaits news to find out if they will qualify for the state competition in March.