Live Painting outside Martha Washington Inn in Abingdon, Virginia

Ron Bayens pauses while painting on the lawn at the The Martha Washington.  His live painting is part of Abingdon in Bloom and the celebration of spring throughout the town of Abingdon, Virginia.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/local/artist-painting-the-martha-washington-inn/article_c352c66c-3303-11e8-aaf7-1f62cd42ab59.html

Girls Inc of Bristol Virginia Kicks Butts

Areonna Henry, 7, is outlined by Aaliyah Miller, 6, on the sidewalk outside Girls Inc. of Bristol, Virginia on Tuesday as part of Kick Butts stop smoking day.  The girls drew 28 outlines to show the number of people who die in Virginia every day from smoking.



Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/girls-inc-members-pledge-to-kick-butts/article_181d66d6-fc76-5aa1-8647-faccfb50f023.html

Abingdon Town Council Forums begin for May 1 Election

Candidates running for Abingdon Town Council answered questions on Monday at the VFW 1994 headquarters in Abingdon, Virginia.  Approx. 75 citizens atteded the event.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/abingdon-town-council-candidates-unite-over-importance-of-openness/article_d27d6694-3176-11e8-958b-332a9b554d2d.html

Great Chickens make Great Eggs

Light from under the eggs reveal Cracked eggs that are pulled out of the Dutt and Wagner egg production and delivered to other businesss to use the white and yolk for products.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/community/egg-producers-get-ready-for-easter-demand-with-help-from/article_11699df0-3096-11e8-8bf3-a769a446304c.html

Cub Scouts take on Girls Scouts in Pinewood Derby

Boy Cub Scouts and Girl Brownie Scouts celebrate one of the races between cars at the Pinewood Derby held at St. Anne School on Friday.  This is the first time the Girls were included in the derby.



Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/local-cub-and-girl-scouts-take-part-in-annual-pinewood/article_d3e8e031-fa3f-58f7-b400-ed8a8a4f19b4.html

BVFD trains with Animal Oxygen Masks

Bristol Virginia Fire Fighters were trained on the use of their new pet oxygen masks by Veterinarian Dr. Mark Riehl, right, on Thursday in the main Fire Station #1.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/bristol-virginia-firefighters-train-to-rescue-pets/article_e384b20c-22d4-585d-a9d1-1990cccc93e4.html

Austin Dillion talks Bristol Motor Speedway

Richard Childress Racing Austin Dillon was at Bass Pro Shops in Bristol Tennessee for the 2018 Bristol Motor Speedway Preview.  Dillon spoke about the season up to this point and what he likes about the Bristol Motor Speedway during race week coming in April 13-15.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/sports/with-daytona-win-in-the-bag-dillon-hoping-to-conquer/article_1316d3a0-2d78-11e8-a1f5-0b58ac3180aa.html

Children's Author comes to St. Anne Catholic School

Nationally known children's author Eric Litwin visited St. Anne Catholic School Monday morning after the school won a national contest for Scholastic Books.  Litwin performed and read some of his books and had the children participate as well.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/Heraldcourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/best-selling-author-mixes-words-music-to-promote-literacy-at/article_9c82b252-977c-506d-89bc-c2576030b7dd.html

Audible Egg Hunt held in Abingdon, Va

Josie Wyatt, runs her hand down the arm of her father to find an easter egg she is searching for during the Audible Egg Hunt on Saturday at Pleasant View United Methodist Church. Wyatt was born with Bilateral Anophthalmia, a rare condition is characterized by absent eyeballs in the presence of eyelids, conjunctiva or lacrimal apparatus and is from Damascus, Virginia.



Presley Tuggle, 5, from Saltville, VA grabs an Audible Egg during the egg hunt in Abingdon, Virginia on Saturday.  Tuggle has Ocular albinism  a genetic condition that primarily affects the eyes. This condition reduces the coloring (pigmentation) of the iris, which is the colored part of the eye, and the retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.  The egg she has collected has a switch to turn off the beep.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/area-children-with-visual-impairments-participate-in-audible-easter-egg/article_126df959-f3a0-526c-8998-362ad418af9b.html

Dog saves family during house fire in Norton, Virginia

Gunner has been credited in saving his family after he detected a fire and woke up Rebecca Taylor on the third floor of their house on Park Ave. in Norton Virginia last friday, March 9, 2018.  The fire started in the basement of the house.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/norton-woman-says-her-dog-alerted-her-to-fire/article_9624e8c7-3a2d-5ee8-a209-d2b966321d6b.html

United Way of Southwest Virginia Impact Awards 2018

United Way of SWVA President and CEO,  Travis W. Staton, speaks during the 2018 Impact Awards held on Thursday at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.  Awards were given out to individuals and organizations that contributed to the success of the programs offered by the United Way of Southwest Virginia.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/united-way-honors-community-groups-individuals-and-companies/article_bc1c03e4-28c8-11e8-b1d4-b7dcad84c059.html

Green and Red Beer in Bristol for St. Patrick's Day

Studio Brew owner Erich Allen looks at a glass of Sexy Irish Red Ale.  Allen is having a St. Patrick's Day party at the Studio Brew in Bristol, Virginia.



Two of the popular beers at Bristol Station are Barefoot Blonde Ale and Helle Raiser Beer.  Both can become green for St. Patty day.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/community/how-you-like-a-green-or-red-beer/article_48e997fe-27b7-11e8-b1c1-971103502937.html

United Way of Southwest Virginia Impact Awards 2018

United Way of SWVA President and CEO,  Travis W. Staton, speaks about the newly implemented ALICE Finanical Stability program during the 2018 Impact Awards held on Thursday at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.  Awards were given out to individuals and organizations that contributed to the success of the programs offered by the United Way of Southwest Virginia.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/united-way-honors-community-groups-individuals-and-companies/article_bc1c03e4-28c8-11e8-b1d4-b7dcad84c059.html

Harvest Table gets products from its own farm.

Jason Von Kundra feeds chickens and holds a basket of eggs from the Harvest Table farm in Meadowview, Va.  Many of the dishes include items grown, picked or raised on their own farm in Meadowview.  Von Kundra is the Farm Manager.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/community/farmer-chef-makes-culinary-creations-with-home-grown-ingredients/article_85596ade-259b-11e8-9ea4-afa83b892b79.html

Ivan is 104!!!

Ivan Godsey waves to the singing of Happy Birthday by friends at Brookdale Bristol on Monday at his 104 year birthday.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/bristol-man-celebrates-years-with-family-friends-and-memories/article_34a7669b-982c-5cc8-a872-1f381115fa65.html

TVA and Sugar Hollow Park Flooding

This TVA water intake structure was installed as the base of the Sugar Hollow Dam to control flooding.  However, recent heavy rains have caused the intake opening to be clogged with debris and the area around the structure and the neaby Wetlands have flooded to the point of covering the roadway into the back of the park.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/tva-corps-to-study-flooding-at-sugar-hollow-park/article_5f7a9877-0a7f-5d69-ba1c-12cb980e3030.html

Bristol Station begins canning of 4 popular beers...

Empty cans of Helle Raiser Beer are cleaned and sanitized then filled and top attached on the assembly line at Bristol Station on Thursday.  A mobile canning company from Asheville, NC is canning approx. 10,000 cans of Helles Lager, Vanilla Imperial Porter, Belgian White, and American Imperial Ale with India Pale Ale.  The process cans 100 cases an hour with extra time to start up each batch.





Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/bristol-brewery-running-first-batch-of-cans/article_cc7966bf-60d7-59ee-a13b-83aeaf36f8ed.html

Bristol Herald Courier wins Scripps Howard Community Journalism Award

The Bristol Herald Courier newsroom celebrates the winning of the Scripps Howard Community Award on Tuesday.

Photo Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/herald-courier-series-earns-scripps-howard-award/article_c12420d4-7ba0-5de5-a181-3a3e7d50d66a.html

Several Teams advance to the State Finals

Eastside #23 Colyn Sturgill pushes through George Wythe #25 Avery Mabe and #11 Noah Atwood.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/sports/eastside-earns-state-final-spot-with-ot-win-over-gw/article_a652a640-21c9-11e8-ab73-c753c2a3387c.html



Wise Central #10 Gracie Mullins drives to the basket against Virginia High #5 Amaya Lee.

http://www.heraldcourier.com/sports/vhsl-class-girls-warriors-oust-vhs-to-reach-another-state/article_7f2cdd4a-21c6-11e8-ad63-6bedb666590f.html

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com



Eastside #10 Hannah Wyrick dribbles against Parry McCluer #10 Peyton Mohler.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/sports/vhsl-class-girls-parry-mccluer-rolls-past-eastside-returns-to/article_85ab4008-21ad-11e8-bbdf-078f42b62e2e.html

Read Across America at Avoca Elementary School

Former Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey reads a book to a First Grade class at Avoca Elementary School on Friday as part of Read Across America.  Parker Tinsley stood with his Grandfather, Ramsey, while he read the book on Friday.  Ramsey attended Avoca Elementary School when he was growing up and has come back to read for over 20 years.



Rylee Fitts, left, Bailey Vance and Sadie Daniels, talk about their favorite part of the Read Across America Day at Avoca Elementary School.  The three are in the first grade and are dressed as Dr. Seuss parts for the day.

Photos Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier/HeraldCourier.com

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/avoca-elementary-celebrates-read-across-america-day/article_208878ef-cfbb-59ca-8780-966c6bea30a4.html