News
Sheffey Park Boat Access Facility FONSI
The New River Valley Regional Commission has determined that the Pulaski County- Sheffey Park project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) on file at the New River Valley Regional Commission 6580 Valley Center Dr., Radford, VA 24141, and may be examined or copied weekdays from 9 A.M to 4 P.M.
Sheffey Park Boat Access Facility - Pulaski County New River Water Trail FONSI
Pulaski County Parks and Recreation Updates on Pool House Rebuild and the Status of the Evelyn Alexander Waterpark
The rebuild of the Randolph Park pool house, and the opening of the Evelyn Alexander Waterpark, continues to advance.
The Pulaski County Administrative Team, and Board of Supervisors, have successfully finalized the design of a new and modernized Evelyn Alexander Waterpark building. The design includes enhancements such as year-round restroom availability, multipurpose space for youth camps and summer programming, and easier waterpark access for patrons.
Contractors will begin preliminary work in September, 2024 with a target completion date of Memorial Day, 2025. During this time, patrons can expect to experience a partial parking lot closure as contractors, heavy machinery, and dumpsters are utilized to advance the project. Our community will continue to enjoy full access to tennis/pickleball courts during this time and can expect a limited amount of available parking in front of the courts. We ask that Randolph Park visitors support this project by continuing to refrain from accessing the waterpark facilities and designated closed parking areas.
Additionally, we continue to make important upgrades to the 240,000-gallon community pool including the demolition of the existing plaster within the pool’s interior. Contractors will finalize this demolition and repair project during the fall months with a new replaster application occurring in Spring, 2025. This will ensure the longevity of the pool for many years to come. Additionally, upon reopening of the facility, patrons can expect to enjoy improved waterpark toys, updated tiles and swimming lanes, and new shade features.
Randolph Park remains open for general recreation including youth sports, community events, shelter reservations, and usage of playground, fitness court, disc golf, and basketball, pickleball, and tennis courts.
Questions should be directed to Pulaski County Parks and Recreation by calling 540.994.2587 or emailing sdunnigan@pulaskicounty.org
Pulaski County Board of Supervisors to Establish New Authority for Sports Tourism & Entertainment
The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors, by resolution, has officially created a new political subdivision pursuant to the Public Recreational Facilities Act, Ch. 56, Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia to facilitate sports tourism and promote entertainment. The newly created authority shall be called the Pulaski County Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority and will serve as an extension and arm of the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors to help administer and manage the County’s sports tourism and entertainment facilities and assets, and to advantageously promote sports tourism and entertainment events within Pulaski County.
“This is a historic undertaking by the Board of Supervisors to strategically set up a unique authority dedicated to effectuate our sports tourism and entertainment vision, and I am confident it will serve its intended purpose to advance sports tourism and entertainment for the benefit of the County, our citizens and our businesses”, stated Jonathan D. Sweet, County Administrator. “Sports tourism is one of the biggest opportunities in Southwestern Virginia for Pulaski County to capture latent market share. With our world-class sports and entertainment venues, coupled with the potential for one of Virginia’ largest indoor sportsplexes and expo centers to be added to our inventory, it makes good sense to establish a sports tourism and entertainment authority that will allow us to enterprise and optimize these assets for the greater good of the local economy and the community at large.”
The Pulaski County Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority will serve as the principal point of contact for Pulaski County’s sports tourism, events and entertainment facilities, and the Authority will provide management services and oversight for Pulaski County’s sports, recreation, entertainment and event assets. The Authority will also oversee and facilitate future public and private investments in this space. The portfolio of STEA venues may include components of Randolph Park, the New River Valley Fairgrounds, the Pulaski County Motorsports Park and Event Center, Historic Calfee Park, and the proposed Pulaski County Indoor Sportsplex and Expo Center with the potential for an estimated aggregate value of more than $80,000,000.00+.
“Our exponential growth of our sports and entertainment assets, as well as the diversity and scale of our facilities, warrants a specialized and strategic focus to optimize these properties for the maximum benefit to both our citizens and our business community”, stated Laura Walters, Chair, Pulaski County Board of Supervisors. “This approach to enterprising these public assets should yield a greater return to our County coffers, and make it more sustainable, as well as provide a better experience for our citizens, create greater demand for our hospitality, tourism and service industries, and bolster our small business and retail operations.”
The initial mission of the Authority is to optimize the sports tourism, entertainment and recreational assets of Pulaski County for the benefit of both our business community and our citizens, and to measurably bolster our local economy and enrich our quality of life through the attraction and hosting of enhanced sports tourism and entertainment events within the array of Pulaski County Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority’s facilities and assets.
The Authority is initially comprised of six (6) members appointed by the Board of Supervisors and they will serve a two-year term. They shall serve to effectuate the mission of the Authority, ensure the Board of Supervisors’ sports tourism and entertainment vision is pursued and their intent and purpose is met, and to see to it that the objectives given of the Authority are achieved per the adopted Articles of Incorporation.
The first appointed members to the Pulaski County Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority are:
- Bud Foster of Draper, VA – Virginia Tech
- Dr. Angela Joyner, Ph.D., of Fairlawn, VA – Radford University
- Kevin Meredith of Snowville, VA – New Roads Mindset, LLC
- Ashley Coake, CFP, EA, of Draper, VA - Cultivate Financial, LLC
- Amber Clark of Fairlawn, VA - New River Community College
- Missy Gentry of Dublin, VA – The Shelor Group
The initial objectives identified by the Board of Supervisors for the Authority and its dedicated staff to pursue are the development of a Sports Tourism and Entertainment Authority’s budget; establishing all the necessary operational structures, SOP’s, MOU’s, Partnership Agreements, Lease Agreements, Internal Services structure, etc.; the acquirement of any necessary licensures and certifications; the preparation of a business plan(s); the branding of the Pulaski County Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority; the branding/rebranding of certain Authority facilities, assets, and events; the development of a marketing plan and the direct engagement of marketing the Authority’s facilities, assets and events; to appropriately scope and scale the Authority, its operations, its staff and its assets; and, to effectively communicate and routinely report to the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors of the Authority’s projects, progress, operations and activities.
Pulaski County Hires First Fire Chief to Oversee Pulaski County's First Paid Fire Department
The County of Pulaski, Virginia officially names Brandon Hamblin as the first career Fire Chief to oversee the recently established Pulaski County Fire Department. As part of a multifaceted plan to provide the volunteer fire departments in the County with greater support and resources, the FY-25 County Budget allocated the funding to hire the first Chief of Fire-Rescue for Pulaski County, along with two additional full-time fire fighters required to augment existing staff needed to establish a fully functioning department to help provide fire-rescue coverage during the days and times of week where the community experiences challenges with higher response demand.
“Pulaski County is excited to welcome Chief Hamblin into this position and to work with him and our talented career and volunteer firefighters to continue to develop and support stronger fire-rescue response capabilities”, stated Jonathan D. Sweet, County Administrator. “This position will be vitally important to oversee our newly established paid department and to ensure we provide proper training and resources to our volunteer system in order to sustainably deliver the safest and best fire-rescue response to our citizens.”
The decision to establish a paid fire-rescue department and ultimately hire a Chief to oversee it came as a recommendation from the County’s Change Agent, Chris Gannon, who was contracted to develop and help implement a plan of action from recommendations received within the two (2) independent studies completed in 2022 that were conducted by the State’s Department of Fire Programs and Gannon Emergency Solutions.
“The Board of Supervisors continues with our priority to advance the recommendations from our two comprehensive studies that were focused on filling in the gaps in our fire-rescue response, and hiring a Fire Chief to lead our newly established Fire Department is another step toward achieving our priority”, stated Laura Walters, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “We trust the knowledge, experience and care for the community Chief Hamblin brings to this position will help the County to quickly and effectively stabilize, evolve and scale our fire-rescue response.”
Hamblin takes office on July 16, 2024. His position as Chief will operate as the department head for the new department and provide the oversight for all fire/rescue activities conducted by the six (6) volunteer fire departments within the County. The County’s creative and resourceful approach to afford and sustain the new paid department included restructuring the County’s existing Squad 9 program to operate as a standalone Fire-Rescue Department. The County is presently hiring three (3) additional professional firefighters to allow for four (4) certified first responders to be on-hand from 7:00 AM-to-7:00 PM, Monday-through-Friday. The budgeted funding also includes an Administrative Assistant position to serve the newly created department as well as support and interface with Emergency Management and Emergency Medical Services.
“I am honored to have been selected for this position and to serve my community in a different but perhaps more impactful and universal way”, stated Chief Brandon Hamblin, Pulaski County Fire Department. “My vision is consistent with the County’s vision, and that is to not have two separate departments, one paid and one volunteer, but to have one unified department where career staff support volunteers and volunteers support the paid staff, all with the purpose of responding to the fire-rescue needs of the citizens of Pulaski County.”
Chief Hamblin has served the Town of Pulaski Fire Department in various capacities since 2005 as a Firefighter, Fire Lieutenant, EMT, Training Officer and Captain. He previously served the County of Pulaski as the Deputy Emergency Services Coordinator and as a Wildland Firefighter for the Virginia Department of Forestry. Chief Hamblin has an Associate’s Degree in Police Science from New River Community College and holds numerous Fire and EMS Certifications from VDRP, NFA, FEMA, DOH, NRCC, and VPI. He also serves as the Chief of the Newbern Volunteer Fire Department.
The Pulaski County Fire-Rescue Department will also administer fire prevention programming and community education activities. The dedicated funding also includes direct financial support to enhance the volunteer system and allow for volunteer fire fighters to receive necessary training, equipment and technical support. The funding will also include a response stipend provided directly to volunteers to assist them with offsetting expenses associated with their volunteer response. This new benefit is being employed with the hopes of bolstering volunteer recruitment and retention, as these critical personnel are and will remain a vital and necessary component of the County’s emergency first response.
Pulaski County Cougar Baseball to Open VHSL State Baseball Tournament At Historic Calfee Park in Pulaski, VA
Pulaski County Cougar Baseball is set to open the VHSL State Baseball Tournament at historic Calfee Park on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 in Pulaski, Virginia.
The Cougars won impressively against Lord Botetourt (7-4) on May 31st, to secure their status as the Class 3, Region D Champions and advance to the Virginia State Quarterfinals. With the support of both Pulaski County Administration and the Shelor Motor Mile team, the Pulaski County Cougars (15-10), will play against the Fluvanna County Flying Flucos (18-5), and host the game in historic Calfee Park, home of the Pulaski River Turtles.
“We are thrilled to see Cougar Baseball make history as the Region Champs and advance their season to open the Virginia State Tournament here in Pulaski County”, stated Jonathan D. Sweet, Pulaski County Administrator. “With the recent gift of Calfee Park to Pulaski County, we immediately began working with the Shelor Motor Mile team to collaborate on bringing this event to our nationally recognized ballpark. Serving our community and our athletes with this world-class asset, is just the beginning of optimizing the facility, and is the start of many more exciting things to come.”
Gates will open at 5:00 PM with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. The game will begin at 6:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased through GoFan for $10 plus convenience fee or cash tickets at the gate are $12. Food truck concessions will be available for purchase from Mountain2Island. https://mountain2island.com
The community is invited and encouraged to attend this event in support of the Pulaski County Cougar Baseball team and the entire community of Cougar athletes. Pulaski County Cougar Baseball: https://pulaskicougarsathletics.com/teams/3852750/baseball/varsity
Pulaski County Board of Supervisors to Create Pulaski County Fire-Rescue Department
The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors adopted their Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and included within the approved allocations is the funding necessary to create the first paid fire-rescue department in Pulaski County’s history. The FY-25 Budget provides the funding required to hire the first Chief of Fire-Rescue for Pulaski County and two additional full-time fire fighters and the necessary equipment and support needed to adequately provide fire-rescue response coverage during the days and times of week where the community experiences challenges with high-demand but low-response.
“Pulaski County has reached the threshold of industrial diversity and scale to now warrant a paid system for fire-rescue response, and the record-breaking number of building permits we have experienced in the past few years helps to further make the case that its past time for Pulaski County to make this important investment in public safety”, stated Jonathan D. Sweet, County Administrator. “The embarkation of a paid fire-rescue department is another milestone in elevating Pulaski County to a next-level community, and better equips the County to continue the advancement of our Comprehensive Plan and ultimately reach our goal of 40-by-30.”
The decision to establish a paid fire-rescue department came as a recommendation from the County’s Change Agent, Chris Gannon, who was contracted to develop and help implement a plan of action from recommendations received within the two independent studies completed in 2022 and conducted by the State Fire Program and Gannon Emergency Solutions.
“The Board of Supervisors has prioritized identifying challenges and opportunities within our fire-rescue response, and we dedicated the resources necessary to properly study the matter, bring in third-party expertise, develop an actionable plan and implement a sustainable approach to cost-effectively filling in the gaps in our fire-rescue response”, stated Laura Walters, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “We owe it to our citizens to have the level of response they deserve, and we owe it to the brave and dedicated volunteers fire fighters to ensure that they have the training and support they need to continue to serve the County.”
The County is able to afford and sustain the new paid department by resourcefully restructuring the County’s existing Squad 9 program to operate as a standalone Fire-Rescue Department. The County is hiring three additional professional firefighters to allow for four certified first responders to be on-hand from 7:00 AM -to- 7:00 PM Monday-through-Friday. The County is also seeking a Chief who will operate as the department head for the new department and provide the oversight for all fire/rescue activities conducted by our six volunteer fire departments within the County. The funding also includes an Administrative Assistant position to serve the newly created department as well as support and interface with Emergency Management and Emergency Medical Services. The County will continue to rely on our Volunteer Fire Departments to provide response from 7:00 PM -to- 7:00 AM Monday-through-Friday and on weekends when call volume is the lowest. The Pulaski County Fire-Rescue Department will also administer fire prevention programing and community education activities. The dedicated funding also includes direct financial support for volunteer fire fighters to receive necessary training, equipment, technical support, and will also include a response stipend to volunteers to assist with offsetting expenses associated with their volunteer response with the hopes of bolstering the recruitment and retention of these critical personnel.
“The volunteer fire departments are and will remain a critical and valued component of the fire/rescue system throughout the county, and they will continue to be mobilized on every call in their community”, stated Chris Gannon, Change Agent and CEO, Gannon Emergency Solutions USA. “What they can now rely on is the backing of a dedicated team of at least 4 professional staff to provide mutual support during peak demand weekday hours. This initiative will improve response times, operational safety and fire prevention, and will give the public an improved level of first-response service.”
The County is presently evaluating County-owned facilities centrally located in the County in and around the Town of Dublin to house and potentially collocate the Pulaski County Fire-Rescue Department. This approach would be an expedient and cost-efficient way of getting the department online and in service to the citizens and business community of Pulaski County.
“The collective of our existing volunteer fire departments represents a robust network of high-quality apparatus, equipment and personnel that will be efficiently utilized in conjunction with the County’s paid department to more rapidly respond to emergency calls”, stated Brad Wright, Pulaski County Emergency Management Coordinator. “Having on hand paid personnel who are ready and able to rapidly respond to emergencies will enhance what our existing volunteer system can deliver and help increase both the public’s safety and the safety of all our first responders.”
In addition, the FY-25 Budget includes funding to enhance the Emergency Medical Services Department by hiring a Pharmacy Manger due to new DEA requirements beginning in Fiscal Year 2024 that no longer permits EMS agencies to obtain certain medications directly from hospitals. All EMS agencies in the Commonwealth must now have an in-house pharmacy to handle their controlled substances and manage the high volume and complexities of medication our EMS provides patients multiple times per day, across more than 330 sq. miles, and on a 24-7 basis. This degree of assistance and level of attention requires a trained professional to carefully manage and administer this program.
“With the investment Pulaski County is making in Emergency Medical Services and Public Safety, we will be able to improve prehospital healthcare as well as provide a better level of service across all first response agencies, all while strategically preparing for future community growth”, stated Shawn Hite, Interim Director, Pulaski County Emergency Medical Services.
A Community Paramedic will help EMS backfill the transition of the Squad 9 Program and is designed with the strategic purpose of alleviating the burden on EMS response, on our medical facilities, on social services and law enforcement by reducing misappropriated requests and tying up limited resources. The position’s further purpose is to provide a better targeted service to community residents, and help reduce call volume growth rates. This program and its approach are supported by both the County’s fire and EMS studies, and is consistent nationally with industry best practices.
Pulaski County Board of Supervisors Awards Prestigious 2024 Lead Through Service Scholarship to Clara Worley
The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors and County Administration continues to fulfil their vision of fostering local leadership development and bolstering service to the community through personal sponsorship of their Lead Through Service Scholarship. This year, the Lead Through Service Scholarship Committee selected Ms. Clara Worley as their 2024 recipient.
“It remains ever important that we invest in developing our next generation of local leaders and nurture a mindset in our youth of continued service to their community,” stated Jonathan D. Sweet, County Administrator. “The future of our County depends on developing our young local leaders, that will one day return to Pulaski County and serve their community as our nurses, our first responders, our business leaders, our teachers, our entrepreneurs and our volunteers.”
The competitive and most prestigious local scholarship in the New River Valley is awarded to a graduating Pulaski County High School student who demonstrates leadership through serving their community and plans to continue to contribute to the community upon the completion of their formal education. The annual scholarship(s) have ranged in the past from $2,500.00 all the way up to $10,000.00, and can be utilized for any two-year or four-year institution or technical degree program.
“I am honored to contribute to this annual scholarship, and more importantly, to be contributing to an investment in our County’s future leadership,” stated Laura Walters, Chair, Pulaski County Board of Supervisors. “This is just one of the ways we can help raise up our future leaders and instill in them a deeper appreciation and value of service to their community. We can all be a part of developing future public servants and leaders by encouraging them to volunteer, offer them opportunities to serve their community, and by investing in them through education, programs and support.”
The annual competitive scholarship is funded personally by each individual member of the Board of Supervisors as well as the County Administrator, Assistant County Administrator and certain County staff who share in the important vision of local leadership development. There are NO taxpayer’s monies involved with this scholarship and contributions are entirely voluntary. The members of the Board of Supervisors are as follows: Laura Walters, Chair; Dirk Compton, Vice Chair; Jeff Reeves, Chris Stafford and Mike Mooney. The County Administrator is Jonathan D. Sweet and the Assistant County Administrator is Anthony Akers.
Previous Lead Through Service Scholarship recipients are Ms. Breanna Lytton - 2019, Ms. Jaelyn Szerokman - 2020, Ms. Alex Turner and Ms. Ashlyn Kirtner - 2021, Ms. Gwendolyn Puckett – 2022, and Ms. Tori Vest and Ms. Kaitlin Ervine – 2023. The Scholarship has provided more than $23,500.00 in awards to graduating seniors of Pulaski County High School since its inception in 2019.
Broadband in Unserved Areas
All Pulaski County residents who reside in unserved broadband areas are encouraged to pre-register to show interest in fiber-to-home broadband internet to help ensure universal coverage and to finalize the construction sequence by All Points Broadband. Head to the link below to pre-register.