By CHAD COOPER
[email protected]
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., returned to Buchanan County on July 1, bringing a $1.5 million federal investment to help families continue rebuilding from the devastating floods that have impacted the county over the past couple of years.
Warner visited the Southwest Virginia Community College Southern Gap Transportation and Logistics Center, where he was joined by local elected officials, community leaders and residents to celebrate federal funding secured for Buchanan County. The event focused on long-term flood recovery efforts through the Appalachian Service Project, which will use the funding to construct replacement homes for families whose homes were destroyed by flooding.
Southwest Virginia Community College President Dr. Clinton Hayes welcomed the crowd and thanked those in attendance for supporting the region’s future.
“Today is my one-year anniversary,” Hayes said, noting it had been one year since he became president of the college.
Hayes said the Southern Gap facility was proud to host the gathering.
“So we’re honored to welcome so many community leaders, elected officials, partners and residents who care deeply about the future of our region to the Southern Gap Facility (Southern Gap Transportation and Logistics Center),” Hayes said.
“So we’re especially grateful to Senator Warner’s Office for convening today’s event and helping bring together voices across our local communities. And Southwest Virginia is strongest when we work together.”
Hayes also highlighted an upcoming disaster preparedness event scheduled for July 23 at the Southern Gap facility before introducing Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Executive Director Jonathan Belcher.
Belcher praised Warner’s decades-long commitment to Southwest Virginia, recalling that he first met the senator in the late 1990s before Warner entered elected office.
“Senator Warner has had a passion for Southwest Virginia for more than 30 years,” Belcher said. “He has always had Southwest Virginia in his heart.”
Belcher said Warner has remained a strong advocate for economic development in the region throughout his career, pointing to his support of projects including the Coalfields Expressway.
When Warner took the podium, he opened with a joke after arriving a few minutes late because of a meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee.
“I can’t tell you what the call was about. I have to kill you all,” Warner said jokingly. “If we do something wacky in the next 48 hours in the Middle East, I’m hoping we’re not, but stay tuned.”
Warner also laughed after Belcher mentioned knowing him since the 1990s, joking that he remembered when Belcher “had dark hair.”
Turning to the purpose of his visit, Warner spoke about his appreciation for the people of the region.
“I love all parts of Virginia,” Warner said. “Southwest Virginia is such a special place to be in. You know, it is a community with grit, determination.”
Warner then presented a ceremonial $1.5 million check to the Appalachian Service Project. He said the funding was secured through a bipartisan effort with Sen. Tim Kaine and U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith to help families continue to recover from Buchanan County’s devastating floods.
Melisa Winburn, president and CEO of the Appalachian Service Project, was in attendance, thanked Warner, Kaine and Griffith for supporting the effort, and said the funding will have a lasting impact on local families.
“You know, we first got involved in disaster recovery here after 2021, when devastating floods changed families’ lives in an instant,” Winburn said. “And since that time, a few other floods have happened. So we are committed to be here and be part of this community in the recovery.”
Winburn said the organization’s mission extends beyond rebuilding homes.
“My personal belief is in a God of rainbows, and what that means to me is that we are not promised easy days all the time… But sometimes we get to be that presence of love, of neighborliness, of help to each other. And that’s what I’ve seen this effort in this community do.”
She introduced members of the organization’s summer staff, who will spend the coming months working throughout Buchanan County.
“These young people dedicate an entire summer doing home repair for the families here,” Winburn said. “We’ll have about 500 volunteers coming through, not only doing great work and putting families in the state houses, but also buying ice cream and various different things from the community. We want to instill in them a love for Southwest Virginia in the same way that we have it.”
Winburn said the funding represents much more than a dollar amount.
“These funds are dollars, and they’re amazing, but this represents so much more,” she said. “This will help to rebuild brand new homes for at least a dozen families right up here, not very far from here, very high ground.”
She added that the homes will provide security and hope to families who have endured years of uncertainty.
“So again, I’m grateful, Senator Warner, that you know that disaster recovery doesn’t end when the headlines start to fade, but it takes years, and your willingness to stand beside this community to support Appalachian Service Project in this is huge.”
Winburn concluded by inviting Warner to return when the new homes are complete, and families are ready to receive their keys.
“I’d like to hand over some keys to some people,” she said.
Warner immediately accepted the invitation.
“Great, I appreciate that, and I’d love nothing more than to be here where the keys are in the hand at the door,” Warner said.
Warner added that the funding came through congressionally directed spending.
“Also, I want to acknowledge this money we got; we call it congressionally designated spending, which is fancy talk for an earmark.”
Warner then shifted his attention to another Buchanan County project, announcing $398,000 in federal funding for a new fire truck for the Town of Grundy.
Speaking about the importance of supporting local emergency services, Warner reflected on an earlier effort to secure firefighting equipment for another community in Southwest Virginia.
“The other part of the project is a new fire truck,” Warner said. “You know, we need that. I remember again, I hate to be like down memory lane all the time, but last, we used to have a delegate in southwest Virginia who represented Dublin and around the Volvo plant and Benny Keister.”
“And he was on my butt like, on me like nothing to get them a fire truck,” Warner continued. “So on that case, we had to go out and, frankly, find a used one that we could get for like 50 grand. And we got a fire truck.”
Warner said the funding announced for Grundy would provide the town with a much newer and more capable vehicle.
“But that’s not the kind of fire truck we’re going to get to Grundy,” Warner said. “Grundy is going to get a brand new, fancy, almost $400,000 fire truck.”
The fire truck will cost closer to $500,000, and a matching grant will cover the remainder.
