Mathews County Sheriff April Edwards had nothing but good news for the Mathews Board of Supervisors during the board’s Sept. 18 meeting.

Edwards told the board during public comment period that after years of planning, spending money, and meeting with disappointment, the county finally has a functioning emergency radio system.

The only people who aren’t happy, she said, are those with old, archaic scanners who can no longer listen to emergency communications. She said a special scanner is now required. She then put out a call to all deputies and asked for a check-in, and the communications came through, loud and clear.

“It’s been a long time coming,” she said.

Edwards said she had also been awarded two grants by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, one for $150,000 and another for $200,000, which together will cover the cost of a new software system that will be compatible with both the fire department and rescue squad. No local match is required, she said.

Finally, Edwards asked for the board’s permission to apply for two additional grants to fund programs, equipment, personnel and analytical/forensic equipment, and a third one to fund a summer youth program for students in the eighth grade and older to learn about and get hands-on experience in crime scene and forensic evaluations and to do ride-alongs with deputies. The board unanimously gave its approval.

Mathews VA250

Mathews VA250 chair Fred Lyon reported on the events planned for next year’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Thirteen members of the Mathews VA250 Committee are working hard to plan a “unifying, inclusive celebration” that “highlights what makes this county special in the history of the war and today,” said Lyon. He pointed out that Mathews is the only locality in Virginia that has celebrated the Virginia Declaration of Rights, a precursor of the U.S. Bill of Rights, and that going forward, several activities are planned that will also be unique to Mathews.

There will be a revival of the Judy Ward musical “Crickets on a Hill” in cooperation with the Court House Players, said Lyon. He said there will also be a 1776 run/walk in cooperation with the Mathews Outdoor Club, an encampment by the Richard Henry Lee Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and the 7th Virginia Cavalry, the dedication of a Road to the Revolution sign, and a Revolutionary War Art Show at the Bay School.

Revolutionary War scholar Dr. Patrick Hannum will visit Mathews to give a presentation on the events of 1776 in Virginia, said Lyon, and Mathews scored a big win with a visit by nationally-known historian and author Andrew Lawler, whose book “A Perfect Frenzy” delves into Lord Dunmore’s campaign through Tidewater and climaxes with the Battle of Cricket Hill and the governor’s final exit from American soil.

Asked about having fireworks in conjunction with the celebration, Lyon said that was outside the scope of what the committee was charged to do, and that the state VA250 committee had said local committees should not concentrate on fireworks. “But if the people in the community want to do fireworks,” he said, “we’ll back it.”

Supervisors’ reports

Chairman Tim Doss said that it had been a tough week for him because of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, political activist and founder of Turning Point USA, since he was a fan of Kirk’s. He said social media is causing a lot of problems, and that it seems as though it’s now “impossible to have a discussion without hate involved.”

“If you’re upset, don’t just believe what’s on social media,” he said.

Doss mentioned the Minnesota lawmaker and her husband who were also killed, and said, “All of this ties in together. It’s everywhere. I don’t care what your beliefs are; it isn’t right.”

Supervisor Tom Bowen said that elected leaders need to “step up and encourage an end to hostile rhetoric.” He said that neither Charlie Kirk nor the Minnesota legislator deserved to die, and that President Trump didn’t deserve to be shot.

“If we disagree with someone, it shouldn’t be hostile,” he said. “Elected leaders need to set the example.”

Supervisor Janice Phillips said she had attended a Virginia Association of Counties’ meeting, and that the association plans to develop an agenda to present to legislators regarding such local issues as education and solar farms. She said she had met with a development group while there and realizes that the county needs to have young families move here and stay.

“We’re on the cusp of a major problem,” she said, and she urged the board to turn the property the county purchased for the fire department (but didn’t use for that purpose) into tax-paying property.

Supervisor Dave Jones told the board that he and planning commission chair Billy Cook had spoken with Mathews Memorial Library Director Bette Dillehay about removing a book he described as controversial from the youth area of the library.

In other matters, the board:

—Heard from building official David Biederman that in the six months since he was appointed, the staff of three is “in a good spot,” with permit technician Lynda Greve going “above and beyond every day” and inspector Adam Rogers proving to be “a wealth of knowledge.” He said the staff has developed the ability to handle large volumes of diverse inspections while “almost always” being able to book next-day appointments;

—Heard from Dillehay, who is chair of the Mathews Main Street Committee, who said the committee had, to date, invested over $40,000 in support of the next phase of the Main Street Enhancement Project and that the committee will continue to increase public awareness of the project and follow up on suggestions it receives.

—Held a public hearing on allowing golf carts on two neighborhood roads, Peach Point Road and Gales Neck Place, and unanimously approved the request, which had been made by the residents of the neighborhood, and

—Unanimously approved a resolution setting the personal property tax relief rates at 100 percent for vehicles valued at $1,000 or less, 40 percent for vehicles valued at $1,001 to $20,000, and 40 percent on the first $20,000 in value for vehicles valued at $20,001 or more.