Campbell County

Intersections Inc. will open a call center in the Campbell County town of Altavista, creating 250 jobs. The company provides consumer and corporate identity-risk management services.

The county's economy will likely be bolstered by the influx of new jobs and the associated increase in tax revenue. Homeowners may notice an increase in property values and improved county services.

Read more in The Richmond Times-Dispatch....

The Campbell County School Board eliminated 68 full-time positions, mostly through attrition and leaving openings unfilled. Thirty-three employees were laid off.

The cuts were needed to balance the division's $72 million budget.

School budgets -- and how they are balanced -- are important to homeowners because the schools are supported by taxes. Also, homes located in popular school districts may be more attractive to young families looking to buy.

Read more in the Lynchburg News & Advance....

Campbell County supervisors approved a $125 million budget, with two supervisors voting "no." The dissenters wanted the school board to reconsider plans to close Gladys Elementary School.

The completed budget keeps taxes at last year's levels, and includes no county employee layoffs or raises. Capital improvement projects put on hold include upgrades to the animal control facility, plans to build a firing range, information technology upgrades, and new vehicles for police, fire, and rescue.

The budget is about $7.5 million less than last year's.

Read more in The News & Advance....

The Campbell County school board has rejected calls by the county board of supervisors to revise its budget in order to keep Gladys Elementary School open.

How best to balance the school budget has been a divisive issue this year, with community members wanting to keep Gladys Elementary open calling instead for cuts to staff and equipment.

Homeowners in Gladys area could see their property values affected by the loss of the school, depending on the proximity and quality of the school to which the district assigns them.

Read more in The Lynchburg News & Advance....

MapTech Inc., Virginia’s Region 2000, the City of Lynchburg, and Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality are working on a plan to clean up local waterways, and they are looking for help from everyday citizens.

The plan will be based on a December 2007 assessment by the Environmental Protection Agency that spelled out the volume of bacteria the James River and six of its tributaries could contain and still be safe for recreation, known as the Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL. Studies have shown that the James, as well as Ivy Creek, Fishing Creek, Blackwater Creek, Tomahawk Creek, Burton Creek and Judith Creek contain bacteria levels higher that the TMDL.

Organizers are forming working groups comprised of citizens and officials. The groups will study particular problems in depth, and propose solutions. 

Homeowners -- and their property values -- benefit from clean waterways. Not only is clean drinking water a necessity, but sparkling waterways are a great recreational resource that draws prospective buyers.

Read more in The Lynchburg News & Advance....