Have a Great 2008!

As the New Year comes in, let me express my deep gratitude to all of you who listen to "The Great Day in the Morning Show" each weekday on WHEO. I feel blessed to be able to serve the people of Patrick County while doing what I really love to do at the same time. I certainly have a passion for my job but I will never take it for granted. My work is a blessing to which I will always give my very best, constantly God's guidance and direction that my service to you will be pleasing in His sight and a blessing to you too!

As we enter the New Year, the radio station is still on the market for sale. Please pray that God will place it in the hands of responsible new management that will continue its rich tradition of service to the local community. This little country radio station is one of our most valuable community resources that we should all use and strive to support.

I am always looking for ways to improve the morning show. Please let me know if you have ideas and suggestions. Thanks for the very positive feedback that I constantly receive to what we are trying to do.

I hope to welcome many interesting guests to my show in the coming year to keep you better informed about what's happening in our county. In January, I have already invited or plan to invite all of the newly elected public officials to appear on "Community Conversation." I have already received commitments to appear on the show from newly elected Commonwealth's Attorney Stephanie Brenegar, new-elected Sheriff Dan Smith, and new-elected Blue Ridge District Supervisor Carl Weiss. Ronald Knight, the new Mayor River District Supervisor, and to Smith River District Supervisor Crystal Harris, have both told me that they would welcome the opportunity to be on the show but the dates of their appearances have yet to be established. I also plan to invite Jonathan Large, the chairman of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors, and members of the Patrick County School Board to appear sometime during the coming year. Of course, Lock Boyce, the newly-elected Peters Creek District Supervisor, is my guest each Monday morning on "Patrick County Topics".

I believe that we have seated a group of highly qualified individuals who will lead our county into a bright 2008. I urge everyone in the county to keep abreast of what is happening through the news media or other means and to communicate your desires frequently to your elected officials. They have been elected to serve us, the taxpayers of the county!

I plan to continue my series of "Richard on the Road" reports in the coming year as I travel the county in search of interesting people and places. Coming up in January will be a series of features based on my visit to Ohio last spring as a guest of the popular local gospel group, the Southern Prophets. This 8-part series will include profiles of each of the 4 members of the group, Denny Archer, Bobby Gardner, Dwayne George, and Mike Hall, as well as serious and light-hearted aspects of our trip to the Buckeye State, which was one of my personal highlights of the year. This series will be titled "The Southern Prophets: A Ministry of Minstrels." Following the Southern Prophets features, I plan to do a series of stories on the popular hobby of postcard collecting based on interviews with members of the Reynolds Homestead Post Card Club. If you have an ideas for features in the "Richard on the Road" series, please let me know. I have met many interesting people and made lots of new friends in my travels around the county in this series. It sure would help, though, if the price of gasoline would go down instead of in the opposite direction in which it seems to be headed as the New Year begins.

Speaking of travel, if you plan to party on New Year's Eve or anytime, please drink responsibly if you have to drink at all and NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.

I am praying for your prosperity and peace in the coming year. Happy New Year, my friends and neighbors. Have a "great" 2008!

God bless you all.

Richard