The Smith Mountain Lake Association recently announced a new program tasking local residents with keeping a watchful eye on the lake to find and identify any harmful algal blooms before they can become a major problem. 

After more than 32 years as the manager of Smith Mountain Lake State Park, Brian Heft will be retiring next month. During his long career, he has seen the park and the surrounding community grow from a quiet rural locale to a popular tourist destination.

Franklin County residents will likely be getting a shock in their mailbox in the coming weeks. Reassessment letters will soon be making their way out with residential home values in the county expected to increase by 55% on average. 

Several young adults from the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps braved the cold at Smith Mountain Lake recently for a two-week training program focused on instilling skills on and off the water. 

A group of lakefront property owners is asking for the public’s input on Appalachian Power Co.’s Shoreline Management Plan which provides guidelines and regulations for shoreline development at Smith Mountain and Leesville lakes. An online survey is now available for residents to fill out to…

The Franklin County School Board approved a new policy and procedure on Monday to review books in school libraries that have been identified as objectionable. The new process now gives clear guidelines on how schools in the district will handle complaints concerning questionable books going forward.

Downtown Rocky Mount was the site of a Christmas homecoming on Friday evening. Thousands of residents packed into Franklin Street to get into the holiday spirit at Come Home to a Franklin County Christmas.

Owners Curtis and Mary Lynn McGuire are stepping away from hectic day to day of retail to focus more on their other businesses. While they both admit it has been a difficult, they say it is time close.

The Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival will be moving to a new location next year. After a 17 year absence, it will be returning to Bernard's Landing in Moneta.

The Tri-County Lakes Administrative Commission's Wake Education Task Force recently marked its first year at Smith Mountain Lake. The group has led an effort to encourage boaters participating in towed watersports to be more courteous on the water. 

Newcomer Dan Quinn looks like the likely victor against incumbent Tommy Cundiff for the Union Hall District seat on the Franklin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The school board seat for Franklin County's Union Hall District will also be held by someone different for the first time i…

Terry Eugene Michel of Ferrum was sentenced to serve 15 months in jail ThursdayNov. 2. The decision came less than a month after a jury found him guilty of felony animal cruelty for fatally shooting his two black Labrador retrievers back in February.

Just days after being named as Ferrum College's 13th president, Mirta Martin led a press conference Friday announcing a $10,000 reduction in undergraduate tuition for students. 

Work has already started on Lake Christian Ministries' new, 5,000-square-foot building next to their existing headquarters in Moneta. The expansion is the result of a nearly two year long capital campaign started due to the growing needs of the community and the minimal space in the current …

A Penhook man died after striking a tree while operating a boat on Smith Mountain Lake on Saturday.

The docks at Crazy Horse Marina in Moneta were filled with history on Saturday. Boats from decades long past were on display for Smith Mountain Lake's 31st Annual Antique and Classic Boat Show. 

A portion of the Twin Creeks Distillery in Ferrum was burned but no injuries were reported in a fire late Friday evening.