Back of the Dragon Days were held on June 13, 14, and 15th at Tazewell High School. The events featured live music, food and vendor displays, along with a bike show conducted by the Iron Titans Motorcycle Club. The Jimmy Ramey Jr. Memorial Run was conducted by the Tazewell County ABATE chapter.

The Tazewell County Public Library proudly hosted the first Comic-Con in Tazewell County on June 7th from 10am – 2pm. Comic-Cons celebrate comics, super heroes, science fiction, fantasy, and gaming. This free family-friendly event kicks off their 2014 summer children’s program.

The Richlands High School robotics team, the Techie Tornadoes, appeared at the library at 12pm to give a robotics demonstration. They recently won the Virginia state championship and appeared in the world competition in St. Louis, MO. Learn more about them on their Facebook page.

The 501st Legion made an appearance. The 501st is an international fan organization dedicated to wearing Star Wars villian replicas, such as Storm Troopers and Sith Lords. Check out their website and Facebook page. More information forthcoming.

G2KGames, with stores in southeastern Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, gave demonstrations on Magic: The Gathering and other games. Check out their website and Facebook page.

Clinton Rowntree Blevins was born in the magical land of Jackson, Mississippi. On a trip to England in 1990, he began writing his first book at the age of eight, which was a thrilling success, and international bestseller, in his eight-year old mind. Since that time he has felt an urgency to get his stories out of his head, in some format, before they steal all of his sleep, and drive him mad. In 2008 he began writing screenplays for Luminarium Pictures, owned by award winning producer Mark Fincannon and Tamara Bracken. C. R. Blevins lives in East Tennesee. He discussed his book A Western Tale – Part One: The Overture, which is a stylized fantasy novel set in the wild west. Part Two: The Bridge is actually getting released this winter. Check out his website and Facebook page.

Local artist Melissa Angles gave workshops for children on drawing techniques. She has a BA from Sterling College in Kansas with a concentration in Studio Art. She has taught Art to children at Bluefield College’s Fine Arts Community School.

Technical Services Librarian Erica Hall gave a talk about “Women in Comics.” This discussion centered around the state of female heroines, female writers, and female fans in comics.

Reference Librarian Chris Wilkes recommended comics/graphic novels for children, teens, and adults in his panel “Graphic Novel Recommendations.” This is a perfect starter for those new to the graphic novel format or want to read comics besides superheroes.

A small video gaming area was set aside to play Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Just Dance, and Mario Kart.

The Skirmish at Jeffersonville Civil War Reenactment was held at Crab Orchard Museum from May 16th through May 18th.

The Town of Tazewell Community Thanksgiving Dinner was held on November 23, 2013.

The Tazewell Police Department, Tazewell County Juvenile Court and the Italian Village Restaurant would like to thank the following for their generous donation towards the community dinner. Without your help this event could not have been a success.

In addition, we would like to thank all of those who volunteered their time to cook, deliver, serve, clean up, and offer fellowship to everyone in attendance. What a delightful surprise it was to have the children sing to us. Words cannot express our gratitude to everyone. Please remember during this holiday season to shop and support our local businesses, charities, and individuals. Without their support, community events would not be possible. Thank you to everyone involved.

Connie Roberts – Clerk Tazewell County Juvenile and Domestic Courts

Bill Weeks – Owner – Italian Village

DeWitt Cooper – Chief of Police, Town of Tazewell