He mentioned that over 13 percent of Botetourt County residents had received the first dose of the two-part COVID-19 vaccination. Martin encouraged the community to continue practicing social distancing and self-care techniques that minimize contracting the virus.
Martin updated the community on the efforts mentioned in his State of the County Address about widening the broadband Internet access within Botetourt County.
He spoke about the pandemic’s impact on Botetourt County Libraries and the features they now offer as the libraries anticipate opening back up to the public. He mentioned the pen pal program the libraries developed to stay engaged with the elderly patrons of the community who lacked a support structure.
“I am proud of all that the library staff has done in the past year,” Martin stated. “And I encourage everyone to continue to patronize the libraries and stay tuned for more exciting things to come.”
Lastly, Martin talked about the county working with Del. Terry Austin and the House of Delegates on a state budget amendment. The amendment would push off the implantation of a fee and permit for boating access imposed by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources until July 2022.
