Jan. 22 through the years

1924

Headline in the Jan. 22, 1924, Henry Bulletin: “Does Growing Tobacco in Henry County Pay? See What Mr. McDonald Has to Say Regarding It.” The story reports that George W. McDonald sold his entire crop at Banner Warehouse, a total of 9,436 pounds for $2,688.53. He “made thirteen curings with the help of his boys, not hiring any outside help. He also made his farm produce enough corn, wheat and meat to take care of his family and stock.”

1949

Attorney Clarence P. Kearfott was elected president of Martinsville Community Chest.

1974

Paul Gilley and Burton Taylor of the Bassett Special Police Department were dismissed from their jobs, the Bulletin reported; they said that Bassett Furniture Industries had ordered the Bassett police not to cooperate with the Henry County Sheriff’s Department and that they should not arrest Bassett Industries employees, so as not to hurt production. BFI released a statement saying that starting Jan. 21, 1974, or sooner, it would pay in full the salaries of a reduced Bassett police force and cover all its costs, so that the police would provide police protection for Bassett and control industrial traffic. School traffic control would be turned over to the county.

1999

Stanley Furniture Co. announced that it would spend $10 million to expand its plants in Stanleytown and Lexington, N.C., and add 200 to 250 jobs, most of them in Stanleytown. Albert Prillaman was the company president at the time. That move was to increase production of its bedroom and Young America youth lines.

Tultex had been a “partner in excellence” with Carver Middle School, and some Tultex employees would go to the schools to spend an hour every other week with a specific student.

The U.S. Department of Labor ruled that Fieldcrest-Cannon Inc. would have to pay nearly $200,000 to 204 women who were denied entry-level jobs in 1996 at the Fieldale plant because of their gender. The company also had to hire 15 of the women and give them seniority as of the day they first applied for the jobs.

2024

VF Corp. announces data breach on 35.5 million customers; a survey by the Center for Effective Philanthropy shows Harvest grantees are satisfied; both reported by the Martinsville Bulletin.

 — Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfiche at the Martinsville Branch Library.