Keep Surry Rural- formerly Surry Sprouts

05/21/2026

Keep Surry Rural lists as its purpose: "We envision a County where people & natural resources thrive.” Having enough food for our disadvantaged citizens is essential to their thriving.

Signup link: https://hrfoodbank.volunteerhub.com/vv2/event/63165059-650c-40dc-a40b-b8a26a1b18f0

05/19/2026

For 2 days in a row now, we've seen a light-colored (almost whitish, with a little brown/tan) pigeon near the beach on the Surry-side of the river. Its left leg is banded (orange band), and it seems pretty tame (doesn't overly avoid us or our dog). Anyone lost a pet pigeon or dove? We'd love to help re-unite him/her with a loving owner.

NOTE: The picture is a stock image, not the actual picture of this bird.

04/22/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1YSrfUvVCP/

A Missouri town voted out every city council member who approved a resolution to build an AI data center in their community.

All four city council members who approved a plan to build a data center in Festus, Missouri, lost their bids for reelection. "This data center fight has struck this community to the core and really, honestly ignited a community-driven effort here," Dan Moore, who defeated Ward 3 incumbent Bobby Benz, said.

One of the biggest issues Festus voters had with the data center plan was the lack of transparency and the feeling that council members cared less about residents' concerns and more about tax revenue.

On the same day, voters in Port Washington, Wisconsin, approved a referendum to stop future data centers from being built. Data centers require massive amounts of water and create few jobs.

04/19/2026

We're short-sighted -- and that lack of vision is being marketed as "sustainability."

The Potomac Aquifer is the primary source of water for many rural homes in Surry County and beyond, via private wells. Over-development throughout Virginia and beyond is seriously depleting the aquifer. The solution is obvious: back off the pace of development and seek balance. The ACTUAL solution, backed by counties and other government, and encouraged by large corporate interests? Purify waste (including sewage) water, PUMP IT INTO THE AQUIFER, and keep on developing.

You can't make this sort of idiocy up. Native Americans might not be surprised by our foolish disrespect for nature.

Wake up!

PS: Don't believe that this is actually happening? Look up the SWIFT (Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow) program at https://www.hrsd.com/swift/about.

04/12/2026

Surry County's cap on industrial-scale solar was evidence that local government can get it right, doing what's best for current and future generations of citizens.

This bill on the state level would effectively override that progress and local decision-making, under guise of changing nothing.

At this point, only the governor can put on the brakes.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger has until April 13 to act on bills that would override local bans on utility-scale solar farms and require case-by-case reviews of each proposed project

04/05/2026

Seen this AM.

04/04/2026

Perhaps a better place than Surry County for data centers. No noise issues (space fixes that problem), no cooling issue (ditto), power issues addressed (thank you, sun!)...

In orbit, power is free. But everything else is expensive.

04/02/2026

Chippokes State Park is a gem, nestled in rural Surry County -- and immune from local influences that sometimes tend towards urbanization (data centers, battery storage, and [in the past] industrial-scale solar). Hopefully Surry County properly funds their tourism bureau going forward to support eco-tourism at the park, and at local businesses (and locally-owned small businesses-to-be).

04/02/2026

We can be grateful when The Smithfield Times doesn't sugar-coat.

Hopefully in rural Surry County, our government will prove wiser and more citizen-responsive. That has not universally been the case. We can hope, participate... and vote, when that time comes.

https://www.smithfieldtimes.com/opinion/editorial-wheels-greased-for-more-housing-247665f3