Matt Garten, Falling Springs Representative, stands with Todd Tyler and Daniel Larnerd, each of whom retired from the Sheriff's Office this year.

2025 Retirees Honored at Alleghany County Board of Supervisors Meeting By Jennifer Bailey Staff Writer   Covington, VA (Dec. 2, 2025)— Five retirees were honored on Tuesday evening, December 2, around 7:00 p.m. at the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors meeting, held at 9212 Winterberry Avenue in Covington. "As always, it's kind of a sad time of the year up here because you lose a lot of experience from the county side," Falling Springs representative, Matt Garten said. Among those honored were: Todd Tyler, Sheriff's Office; Lisa Easter, Finance Department; Daniel Larnerd, Sheriff's Office; James Cronk, Sheriff's Office; and Gary Hepler, Public Works Department. Between the five of them, they represent nearly 150 years of service. Plaques were also presented to Dr. Ronald S. Goings, Clifton Forge East, and Gregory A. Dodd, Clifton Forge West. This evening was the final meeting for both Goings and Dodd. Their seats will soon be filled by this year's election winners, Courtney Howard for Clifton Forge West and Shannon Brantley-Miller for Clifton Forge East. This evening's meeting was livestreamed and can be viewed in its entirety on the Alleghany Journal's Facebook page located at https://www.facebook.com/alleghanyjournal Greg Dodd, Matt Garten, and Dr. Ronald Goings, posed for a quick picture for the Journal shortly after Dodd and Goings received plaques for their years of service on the Board of Supervisors. Tonight was the last night for both representatives. Clifton Forge Mayor Jeff Irvine spoke briefly during tonight's meeting, applauding the panel for jobs well done. Ingrid Barber, Executive Director of Alleghany Highlands Community Services (AHCS) and advocate for local mental health alternatives, spoke to the board about her vision for a regional facility which would provide mental health services to Alleghany County. Barber noted that travel was not always a possibility and that the facility had been approved for two million dollars of state resources to help fund the project. The entirety of Barber's speech is now available on the Journal's Facebook page.

* * * * *