Newport Volunteer Fire Department

10/13/2023

Rest easy, brother. 🙏🏼

It is with great sadness to inform you all that we have to say goodby to one of our own. Garland Linkous, our friend, a wonderful person, who would do anything for anyone that asked has stepped across and is no longer suffering from the aches and pains of this world. He dedicated his life to helping others. Newport 940, we will miss you greatly. Rest easy my friend, we will take it from here.


Obituary for Garland Lee Linkous Jr.
Garland Lee Linkous, Jr., age 78, of Christiansburg died Tuesday, October 10, 2023. He was born in Baltimore, MD on May 29, 1945, to the late Garland Lee, Sr. and Ida Allene Shepherd Linkous. He was a member of Calvary United Methodist Church. Garland was a veteran of the U.S. Navy for 6 years and the National Guard 29th Division Band for 23 years, he achieved the rank of E7 Sgt 1st class. He was a life member of the VFW, American Legion, and DAV. He was a life member of the Christiansburg Rescue Squad.

He was a marriage commissioner having held hundreds of weddings. Garland owned and operated EZ Method Driving School and certified hundreds of students for driving permits and motorcycle safety. He also ran the Trailways bus station and Nancy’s Travel and Tours. He was also a Master Gardener and a sou chef at Virginia Tech and Mountain Lake. He was a master musician and could play any brass instrument, trumpet, strings, mandolin, harpsichord, and guitar. Garland filled in as a Pastor of Mt. Elbert United Methodist Church, Floyd Va. He operated the Christmas Kitchen for at least 10 years. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Nancy Richardson Linkous; a daughter, Leeann; a son, Chris; brothers and sisters-in-law, Raymond Linkous, and Ernest (Kathy) Linkous; brothers-in-law, Bill (Sandra) Richardson, and George (Rocine) Richardson; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be conducted Monday, October 16, 2023, at 11:00 AM in the McCoy Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Sebert Rorrer and Pastor Mike Neuse officiating. The family will receive friends from 10-11:00 AM Monday morning before the service at McCoy Funeral Home, 150 Country Club Dr. SW., Blacksburg VA. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Christiansburg Rescue Squad, American Legion Boys State.

05/18/2023

Great, joint county wide training event last night hosted by Giles Lifesaving & Rescue Squad. Giles County Sheriff's Office 911 center staff was in attendance for discussions and exercises on how emergency radio communication can be improved. Thank you to everyone that participated, we certainly had a full house!

04/26/2023

We want to take a moment to honor the rarely visible heroes of emergency response - the 911 dispatchers. These dedicated professionals work tirelessly behind the scenes to coordinate emergency response efforts and provide critical support to callers in need.

From answering emergency calls and obtaining crucial information, to dispatching and coordinating emergency response personnel, to keeping detailed records of incidents, 911 dispatchers do it all, and they do it with professionalism, impartiality, and compassion.

They manage the emotional toll of the job and find ways to cope with stress and trauma. They balance the needs of callers, emergency responders, and agency policies. They make quick decisions based on limited information. Oh, and they are given only mere seconds in many situations. These duties are simple to type, but difficult to master. 911 dispatchers strive for perfection and accuracy, all while accepting that mistakes may occur and learning from them.

Today, five of our 911 dispatchers completed their basic training at the New River Criminal Justice Training Academy. They will return to their shifts and receive training on a continuous basis to provide you, the citizen, the help you expect in times you reach out for it.

Sheriff Millirons and the entire department wishes to congratulate our own Kaitlin Davis, Paiton Bradley, Laken Johnston, Emma Mills, and Sherry Wickline for your completion and continued dedication.