43-406: WGSR may refer to: WGSR-LD , a low-power television station (channel 19) licensed to serve Reidsville, North Carolina, United States Water-gas shift reaction Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title WGSR . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
86-470: A household in the city was $ 27,441, and the median income for a family was $ 35,321. Males had a median income of $ 28,530 versus $ 21,367 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 17,251. About 14.0% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.6% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over. As of August 2010, the city's unemployment rate stood at 20 percent. The city's chief industry for many early years
129-604: A population of 63,765 as of the 2020 census . The paper clip-shaped Martinsville Speedway , the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series at 0.526 miles (847 m) and one of the first paved "speedways", is located just outside the city near the town of Ridgeway . Martinsville was founded by American Revolutionary War General, Native American agent and explorer Joseph Martin , born in Albemarle County . He developed his plantation Scuffle Hill on
172-564: A three-judge panel in the state courts, after which begins a complex process of negotiation with the county over the division of responsibilities. On January 11, 2023, the city council voted to end the reversion process. The Beaver Creek Plantation , John Waddey Carter House , Dry Bridge School , East Church Street-Starling Avenue Historic District , Fayette Street Historic District , Little Post Office , Martinsville Fish Dam , Martinsville Historic District , Martinsville Novelty Corporation Factory , and Scuffle Hill are listed on
215-594: Is a low-power independent television station in Reidsville, North Carolina , United States. Owned by the Star News Corporation, it is sister to fellow independent station WMDV-LD in Danville, Virginia . WGSR-LD's studios and transmitter are located on Gilmer Street in downtown Reidsville. The station traces its history back to 1982 when "WCTV-3", a public-access television station on what
258-539: Is hilly. Martinsville is located in the Southern Virginia region near the Virginia – North Carolina state line and is 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Eden, North Carolina , 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Danville , 48 miles (77 km) north of Greensboro, North Carolina . 51 miles (82 km) south of Roanoke , and 54 miles (87 km) northeast of Winston-Salem, North Carolina . Note:
301-620: The National Register of Historic Places . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 11.0 square miles (28.5 km ), of which 11.0 square miles (28.5 km ) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km ) (0.5%) is water. The north side of the city has the highest average elevation. The east side slopes gradually down to the Smith River on the south side. The west side
344-522: The Soviet Union . This nylon production jump-started the growth of the textiles industry in the area. In 1947, the paperclip-shaped oval Martinsville Speedway opened. In use by NASCAR since their inaugural season in 1949, it is still in operation by the racing organization today. The speedway is the shortest oval in NASCAR. For several years Martinsville was known as the " Sweatshirt Capital of
387-504: The roman numerals for the station's then-channel number, "14"), and changed its on-air branding to "The Boob Tube". Second-run situation comedies dominated the broadcast schedule during this period, with overnight programming brokered to a home shopping network. WXIV-LP was forced to seek a new channel allocation in order to allow Burlington -based WGPX-TV (channel 16) to begin operating its digital signal on UHF channel 14. Engineering studies determined that moving WXIV to UHF channel 39
430-456: The FCC authorized the auction of TV channels 38 and above, and the subsequent relocation of all TV stations operating on those channels to new locations below channel 37. On September 1, 2018, WGSR-LD ceased broadcadcasting on channel 47 and commenced operation on RF channel 19. At the time, the station retained its PSIP references to virtual channels 47.1 and 47.3. Due to further interference issues,
473-1042: The Gravelys, the Comptons, the Ruckers, the Wittens, the Lesters and the Browns. The city's main industry for a century was furniture construction, and today Virginia furniture makers still reside in the region. On the retail front, Liberty Fair Mall opened in 1989. In 2014, it was renamed the Village of Martinsville. On October 28, 2021, it was announced the Colorado-based apparel and footwear company VF Corporation will continue to expand in Martinsville creating 82 new jobs, while investing $ 10 million into
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#1732802190815516-562: The US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. As of the census of 2010 , there were 13,821 people, 6,498 households, and 4,022 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,407.1 people per square mile (543.3 people/km ). There were 7,249 housing units at an average density of 661.7 per square mile (255.5/km ). The racial makeup of
559-666: The United States Barack Obama held a campaign stop in Martinsville. On January 2, 2013, Kim Adkins was re-elected as mayor. In August 2021, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam pardoned all 7 African-American men of the Martinsville Seven . On January 3, 2023, L.C. Jones was elected as new mayor. Martinsville's relationship with Henry County is somewhat complex. Martinsville was fully included in Henry County's jurisdiction until it
602-549: The World", and in the 1980s it boasted of having more millionaires per capita than any city in America. Business leaders in the mid-20th century, like Whitney Shumate , worked to improve sub-standard housing in Martinsville. He helped clear out a portion of Martinsville called "Mill Town", which had sub-standard rental housing originally provided for 19th century employees of a now defunct cotton mill. New homes were constructed in
645-436: The area. Other companies such as Georgia Pacific , Radial, Inc. , Crown Holdings , and Eastman Chemical Company are also located in the area. The City of Martinsville operates under a council-manager government . The city council has five members who serve four-year terms. Every two years, the council elects a mayor and vice-mayor from among its members. An appointed city manager controls daily operations and manages
688-535: The banks of the Smith River near the present-day southern city limits. General Martin and revolutionary patriot Patrick Henry , who lived briefly in Henry County and for whom the county is named, were good friends. DuPont in 1941 built a large manufacturing plant for producing textile nylon filament, a vital war material. During the Cold War , the city was identified as a target for strategic bombing by
731-427: The cable-only ACC Network , WFMY-TV (channel 2) held the rights to broadcast Atlantic Coast Conference basketball games. As a result, some telecasts produced by CBS were aired on the station; until October 2006, the station also broadcast Baltimore Orioles baseball games. On May 31, 2008, WGSR-LP aired EliteXC: Primetime through its secondary affiliation with CBS, after primary affiliate WFMY declined to carry
774-512: The city of Martinsville. Routes include parts of both Martinsville and Henry county. Martinsville is served by two commercial airports. Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport ( IATA : ROA ) in Roanoke , and Piedmont Triad International Airport ( IATA : GSO ) in Greensboro, North Carolina . The Blue Ridge Airport is used for general aviation and is located 9 miles (14 km) outside
817-538: The city was 48.38% White , 45.45% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.47% Asian , 0.69% from other races , and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.70% of the population. There were 6,498 households, out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who
860-573: The city's activities. Current council members : The city of Martinsville and also Henry County is located in Virginia's 9th congressional district and is currently served by Republican Morgan Griffith . Martinsville is served by one member of the Virginia House of Delegates , Paul Krizek (D-16th), and one member of the Virginia Senate , Bill Stanley (R-20th). The Piedmont Area Regional Transit (PART) operates and serves
903-682: The city. The city is served by the Martinsville City Public Schools. There are five public schools in Martinsville: Piedmont Governor's School for Mathematics, Science, and Technology is a magnet school serving both 11th & 12th grade students who take advanced courses. The city is also home to the K-12 private school, Carlisle School . The school serves approximately 400 students, about 130 of them are high school students. The School
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#1732802190815946-491: The early twentieth century, when the tobacco monopolies created by R.J. Reynolds and James Buchanan Duke bought out most firms. (In most cases, in bold anti-competitive moves, the two tobacco titans simply shut down their acquisitions overnight. These actions resulted in a U.S. government lawsuit against American Tobacco Company. ) Among the earliest of these firms were D.H. Spencer & Sons and Spencer Bros. Other families soon joined in founding other early firms, including
989-418: The future of this jurisdictional arrangement became unclear when Martinsville's city council unanimously voted in favor of beginning the process of reverting from a city to a town (which would reincorporate it into the county's jurisdiction) on December 10, 2019, citing economic and demographic concerns. The time frame for this reversion remains unclear, as the city's petition to revert must first be approved by
1032-477: The league's 2005 season. Martinsville was also home to two Minor league baseball teams, Martinsville Astros and Martinsville Phillies both Class-A affiliates of the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies respectfully. The Martinsville area is also home to Martinsville Speedway , which opened in 1947. The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series hosts two races there every year while
1075-423: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WGSR&oldid=923325047 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Broadcast call sign disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages WGSR-LD WGSR-LD (channel 19)
1118-408: The neighborhood, built with sound materials and with all city services for the first time. What had originally been considered a depressed civic area rapidly became a center of progress as middle class Black residents finally began to prosper. As an editorial in the local newspaper noted, "One of the projects which won him considerable attention and praise was the instigation of the redevelopment of what
1161-736: The population was 13,485. A community of both Southside and Southwest Virginia , it is the county seat of Henry County , although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Martinsville with Henry County for statistical purposes. Martinsville is the principal city of the Martinsville Micropolitan Statistical Area , which includes the communities and towns of Axton , Bassett , Chatmoss , Collinsville , Fieldale , Horsepasture , Laurel Park , Oak Level , Sandy Level , Stanleytown , Villa Heights , Spencer and Ridgeway . The Martinsville Micropolitan Area has
1204-497: The production moved offshore to other countries. The city is repositioning itself long-term as a center for technology development and manufacturing. MZM, Inc. opened a facility in Martinsville as part of the Cunningham scandal . Memorial Hospital of Martinsville (now combined with the hospital in Danville, Virginia to become Sovah Health .) serves the greater Martinsville and Henry County area. The earliest local hospital
1247-510: The program. The station's digital signal is multiplexed : WGSR shut down its analog signal on June 4, 2009. The station flash-cut its digital signal into operation on UHF channel 47, and received FCC permission to use that as the station's virtual channel , instead of using its former UHF analog channel 39. The station began carrying second and third digital subchannels on August 17, 2009. Digital channel 47.1 began transmitting programming in high definition on February 23, 2011. In 2017,
1290-477: The region's full-power television stations, as well as giving extensive coverage to news stories in the Dan River Region. As a service to NASCAR racing fans, WGSR-LD devotes six hours on the weekends to providing driver and race previews. When races are being run at Martinsville Speedway , coverage of racing action is significantly expanded with local reporters covering action at the track. Each week,
1333-602: The station airs the syndicated racing programs RaceLine and Race Week , the only independently run shows covering the sport of auto racing. Other sports covered by the station in weekend programs include snowmobiling, softball and obstacle track racing ( Hard Charge ). In the fall, WGSR-LD covers several high school football games, and airs a syndicated program Inside the Game covering historically black colleges and universities ' football and basketball programs. Starting before Thanksgiving and continuing almost to Christmas ,
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1376-454: The station broadcasts all of the area municipal Christmas parades and joins with the merchants of Reidsville and Stoneville in promoting holiday shopping seasons in those towns and the lighting of Christmas decorations. WGSR-LP began organizing the annual Reidsville Downtown Christmas Parade in late 2006, and broadcasts the event live annually. Prior to the shuttering of Raycom Sports 's syndicated ACC sports packages and replacement with
1419-503: The station changed its call sign to WGSR-LP in 2004, reflecting the station's new "Star-39" brand (the calls were modified to WGSR-LD on June 4, 2009). WGSR-LD has expanded its local coverage of the Reidsville/ Martinsville /Danville area, and runs a three-hour news/talk program titled Star News , which airs daily from 5 to 8 p.m. Star News has gained a reputation for tackling controversial subjects not approached by
1462-527: The station signed off on February 27, 2019, to move to a new tower. On March 23, 2019, the station returned to the air from a tower in downtown Reidsville, with PSIP numbers on all subchannels changed to reflect the station's physical channel 19. Martinsville, Virginia Martinsville is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census ,
1505-425: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.89. The age distribution was 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. The median income for
1548-458: Was declared a city by court order in 1928. As with all cities in Virginia, Martinsville's incorporation as a city made it independent from Henry County's jurisdiction. Although Martinsville technically remains the county seat of Henry County, nearby Collinsville serves as the de facto county seat, as it is where the county's primary administrative and judicial offices are located. However,
1591-771: Was established in 1968 Colleges and universities in Martinsville include the New College Institute and Patrick & Henry Community College , where students can also take satellite courses through Old Dominion University . Houses of Worship in Martinsville: Martinsville is home to the Martinsville Mustangs of the Coastal Plain League , a collegiate summer baseball league . The Mustangs play at Hooker Field in Martinsville. The Mustangs began play for
1634-595: Was once known as Martinsville Cotton Mill Village. He and associates purchased about 50 houses in North Martinsville, and using private capital rather than federal aid, rebuilt them into comfortably inhabitable homes, making it possible for many persons to purchase homes within their financial range." In the early 1990s, changing global economic conditions and new trade treaties made Martinsville textiles and furniture manufacturing economically unsustainable. Many firms closed shop and laid off thousands of workers;
1677-424: Was sold to Carolina Blue Communications, owned by Daniel Falinski, in early 1996; the FCC approved the purchase that August. Under Falinski's leadership, the station expanded its programming to a more regional focus. Following an established custom of television stations in the Greensboro market (following WXII-TV , WXLV-TV and WLXI ), the station changed its call letters to WXIV-LP (the letters "XIV" representing
1720-796: Was the 50-bed Shackelford Hospital, founded by Dr. Jesse Martin Shackelford, who was later joined by surgeon son Dr. John Armstrong Shackelford, an early graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine . Founder of the Hospital Association of Virginia, Dr. Jesse Shackelford was an early advocate of comprehensive care for state citizens. Shackelford Hospital was sold in 1946, and Martinsville General Hospital subsequently opened with Dr. John Shackelford as its first chief surgeon. In 1970 Memorial Hospital of Martinsville opened its doors, replacing Martinsville General. In 2008, then Illinois Democratic Senator and 44th President of
1763-579: Was the manufacture of plug chewing tobacco. The Henry County area became known as the "plug tobacco capital of the world". In the wake of the collapse of the plantation economy following the American Civil War , the local economy was reeling. Stepping into the breach were several thriving plug firms which sold their merchandise across the nation beginning in the nineteenth century. Local families were heavily involved in these companies, bestowing their names on them and reaping sizeable profits until
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1806-478: Was the only possible allocation for the station to continue broadcasting; the station moved there in April 2004. At the time of the channel switch, Carolina Blue Communications was in the process of selling the station to Star News Corporation, owner of Martinsville-based NewsChannel 18, a regional cable news channel. Since WXIV-LP was moving from channel 14 to channel 39, its call letters no longer held any meaning, so
1849-603: Was then Alert Cable in Reidsville launched. On March 7, 1988, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted an original construction permit to then-station manager Robert Tudor to broadcast on UHF channel 14, under the call letters W14AU. Over-the-air programming was largely supplied by satellite networks, but the station produced its own nightly newscast. W14AU also began airing a weekly call-in program, Monday Night Live . The station
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