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🚨 BREAKING: @carilionclinic will pay Christiansburg $5 million for more than five acres at the front of Huckleberry Park, near Peppers Ferry Road. Town Council approved the sale 6-0 on Tuesday. Mayor Mike Barber said the town had hoped to sell one or more parcels to offset the park’s estimated $18 million cost. What Carilion will build has not been announced, and the company says plans for the property are not finalized. Its future use, the clinic said, would align with its mission to improve community health and expand access to care. Virginia ranks 42nd nationally for total nursing home staffing and 50th for certified nursing assistant staffing, according to a report presented to lawmakers. The state ranks 38th for registered nurse staffing. Virginia has no specific staffing requirements in state code; current guidance says facilities must have enough staff to care for residents. The Joint Commission on Health Care has proposed an initial 2029 deadline for nursing homes to meet minimum standards, with policy options for lawmakers to consider in 2027. LeadingAge Virginia supports standards, but says they must be paired with investment in the workforce pipeline. More than 75% of Virginia nursing homes are for-profit, and the study found staffing was lowest at for-profit facilities and those accepting both Medicare and Medicaid. The Local has opened at 414 North Main Street in downtown Blacksburg, turning the former Cook’s Cleaners into a retail incubator with a café, five small storefronts and five wall-display spaces. Moon Hollow Coffee serves drinks and handmade pastries, while the stalls feature businesses selling walking shoes, Southwest Virginia-themed clothing, cat stickers, lifestyle goods and men’s apparel. The town bought the building for $900,000 a decade ago and used $2.6 million in pandemic relief funds to renovate it. Downtown Blacksburg Inc. leases the space for $1 a year over five years. For emerging retailers, stall fees start at $300 a month, with short-term licensing options designed to let businesses test an idea without taking on a long lease. Danville could soon have something it has never had before: a second animal shelter. Tanya Martin is working to open Poppy’s Place, a private, nonprofit, open-admission facility on South Main Street, with hopes of welcoming animals by early 2027. The idea grew from years of criticizing conditions at the city’s only shelter — and from Martin’s experience nursing Poppy, a Boston terrier she adopted in May, back to health. The municipal Danville Area Humane Society has faced scrutiny over high euthanasia rates and inspection findings. Its longtime director, Paulette Dean, disputes the narrative about Poppy and says she welcomes a chance for all the facts to be known. Martin says she wants to offer another path for Danville’s animals. Get ready for Election Day by signing up for our text alerts now. You'll get local results and instant updates from our live blog. Comment "vote" and we'll send you the link to sign up.

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