Here’s a round-up of news briefs from around Southwest and Southside. Send yours for possible inclusion to news@cardinalnews.org.
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Riders in the Sky to perform in Bristol
Riders in the Sky will perform at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. The evening includes a sit-down dinner and cash bar prior to the concert.
For more than 40 years, Riders in the Sky have carried on the tradition of Western music. In addition to two GRAMMY Awards, Riders has received numerous awards from the Western Music Association, including the highest: membership in the Western Music Hall of Fame; numerous Wrangler awards from the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum; awards from the Academy of Western Artists; enshrinement in the Walkway of Western Stars, and more.
Tickets to A BCM Christmas with Riders in the Sky are $100 and on sale now. Visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. to purchase.
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Henry County PSA awarded $6.1 million to modernize water lines in Fieldale
The Henry County Public Service Authority has been awarded $6,165,600 from the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water to modernize water service lines in the Fieldale community, according to a release from Henry County.
Approximately 31,700 linear feet of existing pipe will be replaced with the grant funds received from the American Rescue Plan Act.
A bulk of the water infrastructure in Fieldale was built during the expansion of textiles in the area. Following the closure of the former Fieldcrest Mills plant in 2003, the PSA inherited the existing water and sewer system that serviced the surrounding community. The system was originally constructed using galvanized steel and lead-jointed cast iron—materials outdated by current standards.
The grant will cover the cost to replace those materials with high-density polyethylene pipe, impacting approximately 280 customers. Now that the grant has been awarded, the project will enter the design and permitting stage. Tim Pace, Director of Engineering & Mapping, estimates this could take between 6-9 months to complete. The next stage would be putting the project out to bid, meaning construction could begin in early 2024.
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Clifton Forge LOVE sculpture has QR codes
Clifton Forge has installed one of the LOVE sculptures that’s part of Virginia Tourism’s LOVEworks program. This one is believed to the only one that includes QR codes embedded in the sculpture.
A release from the Historic Masonic Theatre says: “Hold your smart phone up to the code and you are immediately transferred to the CF LOVEworks website for more information on Clifton Forge restaurants, shops, arts facilities, parks & trails and other attractions.”
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Ag conference to be held at Blue Ridge Community College
The Farm Credit Knowledge Center will host its first Star Insights Forum at the Plecker Center at Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave on December 6, 2022. The event will run from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The Star Insights Forum is a multi-commodity-focused offering in which participants will hear from Dr. Bart Fischer of Texas A&M University, Dr. Charley Martinez of the University of Tennessee, Dr. Alex White of Virginia Tech and Dr. Joe Moritz of West Virginia University.
Participants will have the opportunity to listen to Dr. Bart Fischer, main session speaker, present Insight into the Development of the 2023 Farm Bill. In this presentation, Dr. Fischer will discuss the major events going on around the world that impact production agriculture and will provide a unique, insider’s perspective on the development of the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill.
Participants will be able to attend two afternoon workshops of their choosing.
- Dr. Fischer will lead his afternoon sessions with his presentation on Field Crop Market Insights. This workshop will cover the issues impacting field crop markets across the globe and provide a glimpse at the initial market outlook for the 2023 crop year.
- Dr. Charley Martinez will lead his afternoon workshops with his presentation, Current and Future Trends in the Cattle Industry, covering marketing and supply chain factors that will impact an operation’s profitability in 2023 and in the coming years.
- Dr. Alex White will present Cash Flow Management During Uncertain Times, discussing key areas of cash flow management for dairy farms, cash flow budgets, managing inflation and year-end tax purchase alternatives.
- Dr. Joe Moritz will present Innovations in Pelleting and Poultry House Heating to include the influence of pellet quality, nutrient digestibility and feed hygienics as well as wood heating systems.
Registration can be made by visiting https://farmcreditofvirginias.com/knowledge-center/events or by emailing the Knowledge Center at knowledgecenter@fcvirginias.com.