Here’s a roundup of news briefs from around Southwest and Southside. Send yours for possible inclusion to news@cardinalnews.org.
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BWXT nets contract for uranium processing
Lynchburg-based BWX Technologies announced Wednesday it has secured a federal government contract related to uranium processing, enabling it to add 20 new jobs.
The contract is initially valued at $47 million but could be worth up to $116.5 million depending on annual congressional appropriations, the company said. BWXT will hire new operators, engineers and safety personnel at its Lynchburg-area facility.
BWXT will take thousands of kilograms of unusable, government-owned scrap material containing enriched uranium and, over the next five years, use it to produce more than 2 tons of high assay low enriched uranium, also known as HALEU, which can be used as fuel to demonstrate advanced nuclear reactors, the company said.
“One of BWXT’s key roles in moving the nuclear industry forward is leveraging its specialty materials capabilities to support domestic HALEU needs for the next generation of nuclear reactors,” BWXT Nuclear Operations Group President Sharon Smoot said in a news release.
The scrap material will be provided by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration and has been collected from a number of different sources, primarily the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, BWXT said.
BWXT (NYSE:BWXT) provides nuclear fuel and components for the U.S. military and is developing other technologies such as nuclear medicine and spacecraft fuel. It employs about 2,600 people in the Lynchburg area, most of whom work at the company’s Mt. Athos site in Campbell County.
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Candidate forums scheduled in Montgomery County
A series of six forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Montgomery
County and the Montgomery County-Radford City-Floyd County branch of the NAACP will give residents a chance to hear from candidates in races that will be on the ballot in November.
Candidates for the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, the county school board, the Blacksburg and Christiansburg town councils and constitutional offices will talk about their priorities and answer questions.
All forums will begin at 7 p.m.
- Sept. 7: Montgomery County School Board, at the Montgomery County Government
Building. - Sept. 14: Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, at the Montgomery County Government Building.
- Sept. 21: Montgomery county clerk of court, treasurer and commissioner of revenue, at the Montgomery County Government Building.
- Sept. 28: Montgomery County commonwealth’s attorney and sheriff, at the Montgomery County Government Building.
- Oct. 5: Blacksburg Town Council, at the Blacksburg council chamber.
- Oct. 12: Christiansburg Town Council, at the Christiansburg council chamber.
For more information about the forums, visit www.mrfnaacp.org or my.lwv.org.
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Roanoke announces accessory dwelling unit competition
The city of Roanoke, in partnership with AIA Blue Ridge, is launching an accessory dwelling unit competition aimed at addressing the growing need for affordable housing.
The competition invites designers to submit innovative concepts for ADUs that will contribute to “positive transformation” of the city’s neighborhoods, according to a news release about the competition.
The winning ADU plans will be preapproved for the public to use free of charge. ADUs are allowed by-right in all residentially zoned areas of the city.
The submission period for the contest is Sept. 1-30, and winners will be announced Oct. 16.
The winning teams will receive cash prizes to produce construction documents of
their designs. First place will receive $5,000, second place $3,000 and third place $2,000.
AIA Blue Ridge also is hosting educational events to raise awareness about ADUs. A local ADU tour will be held from 4-6 p.m. Aug. 30, and a webinar titled “Design For Aging” will be presented from noon to 1 p.m. Sept. 6.
For more information about the competition and educational events, visit https://aiablueridge.org/.
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