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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McAfee Knob parking lot to close during construction
Parking at the McAfee Knob trailhead in Roanoke County will close on Nov. 30 as part of a project to build a pedestrian bridge to carry the Appalachian Trail over Virginia 311.
Hikers will still have access to the Appalachian Trail at this location but will need to stay in designated areas outside the active construction area, according to a news release from the Virginia Department of Transportation.
There will be no parking at the trailhead lot during bridge construction. Permanent parking capacity will be restored once construction is completed by late 2024.
Alternative parking is available at the Catawba Sustainability Center and along some shoulders on Virginia 864 (Old Catawba Road). Drivers should only park where designated by signs. Towing is enforced.
Starting in the spring, shuttle service to the trailhead will resume after being suspended for the winter months. To check the shuttle schedule or make reservations, visit www.mcafeeshuttle.com.
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Lynchburg hosts community meeting about Hunton YMCA historic designation
The city of Lynchburg will host a public meeting Nov. 30 about plans to seek a Historic Places Designation for the Hunton Branch YMCA.
The city’s Department of Community Development has partnered with Purvis Historic Preservation to begin the designation process for the Hunton facility, according to a news release from the city.
The meeting will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Hunton Randolph Community Center, 1220 Taylor St.
Attendees will hear about the project, including survey procedures, the nomination process, and timelines. Representatives from the city and Purvis will be on hand to answer questions.
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Grant will help Mountain Empire CC boost workforce training
Mountain Empire Community College has received a $200,000 grant to boost its workforce development and training efforts.
The award, which comes from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Coalfield Workforce Development and Training Fund, will be used for scholarships, tuition and training, as well as to cover the cost of administering National Career Readiness Certificate testing, according to a news release from VCEDA.
Since an initial $500,000 VCEDA grant to the MECC Foundation in 2018, approximately 930 students at Mountain Empire have completed 927 certifications and training courses, the release said.
The college anticipates training 500 or more students in 2024-25, the release said.
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Gift will help fund technical education in Botetourt County
A gift from Maag Gala Inc. and the Dover Foundation will help pay for an expansion of the Botetourt Technical Education Center.
The multi-year agreement will contribute $30,000 toward the construction of 10 new welding booths, according to a news release from Botetout County Public Schools.
Maag Gala, based in Eagle Rock, manufactures underwater pelletizing systems and centrifugal dryers for the plastics manufacturing and processing industry. The Dover Foundation is a North Carolina-based nonprofit that supports education, religion and human service programs.
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Virginia Tech receives $3.5 million to study adolescent exposure to opioids
A five-year, $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will fund research in Virginia Tech Department of Chemical Engineering into how adolescent exposure to opioids may contribute to addiction.
Chang Lu, the Fred W. Bull Professor of Chemical Engineering and graduate chair, will serve as the contact principal investigator of the initiative, according to a news release from the university. His team includes Julie Blendy, professor of pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania, and Wei Wang, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego.
Their work will focus on how early exposure to opioids — such as when they’re prescribed for a high school sports injury — could contribute to addiction.
“When adolescents are injured during sports, they are often prescribed strong pain relievers that contain opioids,” Lu said in the release. “It is important to understand what footprint such early exposure leaves in a developing brain, in terms of epigenetic alterations.”