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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Town hall meeting scheduled for the College Lake Dam Removal Project
Lynchburg Water Resources and the University of Lynchburg have announced the College Lake Dam Removal Project will begin in early January. After many years of planning, the removal of the high-hazard dam is set to start as the construction of the new bridge and roundabout have now been completed.
English Construction has been awarded the project with Resource Environmental Solutions LLC as the stream restoration team. The purpose of removing the dam is to improve public safety and foster long-term environmental benefits on Blackwater Creek and the James River, according to a news release from the city of Lynchburg.
“We are thrilled about this project and look forward to the transformation that will happen in the coming months,” Alison Morrison-Shetlar, president of the University of Lynchburg, said in a statement. “The near-failure of the College Lake Dam in August 2018 was a stark warning to our campus and our neighbors downstream that we must work together to safely remove this hazard. While we will miss the lake, we are excited about the academic and recreational possibilities of the wetlands ecosystem that will emerge in its place.”
Erin Hawkins, project manager with LWR, said the goal is to reconnect the former lake back to the stream corridor while managing legacy sediment loads. “In the years to come, the best outcome of this project is when you will not be able to tell there was a lake there at all,” she said in a statement.
Lynchburg Water Resources, the University of Lynchburg and AECOM will conduct a public meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the University of Lynchburg, 1501 Lakeside Drive, in Hall Campus Center’s Memorial Ballroom. Attendees will receive an update on the construction schedule along with a brief project overview and can ask questions about the project.
The meeting will be broadcast on Lynchburg Water Resources’ Facebook page and will be available for viewing on LTV (Comcast Channel 15) and the College Lake Dam Removal webpage, www.collegelakedamremoval.org.
For more information, call Lynchburg Water Resources at 434-455-4250. For up-to-date project information and news, visit www.collegelakedamremoval.org.
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Roanoke County Board of Supervisors seeks applicants to fill Vinton District vacancy
The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors is searching for candidates to fill the vacancy in the Vinton Magisterial District, created by Supervisor Jason Peters’ election to serve as commissioner of the revenue.
Candidates must be residents and qualified voters of the Vinton Magisterial District. The candidate selected by the board will hold office until a special election is held in November 2024. Subsequently, the person elected at the special election will serve the remainder of Peters’ term, which expires Dec. 31, 2025.
Interested applicants must mail or email a written statement of 300 words or less, explaining their qualifications and why they want to be the supervisor for the Vinton Magisterial District, to the chief deputy clerk at the following address or email by Jan. 1:
Deborah Jacks
Chief deputy clerk to the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors
5204 Bernard Drive
Roanoke, VA 24018
540-772-2003
djacks@roanokecountyva.gov
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Ferrum College to hold virtual information sessions for three graduate programs
Ferrum College will be conducting the last virtual information sessions of the year for the Master of Science in athletic coaching, the Master of Education in curriculum and instruction, and the education specialist degree in teacher leadership and coaching.
Educators and coaches can enroll now and begin the course of study as early as January 2024. Information sessions are hosted by program directors Ryan Bates and Karen Carpenter. Ferrum College’s graduate programs can be completed in one year and are completely online.
Informations sessions for each upcoming graduate program can be found below:
Master of Science in Athletic Coaching: Tuesday, 12:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Master of Education in curriculum and instruction and education specialist degree in teacher leadership and coaching: Wednesday, 1 and 8 p.m.
Registration links can be found here.
