Here’s a roundup of news briefs from around Southwest and Southside. Send yours for possible inclusion to news@cardinalnews.org.
* * *
Appalachian Power request would lower electric bills
Appalachian Power is asking state regulators for permission to reduce how much the utility charges customers for the cost of electric transmission, a move that the utility said Friday would result in an average residential customer’s bill decreasing by $2.12.
The change would help to partially offset an Appalachian rate increase that raised an average customer’s monthly bill by $16 starting in January, and another proposed rate increase that would raise the average monthly bill by $10 if approved.
Appalachian said the proposed decrease would take effect in early October.
Appalachian is currently authorized to recover $413.2 million each year through its transmission rate adjustment clause, or T-RAC, which is the part of an electric bill that covers costs for transmission services, fees and construction.
Those transmission costs are determined by PJM, which is the regional transmission organization that coordinates the wholesale distribution of electricity across 13 states, including Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Appalachian said PJM reduced its costs, and therefore Appalachian is asking the State Corporation Commission to reduce the utility’s T-RAC figure by $37 million to pass the savings on to customers.
“Appalachian Power works hard to manage costs and ensure filings are made in a timely manner,” Appalachian Power President and COO Aaron Walker said in a news release.
Appalachian Power is Virginia’s second-largest electric utility and has more than 540,000 customers in Western Virginia.
— Matt Busse
* * *
Roanoke College launches continuing education program in cannabis studies
Roanoke College is launching a new catalog of continuing education courses in cannabis studies.
The noncredit courses start this summer and are designed to give working professionals and others up-to-date knowledge about the science and legal standing of cannabis in Virginia, according to a news release announcing the program. Classes range in length from hourlong seminars to eight-hour programs.
Registration for courses is open. Classes can be taken individually or as part of the pursuit of a professional certificate. No prior experience or knowledge is required.
Roanoke College in January announced a new cannabis studies program that will begin this fall. It will offer two majors — one on the science of cannabis, the other centering around social justice and policy issues — and a minor will also be available.
The continuing education program marks the first time Roanoke has offered nondegree courses and certificates, according to the news release.
Course titles include Introduction to Cannabis Education, Cannabis for Caregivers and Patients, Cannabis and Corporate America, and the Logistics of Cannabis Production.
Courses will be offered on Roanoke’s campus. In keeping with federal regulations, all plant products used in classwork will be hemp material containing less than 0.3% THC.
* * *
Radford announces tuition rebate for undergraduate in-state students
Radford University has announced a tuition rebate for undergraduate in-state students for the 2024-2025 academic year.
The rebate effectively reverses a 1.5% tuition increase approved earlier this year, according to a news release from the university.
In March, the university’s board of visitors voted to increase tuition by 1.5% for all undergraduate traditional programs but said it would reevaluate after Virginia’s state budget was finalized.
“This vote was made possible through a combination of strategic budgeting by the university and significant investments in state support approved by the governor and General Assembly,” Tyler Lester, a board of visitors member and chair of the Business Affairs and Audit Committee, said in the release.
The rebate applies to undergraduate in-state students enrolled in the traditional undergraduate program, excluding differential programs. Undergraduate students who qualify for the rebate will receive it as a financial aid award posted to their account for the spring 2025 semester, the release said.
Students who are scheduled to graduate this fall will see the payment applied to their account in September.
* * *
Cumberland Forest Community Fund grant recipients named
Four towns and several nonprofits are among the recipients of this year’s grants from the Cumberland Forest Community Fund.
A total of $100,000 was awarded to eight projects, according to a news release announcing the awards.
The grant program, now in its third year, supports nature-based economic and community development projects in the counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell and Wise, as well as the city of Norton.
Funding and other support for the grants came from the Cumberland Forest Limited Partnership, The Nature Conservancy and the Anne and Gene Worrell Foundation. The University of Virginia’s College at Wise serves as the program administrator.
[Disclosure: The Anne and Gene Worrell Foundation is one of our donors, but donors have no say in news decisions; see our policy.]
The 2024 projects are:
- Town of Cleveland: recreation improvements at Tank Hollow Falls.
- Town of Dungannon: installation of an HVAC system for the Clinch River Research and Learning Center.
- Town of Honaker: expansion of the native redbud tree population.
- Town of Richlands: renovations at the Critterville playground.
- Appalachian Sustainable Development: installation of irrigation at the Growing Together Community Garden.
- Breaks Interstate Park: community engagement, climbing ethics and safe practice outreach related to rock climbing initiatives.
- Friends of the Buchanan County Library: “Composting for a Better Future” community education series.
- Mountain Kids Inc.: summer camp series.
