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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Lynchburg sets meeting Nov. 16 to talk about former White Rock Elementary School
Lynchburg is working with Work Program Architects to develop a plan for the former White Rock Elementary School. A “community pitch day” has been set for Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at White Rock Baptist Church, 401 Florida Avenue.
Event Agenda:
- 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Pitch Team Preparation: One-on-one support from WPA staff to help teams finalize their presentations.
- 11:00 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. – Lunch: Complimentary lunch provided by Kenney’s in the Parish Hall.
- 11:20 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. – “What We Heard” Presentation: WPA will share feedback from the Kickoff meeting.
- 12:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Community Pitches: Residents, organizations, and local leaders will present ideas. WPA and City staff will facilitate with questions to encourage productive discussion.
How to Participate
Residents and organizations interested in presenting are encouraged to register in advance online. Presentations are limited to ten minutes, with simplified visual aids recommended to ensure equitable time for all ideas. For guidance, a Pitch Instruction Guide including templates in Google Slides, PowerPoint, and PDF formats is also available by visiting the City of Lynchburg website. Physical copies can also be picked up at the following locations beginning November 3:
- City Hall – Main Lobby (Citizens First Information Center), 900 Church Street. Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Porter’s Barber Shop, 2231 Poplar Street
- White Rock Baptist Church, 401 Florida Avenue
Submission Guidelines
To streamline the pitch process, all final presentations are requested electronically by Friday, November 15 at 11:59 p.m. in PDF format. Files should be named WRCH_Pitch Day_<Your Name/Organization> and can be uploaded at here or sent to sam.steele-smith@lynchburgva.gov.
Important Notes for Participants
Discussions at the event should remain focused on the White Rock Community Hub project. To foster a respectful and inclusive environment, the City requests avoidance of offensive, discriminatory, or political language in all presentations.
For more information on the project, to register to pitch, access the Pitch Instruction Guide and templates, or to submit the final presentation, please visit: www.lynchburgva.gov/905/White-Rock-Community-Hub.
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Bristol Humane Society announces expansion
The Bristol Humane Society has announced the expansion the current Margaret B. Mitchell Spay/Neuter Clinic. The expansion will include a larger spay/neuter clinic, a 5-day-a-week wellness clinic, an education center, and a pet food and supplies pantry, all designed to provide veterinary care for over 35,000 dogs and cats each year.
Bristol Humane Society has provided low-cost, high-volume spay and neuter surgeries since the clinic’s founding in 2005 and celebrated a milestone this year of 200,000 total surgeries for dogs and cats in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.
A $4 million Capital Campaign is underway to fund the state-of-the-art facility that will accommodate expanding services, including increased spay/neuter surgeries, a low-cost wellness clinic, a pet food and supplies pantry, and an education center.
For more information on Bristol Humane Society, and to learn how you can support their Capital Campaign, please visit www.BristolHumaneSociety.org or contact them at info@bristolhumane.org or by calling 276-591-5790.
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Forest Service reopens shooting range in Wythe County
The George Washington and Jefferson National Forest has reopened the Wythe Shooting Range after a wildfire was suppressed. The range fire totaled 17 acres and is 100% contained.
Forest Service personnel, Virginia Department of Foresty the Wythe County Fire Department and the Bureau of Land Management worked in cooperation to address the fire. The Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management will have resources checking the fire for the remainder of the week into the weekend.
For more information, please contact the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area at 276-783-5196.
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Danville Community College to host info session on precision machining technology program Nov. 19
Danville Community College will hold a series of information sessions for its Precision Machining Technology Program on Tuesday, November 19, as part of the launch of its first-ever spring cohort for PMT.
Three information sessions will be held at 9:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. at the PMT Lab in the Charles R. Hawkins Engineering & Industrial Technology Center, located at 1003 Boswell St., Danville, VA 24541. Each session is open to the public and will provide attendees with an overview of the PMT program, a guided tour of the state-of-the-art facilities, and a chance to meet DCC’s instructors. Participants will also learn more about career pathways within the precision machining industry.
For more information about Precision Machining Technology and the Information Sessions on November 19, contact kevin.poole@danville.edu or joseph.distad@danville.edu.