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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Carilion announces final $4 million push to fund cancer center
Carilion Clinic has announced the final, public phase of a $100 million capital campaign to construct a new cancer center in Roanoke.
The nonprofit health system is $4 million shy of that goal, it said in a news release. It’s now seeking public support to complete the campaign.
[Disclosure: Carilion is one of our donors, but donors have no say in news decisions; see our policy.]
Since announcing the campaign in 2019, Carilion has raised $96 million. Among the contributions it has received to date was a $1 million donation from then-CEO Nancy Agee to kick off the fundraising, and a $25 million gift from Roanoke philanthropists Nick and Jenny Taubman that was announced last summer and brought the fundraising to that point to just over $70 million.
The facility, which is under construction on the Virginia Tech Carilion Health Sciences and Technology campus, has been named the Carilion Taubman Cancer Center in honor of that gift.
“This beautiful, state-of-the-art cancer center won’t be just a point on the map — it will be a beacon of hope and healing. A destination for world-class cancer care, serving not only Virginia but the entire region,” Lindsay Collins, Carilion’s vice president of oncology services, said in the release.
The Carilion Taubman Cancer Center will expand Carilion’s cancer care space from 40,000 to 250,000 square feet and will double patient capacity, the release said. and will introduce advanced treatments and clinical trials previously unavailable in the area.
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Appalachian warns of fluctuating river levels
Water levels on the New and Roanoke rivers could rise rapidly and fluctuate through the week as high temperatures could require Appalachian Power to increase generation at its hydroelectric plants.
Boaters, kayakers, tubers and other recreational users downstream of Claytor and Leesville dams should watch out for changing water levels, the utility warned in a news release.
Below Claytor Dam, water levels could increase up to 2 feet in a matter of minutes, and water levels below Leesville Dam could increase as much as 8 feet over seven hours, the release said. River users can monitor AEP’s website for additional information and follow the Smith Mountain Project and Claytor Facebook pages for updates.
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Youngkin announces state board appointments
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has announced new appointments to state boards, including several residents of Southwest and Southside Virginia.
Board of Dentistry: Dr. Jayson Smith of Bristol, pediatric dentist.
Board of Long-Term Care Administrators: Todd Barnes of Martinsville, administrator, Davis & McDaniel Veterans Care Center; Pamela Dukes of Paint Bank, health care consultant.
Advisory Board on Juvenile Justice and Prevention: Kelsey Parrish of Lynchburg, senior assistant commonwealth’s attorney, commonwealth’s attorney office for Lynchburg; Keith Farmer of Roanoke, director, Straight Street.
Board of Juvenile Justice: Mike Crawley of Salem, deputy chief, Roanoke City Police Department; Wes Nance of Bedford, Bedford County commonwealth’s attorney.
Virginia Fire Services Board: Abbey Johnston of Bedford County, deputy chief of operations, Bedford County Fire and Rescue.
Commonwealth Transportation Board: Ray Smoot of Montgomery County, retired chairman, Atlantic Union Bank; retired CEO, Virginia Tech Foundation.
Virginia Passenger Rail Authority: Cynthia Lawrence of Roanoke, director, workforce development, Carilion Clinic.
Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services: R. Brantley Ivey of Grayson County, cattleman, River Ridge Land and Cattle Company; chair, Grayson County Board of Supervisors.
Virginia Board of Forestry: Chad Shelton of Chatham, operations manager, H.J. Shelton Logging Inc.
Commonwealth Council on Aging: Vickie Runk of Bedford County, CEO, Runk & Pratt Companies.
Board of trustees of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation: Sophia Chafin Vance of Russell County, chief branch operations officer and senior vice president, The First Bank and Trust Co.
Litter Control and Recycling Fund Advisory Board: Barry Custer of Blue Ridge, vice president – sales, Blue Ridge Beverage Co. Inc.