Welcome to Danville Field Notes! This is the first installment in a weekly notes column that I’ll be writing, rounding up news tidbits from the Danville-Pittsylvania region. You may have seen similar weekly columns from my colleagues in Lynchburg, the New River Valley and Southwest Virginia, but this is my first!
I write about Danville and Pittsylvania, and other localities in Southside on occasion. But not every bit of news warrants a full-blown story, so be sure to check in here every Monday for smaller news items.
If there’s something you think I should write about, for a story or for this column, let me know at grace@cardinalnews.org.
Without further ado, here’s some quick Southside news from the past week and a look ahead at what’s coming this week.
Danville Community College opens enrollment for new aviation maintenance technology program
A new program at Danville Community College will train students in aviation maintenance technology. Enrollment is open, with classes set to begin in August.
Aviation maintenance technicians inspect, repair and maintain aircraft and their components. There’s a growing demand in Virginia and across the country for this workforce, and DCC’s program plans to help meet these needs, according to a May 28 news release.
“With ongoing regional developments, including the opening of Caesars Virginia, renovations at the Danville Regional Airport terminal, and increased economic activity, the demand for aviation services is expected to grow substantially,” the release said. “The AMT program will help ensure the region has a skilled workforce ready to meet that demand.”
The nearest aviation maintenance training programs are at Liberty University in Lynchburg and Blue Ridge Community College in the Shenandoah Valley, making DCC’s program the first and only in Southern Virginia.
The school plans to have an initial cohort of 10 students in the program, which will initially be housed on the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research campus. Construction is underway for a permanent aviation training facility at the Danville Regional Airport, which will eventually be the program’s home.
“Designed to serve a wide range of students, including high-school graduates, military veterans, aviation enthusiasts and pilots, the program provides a direct-pathway into a high-demand, high-skill career field,” said the DCC release.
Those interested in registering should email program instructors Marcio Couto at marcio.couto@danville.edu and William Robinson at william.robinson@danville.edu.
‘Love on the Spectrum’ looking for Danville-area participants
The Netflix documentary series “Love on the Spectrum,” which follows adults on the autism spectrum as they navigate the dating world, is casting for a potential new season and looking for participants from the Danville area.
The show’s casting team is looking for people living within a few hours of Danville, Lynchburg and Greensboro and Raleigh, North Carolina, who would be open to meeting a man on the autism spectrum for a date.
Eligible participants can be any gender, though they should be between 25 and 40 years old and currently single.
Participants do not need to be autistic themselves, according to a May 26 news release from the Arc of Southside, a local nonprofit that supports and advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“This series has helped challenge misconceptions and show viewers across the world that people on the autism spectrum experience the same hopes, relationships, and desire for connection as anyone else,” Monica Karavanic, executive director of the Arc of Southside, said in the release.
The casting opportunity is connected to someone local with ties to the nonprofit who may appear on the show, though the person’s identity remains private.
“Participation could involve as little as half a day of filming, and the casting team emphasizes that initial conversations are informal and do not represent a commitment to appear on the series,” the release said.
Anyone interested in learning more about the opportunity should send a brief description and photo of themselves to production@northernpictures.com.au.
Pittsylvania County seeks more resident feedback on comp plan
Pittsylvania is in the process of overhauling its comprehensive plan, which includes gathering resident feedback.
A comprehensive plan lays out a locality’s vision for the next 20 years, encompassing all pieces of its operations, including infrastructure, parks and recreation, housing, transportation and economic development.
Pittsylvania’s plan had its last major update in 2010, and though it’s been revisited every five years, as mandated by the state, it hasn’t been through a comprehensive overhaul since then.
The county has seen a lot of change and growth in the past 16 years, and local officials are working with consultants to make sure that the plan reflects Pittsylvania’s future.
The county held its first community feedback meeting in April. It also sent out a survey to residents about what they’d like to see in the updated plan.
On June 11, residents will have another opportunity to share feedback and ideas. This meeting will focus on identifying areas of the county for future growth and defining top community goals, according to a release from the county.
The meeting will be held at the Gretna Fire-Rescue Station from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
