After taking some time off, I’m back at work and my inbox has been full of newsy items I’m eager to share with you in this week’s edition of Field Notes.
My new weekly column — this is the third — is meant to bring you a collection of three or four news tidbits and items about the happenings in the localities that make up Southwest Virginia. It will include three or four briefs on a variety of topics and is packaged in a format that’s easy to read and digest.
So, what’s going on in your community this summer? Let me know by emailing the details to susan@cardinalnews.org. Don’t forget to include photos and videos.
Here are the stories and upcoming events that stood out to me this week.
First mural completed through public art initiative is in Wytheville
Residents and visitors to Wytheville are being treated to a new mural downtown that contains several of my favorite things: a pair of lively cardinals, a cute kid and his canine companion — it looks like a golden retriever — and mountain scenery set off by a colorful sunset that fades from orange to cream.
The mural is the first completed through the Southwest Virginia Community Mural Initiative, a public art project designed to celebrate community identity, creativity and Appalachian culture, according to a news release. The effort is being led by ‘Round the Mountain Artisan Network and funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Created by Virginia artist Jon Murrill of Roanoke, the mural is the result of a collaborative process involving local stakeholders, community members and regional partners.
Four Southwest Virginia communities were selected to participate in the initiative, with Wytheville the first to complete its mural installation. The other localities are the towns of Big Stone Gap and Pulaski and the city of Galax.
Check out this video about the mural project.
School supply effort kicks off in Southwest Virginia and the New River Valley
Thousands of children across Southwest Virginia and the New River Valley can’t afford to buy a backpack, notebooks and other supplies as they start a new school year, so United Way of Southwest Virginia is again holding its Stuff the Bus event.
Across 21 localities, the drive helps students whose families may struggle to meet even the most basic needs, the United Way said in a news release. Last year, the campaign helped more than 6,000 children, and this year’s goal is to reach even more.
The campaign is in its third year. The United Way is calling on its community partners, businesses and individuals to help with the effort, which runs through July 10.
Donors can drop off school supplies at any of the drop-box locations, by shopping through the agency’s Amazon School Supply wish list and by donating online.
“Education is a powerful equalizer, but only if every child has the tools they need to succeed,” said Megan Parks, executive director of United Way of Southwest Virginia. “No child should walk into school feeling less than or left out. We are asking our community to stand with us once again and make sure every student starts the school year prepared, confident, and ready to learn.”
Washington County sees spraying intended to slow the spread of spongy moths
The U.S. Forest Service and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services launched spray treatments from aircraft beginning Wednesday to control spongy moth infestations.
The treatment is part of the national program to “Slow the Spread” of the moth, a non-native, invasive species that can damage forests, according to a news release. The moth used to be called a gypsy moth.
“One of the most important ways to help keep our forests healthy is to stop the spread of invasive species like the spongy moth,” Eric Pfeifer, a forest silviculturist with the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, said in a news release. “Treatments like these are designed to prevent current, low-level infestations of spongy moths from growing to outbreak levels.”
The treatment area was sprayed with a moth pheromone, a “scent” that confuses the insects during mating, which disrupts reproduction. The spray only affects the moth and poses a very low risk to people, other insects, birds, fish or other animals, the news release states.
The treatment is applied by aircraft flying at very low elevations over affected areas. With favorable weather, the entire project area could be completed in two days.
The treatment area includes approximately 1,384 acres of private and National Forest System lands in Washington County and in Johnson County, Tennessee.
