Hello and welcome back to Danville Field Notes, where I report news tidbits from the Southside area every Monday.
It’s officially summer, which means school is out and summer programming for kids is up and running, but of course, the news doesn’t stop.
Today, I’ve got a combination of newsy and fun events for you — a visit from the attorney general and an opportunity for public comment on water infrastructure, alongside a school event that lets kids, adults and families safely view the sun through a fancy telescope, all coming up this week.
Southside is a big region, and while I try to keep my finger on the pulse, I’m always looking and listening for things I don’t know! So if you think there’s something I should write about, please let me know at grace@cardinalnews.org.
Looking into the sun: Pittsylvania County Schools’ solar observation event
Pittsylvania County Schools is holding a solar observation event on Saturday that will allow members of the public to use a hydrogen alpha telescope to safely view the sun.
The telescope allows viewers to see the sun’s close details, like sunspots and solar flares.
It also includes a session on designing, building and launching air-powered paper rockets, which are launched by rapidly releasing compressed air.
The event is free and open to both kids and adults. It will be held from noon to 4 p.m. at Ballard Pruitt Post on VFW Drive in Danville.
If bad viewing conditions prevent solar observation, there will be alternative indoor activities, and the paper rocket launch will still be possible, according to the school system.
Pittsylvania County Schools is partnering with the Blue Ridge Astronomy Club and the Southern Virginia DarkSky Solar Observatory for this event.
For more information, email Pittsylvania high school science teacher Edward Sherlock at edward.sherlock@pcs.k12.va.us.
Attorney General Jay Jones to host roundtable talk on crime reduction success in Danville
Jay Jones, Virginia’s attorney general, will be in Danville on Friday for a discussion about the city’s successful crime reduction initiatives.
Danville has drastically reduced its crime rate since 2016, when the city of about 40,000 had the highest homicide rate per capita in the state. There were 336 violent crimes reported in Danville that year, including 17 homicides. Property crimes, too, had reached a concerning level, with more than 1,500 cases in that year alone.
Since then, crime has decreased across the board. Local leaders attribute the drastic decline to community collaboration with government and police, a new policing model and programming for at-risk youth.
The city implemented a community policing model around 2018. Community policing is a set of strategies to address conditions that lead to crime through partnership and problem-solving, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
As of 2023, Danville had a 52% average annual reduction in violent crime since the policing model was implemented, according to data from the police department.
Jones will meet with local officials, community activists, and representatives from area violence prevention and public health agencies, according to a June 18 release from the Office of the Attorney General.
The conversation will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Danville’s City Hall on Patton Street.
Town of Hurt schedules community input meeting for water treatment plant improvements
Residents of Hurt, in the northern part of Pittsylvania County, are invited to share their input on a potential Community Development Block Grant that could fund upgrades to the town’s water treatment plant and infrastructure.
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Hurt Town Hall on Pocket Road, according to a public notice.
Hurt, where water costs have increased for years, purchases its water from nearby Altavista and resells it to residents.
“These improvements are intended to enhance the reliability, efficiency and long-term sustainability of the public water system, while supporting economic development opportunities and ensuring continued access to safe and dependable drinking water for businesses,” the notice states.
At the meeting, the county will present on this potential project, followed by an opportunity for public input.
CDBG funding comes through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. These grants are meant to aid localities with projects that “will most directly impact the greatest needs of the community,” according to the department’s website.
Residents are asked to arrive five to 10 minutes early and can find additional information on the meeting or project by calling Pittsylvania County at 434-432-7710 or the town of Hurt at 434-608-0554.
