I hope you enjoy my latest column, a collection of weekly short news updates and future events to look out for, and arriving in your inbox as part of our NRV newsletter on Mondays. Here’s my previous edition.
As your New River Valley reporter, I primarily cover Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Montgomery County and Radford, but plan to expand my reach throughout the rest of a bustling valley.
I aim to inform and meet people where they are at, but the valley is vast. So if you have thoughts on a developing story or ideas on how I can get to know your community better, you can reach me at erick@cardinalnews.org.
Reduction in medical student’s tuition approved by Virginia Tech board
In-state residents attending the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine will see their tuition cost reduced by $15,000 per year after approval from the university’s Board of Visitors last week.
The decision follows the governor’s and the General Assembly’s approval of $6.5 million in recurring annual operating support. “This partnership with the commonwealth to support in-state tuition will mean more Virginians have the opportunity to pursue medical education right here at home,” said Lee Learman, dean of the medical school, in a Virginia Tech publication.
In April, the board of visitors approved an annual $63,985 tuition rate for fiscal year 2027 for both in-state and out-of-state students. The reduction will cut the cost to $48,985 — a 23% decrease — beginning in fall semester 2026.
Tuition rates for out-of-state students will remain unchanged since the state does not provide funding for nonresidents.
Christiansburg council approves member’s development request
A request by Christiansburg Town Councilman Sam Bishop to allow residential use of property designated for general business was approved 6-0 during last week’s council meeting.
The 0.18-acre property located at 465 Stuart Street was now being used for a legally nonconforming residential dwelling. During a July 20 planning commission meeting, Community Development Planner Devon Shields said that since a residential use had ceased for more than two years that a new conditional use permit was required, according to town documents.
Bishop abstained from the vote Aug. 25.
Further actions are required after approval. “While the property does not meet minimum frontage or area requirements for single-family dwellings, development would be allowed as long as setback and yard requirements are met,” according to a planning department report.
A staff-recommended condition is also required — approval of the permit will go toward the development of only one single-family dwelling.
Lecture on an Appalachian tradition set for Wednesday in Floyd
Historian Ashley Webb will host a lecture this week centered on Appalachian tradition at The Floyd Center for the Arts.
The lecture, “Woven Legacies: Stories, Traditions, and the Material Culture of Appalachian Overshot Coverlets,” will explore the mechanics and creativity that comes together to create these cultural textiles.
“Through patterns, weaving techniques, and the objects themselves, the lecture will reveal stories of family, community, and identity while exploring the enduring legacy of Appalachian textile traditions,” according to a news release about the event.
Webb has a bachelor’s degree in history and anthropology from Longwood University and traveled abroad to receive her master’s in museum studies from Bournemouth University in Dorset, England, according to the release. Currently, she is the executive director and curator of collections and exhibitions for the Historical Society of Western Virginia.
The event is Sept. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the arts center, 220 Parkway Lane South, Floyd. It is free and open to the public.
