A project of the nonprofit Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley, “Together We Rise: Pulaski” will be formally opened with a ribbon-cutting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. It will be on display at Jackson Park through June 1.

Randy Walker
Randy Walker is a musician and freelance writer in Roanoke. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was formerly a staff writer on (as it was then called) the Roanoke Times & World-News. He can be reached at randywalker7983@gmail.com.
A 13-year-old girl solved her town’s duck overpopulation problem
Renee Tucker, an eighth-grader at Narrows High School, was assigned a public speaking project. She addressed the overpopulation of ducks and geese at the local pond–then took it a step further and found a way to solve the problem.
Arts, industry and commerce coexist at Roanoke’s former Viscose property
An art studio. A ballet theater. A furniture company. A coffee shop. The old American Viscose property in Roanoke, which is slated for redevelopment, already hosts a wide variety of tenants. Here are some of them.
A biology class changed this former Botetourt County drama kid’s career trajectory
When 14-year-old Skylar Gay enrolled in BIO 101 at Virginia Western Community College, it was just to fulfill a requirement. Now she’s on her way to the U.K. to present a scientific paper on COVID — and she’s still just 18.
Craig Creek helps the local economy flow. Local officials worry what a pending lawsuit might mean for tourism
Lawsuit clouds the waters of Craig Creek.
The pandemic may be waning. But as long as viruses are among us, Virginia Tech’s Linsey Marr still has work to do.
Professor studies COVID and flu from engineering viewpoint
Startup gets ticket punched
Acquisition is a mark of success for “rising star” graduates of Roanoke business accelerator.
As infection numbers decline and at-home testing expands, Carilion shutters drive-through COVID test centers
Over the course of the pandemic, two drive-through sites in Roanoke and Montgomery counties processed 340,000 tests, Carilion said.
New director takes the wheel of Wytheville town museums
The museum department in this town of 8,265 oversees four museums, and aims to draw travelers off I-81 and increase awareness of the town’s rich history.
Some say lawsuit aiming to clarify murky legal waters surrounding creekbed ownership could jeopardize Craig Creek access
River advocate fears loss of public access to Craig Creek, a popular recreation spot that flows through Craig and Botetourt counties.