The bear, who was rescued from a brush fire in Wythe County, is now a yearling who weighs a “whopping” 176 pounds.
Culture
Cardinal News covers culture and all the stories that are shaping Southwest and Southside Virginia.
The first Black woman to author a cookbook in the U.S. lived in Virginia many years
Malinda Russell resided, at various times, in Lynchburg and Abingdon. Her 19th century cookbook has recently been reprinted by the University of Michigan.
Historic marker would tell the story of Roanoke ophthalmology pioneer Elbyrne Gill
Gill founded the first specialty hospital and first eye bank in Virginia, and started the first post-graduate courses offered in ophthalmology in the country.
An architectural gem in Smyth County once was used to store farm equipment. Now the famous Octagon House is coming back to life.
For a time in the 1800s, building eight-sided houses was the fashion. This is one of the few that remain.
Texas grand jury declines to indict Lexington photographer, museum over images of children
Free expression groups said the grand jury’s decision prevented “baseless and malicious prosecutions” against Sally Mann and the Modern Museum of Fort Worth.
State landmarks register gets 9 new additions
Properties across the state, including four in Southwest and Southside, were added to the register.
Photos by lauded Lexington photographer Sally Mann seized by police in Texas
The images, which had been part of an exhibit at a Fort Worth museum, were nude depictions of Mann’s then-elementary school-aged children. Several national art groups are fighting the seizure.
In Pittsylvania County, descendants mourn family cemeteries lost to development, or to memory
Some historic cemeteries in Pittsylvania County have been developed over, others have been forgotten. Virginia has resources to document and protect graves from these outcomes.
A 112-year-old woman’s estate is a ‘time capsule’ of Danville. Now the community can take home part of that history.
The estate of Avicia Thorpe, who died in 2020, is being handled by the Danville Historical Society, which is partnering with the Vintage Boutique to sell some of her items.
Roanoke’s cultural endowment hits $7 million mark toward its goal to raise $20 million for the arts
The aim is to create an endowment that will help provide some of the operational expenses for arts groups. Those are typically the hardest dollars to raise.

