The hands-on museum has taken steps to make things easier for families dealing with neurodivergent diagnoses. It offers quiet spaces, sensory-friendly toys and a staff trained in autism awareness.
Culture
New River rocket club loses launch site
The group is looking for a new site within an hour of Blacksburg and Christiansburg.
Rediscovered fabric from closed Dan River textile mill finds new life as ‘slow fashion’ dresses
A roll of deadstock fabric from the former textile giant had been sitting in an attic for years. Dani Des Roches, who’d left the New York fast-fashion industry and moved 15 minutes south of Danville, turned it into colorful dresses that sell across the country.
Good Samaritan closer to building first hospice house in Roanoke region
The hospice recently received the largest grant ever given by the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia.
Carried on trucks and trains, spotted lanternflies are continuing their voracious spread into Southwest and Southside
Lynchburg, Wythe County and Carroll County have been under quarantine since 2022. The invasive pest is now showing up in localities including Radford, Roanoke and Salem.
Clifton Forge opens a ‘sensory trail,’ lays plan for ‘all-abilities’ park
Sensory trails are meant to incorporate “all seven senses” and include things like berry bushes, art and balance beams. Pulaski and Sky Meadows State Park also have sensory trails.
In Virginia, Alzheimer’s disease is most prevalent in Southside, new study shows
County-level Alzheimer’s prevalence data study shows higher numbers in rural Virginia and among minority populations.
Baptist churches with female pastors have gradually left the Southern Baptist Convention
The convention has set about amending its constitution to forbid women in pastoral roles. While multiple Baptist churches in Southwest and Southside have female pastors, only one is still a member of the SBC.
Danville’s historical society is working to share a comprehensive history of the city, after decades of selective preservation
In the past, the organization’s archives were unavailable to the public, and the group’s work “didn’t reflect every facet” of Danville’s history, according to its current staff.
Rocket clubs launching from Highland and Montgomery counties offer STEM education, thrills
“There’s not much like rockets to get a kid excited about science, technology, engineering and math,” says one rocket club leader.