The $6 million facility includes several welding stations, a robotic welding room and a virtual welding room, among other offerings.
Education
Sweet Briar College names new president
Mary Pope Hutson, who has been interim president, was involved in the movement that helped keep the school open eight years ago. She’s also the first alumna to lead the school.
‘An antidote to so much of what ails culture’: A Virginia Tech fellowship aims to bring humanities to tech leadership
Some tech leaders are acknowledging the “techtopia” we dreamed of in the 2000s hasn’t come to fruition. The humanities are a “path to a healthier civic life,” a Virginia Tech professor believes.
Roanoke County supervisor sues superintendent, school board members over firing
Martha Hooker claims she was terminated from a part-time position in the school division in retaliation for a vote she made on the board of supervisors to change how school funding is allocated.
‘I’m not safe here’: This teenager won’t stop advocating for LGBTQ+ students in Roanoke County
Roanoke County’s school board retained its conservative majority in last week’s election. Fifteen-year-old Keely Meadows wants to keep LGBTQ+ rights in the spotlight.
Martinsville students look for a Lego robotics win on Saturday
Eleven teams of elementary and middle school students from Martinsville will participate in a regional Lego robotics competition on Saturday. Last year, three teams from the city went on to the state contest.
School board races see split decisions on questions of parental rights, LGBTQ+ issues
Conservative school board candidates succeed in Roanoke, Pulaski, Bedford counties but appeared to be shut out of close contests in Montgomery County.
Roanoke County school board denied community tension over transgender policies, yet police presence at meetings multiplied
After arrests at a July school board meeting, the U.S. Department of Justice offered to mediate discussions about new transgender student policies in Roanoke. The school system rejected the offer, but continued to add more police to meetings.
Ferrum will reduce tuition by $10,000 starting fall 2024
The reduction will be available for new and returning students in an ongoing effort to attract a shrinking pool of potential applicants.
VMI won’t release the findings of its investigation into alleged interference with student newspaper
The state military college announced in August it would handle an investigation of its relationship with The Cadet internally, after the nonprofit that operates the independent publication called for an external review of the fraught relationship between VMI and the newspaper.