the nation, Canada and even the United Kingdom converged on the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research for a two-day conference on hemp’s industrial applications and cultivation in February. The conference was the second of its kind the institute has held. Kimley Blanks, co-founder of the Industrial Hemp Summit and agricultural marketing director and management assistant for Halifax County, said the event was hosted to bring all links on the supply chain together — connecting growers, processors, manufacturers and influencers — and informing them of a potentially lucrative opportunity for farmers in Southside Virginia and the whole country. The game changed for domestic hemp growers with the December passage of a federal farm bill that eased the prohibition on grow- ing hemp in the United States, said Blake Butler, executive director of the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Asso- ciation. “Now it has really changed,” Butler said of the conference. “We have attendees from 18 states, the District of Columbia and two countries.” (Danville Register & Bee)
Since Stone Ambulance closed in September, Martinsville Fire & EMS has been looking at options to keep the public fully covered with emergency medical services. Now it may be up to city taxpayers to decide whether that commitment is worth a 2-cent increase in property-tax rates. The city for decades had operated two ambulances at a time, but during peak hours — 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. — Stone Ambulance
handled extra calls. Stone did not charge for being available for that service — it kept the fees charged to the public — but ambulance companies that have bid to replace Stone will charge, city officials say. The only bid received so far has been for $389,820. (Martinsville Bulletin)
By a 5-4 vote in February, the Mecklen- burg County Board of Supervisors took a key first step toward approval of the controversial “Ladybug” facility in the Bracey area, a 65-megawatt solar energy array proposed to be built on 1,100 acres near the intersection of Highway 903 and Red Lawn Road. The sharply divided board opted to override a recommendation by the county Plan- ning Commission to reject the project on the grounds it is not consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan. The developer is Cypress Creek Renew- ables. (
SoVaNow.com)
The Southern Virginia Higher Educa- tion Center in South Boston had an economic impact of $66.1 million on the statewide economy in fiscal year 2018, according to a recent study. Of that amount, $57.9 million in economic impact occurred in Southern Virginia. The study, commissioned by SVHEC, was produced by Vincent Magnini at the Institute for Service Research. Magnini’s research showed that economic activity sustained by the SVHEC supported an estimated 481 full-time-equivalent jobs in the state and produced $23.3 million in labor income. SVHEC economic activity also contributed approximately
$5.7 million in federal tax revenues and $3.6 million in state and local tax revenues. (The Gazette-Virginian)
With a donation to the Southern Vir- ginia Higher Education Foundation, Microsoft Corp. has made an IT career in Southern Virginia more accessible. The Microsoft Datacenter Academy Scholars Program established by the software giant provides scholarship funds for individuals in underrepresented groups to pursue training through the SVHEC’s IT Academy. The Microsoft Datacenter Academy Scholars Program provides individuals from underrepresented popu- lations with scholarships to fully fund their IT training — including foundational and advanced coursework. The program also provides opportunities for job shad- owing and internships. (Work It, SoVa)
PEOPLE
Tami M. Buttrey has joined Carter Bank & Trust in Martinsville as execu- tive vice president, chief retail banking officer and director of delivery chan- nel optimization. Buttrey has 30 years of banking
leadership experience. She is a former SunTrust executive vice president of corporate retail strategies and head of the retail line of business in Tennessee and Alabama. (News release)
Dr. Kahlid Mojadidi and Dr. Indu Shi- varam have joined the growing number of health-care providers at VCU Health
Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill. Mojadidi, who specializes in car- diology, comes to South Hill from VCU in Richmond, where he is an assistant professor. Shivaram, who specializes in pulmonology and critical care, was an attending physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine in New York. (Independent-Messenger)
Moustafa Nassar has joined Danville Community College as the college’s new enrollment outreach specialist. He recently completed a year of service through the AmeriCorps VISTA program at Middle Border Forward in Danville, where he focused on marketing and recruitment. (News release)
Ferren Pannell has been named man- ager for the Center of Nursing Excel- lence at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. She was primary care assistant nurse manager at the Veterans Health Administration in Phoenix. (The Gazette-Virginian)
Dr. Luis Siliezar joined the pediatric practice at Centra Southside Medical Center in Farmville. Siliezar, a physician fellow in pediatric endocrinology, previ- ously worked at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y. (The Farmville Herald)
Chelsey White has been named program director of the Farmville Downtown Partnership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in urban and environ- mental planning from the University of Virginia. (The Farmville Herald)
www.VirginiaBusiness.com
VIRGINIA BUSINESS
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