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REGIONAL VIEW Roanoke/new river valley


Pomp and absence by Sydney Lake


thing Tannah Blair, an accounting major in Virginia Tech’s class of 2020, had to look forward to. “When they made the announcement


W


that graduation was canceled and was being moved online, I was beyond devastated,” Blair says. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Virginia


colleges and universities postponed, canceled or moved their ceremonies online — essentially evaporating the 2020 commencement season. Tech last canceled commencement in


1917, when the U.S. entered World War I, says Ann Brown, director of strategic communications for Tech’s libraries. Back then, more than 50% of the graduating class left to receive training at the Fort Myer Army post in Arlington County. In late March, Virginia Tech


President Tim Sands sent a message to graduates alerting them that their 2020 graduation ceremony would be held virtually on May 15. Keynote speakers will include Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier, a Tech alumna. He also invited graduates and two guests to a tailgate before the Sept. 26 home football game with an “Enter Sandman” — the Metallica song played at the beginning of each


FOR THE RECORD


Appalachian Power proposed a rate increase in late March that would raise monthly bills for its customers by an average of 5%. Under the 2018 Grid Trans- formation and Security Act, Appalachian Power had to submit a rate case filing on March 31, and the State Corporation Com- mission is required to rule on the application by Nov. 30. It would take effect in 2021 if approved. The rates customers currently pay for electricity were set in 2011 and are based on 2010 costs. The company is proposing to implement a rate discount effective December through February each year. Appalachian Power has 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). (Appalachian Power news release)


While business closures and work-from- home orders have altered the employment


18 | MAY/JUNE 2020


Due to the pandemic, Virginia Tech is canceling its May commencement for the first time since World War I.


Tech home game — entrance into the stadium in place of the May commence- ment ceremony. Nearly 7,000 Hokies were originally expected to fill Lane Stadium for spring commencement, says university spokes- man Bill Foy. “I’m not expecting much from


this virtual graduation they are plan- ning, nor the special event they have proposed to us in the fall,” Blair says. “It’s all just very disappointing and I feel that myself and my class of 2020 are not going to be properly recognized for our accomplishments, as well as the hardships we are experiencing during our last semester of college.” Students can also attend either the


commencement ceremony planned for December 2020 or spring 2021.


scene for many Southwest Virginians, most outdoor construction projects are moving forward. In Roanoke, field workers are continuing to inspect construction sites. Construction of an expansion of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at the Virginia Tech-Carilion complex in Roanoke has not experienced any disruptions or delays. Road maintenance and major highway projects in the region have not been affected. Work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline is also not expected to be further slowed. (The Roanoke Times)


A 517,000-square-foot student housing community will be built near Virginia Tech. Charleston, South Carolina-based real estate developer Greystar announced in early April that it will develop the 424-unit property at 1001 University City Boulevard, which will accommodate 1,040 students. Nine of the 11 buildings will be razed to make space for six buildings that include


“It would be great to schedule a


commencement [for the class of 2020], but the reality is we need time to do that and everyone who would want to participate would also need time for planning,” Sands said during an April virtual town hall. “We decided that it just didn’t make sense to organize something that we thought might have to be postponed, maybe many times.” The University of Virginia and


James Madison University, among others, opted to postpone 2020 com- mencement ceremonies. And some, like George Mason University, postponed it indefinitely. “As things got worse, I knew it


was inevitable,” Blair says. “But I held out hope that they would reschedule it rather than canceling.”


one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apart- ments and townhomes. The architect for the project is BSB Design Inc. Blacksburg has seen a student housing surge after Tech’s $1.5 billion fundraising campaign to expand its programming, expanding enrollment to more than 36,000 students. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2020 and to be completed by fall 2022. (VirginiaBusiness.com)


Precision Fabrics Group (PFG), which has been in business in Vinton since 1988, has expanded and expedited its manufacturing of protective medical gear. PFG produces fabrics, both woven and nonwoven, including personal protective gear (such as masks, drapes and gowns), wipes for the pharmaceutical industry and personal hygiene fabrics for consumers. The medical fabrics are directly involved in the corona- virus fight — for the medical community, the military and the pharmaceutical industry.


The fabric for the products is manufactured at the Vinton plant and then shipped to its Greensboro plant to be finished/dyed. PFG employs approximately 600 associates and operates plants in Vinton, North Carolina, and Tennessee. (Vinton Messenger)


The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), in partnership with a 16-member team, received a $7.5 million research grant in late March to provide the trucking industry, regulators and the general public with safety guidelines for automated driving systems. VTTI will create best practices for technology deployment, driver train- ing, installation, maintenance, inspection procedures, insurance, roadway readiness, data and cybersecurity for automated driving systems. The team will work with safety technology developer Pronto to demonstrate the integration of automation technology into fleet operations on public U.S. roadways. (Virginia Tech news release)


Photo courtesy of Virginia Tech


ith the rest of the spring semester moved online, her graduation was the only


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