Earth Fare returns to Roanoke’s Ivy Market > The Earth Fare organic, no-additive and natural foods-only grocery store chain went bankrupt earlier this year - but a new investment group purchased the name and 8 locations. The Roanoke Earth Fare on Franklin Road was one of them. The Roanoke location reopened at the end of June. David Issinghood is Earth Submitted Fare’s chief operating officer; he says those who shopped at Earth Fare before will notice a greater emphasis being placed on the “boot list” – those additives and other ingredients that don’t jibe with the now-smaller chain’s all natural, organic theme: “it’s been downplayed for probably the last 5-6 years, but we’re going back to stressing what’s not in our food.” Issinghood says the new store group owners have lowered prices across the board to make Earth Fare more competitive with other mainstream grocers. “We have everything, we’re a full [service] supermarket.” Before the much-larger chain went bankrupt, the Roanoke location that had opened in late 2017 “was one of the best stores in the company,” notes Issinghood. Submitted
NRCC program grads > Four New River Community College students recently finished their apprenticeship through Apex Systems with American Electric Power (AEP) Transmission Operations. Eric Coalson, Winston Derham, Tyler Frazier and Robert Fread are all recent graduates of NRCC and were part of a new 18-month dispatcher apprenticeship program that began in January 2019. The program is designed for students who are enrolled in the second semester of NRCC’s electrical engineering technology program. The selected students work and train with AEP Transmission Operations Control Center in Roanoke for 20 hours a week while completing an associate degree. The four NRCC students completed a training program developed by AEP while shadowing the dispatchers. Training opportunity offered by AEP included books, online modules, field visits, and specialized training sessions from third parties.
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t AUGUST 2020 / vbFRONT.com
