Money for the Arts Virginia Humanities announced that $950,600 in grants will be distributed among eighty-three nonprofit organizations across the state. Funding for these grants comes from The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through a program called Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP). The SHARP grants are a part of the American Rescue Plan Act, passed by Congress earlier this year. Blue Ridge PBS (Roanoke): $17,000, the Botetourt County Historical Society & Museum (Fincastle): $11,900, Points of Diversity (Roanoke): $17,000, and Salem Historical Society, Inc (Salem): $7,040 are among the recipients. ____________________
Administration (EDA) is awarding $1 million American Rescue Plan Act grants to 30 states and territories across the nation to support statewide economic development planning efforts. Virginia received one million dollars. The EDA says the ARPA funding is intended to accelerate economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and to help build resiliency to future economic shocks. ____________________ New healthcare career track at VWCC
Virginia Western Community College has announced the establishment of a new Associate of Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology. It will prepare students to serve as surgical technologists, and has been transferred from Fed money to help guard Radford University against future shock to Virginia Western following the merger U.S. Secretary of of Jefferson College Commerce Gina M. of Health Sciences and Raimondo announced Radford. Healthcare is last month that the largest employment the Department’s sector in the Roanoke Economic Development Valley economy and the
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need for well-trained surgical technologists is projected to continue to grow said VWCC. “We are excited to offer this fantastic entry point to a career in healthcare to our students and to those continuing the program from Radford University,” said Dr. Robert Sandel, President of Virginia Western. “I have heard from many leaders in the medical community of the increased need for surgical technologists.” ____________________ LewisGale Montgomery rolls out new technology LewisGale Hospital Montgomery has announced two capital technology improvements including a new 3D mammography tool for screening, and a specialized system for biopsies. 3D mammography images show cross-sections of the breast tissue, so that radiologists can actually see behind certain structures in order to gain a better understanding of the tissue composition. The new breast
biopsy system allows radiologists to view the tissue sample in real time as the biopsy is taking place. “These new mammography options add to our portfolio of biopsy techniques to allow us to choose the best imaging approach for each patient,” said Dr. Brandon Langlinais, a radiologist at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery. ____________________ Big gift is boost for RC’s Science Center Roanoke College has received the single largest cash gift in the school’s 179-year history from Shaun McConnon, a Massachusetts-based cybersecurity expert who founded several high-tech security companies. He has donated $15 million for the College’s new Science Center. McConnon is a 1966 graduate of Roanoke College. The new Science Center will impact every student at Roanoke College — those majoring in the sciences and those majoring in other
