The Long & Foster Real Estate office in Blacksburg spent June 11 cleaning and painting the Radford Theater in anticipation of its June 14 re-opening.

Here is the press release from Long and Foster.

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., the largest independent residential real estate company in the United States, announced that many of its sales offices throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, along with its headquarters staff located in Chantilly, Va., participated in the company’s annual Community Service Day on June 11, 2013.

Thousands of Long & Foster sales associates and employees rolled up their sleeves and took their talents into local neighborhoods to give something back to the many communities the company serves. The Long & Foster teams worked on-site at parks, schools, shelters, homes and day care centers, helping local organizations with spring cleaning efforts and other much-needed improvements.

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Virginia Western Community college recieved a grant from The Google Foundation that will support the schools summer computer science workshop for high school and middle school teachers. The $7,000 award will benefit the workshop App Inventor fo Educators to be held July 30-31.

Here is the press release from Virginia Western Community College.

ROANOKE — The Google Foundation recently awarded Virginia Western Community College a $7,000 grant in support of a summer computer science workshop for educators at the high school and middle school levels. The workshop, titled App Inventor for Educators, will promote computer science and computational thinking in the region and will be held from July 30-31 at Virginia Western.

The grant will cover the costs of this 1-credit seminar for 20 area teachers. There are just a few slots still available for qualified Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers from regional high and middle schools. Read more »

Virginia Western Community College has been selected to take part in the Plus 50 Encore Completion Program. The program is a national effort to train people over the age of 50 for jobs in health care, education and social services.

Here is the press release from Virginia Western Community College.

ROANOKE — Virginia Western Community College was recently selected to join the Plus 50 Encore Completion Program, a national effort to train 10,000 baby boomers for new jobs in healthcare, education and social services. The program is sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

The college will assist adults age 50 and over in completing degrees or certificates in high-demand occupations that give back to the community. With many adults age 50 and over out of work or seeking to transition to a new career, the program offers skill updates and career makeovers for baby boomers.

“We have always been dedicated to serving a diverse age range at Virginia Western, and we have found that many of the baby boomers are now in need of additional education as they reach the back end of their careers,” said Dr. Robert H. Sandel, President of Virginia Western. “This program will help us reach out and relate to many students who may not have taken a class for a number of years.”

Virginia Western Community College is one of 36 new colleges recently selected for the project. Since 2008, AACC and its network of Plus 50 Initiative colleges have worked with baby boomers and helped them prepare for new careers. An independent evaluation of AACC’s Plus 50 Initiative found that 89 percent of students agreed that college work force training helped them acquire new job skills, and 72 percent attributed landing a job to such training.

“Many adults age 50 and over want to train for new jobs that help others and are hiring, but they need to update their skills. Community colleges offer a supportive environment where baby boomers can train for new jobs quickly and affordably, while completing a marketable degree or certificate,” said Mary Sue Vickers, director for the Plus 50 Initiative at AACC.

In addition to receiving grant funds to augment training programs, participating colleges gain access to toolkits and extensive marketing resources tailored to reach baby boomers. They’ll also benefit from the advice and support of staff at other community colleges that have successfully implemented programs for older learners and understand the unique needs of the plus 50 student population. Virginia Western’s project coordinator, Sarah Olson, attended the national Plus 50 Conference in San Francisco.

“One issue we discussed was adjusting the classroom environment to meet the needs of the Plus 50 students,” Olson said. “We hope to implement these teaching techniques and strategies through professional development workshops for instructors and staff. This will help make the college experience more rewarding for older students.”

The Plus 50 Encore Completion Program is funded with a $3.2 million grant to AACC provided by Deerbrook Charitable Trust. The Plus 50 Encore Completion program supports AACC’s work to increase the number of students who finish degrees, certificates, and other credentials. In April 2010, AACC committed alongside other higher education organizations to promote the development and implementation of policies, practices and institutional cultures that will produce 50 percent more students with high quality degrees and certificates by 2020.

“Training for a new career can be challenging, especially for those who are returning to the classroom after spending decades in the workforce,” Vickers said. “It’s critical for colleges to have supports in place to help baby boomers acclimate to college successfully, so they can successfully complete training programs in these high-demand fields and get back to work.”

Baby boomers, like traditional students, can face challenges that slow or stop their progress toward degrees or certificates. Applying for admission with non-digital transcripts, navigating an online registration system, and determining which courses to take for a degree or certificate are just the start of a plus 50 student’s journey into higher education. Finding time to study, facing fears about math or computers, updating skills and going to classes with younger students, often while working full-time and caring for other family responsibilities, can slow the momentum from a plus 50 student’s career aspirations. Many of these issues can be mitigated through better academic advising, refresher courses and support programs tailored to baby boomer needs.

During the conference, the attendees learned how to identify resources, apply best practices for helping plus 50 students and mobilize support. They also learned how the initiative will be monitored and evaluated, so other colleges throughout the country can learn from and replicate it.

ABOUT AACC
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Association of Community Colleges is a national organization representing the nation’s close to 1,200 community, junior, and technical colleges and their over 13 million students. Community colleges are the largest sector of higher education, enrolling almost half of all U.S. undergraduates. For more information about AACC and community colleges, visit www.aacc.nche.edu. To learn more about the Plus 50 Encore Completion Program, visit www.plus50.aacc.nche.edu.

ABOUT VIRGINIA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
With nearly 13,000 students on the college’s main campus in Southwest Roanoke City, to our satellite locations at the Roanoke Higher Education Center in Downtown Roanoke, Greenfield Education & Training Center in Daleville, and the Franklin Center in Rocky Mount, Virginia Western Community College is committed to providing affordable, accessible, and quality educational opportunities and workforce training to meet individual, community, and global needs. To learn more, visit www.virginiawestern.edu.

The Better Business Bureau Serving Western VA has warned against mailings sent from Corporate Records Service, asking for money for records services. Businesses and some consumers have been contacted by Corporate Records Service, asking for $125 in exchange for help in compiling corporate annual minutes and documents. Reporting minutes and documents is required in Virginia, but it is a job that businesses can do themselves without outside help, according to Julie Wheeler, president and CEO of BBB Serving Western VA. If you have been contacted by this company, visit www.scc.virginia.gov or call the BBB at 342-3455.

Here is the press release from the BBB Serving Western VA.

Roanoke, VA (June 5, 2013) The BBB Serving Western VA is alerting businesses about responding to mailings from Corporate Records Service, a Michigan company that is asking for $125 in return for their assistance in compiling corporate annual minutes and documents.

Corporate Records Service, which lists a Richmond, VA UPS Store mailbox as its address, is a part of The Mandatory Poster Agency Inc. of Lansing, Mich. The business has an “F” rating with the BBB, the lowest possible rating. On February 8, 2013 the Wisconsin Attorney General filed a formal complaint claiming the mailings have the “look and feel” of a government document and that the information on the form and envelope constitute “untrue, deceptive or misleading statements made with intent to sell a service.” Read more »

American National University is holding a career fair on June 13 at its campus in Salem. The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open to the public. Employers who will be on-site include Carilion, Kroger Corporate and the City of Roanoke.

Here is the press release from American National University.

SALEM, VA – American National University, located at 1813 East Main Street in Salem, will host a Career Fair on Thursday, June 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Over 30 employers will be present, including: Carilion, Lewis Gale, AGLA, Aerotek, Randstad, Bright Services, City of Roanoke, Care Advantage, AXA Advisors, Adecco, Virginia State Police, Legal Shield, The Homestead, Western Virginia Regional Jail, Westwind, GCA Staffing, Dish Network, NY Life, Kroger Corporate, and Suntrust. Read more »

The Better Business Bureau serving western Virginia is warning consumers against a utility shutoff scam affecting customers in Virginia. People have received a phone call, saying that their electricity will be shutoff if a payment isn’t made within a certain amount of time. The BBB suggests that if you have received one of these calls to never give out your personal information and to independently check the call by phoning the utility office or the BBB.

Here is the press release from the BBB serving western Virginia.

Roanoke, VA (June 5, 2013) “We’re shutting off the power in 30 minutes unless you make this payment. Go ahead and call the police; your power is still going off.”

The Roanoke restaurant couldn’t afford to have the power shutoff; it was the middle of their dinner shift!

“At first I was really worried,” said the restaurant owner, “but something just didn’t seem right so I stalled.”

A patron at the restaurant called AEP- sure enough it was a scam, the power was not going off, the owner hung up the phone. Read more »

U.S. Cellular’s online customer survey results suggest that mobile device users feel that technology has made their lives easier and has improved relationships with their children. The survey found that 75 percent of  customers feel that phone calls improve the parent-child relationship more than any other form of mobile communication.

The mobile service provider will host Better Moments Device Workshops, teaching kids, parents and grandparents how to  use their mobile devices. A workshop will be held at the U.S. Cellular on Valley View Boulevard in Roanoke on June 15. This workshop is also open to non-U.S. Cellular customers.

Here is the press release from U.S. Cellular.

ROANOKE, Va (June 3, 2013) – Life’s best moments sometimes happen when least expected — and wireless technology can help make them better and more frequent for families and friends.

So say customers of U.S. Cellular who participated in the wireless carrier’s Better Moments online survey¹ last month. Seventy-six percent of respondents say their mobile devices save them time and an equal number say it makes their lives easier. In addition, one in three says their mobile device has improved their relationships with their children.

Interestingly, the survey found that even though texting, email, social media, picture messaging and video chat have all become hugely popular forms of communication on mobile phones, nearly 75 percent of respondents said that there’s still nothing like picking up the phone and hearing someone’s voice. Seventy-three percent said phone calls still improve their relationships more than any form of mobile communication, followed by text messaging (66 percent), picture/video messaging (35 percent), social networking sites (31 percent), email (25 percent) and video chat (9 percent). Read more »

The new rehabilitation center at Richfield Retirement Community in Salem has earned national recognition. Renovations and repurposing rooms has helped the rehab center to earn the Long Term Care LINK Spirit of Innovation Award. The award will be given to Richfield at the LTC & Senior Living LINK Conference in July.

Here is the press release from Richfield Retirement Community.

SALEM, Va. (June 3, 2013) – Richfield Retirement Community has been recognized with a national innovation award for its new rehabilitation center.

The Long Term Care LINK Spirit of Innovation Award salutes long-term care providers and senior living communities for their innovation, dedication to improvement, development of best practices and commitment to excellence.
Richfield was lauded for renovating an assisted living facility into a 48 private-room rehab center complete with state-of-the-art gym, hotel-like accommodations and new décor. The center is designed for short-term rehab following surgery or illness. Read more »

The Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council announced that Michael P. Drzal of LeClairRyan received the 2013 Ruby Award. This award was presented to Drzal at the council’s TechNite Awards Banquet earlier this month.

Here is the press release from LeClairRyan.

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Michael P. Drzal, a shareholder based in the national law firm LeClairRyan’s Blacksburg and Roanoke offices, has been named a recipient of the 2013 Ruby Award presented by the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC).  The award was presented at the Council’s annual TechNite Awards Banquet on Thursday, May 16 at the Hotel Roanoke.

According to the RBTC website, from time to time, there are achievements that are not easily classified into an award category.  To recognize those outstanding achievements within the community, RBTC created the Ruby Award.  The award honors those that serve as a model for others to emulate and, like the rare gem that shares its name, are considered to be a valuable asset to the Roanoke-Blacksburg region.  Previous recipients of the award include Ed and Catherine Walker (2012) and Mary Miller (2011). Read more »

The website for Central Virginia Waste Management Authority is getting an upgrade from Roanoke-based website design firm SiteVision. The firm is adding a custom content management system that will make it easier for the authority to update the site.

Here is the press release from SiteVision.

Roanoke, VA May 24, 2013: The Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA) has selected SiteVision, Inc. to further enhance its public website.
The project is designed to improve customer experience when using the site, and will include expanded, specific jurisdiction information for events, recycling programs, locations, dates, recycling types and more. Read more »