Virginia Tech is taking Blacksburg real estate agent John Wilburn, broker and owner of Hokie Real Estate Inc., to court over the name of his agency.

Tonia Moxley of the Roanoke Times has the story here.

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute has completed a study analyzing distractions of commercial drivers, such as cell phone use. Here is a press release from VTTI:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently released key findings from a naturalistic driving study recently conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) aimed at further analyzing risk of commercial truck and bus drivers’ activities or actions that distract their attention away from the driving task. Read more »

Beginning Friday, screeners at the Roanoke airport will begin more invasive checks on airline passengers.

Jeff Sturgeon of the Roanoke Times has the details here.

Transportation leaders are meeting in Salem today to discuss challenges of the I-81 corridor.

Jeff Sturgeon of the Roanoke Times has the story here.

Maxx Performance is creating 12-15 new jobs by opening a new research & development and manufacturing facility in the former Valley Rich Dairy building in Roanoke. Here is a press release from the Roanoke Regional Partnership:

Maxx Performance today announced it will open a research &  development and manufacturing facility in the City of Roanoke, creating a projected 12-15 jobs over the next three years and investing up to $700,000 in equipment.  The company will be located in the former Valley Rich Dairy building on Aerial Way Drive.

Maxx Performance is the leading provider of microencapsulation/encapsulation technologies used by manufacturers of baked products, confectionary goods, dairy or meat products, nutritional supplements, and animal feed. The company’s products mask taste and off-odors, extend shelf life, and enhance flavor and texture to help manufacturers overcome application and processing challenges, optimize product delivery, and improve time to market. Read more »

The Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce hosted a debate between Democrat Tom Perriello and Republican Robert Hurt yesterday. Our reporter, Annie Johnson, was one of the panelists.

You can view a video of the debate on the Roanoke Times Blue Ridge Caucus blog here.

Rolf Mueller receives the Friendship Award of the People’s Republic of China from Zhang Dejiang, vice-premier of China, during a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering professor Rolf Mueller was recognized with an award from China for his work in opening an international laboratory based at Shandong University. Here is a press release from Virginia Tech:

Virginia Tech Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Rolf Mueller (http://www.me.vt.edu/people/faculty/Mueller.htm) received a friendship award from the Chinese government for his outstanding contributions in economics and social progress.

Zhang Dejiang, vice-premier of China, made the presentation; (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pILYYcNfGDk) to Mueller during a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Mueller was also the invited guest at a reception and state banquet of China’s Premier Wen Jiabao to celebrate the National Day of the People’s Republic of China. Read more »

Helen Schneider

Virginia Tech’s Helen Schneider is joining a University of Oxford research team to study China’s war with Japan. Here is a press release from Virginia Tech:

Helen Schneider, assistant professor of history at Virginia Tech, has been invited to the University of Oxford to serve as a research associate. During her two-year appointment, which begins this fall, she will join a team of researchers based to work on the project “The Persistence of Conflict: China’s War with Japan: Experience, Legacy, and Memory, 1931 to the Present.” Read more »

King College will begin offering a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration in fall 2011. Interested applicants should contact the admissions office. Here is a press release from the college:

King College has received approval from the Tennessee Board of Nursing to offer the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) concentration as part of the College’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program beginning fall 2011.

“We are delighted to add the Family Nurse Practitioner program to King’s School of Nursing and Graduate & Professional Studies curriculum,” said Dr. Paul Percy, dean of the College and vice president of Academic Affairs for King College.  “King College recognizes the increasing medical need within our community and the surrounding region and we are committed to the development of programs designed to help meet those needs.” Read more »

Bluefield College 2010 Alumni Award recipients (from left) Joseph Tatum (Outstanding Alumnus Award), Janice Hawks (Honorary Alumna Award), and Dan Agee (Christian Service Award).

Joe Tatum of Vinton was among those recognized with alumni awards from Bluefield College. Here is a press release from the college:

Bluefield College presented its annual alumni awards to two distinguished former students and honored a longtime BC friend with an Honorary Alumna Award during Homecoming festivities on campus, October 15-17.

Successful entrepreneur and consultant Joseph K. Tatum, who earned an associate’s degree from BC in 1971, received the college’s Outstanding Alumnus Award for 2010. Tatum, who attributes his success to the “caring professors” of Bluefield College who gave him a chance at higher education when no other college would, earned the Outstanding Alumnus Award for his “success in business,” “service to the Board of Trustees,” and “dedication to his alma mater.” Read more »