About 100 local business leaders raced their company’s derby cars in the second annual Corporate Pinewood Derby March 26.

The event, organized by the Blue Ridge Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America, was created to raise money for campership opportunities for underprivileged youth.

The race took place at CrossRoads of Roanoke. The top three winners were 1) Sound Decision; 2) ”Child’s Play” by Advance Auto Parts; and 3) Hart Microwave.

Here are pictures from the event:

The Blue Ridge Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America will hold its next professional development luncheon on April 14. Here is a press release from the Blue Ridge PRSA:

The Blue Ridge Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) will hold its next meeting at the noon on Thursday April 14 at The Inn at Virginia Tech with a presentation by Rodger Roeser. Roeser will be speaking on “Podcasting, Webcasting and other Scary ‘Techno’ Things PR Should Do for Your Brand (Psst! They’re Not Scary or Hard to Do) Just Tell the Boss How Amazing You Are!” Roeser is president and founder of The Eisen Agency, the largest fully integrated investor and public relations firm in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio. He will be offering his services for free to produce and develop a podcast at the luncheon, and has asked everyone to bring “their best pitch.”

During college, Roeser held only one job –rock star! He played in clubs and smoky bars to pay his way through school as the lead singer and bass slinger in a 1980s Cleveland band. It was through his experience with rock music that he forged his first foray into public relations. When he couldn’t find a management group to manage the band, at age 17 Roeser started his own by creating the Eisen Management Group (EMG), primarily an entertainment and promotions firm, and worked for a variety of entertainers and entertainment venues, booking, promoting and publicizing clubs, entertainers and rock bands. Read more »

Greg Ip

Greg Ip, an editor for The Economist and frequent commenter on national news and radio shows, will be speaking about the American economy at Virginia Tech April 14. Here is a press release from Tech:

Greg Ip, U.S. economics editor for The Economist, will give a talk, “The Post-Crisis American Economy,” on Thursday, April 14, at 11 a.m., as the featured speaker in the BB&T Distinguished Lecture, hosted by the Pamplin College of Business.

The talk, at the Inn at Virginia Tech’s Latham Ballroom, is free and open to the public, no tickets required. Free parking is available at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. Find more parking information online, or call (540) 231-3200.

Ip, based in Washington, D.C., covers the economy, financial markets, and monetary, fiscal, and regulatory policy. He contributes to The Economist’s blog, “Free Exchange.” He has commented frequently on radio and television, including CNBC, BBC, CNN, MSNBC, The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, Washington Week with Gwen Ifill, and National Public Radio. He is the author of The Little Book of Economics: How the Economy Works in the Real World. Read more »

Appalachian Power is seeking state approval to collect $115 million in new revenue that would mean an average increase of 9.6 percent for the utility’s 500,000 Virginia customers.

Reporter Brian Kelley has more on the story here.

Several universities, including Virginia Tech and West Virginia University, have joined together in an initiative to evaluate the effects that coal mining is having on the environment in the Appalachian region. Here is a press release from Tech:

A consortium of major research universities has formed a new initiative to address the environmental impacts of the discovery, development, production, and use of energy resources in Appalachia. The Appalachian Research Initiative for Environmental Science (ARIES), under the direction of the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research at Virginia Tech, will study both upstream and downstream issues related to the energy sector.

“The energy resources of Appalachia have long been critical to the economies of Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, as well as all the other states that depend on those resources to provide energy for their citizens,” said Coal Center Director Michael Karmis. “ARIES provides the means by which we can explore new frontiers so that continued development of our energy resources occurs in a safe and environmentally protective way, backed by sound science and research.” Read more »

The Ferrum College Students in Free Enterprise team, part of a international collegiate program designed to encourage students to become leaders in business, has won the regional SIFE competition for the 21st year in a row. Here is a press release from Ferrum College:

The Ferrum College Students in Free Enterprise Team has returned once again victorious from regional competition in Charlotte, N.C. where they took first place for the 21^st year in a row.

“These students have worked very hard to continue the Ferrum College tradition of success, by reaching out to the local community and implementing projects that actually improve the quality of life,” said Ferrum College Business Professor Dr. Demetri Tsanacas, who started the SIFE program at Ferrum College in 1988. Read more »

Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital has received a Consumer Choice award for the seventh consecutive year from the National Research Corporation. Here is a press release from Carilion:

The National Research Corporation (NRC) has recognized Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital (CRMH) with its annual Consumer Choice award, which identifies hospitals that healthcare consumers have chosen as having the highest quality and image.

Winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the company’s “Ticker” study – the largest, most comprehensive study of its kind. The analysis involved the health care “decision makers” in area households, part of a survey of more than 250,000 households nationwide. Read more »

The NewVa Corridor Technology Council’s next Tech & Toast event will focus on the work of the Pediatric Medical Device Institute and ways to work with PMDI to improve children’s health. Here is a press release from NCTC:

Technology & Toast Invitation

“Innovating for Childrens Health:Is There A Role For You?”

Facilitated by: Andre A Muelenaer, Jr, MD
Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer
Pediatric Medical Device Institute

April 21, 2011 (7:15AM-9:00AM)

Volvo Trucks in North America in Pulaski County will recall approximately 700 employees between May 2 and June 13, due to a surge in orders for heavy-duty trucks.

Reporter Jeff Sturgeon has the story here.

Eastern-Virginia based law firm Rutter Mills has opened an office at 4648 Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke. Here are the details from Rutter Mills:

Rutter Mills, a personal injury law firm with offices in Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia, has recently announced an expansion to Roanoke to serve all of Southwest and Central Virginia.

The Roanoke office will be headed up by Eric Finley, a graduate of Rhodes College, and the College of William and Mary, with nearly 20 years of legal experience in the Roanoke area.

With both of the firm’s principal partners, C. Arthur “Brother” Rutter III, and Robert Mills, having roots in the area, Roanoke was the next logical area for the company’s growth. The new office, scheduled to open next week, will be located at 4648 Brambleton Avenue, serving all of Southwest and Central Virginia with an emphasis on the Roanoke, Lexington and Danville areas. Read more »