The Blueberry Years is a new memoir by local author Jim Minick, chronicling the organic pick-your-own blueberry farm he and his wife started and ran for 10 years. The book also includes recipes and various historical bits about organic farming and blueberry lore.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1, the New River Voice and the Freedom Foundation for Southwest Virginia will celebrate the book by hosting a release party. Join us at 6 p.m. in the Sunken Garden Amphitheatre at Nesselrod on the New in Fairlawn for a reading, signing, and live entertainment by musical acts Dallas Leonard and Triscale. (more…)

The first time I tutored someone at Virginia Tech’s Writing Center, I was a nervous wreck. I’ve always felt kind of awkward when first meeting or talking to people, and I was afraid that it would show and then affect my ability to help my client.

Fortunately, though, that did not happen. This particular session actually made me excited about becoming a writing coach because I was able to make a connection with my client, and through our conversation she was able to come up with her own ideas and fix her own mistakes.

Virginia Tech, Radford University, and New River Community College (NRCC) all have free writing resources for students. The Virginia Tech Writing Center is its own entity while Radford’s writing center is apart of the Learning Assistance and Resource Center (LARC) and NRCC’s writing center is part of Academic Assistance. (more…)

At higher learning institutions, helping students achieve their goals is paramount. Student success is a particular point of pride at New River Community College (NRCC). “Student success and opportunity” is one of nine college goals, second only to “teaching and learning.” Student success is also one of the main goals for the Virginia Community College System’s (VCCS) “Achieve 2015” six-year strategic plan. With those goals in mind, NRCC set about creating the new umbrella program “Partners for Success.” (more…)

With classes beginning on Aug. 23, for Virginia Tech students and Aug. 30 for Radford University students, the mad rush to get textbooks has already begun. While some students choose to rely on the schools’ bookstores, others choose to shop around for the best deals. (more…)

With Montgomery County schools back in session on Aug. 30, Blacksburg High School (BHS) and Blacksburg Middle School (BMS) students will face many challenges with the upcoming relocations.

On July 6, the school board decided that BMS students would move to the Old Christiansburg Middle School (OCMS) while BHS students would move to BMS. (more…)

Owners of the long-established bed and breakfast Nesselrod on the New, Mark Gordon and Rebecca Parks, have opened The VT Inn, a B&B located between Virginia Tech and downtown Blacksburg.

Gordon and Parks have owned the house for four years but just opened it up for their B&B business on June 1. Before that, they rented out the entire house for game weekends. (more…)