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🌱 Patch AM: Want to live on campus and lead Virginia Tech’s CID community?

Make time for FREE WEBINAR | "Under a Golden Sky: The Mosaics of Florence Baptistry" on the Blacksburg Patch calendar

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Sunday September 20th Patch AM
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Hello Blacksburg! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Want to live on campus and lead Virginia Tech's CID community?
  • How Prices Fork and Peppers Ferry construction could affect your commute
  • Blacksburg honors Robert Stalcup with October memorial service and tribute fund

Also on today's calendar: FREE WEBINAR | "Under a Golden Sky: The Mosaics of Florence Baptistry" and 10 more events.

Today's riddle: What do an island and the letter "t" have in common? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Sunday: Humid; an afternoon t-storm, with a high of 83 and low of 62 degrees.
  • Monday: A shower and thunderstorm, temps: high: 78, low: 60.
  • Tuesday: A shower and thunderstorm, with a high of 67 and low of 57 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Applications sought: Provost Residential Faculty Fellowship (Faculty Principal) for CID (vt.edu) — Virginia Tech is seeking a new faculty principal to live in and lead the Creativity and Innovation District residence hall in Blacksburg, shaping the academic and creative life of nearly 600 students. The role includes setting the intellectual vision for multiple living-learning communities and comes with an on-site apartment, with application details and contacts provided for interested faculty.
   

2. Construction begins 9/28 on Prices Fork/Peppers Ferry Road (nrvnews.com) — Drivers who use Prices Fork Road between Blacksburg and Montgomery County should prepare for construction starting Monday, September 28, at the Prices Fork/Peppers Ferry intersection. The long-term project will add turn lanes, better shoulders, pedestrian features, and a new signal, with periodic lane closures and flagging expected through late 2027.
   

3. Stalcup, Robert James (nrvnews.com) — A longtime Blacksburg resident, educator, and Virginia Tech professor emeritus, Robert James "Bob" Stalcup has died at 94, with a memorial service set for October 24 at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church. Friends and neighbors are invited to honor him through gifts to the Warm Hearth Foundation supporting local employees' scholarships and emergency assistance.
   

4. Virginia Gas Prices: Cheapest and most expensive places to fill up - Sept. 18, 2026 (wsls.com) — Blacksburg drivers are paying about $4.16 for regular gas and $6.28 for diesel, slightly above the Virginia average as pump prices continue climbing. The report compares New River Valley prices with nearby cities and highlights some of the cheapest stations elsewhere in the region for those willing to drive a bit farther.
   

5. College of Engineering's Major Grants Initiative funds interdisciplinary research (vt.edu) — Virginia Tech's College of Engineering in Blacksburg has awarded funding to 10 interdisciplinary research teams through its 2026 Major Grants Initiative, backing projects from construction robotics to advanced air mobility and medical ultrasound. The program helps local faculty build large-scale collaborations, compete for major external grants, and will showcase progress at an MGI Day event on campus next April.
   

📸 Around Blacksburg

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Blacksburg

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★ Featured events ★

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📣 Blacksburg Shout Outs!

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Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Outdoor Propane Fire Pit is just clicking, anyone have experience with fixing this?
    I've followed videos online but nothing is working. (Nextdoor Gladewood)
  • To the neighbor who posted about they're lost tux cat, have you seen the recent posting of what I think is the finder of your cat?
    There is a pic of him, and a very detailed description, the posting also states that if the owner can answer and identify and how long the tux cat… (Nextdoor Lower Brush Mountain)
  • Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. posted a job opening for Equipment Set Up Technician in Blacksburg. Apply here.
  • Oak View Group posted a job opening for Restaurant Supervisor | Part-Time | Virginia Tech Club in Blacksburg. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Blacksburg here.

Ok Blacksburg! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: They are both in the middle of water. (Thank you Curt K. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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