Community members in Roanoke, including our own John Carlin, gathered at the Build Smart Institute to help build wheelchair-accessible ramps for those having trouble entering and exiting their homes.

National Women in Construction Week is taking the time to encourage more women to think about construction as a career with different events.

The Build Smart Institute is teaming up with Goodwill, Habitat for humanity, and Reach Virginia Career Works for the YouthBuild Program.

ROANOKE, Va. – If you’re interested in learning about construction and building trades and live in Bedford County, you could qualify for free tuition. The Build Smart Institute Core Fundamentals of Construction Program is free to any student who lives in Bedford County in tenth to twelfth grade. You can be in public school, private school or homeschooled. “The construction industry has been starved for skilled workers for decades now. There’s a real deficit even through the pandemic of skilled workers for the construction industry,” said Rob Leonard, Build Smart Institute director.

Feeding Southwest Virginia will open a Pop-up Mobile Food Distribution site today in Franklin County. The Roanoke and Alleghany Health Districts hold a drive-thru COVID-19 testing clinic today. The New River Health District holds drive-thru flu shot clinics today. Tomorrow, the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District holds a flu vaccine clinic from 8 a.m. to noon at the Danville Community Market. It will hold a drive-thru appreciation event today at the school from noon to 1 p.m.