Southwestern Virginia

Twice as many women as men choose to study art in college and grad school, but only 15% of museum shows feature art by women. That’s according to the Smithsonian Institution. On this hundredth anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, museums around the country are also giving female artists a say. 

Elementary school students in Wise County won a space on a rocket ship in a global competition. The students were selected to send a payload into low earth orbit, in honor of its inaugural voyage.

Applications are now open for a business plan competition focused on retail, recreation and tourism in Giles County.  They’re offering mentoring workshops for applicants and thousands of dollars for winners to start or enhance  existing businesses.

In Wise County, where coal has been king, its sleeker cousin recently came to town sporting a whole new look.

Graphene, the recently discovered relative of carbon, thinner than paper and stronger than steel, it’s being called a miracle substance that could revolutionize the future of technology. And  southwestern Virginia is looking to become the graphene hub of the country.

When you’re looking for information on Virginia History, the special collections department at Virginia Tech’s Newman Library is a good place to start. Among the isles of historic books and records, are some 5,000 volumes relating to food and drink, dating back to the 1800's.

Archivist Kira Dietz has pored over those old recipes to give us a taste of what Thanksgivings have been like throughout the centuries.