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Griffith Announces More Than $1.8 Million ARC Grant to SWVA Community College
Jim Talbert
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded Southwest Virginia Community College, based in Cedar Bluff, Virginia, a $1,818,822 grant. This funding will support the expansion of career and technical education programs with a focus in advanced manufacturing and trade-based skilled technician training. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:
“Local industries in Southwest Virginia rely on experienced, trained and skilled individuals.
“This ARC grant for more than $1.8 million helps Southwest Virginia Community College expand education programs for students to access meaningful employment opportunities in the region.”
According to ARC, this funding is supported by the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative.
These educational programs are anticipated to serve 390 students.
Southwest Virginia Community College will engage and collaborate with regional partners and organizations, including the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and the Southwest Virginia Workforce Development Board.
Wagering on sports exceeded $600 million across Virginia for the third time during the first four months of 2026.
Bettors placed $613.89 million in wagers on sporting events during April, a modest 0.68% increase over the $609 million wagered during April 2025, according to a new report from the Virginia Lottery.
While the wagering total grew slightly compared to April 2025, gaming taxes of nearly $9.8 million in April 2026 represent a 14.95% increase over the $8.51 million collected in April 2025. Ten operators reported positive adjusted gross revenue for the month.
Of that total, $608.5 million was wagered via 12 licensed mobile operators - 99% - while $5.36 million was wagered at Virginia’s three licensed casino sportsbooks at Hard Rock Bristol, Rivers Casino Portsmouth and Caesars Virginia in Danville.
Virginia bettors won $544.22 million, down slightly from the $546.92 million recorded during April 2025.
Adjusted gross revenues for operators totaled $64.59 million, 15% higher than the $56.14 million in April 2025.
Total wagering lags slightly behind a record-breaking 2025 pace. Through the first four months of this year, $2.54 billion has been wagered on sports compared to $2.59 billion during the first four months of 2025, historic lottery figures show.
Appalachian Music Collective launches across region (copy) (copy)
The Appalachian Music Collective (AMC) launched last week as a unified voice for musicians, venue operators, educators, music services, and presenters across Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina.
The AMC addresses critical needs and opportunities identified in the 2024 Northeast Tennessee Music Census sponsored by the Tennessee Entertainment Commission. The AMC serves as the regional home for everyone who contributes to music in the region. With 59% of census respondents preferring a community-based, collaborative approach to organizing the music scene, the initiative builds directly on what the region's music community has said it needs.
"Tennessee is taking a regional approach to music policy and economic development across all of our communities," said Bob Raines, executive director of the Tennessee Entertainment Commission. "The Appalachian Music Collective represents exactly this kind of focused, community driven work. It puts the community at the center, and it amplifies the region as a music destination with real economic potential."
The regional music workforce contributes more than $75.9M in annual economic output and represents 503 full-time equivalent jobs across the region. The music economy supports not just performers, but educators, sound engineers, producers, and everyone whose livelihood depends on a thriving music community
"The ETSU Research Corporation exists to drive innovation leading to regional and global impact," said David Golden, CEO of ETSU Research Corporation. "The Appalachian Music Collective is a perfect example of how we work. This is regional economic development for the creative economy. It puts data behind what we already know: when music thrives, the whole region thrives."
The AMC connects working musicians with business development and entrepreneurial resources, advocacy in local and state policy conversations, and the peer network that 86% of regional musicians say is essential to their careers. The collective also works with venue and presenter operators to reduce regulatory confusion (a challenge cited by 42 percent of venue operators) and advocates for policy changes that can make music businesses more sustainable.
"Appalachian Studies is rooted in understanding and supporting the communities of this region," said Dr. Ron Roach, chair of Appalachian Studies and director of the Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services at East Tennessee State University. "Music is fundamental to who we are as Appalachians and is one of our most important cultural resources. The AMC gives us the opportunity to address regional challenges and develop this vital part of our economy and our communities.”
"My passion has always been to build something that makes it possible for artists and venues to grow their businesses and thrive in this region," said Stephen W. Marshall, professor, CMO of the ETSU Research Corporation, and founder of the Appalachian Music Collective. "We wanted to create a sustainable community that benefits working musicians and venue operators while elevating the economic, tourism, and workforce development potential of our region. The data tells us this is what the region needs. The AMC is how we deliver it."
The AMC has launched a digital hub designed to connect musicians, venue operators, educators, and supporters across the region, making it easy to find opportunities, share knowledge, and collaborate on the real-world work of building music careers and thriving venues. The digital hub is the beginning, not the end. The community is invited to shape what comes next. As the AMC refines the platform and expands services, input from working musicians, presenters, educators, and venue operators will drive every decision. The community is launching with several virtual listening sessions that kicked off June 8. Visit www.appalachianmusiccollective.org
Speaker session to feature songwriter and luthier (copy)
On Tuesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. in the Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, the next Speaker Session will feature award-winning songwriter and luthier K.T. Vandyke. This event is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are encouraged. RSVP online at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org/main-events.
With this program, Vandyke will share how he reconstructs and restores the threads of life in the instruments that find their way to his hands. Owner and operator of Frog Level Guitar Shop, a business with 40+ years of operation, Vandyke keeps alive a storied history of lutherie that was handed down to him by his mentor Walter “Skip” Herman. Hundreds of guitars have passed across his bench from Golden Era Martin and Gibson acoustics to the workhorse instruments seen on stage with performers like Morgan Wade and Dave Matthews.
Born and raised deep in the black diamond hills of southwestern Virginia, Vandyke is a peculiar individual and an award-winning songsmith, multi-instrumentalist, and luthier who has devoted himself to the various crafts of music-making. Vandyke makes his home in Bristol, and he apprenticed at Frog Level Guitar Shop for three years before taking over ownership upon Herman's retirement in 2019.
Over the last decade and a half, Vandyke has garnered a laundry list of accomplishments and recognitions, gaining a reputation for his lyrical songwriting. Honors include first place in the Richard Leigh Songwriting Festival and being a finalist in the Telluride Troubadour, Visit Music City, and Tennessee Songwriting Competitions. In 2022, Vandyke and Herman were recognized by the State of Virginia Department of Humanities for their work together, and the following year Vandyke was awarded the Tradition Bearer Fellowship by the Greater Bristol Project and Virginia Humanities. In 2025, Vandyke was the artist in residence at Beinn Mhabu Gaelic College in Mabou, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Vandyke is currently in production of “The Migration Project,” a collaborative enterprise with Grammy-winning cellist and producer Dave Eggar and Haunted Hollow Studios in Charlottesville, which is slated for release late 2026.
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