ANNOUNCEMENTS
VSU receives $300,000 federal grant for farming

Virginia State University's (VSU) School of Agriculture has been awarded a $300,000 grant by USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service to provide technical assistance to small, limited-resource and socially-disadvantaged Virginia farmers and ranchers. The annual competitive grants are available to institutions of higher education and community-based, nonprofit organizations that provide capacity building training and assistance to local farmers and ranchers.

The federal grant supports VSU's Small Farm, Outreach, Training and Technical Assistance Program to ensure the survival of small-scale farmers and ranchers by addressing issues and concerns impacting their livelihoods and threatening their existence. It will enable VSU to assist farmers by diversifying their operations to potentially-profitable alternative enterprises and non-traditional crops. Dr. Alma C. Hobbs, dean of VSU's School of Agriculture, said this integral partnership between VSU and USDA is vital to the success of Virginia's small farmer.

In other announcements:

Emergency Planner Dyan Greggs recently spent 14 days responding to the wildfires in San Diego with the American Red Cross. Greggs worked in the American Red Cross' Mass Care Department and gathered daily statistical feeding, sheltering and bulk distribution information. When not deployed, she heads the emergency response team at Mt. Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries.

Tonya Simington and the Chester YMCA Preschool have been recognized by Success By 6®, the early childhood partnership between the United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg and the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce. The project combines a quality rating assessment with mentoring, family involvement, teacher education, director training and improvement and incentive grants focused on childcare programs.

Asya L. Simons of Clover Hill High School is one of 18 high school students in Virginia who received a 2007 Wyndham B. Blanton Scholars Award by the Virginia Historical Society.

Robious Middle School eighth-grader Amanda Oldani attended the National Young Leaders State Conference for four days earlier this month. The leadership development program helps students make an introspective assessment of their leadership skills and abilities.

The Cameron Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $1.5 million to 28 recipients in southside Virginia in the fields of health care, human services, civic affairs, community and economic development, education, conservation and historic preservation, and cultural enrichment. Chesterfield recipients include the Bensley-Bermuda Volunteer Rescue Squad ($62,000), Ettrick Elementary School ($15,334), Harrowgate Elementary School ($25,000) and Virginia State University ($25,700).

Kristin Shelton from Midlothian will perform during the "Christmas at Belmont" holiday special as a member of Belmont University's chorale group. The performance will be hosted by alumna and American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle and will air nationally on PBS on Christmas Eve.