Good morning, Blacksburg.

Since BusPatrol launched on school buses in early February, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reviewed 800 violations and fined about 600 drivers $250 for illegally passing the stop sign to keep children safe.

The Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley reported that five teen artists from Southwest Virginia won national awards at the Scholastic Art Awards on April 3—recognizing outstanding art— and their work will be featured at a ceremony in New York City and national traveling exhibits.

Corps of Cadets took part in the annual Platoon Tactical Challenge on campus—cadets crawled through muddy waters, ran obstacle courses and solved puzzles during an all day event that tested their physical and mental skills.

Virginia Tech formed a search committee to hire a new vice president for marketing and communications who will plan and lead the university’s marketing strategies and strengthen its brand.

Chair Saonee Sarker, dean of Pamplin College of Business, will head the committee as it fills the role following Tracy Vosburgh’s retirement last summer.

Graduate student Blakely Lockhart was named a 2025 Early Career Policy Ambassador by the Society for Neuroscience today.

She will join fellow ambassadors on Capitol Hill Day and work with lawmakers during the 10-month program to advocate for neuroscience research and improved parental leave policies.

Cat owners are warned that lilies are deadly to cats because even a small exposure to any part of the plant can lead to vomiting, drooling, and irreversible kidney damage within 12 hours; experts advise removing lilies from homes and gardens.

If a pet shows symptoms—like lethargy and loss of appetite—immediate veterinary care is needed.

The USDA Wildlife Services program has begun distributing roughly 216,000 oral rabies vaccine baits via aircraft in southwestern Virginia starting April 1, covering Bland, Giles, Grayson, Smyth, Russell, Washington, Wythe, Tazewell, Bristol and Abingdon.

The one-week baiting exercise is part of the national effort to stop raccoon rabies from spreading westward—its schedule follows a delay caused by Hurricane Helene.

Virginia Tech will hold the annual 3.2-Mile Run in Remembrance on April 12 at 9 a.m. to honor the 32 students and faculty members lost in 2007; participants can run, walk, or jog on a route starting at War Memorial Hall that passes landmarks like The Grove and Lane Stadium, and early arrival is urged due to revised parking arrangements.

Virginia Tech vs. Troy Baseball Match

3:30 a.m. — English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park — Tickets available — Watch the Virginia Tech Hokies face off against the Troy Trojans in an exciting baseball matchup.

Florida State Seminoles at Virginia Tech Hokies Baseball

1-5 p.m. — English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park — Tickets required — Come watch the Hokies face off against the Seminoles in an exciting afternoon of college baseball.

The Grass Is Dead: Bluegrass Tribute

8 PM – 12 AM — The Milk Parlor — $ — Experience America's original bluegrass tribute to the music of the Grateful Dead and beyond!

Bonsai Painting Night at Beliveau Farm Winery

6-8 p.m. — Beliveau Farm Winery — Ticket sales end March 21st, 2025 — Unleash your creativity while sipping wine and painting your own bonsai masterpiece.