Good morning, Blacksburg.

Local preservationists began restoring a 150-year-old grave site at Mountain View Cemetery on August 7 — the work will continue as they carefully repair and preserve this historic landmark.

The NAACP MRF and LWV-MC will host candidate forums for Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Montgomery County.

In Blacksburg, the mayoral forum with Peter Macedo and Michael D. Sutphin is set for August 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Municipal Building—other forums are scheduled later in August and September, with early voting starting on September 19 and Election Day on November 4.

Virginia Tech has updated its STAR helmet rating system to raise the standard for five-star ratings for bicycle, varsity football and youth football helmets – the new thresholds reduce five-star ratings from 167 to 38 for bicycle helmets, from 33 to 11 for varsity helmets and from 26 to 6 for youth helmets. The independent lab says four- and five-star helmets continue to offer strong protection and aims to give consumers clearer safety information.

Blue Sky Bakery & Sky Bar is featured in the Hometown Eats series — a roundup that includes updates on local spots like Bubba’s Famous Ice Cream and Scotto’s Pizza — offering fresh restaurant news to Blacksburg locals.

Marquee Night Out - Classics Mixology Tasting

7:30-9 p.m. — B&B Theatres Blacksburg 11 with B-Roll Bowling — Limited seats — Learn to craft iconic cocktails like a pro while enjoying a guided tasting experience.