Chopper-Cessna collision in Augusta kills two
Virginia State Police are investigating an aircraft collision that claimed two lives Friday afternoon in Augusta County. Trooper K. Hyden is investigating the incident and is still in the process of confirming the identities of the deceased.
At 2:27 p.m. Friday, a single-engine Cessna 172H and a medical transport helicopter made contact in the air near the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave, Va. The plane suffered severe damage and crashed to the ground. The plane’s two occupants died at the scene.
The helicopter’s skid was damaged in the collision, but was still able to safely land at the airport. The helicopter, AirCare 5 Medevac, had a pilot and a medical crew of two on board at the time. The helicopter had transported a patient to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville and was returning to the airport at the time of the incident. No one on the helicopter was injured.
State police have notified the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Investigators with both agencies are en-route to the scene.
The circumstances and cause surrounding the collision remain under investigation at this time.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
Equestrian Club to mark 10 years
The Bridgewater College Equestrian Club is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an event at the Bridgewater College Equestrian Center, 102 Burketown Road, Weyers Cave, on Saturday, Sept. 18, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The celebration will include tours of the grounds, picnic, a concert, and a horse show as well as a silent auction. The tours will be of the year-long riding and training facilities, which are the two lighted outdoor rings as well as the indoor ring.
The concert will be by the Hackens Boys, which includes a 2007 alumnus of Bridgewater College, Tyler Thomas, who will be on the drums.
The silent auction will include items donated by local business including gift certificates, items for all your horse needs, ski lift tickets to Massanutten, Bridgewater gear, wine tastings, and a signed P. Buckley Moss print of Bridgewater College, among other things.
Sarah Irvine and Mimi Knight were the founders of the BC Equestrian Club. “I was a freshman when they had the first real equestrian team, in 2001,” says Ashley Tantawi.
The event will begin with an Alumni vs. Student Horse Show at 10 a.m. The tours of the grounds will be taking place all day. The Pig Roast Picnic will take place from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. which will include pulled pork BBQ, side dishes, desert and your choice of tea or lemonade.
The concert will begin at 12:30 p.m. and end at 2:30.
Pre-sale tickets for this event, which include all events, concert and the picnic, are $25 for adults, $15 for Bridgewater Students, $10 for children ages 4-12 and free for all children under 12.
If you buy your tickets the day of the event at the door it will be $30 for adults, $15 for BC Students, $10 for children and children ages 3 and under are still free.
For more information about this event please visit http://www.bridgewateralumni.com/.
Story by Jenny Hypes. Jenny can be reached at jenny.hypes@emu.edu.
It’s official: BRCC is a great place to work
Blue Ridge Community College is one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to a new survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The results, released earlier this week in The Chronicle’s third annual report on The Academic Workplace, are based on a survey of more than 42,000 employees at 277 colleges and universities.
In all, only 97 of the 277 institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies. Results are reported for small, medium, and large institutions, with BRCC included among the small two-year institutions.
BRCC won honors in 10 of 12 categories this year:
- Collaborative Governance
- Professional/Career-Development Programs
- Teaching Environment
- Compensation and Benefits
- Facilities, Workspaces, and Security
- Job Satisfaction and Support
- Work/Life Balance
- Confidence in Senior Leadership
- Supervisor or Department-Chair Relationship
- Respect and Appreciation
As a result of achieving this designation in so many different areas, BRCC was also listed on the Chronicle’s “Honor Roll” as one of the top three two-year colleges in its size category.
“I am delighted that Blue Ridge has been recognized two years by the Great Colleges to Work For program. Our employees are happy at BRCC because we all recognize the importance of the work we do and the teamwork that is an essential aspect of getting the work done well,” commented BRCC President Dr. John Downey.
The Chronicle is the nation’s most important source of news about colleges and universities. “With the Great Colleges program, The Chronicle can provide even more of the vital information our readers rely on – unbiased reporting on which colleges are being innovative in their workplace practices,” said Jeffrey J. Selingo, The Chronicle’s editor.
The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and professional support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback.
To administer the survey and analyze the results, The Chronicle worked with ModernThink LLC, a strategic human capital consulting firm that has conducted numerous “Best Places to Work” programs, surveying hundreds of thousands of employees nationwide.
Great Colleges to Work For is one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country. For more information and to view all the results of the survey, visit The Chronicle’s Web site at http://chronicle.com/academicworkplace .
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
