Homestead Creamery announces $2.5 million expansion in Franklin County; more …

Here’s a roundup of news briefs from around Southwest and Southside. Send yours for possible inclusion to news@cardinalnews.org .

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Homestead Creamery announces $2.5 million expansion in Franklin County

Homestead Creamery Inc. will invest more than $2.5 million to renovate and expand its Franklin County production facility, the governor’s office announced Wednesday.

The company will build a new ice cream production room and install additional production and refrigeration equipment and freezers, according to a news release from Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office. Homestead will add two jobs and will buy an additional $1.9 million of Virginia-produced cream over the next three years.

Founded in 2001 in Burnt Chimney, Homestead sources milk from a network of local dairy farms to produce milk, ice cream, eggnog and other dairy products that are sold through retail and wholesale networks. The company also operates an on-site retail market and deli.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services worked with Franklin County to secure the expansion project. Youngkin approved a $20,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Facility Grant program, which Franklin County will match with local funds.

Homestead was the first recipient of an AFID Facility Grant in 2012 . The program supports agriculture- and aquaculture-related businesses across the state.

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New Horizons to close Roanoke satellite clinic

New Horizons Healthcare is closing its Valley View location in Roanoke.

The satellite clinic, which opened in 2022, will close Aug. 9, according to a news release from the health care provider.

New Horizons’ main location on Melrose Avenue and its pediatric dental office on Williamson Road will remain open.

Ten employees were laid off as part of the closure, according to the release.

New Horizons is a federally qualified health center that provides health care to underserved people. It provides medical, dental and pharmaceutical services to approximately 10,000 patients, according to the release.

The location near Valley View Mall provided additional access to services during the pandemic, the release said, but has become “unsustainable in the post-pandemic Health Center landscape.”

“It is with very careful consideration that we take this action, but it had become unavoidable,” said CEO Jonathan Stewart. “I want to thank our team for adapting and I want to thank our patients for trusting us. The future is still bright for us.”

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Youngkin announces state board appointments

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced additional appointments to state boards, including these members from Southwest and Southside.

Coal Surface Mining Reclamation Fund Advisory Board: Jackie Ball of Castlewood, superintendent/engineer, Ramaco Resources Inc.

Virginia Economic Development Partnership: Connie Loughhead of Lexington, president, Des Champs Technologies.

Virginia Tourism Authority: Lisa Meriwether of Danville, tourism manager, city of Danville.

Breaks Interstate Parks Commission: Leon Boyd of Grundy, vice president, Noah Horn Well Drilling.

Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy: Leah Savelyev of Roanoke, professor and program director, Virginia Western Community College.

Board of Nursing: Lila Peake of Lynchburg, travel nurse and case manager, Capital Caring Hospice.

Board of Social Service: April Morefield of Tazewell County, executive director, CARE Center of Southwest Virginia, founder, Harper’s Home.

Office of New Americans Advisory Board: Chris Mitchell of Grundy, president, Mountain Mission School.

Volunteer Firefighters’ and Rescue Squad Workers’ Service Award Fund Board: Michael Vaughan of South Hill, fire chief, South Hill Volunteer Fire Department.

Apprenticeship Council: Doris Crouse-Mays of Vinton, president, Virginia AFL-CIO; Michelle Ramaker of Bedford County, vice president, Build Smart Institute.

State Board of Local and Regional Jails: Joseph Tucker of Lynchburg, sergeant, Lynchburg Police Department.

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