The Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, opening next week, looks more like a tech company than a typical academic building. It’s designed to be a pipeline of tech talent — students earning master’s degrees in computer science and computer engineering. 

“I think we’re incredibly excited to finally be our home,” Virginia Tech Innovation Campus Vice President and Executive Director Lance Collins said. 

“We really wanted to be a campus that is highly integrated, highly collaborative and able to work with all of the companies that are in the region,” Collins said.

More than 400 students stepping through the doors next week will see some traditional classrooms, but what really stand out are the new spaces where they can work collaboratively and get the opportunity to work with outside business to troubleshoot their tech challenges. Areas of focus range from machine learning and artificial intelligence to quantum computing. 

Merna Khamis recently got a sneak peak with a select group of students. She enrolled with the help of a scholarship from Boeing, where she’s also interned. 

“It really has a good plan of being educationally supported but also that you have all those companies around you so you are going to have more networking,” Khamis said. 

The building itself also reflects new technology. Solar panels are embedded in the windows, helping generate power. 

From the upper floors, students can literally get a glimpse of the government or corporate buildings where they might first put their tech talent to work.

STERLING, Va. – A detailed report released Tuesday sheds light on the devastating February 16, 2024, house explosion in Sterling that killed Firefighter Trevor Brown and injured 13 others, including 10 first responders. 

Sterling house explosion Significant Incident Report

What we know:

The 211-page report, compiled by Frederick County Fire and Rescue Services in Maryland, highlights critical areas for improvement in emergency response while honoring the heroic efforts that day.

The Significant Incident Report, requested by the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System (LC-CFRS), identifies several challenges that contributed to the tragedy, including inadequate risk assessment, delays in communication, resource allocation issues, and difficulties in coordinating a complex and rapidly escalating situation.

“The need for continuous improvement in emergency response protocols, training, and communication strategies is critical to mitigating risks and enhancing safety for responders,” the report states.

Despite the challenges, the report also highlights strengths that contributed to saving lives, including advanced training in firefighter rescue operations, technical rescue expertise, and the swift coordination of behavioral health support for responders.

LC-CFRS Chief Keith Johnson emphasized that the recommendations from the report, which include 51 objectives and more than 80 action items, will guide improvements in training, communication, and risk assessment.

When did the Sterling house explosion happen?

The backstory:

The explosion occurred on Silver Ridge Drive after Loudoun County firefighters responded to a reported gas leak at the residence. 

Investigators later determined an underground propane tank was leaking, prompting firefighters to request a hazardous materials team and evacuate the home’s occupants. Within an hour, the home exploded, leveling the structure, trapping several firefighters, and sending debris flying.

Brown, a dedicated Sterling volunteer firefighter, died in the line of duty. Two firefighters were rescued from the home’s burning basement, and 10 others sustained significant injuries. Two civilians suffered minor injuries.

What’s next:

The explosion has led to criminal charges against Roger Bentley, a 67-year-old technician for Southern States Cooperative. Prosecutors allege Bentley assessed the propane leak and improperly advised residents to “let it seep out and be on their merry way.” 

Bentley faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and other offenses related to the explosion.

Vienna, Virginia-based United Bankshares, the seventh-largest bank by customer deposits in the D.C. region, has completed its acquisition of Atlanta-based Piedmont Bancorp in an all-stock transaction valued at $267 million.

Piedmont branches will now operate under the United Bank name.

It is the 34th acquisition for United Bank, and marks its first entry into Georgia, gaining 16 Piedmont branches in Atlanta and North Georgia.

United Bank now operates more than 240 branches across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, D.C., West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Its Piedmont acquisition boosts total assets to more than $32 billion. United Bank had $95.3 million in net income for its most recently reported quarter.

United Bank’s growth through acquisition plan has included some of D.C.’s most-established institutions, including Bank of Georgetown, Cardinal Bank and Virginia Commerce.

United Bank opened its first branch in Parkersburg, West Virginia, in 1839. United Bank has duel headquarters in Vienna and in Charleston, West Virginia.

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