🌱 Hokies Secure No. 11 Seed + VT Continues Construction By Amazon

Good morning, everybody! It's Monday in Blacksburg and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening locally.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: Partly sunny and warm. High: 67 Low: 50.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny and breezy. High: 59 Low: 28.

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Here are the top three stories in Blacksburg today:

1. The Virginia Tech men's basketball team took an easy win against Florida State, 82-60, on Saturday to close off the regular season. The win secures the No. 11 seed spot for the Hokies in the ACC tournament. Virginia Tech will go on to face No. 14 seed Notre Dame on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum. (Roanoke Times)
2. Amazon confirmed that it has paused construction on its second headquarters in Alexandria, four hours away from Blacksburg. However, Blacksburg-based Virginia Tech reported that its construction on its new Innovation Campus near the Amazon construction site will continue as planned with an expected completion date in the fall of 2024. University spokesperson Mark Owczaski said of the continued efforts despite Amazon's construction pause, "Amazon’s HQ2 was a catalyst for the commonwealth’s $1 billion Tech Talent Investment Program." (WDBJ)
3. Stacker has put together a list of newly-opened restaurants to try in and around the New River Valley area. Included on the list is Kuma Moon here in Blacksburg, a new restaurant that specializes in serving authentic Japanese cuisine and bubble tea. The restaurant hosted its soft opening on Jan. 28 and is located near Virginia Tech. (WFXR)

Today and tomorrow in and around Blacksburg:

Monday, March 6

• Journey Through Grief At Blacksburg Baptist Church (1:30 PM)
• Starlight Storytime At Radford Public Library, Radford (6:30 PM)

Tuesday, March 7

• Full Crow Moon Farm Walk At Glade Road Growing (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Congratulations to Blacksburg DECA at the state leadership conference! The team is leaving the competition with 17 semi-finalists and 11 national qualifiers. (Blacksburg High School via Facebook)
• The Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad welcomed over a dozen new members during orientation this weekend. Check out photos of the group at the link as they learn the ropes. (Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad via Facebook)
• The Blacksburg Police Department is hiring certified and non-certified police officers — no experience required! If you're interested, apply here. (Blacksburg Police Department via Facebook)

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! I'll see you around.

— Michelle Paul

About me: Michelle Paul is a Utah-based writer and photographer with a professional background in content management and registered nursing. When not working on projects ranging from photo editing to copywriting, they enjoy traveling, video games, and expanding their skills.