The latest from The Ticker blog

• Thompson’s Knoll Groundbreaking Set for March 5
• Examining ads event Feb. 15
• Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment department renamed
• More from The Ticker business blog

Fewer dropped calls and quicker Internet access are features of an improved Verizon Wireless network that has moved into a portion of Southwest Roanoke. This month, the company added a cell site in the area surrounding Patrick Henry High School on Grandin Road. Verizon Wireless is planning another new cell site near Shenandoah Avenue in Roanoke. The company is making a push to expand coverage throughout the Roanoke Valley, as well as other parts of Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. Last year, it spent $300 million for services in these areas.

-- Jenny Kincaid Boone