On Thursday, Framatome officially opened the doors to its newly upgraded facility on Mill Ridge Road in Lynchburg. The $50 million expansion is partially designed to support the development of small modular reactors (SMRs)— compact, factory-built nuclear units that industry leaders say could be faster and cheaper to build than traditional nuclear plants.

The strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities received mixed responses from local lawmakers. The decision garnered criticism from Democrats such as Sen. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, but was praised by Republican representatives, as well as Gov. Youngkin.