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Recent Articles from Cathy Jett
Southern Va. Year-in-Review: Hitting the jackpot
Southern Virginia is seeing years of preparation for economic development pay big dividends. Businesses ranging from a temporary casino to a biopharmaceutical company to a flat-glass manufacturer announced they were opening or planning expansions in the region in 2023. Local economic development officials say the major draws they’ve worked hard to put in place include […]
George Mason incubator helps immigrant entrepreneurs rise
George Mason University’s vision for creating an entrepreneurship program for immigrants and refugees “connected the dots” of Sumeet Shrivastava’s history, beginning with his family’s emigration from Bihar, India, in the 1970s so his father, Satyendra Shrivastava, could earn a master’s degree. Mentors guided his father, who founded McLean-based information technology fi[...]
Tourism gains steam with scenic train tour
Virginia Scenic Railway’s new Shenandoah Valley Limited proved just the ticket for seasonal leaf-peepers and train enthusiasts, drawing thousands of visitors to Goshen this fall. The iconic Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611, known as the “Queen of Steam,” is one of the last extant mainline passenger steam locomotives built in the United States. […]
Lynchburg association lands $310k in grants to aid downtown efforts
With help in part from three state grants, Downtown Lynchburg Association is working to brighten the city’s scenic Bluffwalk for the holidays and fill downtown stores. DLA combined a $75,000 Virginia Main Street Downtown Investment Grant with other funding to launch Bright Nights on the Bluffwalk, an eight-week event set to kick off Nov. 17 […]
Dixie Theater renovation means show will go on in Staunton
Teens got their first jobs and couples experienced their first kisses at the former Dixie Theater in downtown Staunton. Now the vacant building, which opened in 1913 at 125 E. Beverley St., is a step closer to becoming a community cultural center, thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the state Industrial Revitalization Fund, which […]
Framatome revamps nuclear training pipeline
A French nuclear power company with its United States headquarters in Lynchburg is ramping up hiring to meet a growing global need for clean, low-carbon energy. Framatome North America is recruiting for 200 positions in the U.S, about 125 of which are in Lynchburg, and it anticipates a “significant” number of additional openings in coming […]
Space race
Leaders of a regional engineering firm figured finding office space in the Town Center of Virginia Beach would be a breeze. Newspapers were reporting that demand for offices was down nationally. But that isn’t the case in the Hampton Roads area, where the office vacancy rate was 8.1% for the first quarter of 2023, according […]
Monogram Foods expands Henry County footprint
Responding to demand for more jerky and meat sticks, the Monogram Foods plant in Henry County has a $65 million expansion underway. Memphis-based Monogram Foods’ decision to expand the operation also factored in existing infrastructure and production expertise, says Scott Mills, executive vice president and snacking division president, calling Martinsville “a thriving community with a [&he[...]
Bridgewater College renovates main academic building
Bridgewater College students will notice dramatic changes in Bowman Hall when they return to campus on Oct. 4 after the fall semester break. The first phase of an $8.5 million renovation of the campus’s main academic building will be finished, and the basement and first floor will reopen. The redesigned classrooms and faculty offices will […]
Support system
James Madison University is where Angela Reddix says she found “my tribe, the godmothers of my children” — and also her future husband, Carl, whom she met on her first day on campus. “All those relationships came from JMU,” says Reddix, founder, president and CEO of Norfolk-based ARDX, a health care management and IT consulting […]
