Recent Articles from Emily Dings
NRV passenger rail on track for 2027
Sooner than initially anticipated, rail passengers will be able to ride to and from the New River Valley for the first time since 1979. In late August 2024, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority approved a deal that would bring Amtrak service to the region via Norfolk Southern’s main line from Roanoke by 2027. Passengers would […]
EO opens workforce development hub in Abingdon
A former Kmart in Abingdon is now home to a workforce development and child care hub launched by EO, a nonprofit that spun off from the United Way of Southwest Virginia to oversee workforce development programs. EO received the certificate of occupancy for the 87,000-square-foot Regional Workforce and Child Development Hub and began moving employees […]
Danville whitewater channel plans float forward
Future Olympian kayakers may one day practice their playboating in the Dan River while tourists marvel from shore. In the Virginia budget approved in May, lawmakers included $3 million for the City of Danville to develop the White Mill Whitewater Channel, which is being designed to lure both recreational paddlers and water rescue trainees. The […]
Big deals
These economic development announcements were some of the largest in Virginia for 2023 and the first half of 2024: CENTRAL VIRGINIA Chesterfield County: In April, the offices of U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan announced that Danish electrolyzer manufacturer Topsoe plans to build a $400 million manufacturing facility with […]
New River auto group divests two more dealerships
On July 15, New River Valley automobile dealer Gary Duncan sold his Christiansburg Honda and Hyundai dealerships to New River Valley-Owned Shelor Motor Mile. Duncan declined to provide financial details. Representatives from Shelor Motor Mile did not respond to requests for comment. The deal follows Duncan’s 2022 sale of his Roanoke-based Acura, Audi and BMW […]