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Recent Articles from Mason Adams
A look at November’s ballots
Besides considering candidates for president, U.S. Senate and 11 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 3, Virginians will also vote on two ballot measures to amend the state constitution. And four cities will hold local referendums to legalize gambling at proposed casinos within their boundaries. The statewide ballot measures include a proposal […]
Legislative Briefing
Virginia lawmakers considered an array of bills impacting businesses and the state economy. Here’s a look at some key actions taken during the 2020 session: Casinos Virginia lawmakers passed legislation opening the door for casinos but only in five localities: Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Richmond. A study by the Joint Legislative Audit & Review […]
A session to remember
In the six weeks between the Virginia General Assembly’s March 12 adjournment and its April 22 veto session, the world changed. The dramatic societal shifts brought on by the coronavirus pandemic were on display during the historic, surreal April meeting, in which the lawmakers gathered at unusual locations — the Senate at the Science Museum […]
Crossing the line
A city famous for birthing country music and straddling the Virginia-Tennessee state line, Bristol, Virginia, has spent the last decade struggling to recover from the Great Recession and the coal industry’s steep decline. However, a new surge of economic life is reenergizing Bristol as it enters the 2020s. More visitors are flocking downtown. A new […]
Shentel installs residential fiber optic across valley
A growing number of Shenandoah Valley communities are seeing more competition among broadband providers. Edinburg-based Shenandoah Telecommunications Co., or Shentel, founded more than a century ago by farmers seeking improved telecommunications services for their rural communities, is still focused on that mission, though these days it’s a little more high-tech than it was in the […]
Projects vie for federal abandoned mine grant funds
Every year, Virginia receives $10 million from the federal government for projects to redevelop land that was home to abandoned coal mines. This fall, 18 different projects applied for funding — all seeking to become models for coalfield communities recovering from the industry’s slow collapse. The applications received by Virginia’s Department of Mines, Minerals and […]
A new vibe
An improvement in the Roanoke area's economic metrics can be attributed to a shift in economic development strategy and a messaging campaign that’s transformed the community’s perception of itself.
Expanding the spotlight
The Bristol area attracts new visitors with retail developments and country music.
Tri-Cities’ retail rivalry
The Pinnacle and The Falls rise on opposite sides of a state line
Big layoffs overshadow job growth
Gains by new industries bolster the region as some longtime employers decline
