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Recent Articles from Ralph Berrier Jr.
Nostalgia-fueled Colony House reopens
Thanks to $10 million in 21st-century improvements, Roanoke’s Colony House Motor Lodge will once again welcome guests who are into time travel. The iconic motel, which opened in 1959 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, closed in 2018 as it awaited an extensive makeover that includes redecorated rooms and modern-day enhancements. […]
Southwest fish farm fights the currents
Pure Salmon won’t be purely salmon, but the proposed aquaculture farm in Southwest Virginia still plans to raise fish by late 2028 or early 2029, company officials told local leaders. Karim Ghannam, co-founder and chief investment officer of Singapore-based private equity firm 8F Asset Management, which backs the project, told the Russell County Board of […]
Franchising offers entry point for Virginia entrepreneurs
Franchising surges in Virginia as entrepreneurs tap proven business models across several industries in 2025.
U.S. 58 repairs near Damascus to finish ahead of schedule
U.S. 58 repairs to finish early, helping restore access to Damascus and the Virginia Creeper Trail, crucial for local tourism and economy.
GO Virginia grant boosts biotech in Roanoke, New River Valley
A $4.9M GO Virginia grant funds biotech innovation in the Roanoke and New River valleys, aiming to create 1,315 jobs and $40.8M in impact.
A second act for Roanoke’s Walker Machine and Foundry
Standing within hollering distance of the Roanoke River, Gregory Kaknes points toward an empty, 10,000-square-foot building. “That’s the bar and grill,” he says. He turns the other direction and motions toward a large expanse of land covered in concrete. “The apartments are over there. … There’s where we’ll have outdoor music, pickleball courts, beach volleyball.” [&hel[...]
Va.’s first onshore wind farm sells power to Google
Even as political winds shift in Washington, D.C., a long-delayed onshore wind farm in Botetourt County might finally be sailing to completion. Charlottesville-based Apex Clean Energy announced in December 2024 that it has reached a deal for Google to purchase the full capacity of Rocky Forge Wind, a wind farm the Charlottesville company has been […]
Big tech company to buy power from Va.’s first onshore wind farm
Even as political winds shift in Washington, D.C., a long-delayed onshore wind farm in Botetourt County might finally be sailing to completion. Charlottesville-based Apex Clean Energy announced Wednesday that it has reached a deal for Google to purchase the full capacity of Rocky Forge Wind, a wind farm the Charlottesville company has been working to […]
Coming to town
People who attended the annual Virginia Fire Rescue Conference in February could buy the latest rescue equipment, tools, turnout gear, radios, oxygen tanks — even a 30,000-pound pumper fire truck. “If you’ve got your checkbook … you can drive that truck home,” says Christian Eudailey, executive director of the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association, which organizes […]
VCEDA seed grants sow small business growth
Adam Patterson knew if his fashion design company was going to thrive in his hometown of Big Stone Gap, he needed capital — and a new sewing machine. “Mine was so old, it sewed crooked stitches,” says Patterson, founder of Jones-Hurst Designs. Patterson received a $10,000 grant in September from a Virginia Coalfield Economic Development […]
