Sign In
Free Newsletter
The last shift
For many restaurant workers, their final shifts fell on Saturday, March 14. “We had kind of a weird weekend, and at Saturday night, it was so dead in there, we said, ‘Should we shut down?’” recalls Brandon Peck, bartender at The Jasper, a popular Richmond craft cocktail bar. “The governor had, that day, made a […]
80k+ Virginians filed jobless claims last week
More than 80,000 Virginians filed initial claims for unemployment last week, down nearly 21% from the previous week, according to a news release issued Thursday by Virginia Unemployment Commission. During the week that ended April 18, Virginia saw 82,729 workers file for unemployment, bringing the most recent five-week total for jobless claims to 493,501 — […]
Fairfax NAACP teams up with local nonprofit to aid small businesses
The nonprofit Virginia 30 Day Fund and the Fairfax County NAACP announced Thursday they have launched a partnership to provide funding to minority-owned small businesses in Northern Virginia that have been hurt economically by the COVID-19 crisis. The Virginia 30 Day Fund was founded two weeks ago by Pete Snyder, a technology entrepreneur and CEO […]
Virginia now has 10,600+ COVID-19 cases
Forty-seven days after COVID-19 was first found in Virginia, the state’s confirmed coronavirus cases have jumped over the 10,000 mark. The Virginia Department of Health reported Thursday that the commonwealth has 10,627 confirmed COVID-19 cases and an additional 371 probable cases. The report represents an increase of 672 cases from the previous day, the largest […]
Protesters bring the noise, demand to reopen Virginia
RICHMOND, Va. — Horns blared and flags waved from vehicle windows as hundreds of Virginians converged Wednesday on Capitol Square to protest restrictions implemented by Gov. Ralph Northam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Protesters reiterated the message of similar demonstrations taking place in state capitals across the country. The groups hope to influence governors and lawmakers […]
Legislators reunite for surreal reconvened session
In a strange and often surreal day during which the speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates fainted at her podium and a state senator voted from inside a Plexiglas cubicle, state lawmakers reconvened for a pandemic-era veto session Wednesday in Richmond. Instead of meeting in their typical chambers in the Virginia State Capitol, delegates […]
Axios receives $5M in PPP funding
Arlington-based digital media company Axios Media Inc. announced Wednesday it received nearly $5 million in funding from the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the $349 federal relief fund that ran out of funding on April 16 after 13 days due to overwhelming demand from small businesses hurt by the COVID-19 crisis. “This […]
Loudoun County announces $1M small-business relief fund
UPDATED FRIDAY, APRIL 24: The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors allocated an additional $250,000 to its existing $1 million COVID-19 Business Interruption Fund on Thursday, aimed at helping small businesses in the county that have been harmed by the COVID-19 crisis. The board allocated an extra $105,000 for businesses with 3-50 employees, $110,000 for businesses […]
Virginia Tech develops in-house COVID-19 testing
Virginia Tech researchers announced Wednesday they have developed in-house COVID-19 testing kits and lab processing services to assist Southwest Virginia health departments with patient testing. Test results can be returned to the health departments as soon as same day. The initiative is being led by Dr. Michael Friedlander, Tech’s vice president of health sciences and technology […]
Charlottesville Chamber launches local economic recovery initiative
The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday announced the launch of Project Rebound, a local economic recovery initiative to address the COVID-19 economic crisis. The project, hosted by The Chamber and economic offices at the University of Virginia, Albemarle County and the city of Charlottesville, aims to bring together local businesses to discuss challenges […]
Facebook opens applications for Va. small business grants Wednesday
Facebook Inc. announced Tuesday that it will begin taking applications for its small business grant program in Virginia on Wednesday, April 22. The social media giant opened the program to more than 30,000 businesses in more than 30 countries, including the United States, totaling $100 million. Thirty-one businesses in the Richmond region will receive a […]
Colonial Williamsburg extends closures through May, plans additional furloughs
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is extending its closures through May 31 and is furloughing additional staff. The nonprofit, which owns and operates the Historic Area, museums, hotels, restaurants and other attractions, had originally announced closures would last through April 30. The Williamsburg Lodge, which has remained open to assist the city and public health officials with […]
