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Trump Town owner found not guilty of assault, indecent exposure
A judge Monday found Donald “Whitey” Taylor, owner of Boones Mill‘s Trump Town retail store, not guilty of misdemeanor charges of indecent exposure and assaulting three store employees. “It was very rewarding,” Taylor said of the verdict. “These ladies were just looking for money.” Requests for comment from the Franklin County‘s Commonwealth’s Attorney and to [&hellip[...]
Trump Town owner calls assault, indecent exposure charges ‘fake news’
Donald “Whitey” Taylor, owner of Trump Town, a Boones Mill store dedicated to merchandise celebrating the 45th president, and a candidate for mayor in that same small town, was arrested Tuesday on charges of indecent exposure and assaulting store employees. Taylor, 74, sent a text to Virginia Business, describing the criminal charges against him as […]
Boones Mill store plays Trump card
The red, white and blue Trump Town sign hanging high upon a former Boones Mill church is as prominent as a sign can be without being lit by neon. But in case drivers passing through town somehow miss it, there’s also a 15-foot cutout of a smiling Donald J. Trump leaning up against the building, […]
Homestead Creamery to expand Franklin County facility
Dairy products maker Homestead Creamery will carry out a $2.5 million renovation and expansion of its Franklin County production facility, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. The company will build a new ice cream production room and install additional production and refrigeration equipment and freezers. The expansion is in response to growing customer demand for the […]
Lester Group acquires Williamsburg building supply company
The Lester Group, a Martinsville-based company with a diverse portfolio including lumber products and real estate development, acquired Williamsburg-based Custom Builder Supply on June 3, the company announced earlier in June. Lester Group CEO Jay Dickens declined to release financial terms of the deal. Randy Cooper founded Custom Builder Supply in 1988 and worked there […]
Franklin County names economic development director
Roanoke County’s assistant director for economic development, Danielle Poe, will start her new job as director of economic development for Franklin County on April 15. Since joining Roanoke County in 2022, Poe has been responsible for real estate development, business retention and expansion and key community partnerships, Franklin County said in a statement. She succeeds […]
Ferrum College president to step down
Ferrum College President David L. Johns will resign effective Nov. 7, the school announced Tuesday. The private college’s board of trustees will select an interim president as it begins a national search for its next president. Johns has been Ferrum College’s president since January 2018. “I am proud of all we have accomplished these past […]
Generation next
There’s a new wave of “super collaborators” driving economic development in the Roanoke and New River valleys. Many of the top positions in the region’s public and private sector economic development engines have turned over in the past couple of years. In multiple cases, individuals who had held positions for decades decided to retire or […]
Va. wedding venue loses suit against governor
On Friday, a federal judge ruled against Franklin County wedding venue Belle Garden Estate and its owner Charles Russell, who sued Gov. Ralph Northam in an attempt to expand the number of people who could attend a wedding under the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. Under current executive orders, businesses can host only 25 people outdoors if […]
David Baldacci donates $100K to Smith Mountain Lake meals program
Bestselling author David Baldacci and his wife, Michelle, have donated $100,000 to The Landing Love Project, a nonprofit initiative to expand meal delivery services to at-risk families and seniors in the Smith Mountain Lake region. The Landing Love Project was established in March 2020 by March Bruno and Tiffany Silva, owners of The Landing Restaurant, […]
Smith Mountain Lake chamber to launch leadership academy
The Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce on Thursday announced the launch of its inaugural Smith Mountain Lake Leadership Academy, a 12-month program for emerging leaders. The program will allow participants to meet and learn from area business leaders from a variety of sectors. Ten participants will be selected during the first year. “The […]
Ferrum College receives $100K gift
Ferrum College alumnus Michael Christian donated $100,000 to his alma mater, which will establish the Michael T. Christian ’63 Center for First-Year Experience at the school. The center — intended to connect incoming first-year students to professors, mentors and classmates — will be located in the college’s library and will be part of the Carter […]
