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The 2019 Something in the Water festival was “by far” the biggest event ever staged at Virginia Beach, says John Zirkle, president of the city’s hotel association. Photo courtesy city of Virginia Beach
Jan 22, 2025

Va. Beach gives Something in the Water 5-day deadline over contract breach

After receiving a brief reprieve, the clock is ticking for organizers for Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water music festival. Organizers were given five days to make significant progress in meeting Virginia Beach’s requirements for a lineup of performers and a start to ticket sales, city officials decided Tuesday. If organizers do not meet the […]

Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Jan. 8, 2025, discusses a winter storm that led to massive power outages, as well as a water outage affecting the City of Richmond and neighboring counties.
Jan 8, 2025

Richmond water crisis shuts down many restaurants, businesses

Jan. 9 update: Richmond starts water testing, but city remains under boil water advisory “Dry January” became all too literal in Richmond, where most city residents and businesses were struggling with a water outage that started Monday afternoon and was still leaving much of a city with a population of more than 225,000 people without […]

Pharrell Williams performs on the second night of the 2023 Something in the Water festival. Photo by Heather Cromartie, courtesy Something in the Water
Jan 7, 2025

Something in the Water gets extension from Va. Beach

Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water festival got a bit of a break Tuesday from Virginia Beach City Council members, who agreed to give the Virginia Beach-born music and fashion maven more time to fulfill an overdue part of the festival’s contract with the city. City Council voted 8-2 Tuesday to indefinitely defer an earlier […]

Dec 17, 2024

Hundreds pack into Caesars Virginia on opening day

Hundreds of people descended upon Danville’s Main Street Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the $800 million Caesars Virginia, the third permanent casino to open in the state. Caesars didn’t shortchange on spectacle for the first day. A faux Roman legionary struggled to climb out of a Rolls-Royce to join Vegas-style showgirls and others for […]

Dec 16, 2024

Youngkin proposes eliminating tax on tips in Va. budget

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday a budget proposal to exempt service tips from Virginia’s state income tax, an idea that’s gained bipartisan support federally. In a statement, Youngkin said that Virginians who receive tips — hair stylists, restaurant workers, bellhops and other service industry professionals — would benefit from being able to claim deductions on […]

Hard Rock executives and partners participate in the company's "guitar smash" during the grand opening of the permanent Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol on Nov. 14. Photo courtesy Hard Rock
Nov 14, 2024

Permanent Hard Rock Bristol casino opens

The bright lights of Bristol shine considerably brighter now following the opening of Virginia’s second full-fledged casino. Thursday heralded the grand opening of the $515 million-plus Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, Virginia’s first hotel/casino combo. Symphonies of sounds, from music to slot machines, indicated the site’s time for business had arrived. “This brand is [[...]

A man in a suit stands in the foreground. The Omni Homestead Resort's large brick building is in the background.
Nov 6, 2024

Omni Homestead GM receives lifetime achievement award

The American Hotel & Lodging Association presented Mark Spadoni, managing director of The Omni Homestead Resort in Bath County, with the association’s General Manager Lifetime Achievement Award on Oct. 28. The association honored Spadoni in San Antonio at its second annual The Hospitality Show conference, cosponsored by Questex’s Hotel Management brand. “I am deeply honored [&hel[...]

Oct 31, 2024

Opening doors

The Hard Rock entertainment, gaming, and hospitality brand is solidifying its place in Bristol on Nov. 14 with the formal opening of its Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, a $515 million resort and casino. The company has had a presence in the city for the last two years via a temporary casino facility, but […]

A mean wears a chef's jacket.
Oct 15, 2024

Gordon Ramsay to open restaurant at Caesars Virginia

Cantankerous celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay plans to open a restaurant called Ramsay’s Kitchen at the $750 million Caesars Virginia casino in Danville by the end of 2024, the casino resort announced Tuesday.  “Caesars Virginia sets the standard for approachable luxury, and I’m so proud to open my first [Virginia] restaurant here inside this beautiful resort,” […]

Sep 10, 2024

Norfolk Council moves delayed casino forward

Updated Sept. 11, 2024 Norfolk will have a temporary casino open by next November and a permanent resort in 2027 if all goes to plan, as the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and casino giant Boyd Gaming, its new corporate partner, received a fresh start on the long-delayed project from Norfolk City Council on Tuesday. City Council […]

Aug 30, 2024

Virginia 500: The 2024-25 Power List

Who are Virginia’s most powerful and influential leaders in business, government, politics and education this year? Find out in the fifth annual edition of the Virginia 500: The 2024-25 Power List. Read more about how we assembled the Virginia 500 from our editor.  Executives are listed in alphabetical order by industry. Below you will find links […]

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