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Trump coal policy changes could boost Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia officials say President Donald Trump‘s executive orders aimed at revitalizing the United States’ struggling coal industry will be a boon to the region. This spring, Trump signed the “Unleashing American Energy” series of executive orders, which lifted barriers to coal mining on federal lands, allowed some coal-fired facilities scheduled for retirement to continue[...]
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 […]
Kilgore elected Virginia House GOP leader, succeeding Gilbert
On Sunday, Del. C. Todd Gilbert stepped down as Virginia House of Delegates' Republican leader, and House Republicans elected Del. Terry Kilgore to succeed him.
June 2025 for the record
A monthly round up of the top business stories in the state of Virginia
Virginia housing sales drop again, but listings spike 35.5%
Virginia home sales fell for the third month in a row in April 2025, but active listings rose 35.5% the same month.
Roanoke’s Carilion gets state OK for kidney transplants
Carilion Clinic has the state’s blessing to move forward with a kidney transplant program, despite public opposition from competitor UVA Health and a 2024 recommendation from the staff of the Division of Certificate of Public Need (DCOPN) that the Roanoke-based health system’s application be denied. In an email Wednesday, Dr. Karen Shelton, Virginia’s health commissioner,[...]
Virginia inland ports expand to meet shipping demand
Virginia Inland Port and Richmond Marine Terminal upgrade facilities to handle growing cargo volumes and improve freight shipping efficiency statewide.
Flood insurance costs rise with newer risk rating
FEMA manages the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, which supplies flood insurance to the public and businesses through a network of insurance providers. The agency began implementing a rating standard known as Risk Rating 2.0 in October 2021. Critics think the new rating drove up prices.
Medicaid cuts could close Virginia’s rural hospitals, Warner warns
Sen. Mark Warner warns Medicaid cuts may shutter hospitals West of Roanoke. In Virginia. That's because many rural hospitals operate in the red, and depend on Medicaid funding to keep the lights on.
Some SWVA communities see younger population stabilize
In Southwest Virginia, the trend of outmigration among younger people appears to be slowing and even reversing in some counties. The decline in the population aged 25 to 44 in Wise and Lee counties has slowed during the first half of the 2020s compared with the early 2010s, according to University of Virginia Weldon Cooper […]
Southwest tourism spending climbs
Visitor spending in Southwest Virginia reached $766 million in 2023, a 12% increase from 2022, according to data from the Virginia Tourism Corp. The region also saw a 29% increase from 2019, a rise that puts it well above that of the state as a whole, which saw a 15% increase in tourism revenue from […]
All in good time
For decades, the promise of economic revitalization has tantalized Southwest Virginia. The sparsely populated region, once home to booming coal mining and tobacco industries, has had money and resources thrown at it by local, state and federal governments, but it’s still had a difficult time finding its footing. As the region’s economy has declined, so […]
