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On the road again
Business and leisure travelers are putting the pandemic in the rearview mirror and once again are filling Virginia hotels and resorts. While that’s good news, widespread staffing shortages continue to hamper the hospitality industry. Occupancy rates are almost back to 2019 numbers, with Northern Virginia finally seeing upticks as corporate and government travel has slowly […]
ABC license spikes biz in Norton
Participants in Southwest Virginia’s fourth High Knob Outdoor Fest rode mountain bikes, hiked nature trails and floated down the Clinch River, but many also sipped beer and wine in Norton’s new Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA). The DORA designation from the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority lets adult customers buy drinks from ABC-licensed establishments within […]
Petersburg approves Cordish Cos. for possible casino
Petersburg City Council is taking a gamble on Maryland-based The Cordish Cos. to develop a casino there — even though Petersburg doesn’t yet have permission to build a casino, according to state law. Council members voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of Cordish,, a commercial real estate company that has developed casinos across the mid-Atlantic and […]
Fifth District economy little changed since August, Fed says
The economy in the Federal Reserve’s Fifth District (a multistate region including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Maryland) has been largely unchanged since August, according to the latest edition of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released Wednesday. Published eight times per year, the Beige Book is based on anecdotal information about economic […]
Kings Dominion to remain open year-round
Kings Dominion will expand to year-round operations beginning in January, the Doswell theme park announced Tuesday. The park will now be open an additional nine weekends, or 18 more days, in January, February and early March. Historically, Kings Dominion opens for weekends in the spring and starts daily operations around Memorial Day, continuing through Labor […]
Surf’s up for Chesterfield’s The Lake
It took a lot to make The Lake happen. Developer Brett Burkhart had to nail down $323 million in financing, obtain a slew of permits and get Chesterfield County to offer performance grants or tax rebates. That took seven years, but he finally got it done, and clearing is underway on the 105-acre site on […]
Supporting the ‘shining star’
Artwork adorns almost every wall of Joan Brock’s immaculate and welcoming Oceanfront home. It’s in the powder room and big, open kitchen. It takes pride of place in a downstairs office and over a fireplace mantle. Large, framed pieces dominate a bright stairwell landing and cozy upstairs sitting room. It’s the accumulation of a passion […]
Theater renovations draw downtown visitors
Before her August performance at Marion’s historic Lincoln Theatre, country singer Lorrie Morgan took an afternoon stroll downtown, stopping at shops and the local farmers market, according to Tracy Thompson, the theater’s director. Drawing visitors — famous and otherwise — to downtown Marion was the goal back in 2004 when the community raised more than […]
Valley views attract scenic train tours
The views Steve Powell and his employees at Buckingham Branch Railroad see daily while riding the rails inspired him to launch the Virginia Scenic Railway. “There are a lot of people that love railroads, and we love sharing our railroad. It’s a unique way of seeing the Virginia scenery instead of riding on the interstate,” […]
Fairfax campaign hopes for tourism boost
Visitors to Fairfax County often are drawn to its dense, urban environment and entertainment offerings, from the upscale Tysons Corner Center mall to Wolf Trap. Now, the county’s southern portion is staking a claim to the tourism economy. In May, Fairfax officials announced a new name for that area, Potomac Banks, which encapsulates the Mount […]
Va. hotel revenues up slightly over 2019
Northern Virginia’s hotel market continues to be a drag on the lodging industry’s performance in the commonwealth as a whole, according to recently released data from STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group Inc. that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. The latest data show rooms sold decreased by 4.6% in Virginia through […]
Caesars ups Danville casino investment to $650M
Caesars Entertainment Inc. has once again upped its investment in the forthcoming Caesars Virginia casino and resort in Danville, this time from $500 million to $650 million, while announcing Wednesday that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is now a joint venture partner in the casino project. Plans for the casino include a 500-room hotel, […]
