Virginia Retirement System names new CIO
The chief investment officer for Rhode Island has been named to lead the same post for Virginia’s retirement system. The Virginia Retirement System Board of Trustees on Wednesday named Andrew H. Junkin to succeed Ron Schmitz, who is retiring as CIO in January 2023. Junkin will start in September, according to a news releas[...]
Va. ABC telework plan diverges from Youngkin mandate
Employees at the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Authority’s Mechanicsville headquarters will be returning to in-person work three days a week, not the four or five days a week that will be required of many state workers beginning July 5, following Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s telework order earlier this month. Virginia A[...]
Golden Nugget pulls out of Va. after DraftKings acquisition
DraftKings Inc. closed its acquisition of Golden Nugget Online Gaming Inc., the Boston-based company announced last week, and Golden Nugget will therefore no longer operate in Virginia. Golden Nugget Online Sportsbook in Virginia said it stopped accepting registrations, wagers and deposits in early May and would no longer offer [...]
Medical cannabis companies amass political power in Va.
RICHMOND, Va. — Many small cannabis entrepreneurs say large companies are jockeying to lock them out of the industry and have funding that gives them more access to lawmakers. “Small businesses are the backbone of the country,” said Sarah Grant, general manager of The Dispensary in Richmond. The shop opened last year a[...]
Digging in
As the largest highway construction project in state history, the $3.8 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion is without question the most notable road project currently underway in Virginia. Construction began in October 2020, and workers made a lot of progress last year, remaining on track to reach the Virginia Departme[...]
FDA moves toward menthol cigarettes ban
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that it plans to ban sales of menthol cigarettes, a billion-dollar industry in which Philip Morris USA has a 9.4% market share. Philip Morris USA, a subsidiary of Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc., manufactures Marlboro menthol cigarettes among its other brands, but R.J. Reynol[...]
HII’s Mission Technologies division names new VP
Huntington Ingalls Industries has named Henry Choi as its new vice president of business development for cyber, electronic warfare and space for its McLean-based Mission Technologies division. Choi will be responsible for business growth, strategy and customer engagement, according to an announcement Monday by Newport News-based[...]
White House taps Va. HBCU presidents for advisory board
The presidents of Virginia State University and Norfolk State University are on the list of intended appointees to the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Biden administration announced on March 31. Virginia State University President Makola M. Abdullah, Norfolk State University P[...]
Virginians bet $402M on sports in February
Virginians bet almost $402 million in February, according to data released April 1 by the Virginia Lottery. Virginia sports bettors won more than $374 million in February. Since the state legalized sports betting in mid-January 2021, Virginia has recorded $4.1 billion in wagers. February’s gross revenue was a decrease of m[...]
Report: More cuts needed to meet net zero by 2050
Clean energy policies enacted in Virginia put the state on the path to cutting carbon emissions, but the commonwealth likely won’t reach net zero emissions by 2050 without more work, according to a new report released Monday by U.Va.’s Environmental Resilience Institute. The report set carbon dioxide emissions reduc[...]
Former deputy defense secretary named to lead NDIA
Former Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist will serve as the next president and CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association. An Arlington-based national security industry association, the NDIA on Thursday announced Norquist’s new position, which he will start May 1. Norquist has more than 30 years of experien[...]
Hotel workers must complete anti-human trafficking training
RICHMOND, Va. — After a few lawmakers missed time during the session due to COVID-19, Del. Shelly A. Simonds, D-Newport News, said she was thrilled to see all 100 members of the House unanimously pass a bill requiring hotels to provide human trafficking training for employees. “It was really exciting for me to watch the [...]