Va. General Assembly to convene special session on Aug. 2
The Virginia General Assembly will convene in Richmond on Aug. 2 for a special session to allocate more than $4.3 billion in federal relief funding, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday in a proclamation. In May, Northam and Democratic leaders from the Virginia State Senate and the House of Delegates outlined their priorities [...]
Va. initial jobless claims rise slightly
Virginia’s new unemployment claims rose slightly last week, while continued jobless claims declined, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. For the filing week ending June 12, 7,849 people filed initial claims, an increase of 639 from the previous week. Continued claims totaled 44,793 last week, down 5,468 c[...]
NoVA CEO to be nominated for U.S. Navy secretary
Carlos Del Toro, president and CEO of Alexandria-based defense contractor SBG Technology Solutions, will be nominated to become secretary of the U.S. Navy, President Joe Biden announced Friday. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Del Toro will be the second Latino man to serve as head of the U.S. Department of the Navy, after Edwar[...]
State sees historic 66.2% General Fund revenue increase in May
The state’s General Fund revenue rose 66.2% in May 2021 compared with May 2020, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday, the largest increase in more than 50 years. He also announced the appointment of the state’s new secretary and deputy secretary of finance. May is usually a big month for revenue collections due to the[...]
State program would incentivize new workers with up to $1,000
To combat Virginia’s tight labor market, the state plans to invest $3 million in a program to provide new employees of qualifying small businesses with up to $1,000 to support their transition back into the workforce, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. The Virginia Return to Earn grant program will match up to $500 from [...]
New, continued jobless claims maintain decline in Va.
Virginia’s unemployment claims, both initial and continued, fell again last week, continuing the positive trend of the last few weeks, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. For the filing week ending June 5, 7,210 people filed new unemployment claims, a decrease of 880 claims since the previous week. Contin[...]
Va. Democratic primary concludes Tuesday
Tuesday is the final day for Virginians to vote in the Democratic primary races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. Based on a recent poll by Roanoke College, two familiar faces — former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Attorney Gen. Mark Herring — are likely to win handily, but the lieutenant governor nomination[...]
Petersburg sues to demolish old Ramada
The city of Petersburg filed a lawsuit Friday against the company owned by developer and former NFL player Chris Harrison, who promised in 2015 to replace the city’s shuttered and dilapidated Ramada Inn with a brand-new hotel, 100 apartment units and retail space. Six years later, redevelopment has not taken place. In Frid[...]
Va. unemployment claims continue to decline
Virginia’s number of new and continued unemployment claims dropped again last week, with 8,090 initial claims filed during the week ending May 29, a decrease of 1,753 claims from the previous week, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. Continued claims totaled 52,228 last week, down 1,935 claims from the pr[...]
Youngkin leads Va. campaign fundraising, but most is from his own wallet
Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin raised $8.3 million over April and May, the highest amount in Virginia’s gubernatorial field, according to campaign finance reports issued Wednesday. However, $6.5 million was from his own bank account, in personal loans made to his campaign over the past six weeks. Former Go[...]
VMI report released; calls school ‘traditionally run by white men, for white men’
A long-awaited state report on an alleged culture of racism at Virginia Military Institute was released Tuesday afternoon, concluding that “VMI has … traditionally been run by white men, for white men,” although the state-funded military institution in Lexington has made “incremental steps towards a more [...]
Virginians bet $236M on sports for April
Virginians bet $236 million on sports during April, the third full month for legal sports wagers in the commonwealth, according to data released Friday by the Virginia Lottery. Bettors made about $217 million between April 1-30. Virginians bet 22% less in April than in March when they wagered heavily on the NCAA Division I men�[...]