Virginia ABC announces Pappy Van Winkle lotteries
On Wednesday, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority announced that several highly prized Pappy Van Winkle whiskey products will be entered into an online lottery in March and April. The 23-year-old bourbon whiskey costs $300 per bottle, but in the online marketplace, a bottle of 25-year-old Old Rip Van Winkle bourbon[...]
State reaches $39.3M settlement with defunct Keysville tobacco company
Twenty-three years after the landmark Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement was reached, defunct Keysville tobacco company S&M Brands Inc. has settled with Virginia for nearly $40 million, the attorney general’s office announced Wednesday. S&M Brands, the makers of Bailey cigarettes and other products, closed in 2019. It was started in 1995 by father and son Mac […]
Large-scale vaccination clinics starting next week in Va.
Updated 7 p.m. The state will launch large-scale COVID-19 vaccination clinics beginning next week in Petersburg, Portsmouth and Danville, Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday. Curtis Brown, the state coordinator of emergency management, said he expects large clinic events will be held at 13 locations within the next three months, d[...]
COVID roundup: 1 year into pandemic, Va. makes headway with vaccinations
A year after the first COVID-19 cases in Virginia were recorded, the state is making significant headway in vaccinating residents. As of Monday, March 8, 1.49 million Virginians — or 17.5% of the state’s population — have received at least one shot. Meanwhile, the number of COVID-related deaths in Virginia was still hi[...]
Arlington intends to extend ground leases for Courthouse Plaza
Arlington County and developer JBG Smith have entered into a letter of intent to restructure three ground leases that JBG Smith holds on government-owned land for a multiplex movie theater at 2100/2200 Clarendon Boulevard and office space at 2300 Clarendon Boulevard. While the county owns the land, JBG Smith owns the buildings. The letter of […]
Norfolk’s MacArthur Center may meet the wrecking ball
Downtown Norfolk’s MacArthur Center, a 140-store mall that opened in 1999, may have a future date with a wrecking ball. According to a newsletter released March 2 by Norfolk’s economic development department, a complete teardown of the 1.1 million-square-foot structure is one of three possibilities envisioned for MacArthur C[...]
Lawmakers amend Virginia Human Rights Act, kill workplace harassment bills
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia General Assembly passed several bills this session expanding employment protections for people with disabilities and domestic workers but killed a pair of workplace harassment bills. Five bills were introduced during the 2021 session to amend the Virginia Human Rights Act. Three passed the Gene[...]
90K Johnson & Johnson shots arriving in Va. this week
More than 90,000 Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses are arriving in Virginia now through Thursday, the state vaccine coordinator said Wednesday afternoon. According to Dr. Danny Avula, 69,000 doses of the one-shot vaccine are heading to local health districts, and retail pharmacies will receive 22,000 doses, which will[...]
Virginia becomes 10th state to pass domestic worker protections
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia General Assembly passed multiple bills providing protections and benefits for the state’s domestic workers. House Bill 2032, introduced by Del.Wendy Gooditis, D-Clarke, extends employee protection laws to domestic service workers that allows them to file complaints regarding workplace safety. The Commission of Labor and Industry would investigate such claims. Domestic […][...]
Virginia restaurants grapple with plastic foam container ban
RICHMOND, Va. — From vermicelli bowls to crispy chicken, Pho Luca’s, a Vietnamese-owned Richmond restaurant, uses plastic foam containers to package takeout meals. That may soon change after the General Assembly recently passed a bill banning such packaging. After negotiations on a Senate amendment, the House agreed in a[...]
Lawmakers pass COVID-19 workers’ comp bills
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia General Assembly passed multiple bills allowing health care workers and first responders to receive workers’ compensation benefits if they are disabled or die due to COVID-19. “We did it!” Del. Chris Hurst, D-Blacksburg, said in a Twitter post. “Health care heroes who got COVID on the job will get the […]
COVID roundup: Johnson & Johnson vaccine headed to Va. this week
Virginia expects to receive its first allocation of 69,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses produced by Johnson & Johnson this week, along with about 360,000 more doses from Moderna and Pfizer Inc., the Virginia Department of Health announced this weekend. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccin[...]