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Va. new unemployment filings up last week, VEC reports
The number of initial unemployment claims filed during the week ending March 27 were 75% lower than they were this week a year ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact was fully reflected in Virginia‘s unemployment statistics. However, the number of new filers increased from the previous week. The Virginia Employment[...]
All Va. adults to be eligible for vaccines by April 18
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that all Virginians age 16 and older will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 18, ahead of a May 1 national deadline set by President Joe Biden. Northam made the announcement during a visit to a vaccination clinic at First Mount Zion Baptist Church in Prince William [&hell[...]
Calling the shots
When the COVID-19 crisis began in early 2020, Dr. Danny Avula was the joint director of the Henrico County and Richmond health departments, a big job placing him in charge of public health for more than 560,000 residents. However, in early January, the scope of Avula’s responsibilities widened considerably after Virginia G[...]
Va. finalizes $3.7B rail expansion agreement
Virginia will have more train service in the next decade, as Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday the formalization of a $3.7 billion rail expansion package in Virginia, the tenets of which were announced in late 2019. The state signed agreements with Amtrak, CSX and Virginia Railway Express at a ceremony Tuesday. According to t[...]
Tuition-free program for eligible community college students becomes law
Legislation creating a tuition-free community college program in Virginia became law Monday, as Gov. Ralph Northam held a bill signing ceremony at Northern Virginia Community College for the “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back” program, one of his signature initiatives. Known as G3, the program provides funding for tu[...]
COVID roundup: 28% of Va. population vaccinated
As of Monday, March 29, 28.1% of Virginians have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, and 15% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated, according to the Virginia Department of Health. So far, 3.5 million vaccine doses have been administered statewide, and 2.3 million people have been vaccinated with at least o[...]
More vaccine going to Richmond and NoVa, as demand increases
More COVID-19 vaccine doses are going to be allocated to Northern Virginia and Richmond regions soon, the state’s vaccine coordinator said Friday, addressing higher demand in those areas of the state. Avula said he expects Northern Virginia to get 20% to 30% more doses next week. A large influx of Virginians driving severa[...]
Northam seeks to include part-time workers in state IRA fund
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has proposed a change to a bill to allow part-time employees to participate in a newly created state-administered retirement fund for workers without 401(k) access, the governor’s office announced Friday. Northam also has signed legislation expanding an existing broadband pilot program to increa[...]
Va. wedding venue loses suit against governor
On Friday, a federal judge ruled against Franklin County wedding venue Belle Garden Estate and its owner Charles Russell, who sued Gov. Ralph Northam in an attempt to expand the number of people who could attend a wedding under the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. Under current executive orders, businesses can host only 25 people outdoors if […]
Va. community clinics receive $79M in federal funding
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced Friday that 26 community clinics in Virginia will receive $79 million in funding through the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan federal stimulus package. Warner also introduced legislation this week to support other community clinics — most run by health systems in the state’[...]
Va. unemployment dropped slightly in Feb., continuing slow decline
Virginia’s unemployment rate continued to edge lower in February, dropping from 5.3% in January to 5.2% last month, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. However, the state saw a decrease of 3,700 nonfarm payroll jobs and a decline in employed people during February. The nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.2% in February, and the state’s […]
Fairfax company wins $484M DOD contract
On Tuesday, Fairfax-based software company Salient CRGT Inc. announced it had been awarded the first of four options on a potential $482 million award supporting the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) specialized information technology systems and warfighter networks. The five-year, single-award contract is named SANDBAR and was initially awarded in September 2019 as a competitive […]
