Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Government

Lawmakers amend Virginia Human Rights Act, kill workplace harassment bills
Mar 5, 2021

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[...]

February In & About
Mar 3, 2021

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[...]

Mar 2, 2021

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 […][...]

Compostable takeout containers are one of many options food vendors have to put their food in. House Bill 1902 bans food vendors from using plastic foam containers. Photo by David Tran
Mar 1, 2021

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 [...]

Mar 1, 2021

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 […]

vaccine
Mar 1, 2021

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[...]

Virginia State Capitol. Photo by Conor Lobb, VCU Capital News Service
Mar 1, 2021

UPDATED: Va. becomes 2nd state with consumer data protection law

Updated March 2: Gov. Ralph Northam signed the Consumer Data Protection Act on Tuesday. In a statement, sponsor Sen. David Marsden, D-Fairfax, said, “This is a huge step forward. By creating this omnibus bill, we take the lead in data privacy in the United States. This omnibus bill is clear, concise and holds companies accoun[...]

First batch of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine distributed in Va.
Feb 26, 2021

Virginia could get 400K+ COVID vaccine doses for first week of March

Virginia could receive up to 433,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine doses for the first week of March, depending on the timing of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine, according to Dr. Danny Avula, the state’s vaccine coordinator. During a Friday news conferenc[...]

Feb 26, 2021

Richmond confirms six eligible bids for casino, seeks public input

Place your bets. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s office confirmed Friday that the six casino proposals made public this week all submitted proposals that are eligible for consideration by Richmond City Council and voters. The city also revealed the proposed locations for all six plans. Bally’s Corp. and Golden Nugget Hotels & Casinos are interested in […]

Del. Guzman, D-Woodbridge, stands with Biden supporters raising support for workers rights for essential workers. (Photo courtesy Elizabeth Guzman)
Feb 25, 2021

Delegate celebrates passage of limited paid leave bill

RICHMOND,Va. — After four years and multiple bills, Del. Elizabeth Guzmán, D-Woodbridge, is on the cusp of being able to secure paid leave for some Virginia workers. “It feels really good,” Guzmán said. “I think about the amount of people who are going to get this benefit and how they will have peace of mind [&hell[...]

Rendering courtesy Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer
Feb 25, 2021

$8.5M parcel in Spotsylvania to be used for Veterans Affairs clinic

Nearly 50 acres of land along Route 1 and Interstate 95 in Spotsylvania County has sold for $8.5 million, Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer announced Wednesday. The 48.75-acre parcel will be used to develop one of the nation’s largest Veterans Affairs facilities, according to Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer.  Carneg[...]

Initial unemployment insurance claimants by county and city weeks ending Feb. 6 over Jan. 30 change. Green shows a decrease, yellow shows an increase of 1 to 10 claimants and red shows an increase of 11 to 24 claimants. Graphic courtesy Virginia Employment Commission
Feb 25, 2021

Va. saw nearly 20% drop in initial jobless claims last week

Initial jobless claims filed last week fell 19.8% from the previous week, according to figures released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission but continued claims slightly increased. During the week ending Feb. 20, 11,944 Virginians filed initial unemployment claims, compared to 14,901 from the week prior.  Last week, [...]

YOUR NEWS.
YOUR INBOX.
DAILY.

By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy.