Virginia is ‘ready’ to distribute COVID-19 vaccine, governor says
Gov. Ralph Northam and State Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver said Tuesday that Virginia will be ready to launch a vaccination program as soon as a COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Oliver said that he is encouraged by Pfizer’s announcement this week that its COVID vaccine un[...]
$60M directed to municipal utility relief
While some Virginians fear power and water shutoffs during the pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday that an additional $60 million in federal CARES Act funding will go toward municipal utility relief efforts. “These are challenging times for Virginia families and businesses, and we remain committed to helping them keep the electricity on and the […]
$22M in CARES Act funding directed to Va. private colleges
Virginia’s private higher education institutions will receive $22 million in federal CARES Act funding for COVID-19 preparedness and response, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday. In late October, $116 million was allocated to Virginia’s public higher education institutions — with today’s allocation proportionate to the public school funding, according to Northam’s office. “Like public colleges and [&hellip[...]
Driven by SW Va., state’s COVID-19 rate rises to 6.1%
Virginia’s number of COVID-19 cases jumped by more than 10,000 last week, bringing the state’s positivity rate to 6.1%, up from 5.8% on Nov. 2, according to the Virginia Department of Health’s report Monday, Nov. 9. The sharpest increases have been seen in the Roanoke region and Southwest Virginia, where neighboring states also have seen […]
2020 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
On Nov. 4, Virginia Business magazine held our 14th annual Political Roundtable event, sponsored by Cox Communications. Virginia Business Editor Richard Foster moderated a virtual discussion with a panel of five statewide political experts, who debated the latest developments in the November presidential election and what it mea[...]
Newport News company lands $441.58M Navy contract
The U.S. Navy awarded Newport News-based Airborne Tactical Advantage Co. (ATAC) a potential five-year, $441.58 million contract to provide subsonic and supersonic aircraft for the branch’s fleet training operations, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Wednesday. Under the contract, ATAC will supply Type IV supersonic (which exceed the speed of sound) and Type III high […]
All four Va. casino referendums pass in landslide
Voters in Bristol, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth overwhelmingly supported local referendums allowing four commercial casinos to be built in their cities, with results declared two hours after polls closed at 7 p.m. According to the Virginia Department of Elections, citizens in the four Virginia cities voted close to two to on[...]
$1.2M grant approved for Dickenson County industrial site
A grant for up to $1.2 million in infrastructure improvements to the Red Onion Industrial Site in Dickenson County was recently approved by Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority board. The funds, which will be given to the Dickenson County Industrial Development Authority, will be used to help finance site grading, site development, access road construction […]
COVID-19 on rise in Va., as nation sees cases surge
Virginia recorded an increase of 9,143 COVID-19 cases and 77 deaths last week, according to Virginia Department of Health statistics reported Monday, Nov. 2. The state’s positivity rate climbed from 5% to 5.8%. Virginia’s case numbers are relatively low compared to other states, which have seen positivity rates zoom far above 10% in recent weeks. […]
Dominion proposes nine new solar projects
Richmond-based Dominion Energy Inc. proposed a new slate of projects on Monday that would bring nearly 500 megawatts of solar energy to Virginia customers, enough to power around 125,000 homes at peak output. The proposal, which the utility called “its largest slate yet of new solar projects” in a statement, was submitted fo[...]
Virginia Values Veterans program hits 67K hires
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) program surpassed its goal to reach 65,000 Virginia military veteran hires by the end of his administration. As of Friday, more than 67,000 Virginia military veterans have been hired through the program since its 2012 inception. Administered by the Department of Veterans Services (DVS), […]
Northam introduces $30M workforce training program
For those whose employment has been impacted by the pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that he is directing $30 million in federal CARES Act funding to workforce training programs in high-demand fields. The Re-Employing Virginians (REV) initiative will provide scholarships for people to enroll in a workforce or community college program in the health […]