Northam speeds up Virginia’s clean energy timetable
The governor announced Tuesday the Clean Energy Virginia initiative, a project that aims to generate 100% of Virginia’s electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045 while investing in solar and wind energy and battery storage. “Virginia has a unique opportunity to fundamentally transform the state’s electric gr[...]
UPDATED: Nearly 110K Virginia businesses received PPP funds
The U.S. Small Business Administration has released a list of major recipients of its $659 billion Paycheck Protection Program small business relief program, with exact loan amounts redacted. Of the nearly 110,000 small businesses that received funding in Virginia (including Virginia Business Media LLC), approximately 16,100 businesses in Virginia were named on the list of […]
Roanoke County launches small business relief grants
The Roanoke County Economic Development Department announced Monday it has launched a $1 million small business grant program to help businesses suffering from COVID-19 closures in the county and the town of Vinton. The program is being funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and wil[...]
Virginia sees increase in COVID-19 cases for second week
COVID-19 cases increased slightly last week in Virginia for the second week in a row, although the number of deaths during the same period was down a bit. The Virginia Department of Health reported 3,920 new cases for the week ending July 3, up from 3,724 the previous week. The seven-day positivity rate reported Monday […]
366K+ Virginians remain jobless
More than 366,000 Virginians are still unemployed following the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and initial jobless claims rose by more than 6,000 last week. The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) announced Thursday that 906,734 people have filed initial unemployment claims since March 15. Nearly 32,000 Virginians filed initial claims last week, an increase of […]
McLean-based MorganFranklin Consulting public practice acquired by BDO
Accounting and advisory firm BDO USA purchased the public sector practice at McLean-based MorganFranklin Consulting, BDO announced this week. The sale, terms of which were not disclosed, will close July 16, according to a news release. MorganFranklin’s public sector practice works with several federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Army, the Marine Corps, […]
Va. Minority Business Commission starts Wednesday
With the initiation of a swath of bills passed during the most recent Virginia General Assembly session, the bill that creates the Minority Business Commission went into effective Wednesday, July 1. The Minority Business Commission will provide policy input and operational guidance to the General Assembly with a goal of addressi[...]
Legislative Briefing
Virginia lawmakers considered an array of bills impacting businesses and the state economy. Here’s a look at some key actions taken during the 2020 session: Casinos Virginia lawmakers passed legislation opening the door for casinos but only in five localities: Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Richmond. A study by the Joint Legislative Audit & Review […]
A session to remember
In the six weeks between the Virginia General Assembly’s March 12 adjournment and its April 22 veto session, the world changed. The dramatic societal shifts brought on by the coronavirus pandemic were on display during the historic, surreal April meeting, in which the lawmakers gathered at unusual locations — the Senate at t[...]
Northam bans congregating in bars as Phase Three starts
As Virginia enters Phase Three of the state’s Forward Virginia reopening plan on Wednesday, July 1, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that bar seating and congregating areas of restaurants will remain closed. Restaurants will be permitted to use non-bar seating in the bar area, so long as tables are at least six feet apart. Whi[...]
State directs $30M to health care providers struggling from pandemic
Amid the COVID-19 public health crisis, Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday approved an estimated $30 million in emergency support for primary care doctors, pediatricians and other health care providers who offer general health care services to Virginia Medicaid members, Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) announced Tuesday. “By taking action to support these frontline […]
Virginia Employment Commission closes HQ due to COVID-19
The Virginia Employment Commission is temporarily closing its Richmond headquarters office after the fourth VEC employee in three months has tested positive for COVID-19, the VEC announced Tuesday. The closure affects 350 employees who work out of the Richmond office. VEC call centers and district offices have not been affected and will continue to process […]