Community colleges, businesses partner to get Virginians back to work
The Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready) announced Monday a program that will provide stipends for unemployed Virginians to attend community college programs in an effort to find new industry jobs and overcome coronavirus-related economic hardships. “We have people who need work and companies who need employees, so Virginia’s community colleges and employers are coming together […][...]
Slight uptick in COVID-19 cases, deaths last week
Virginia saw a slight increase in COVID-19 cases last week, with the Virginia Department of Health reporting 3,724 new cases for the week ending June 29, up from 3,579 the previous week. The state reported 120 new deaths from the coronavirus during the same time period, bringing the state death toll for the pandemic to […]
New state program to provide rent, mortgage relief
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday the launch of a $50 million state program to provide relief for people facing eviction or foreclosure due to the pandemic. Federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is being directed to the Virginia Rent and Mortgage Relief Program (RMRP). “Expanding access to safe, affordable […]
City of Suffolk names HR director
Suffolk City Manager Patrick Roberts announced Thursday that Robin Wynn will be the city’s new director of human resources, effective July 1. Wynn was most recently the human resources director for the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Authority in Richmond. With more than 28 years of experience, she has also served in hum[...]
Phase Three reopening starts July 1
Virginia will enter Phase Three of the state’s Forward Virginia reopening plan on Wednesday, July 1, ending restrictions on restaurants, retail stores and bars, among other changes, Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday. “This gives us about three-and-a-half weeks of Phase Two where we have been able to follow the data,[...]
City of Alexandria signs lease in Mark Center
The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) signed a lease with the city of Alexandria, which will move the city Department of Community and Human Services and the Alexandria Health Department into the current IDA headquarters building in the Mark Center development in 2023, following renovations. Depending on leasehold improveme[...]
Loudoun County to fund 400 additional small businesses
On Tuesday, June 23, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will hold a random drawing for the third round of grants from its COVID-19 Business Interruption Fund, which supports small businesses affected by the pandemic. The funding was allocated from the $36.1 million in federal funding to Loudoun County from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and […]
State directs nearly $250M to long-term care facilities for COVID-19
Because a majority of COVID-19 outbreaks in Virginia have occurred in long-term care facilities, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that the state will direct nearly $250 million to these facilities for coronavirus response, with most of the funding coming from federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. Northam has also directed the […]
12K+ Virginians refuse to return to work amid pandemic
More than 12,000 Virginians who have filed jobless claims during the pandemic have refused to return to work, the Virginia Employment Commission announced Friday, while there are approximately 400,000 job vacancies posted on the Virginia Workforce Connection website. “While certain circumstances, such as health, child care or other caregiver responsibilities, may warrant continued payments of […][...]
Northam releases Phase Three reopening plan details
Virginia isn’t ready to enter Phase Three of the state’s Forward Virginia reopening plan yet, Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday, but when it happens, it will bring some big changes back to public life — like allowing social gatherings of up to 250 people. “We are not entering Phase Three this week. While statewide[...]
386K+ remain unemployed in Va. during pandemic
UPDATED 4 P.M. FRIDAY | More than 386,000 Virginians are still unemployed following the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, though the number of initial jobless claims across the commonwealth continues to decrease. The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) announced Thursday that 849,486 initial unemployment claims have [...]
Virginia gets new digits
On Wednesday, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) announced that the North American Numbering Plan Administrator has assigned a new area code, 826, to relieve future exhaustion of the 540 area code, which is expected to occur in 2022. Residents and businesses in the affected region will not lose their existing 540 phone numbers under […]