$2.48M in state research grants awarded to tech firms, universities
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday that $2.48 million in grant funding from the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) will be dispersed among small technology businesses and universities to be used to commercialize research in sectors including clean energy, cybersecurity, data analytics, life sciences and unmanned systems. “These entrepreneurs and innovators are on the front lines […][...]
GO Virginia Region 3 names program director
Growth and Opportunity for Virginia’s Region 3 Council announced Tuesday it has named former Orange County Administrator Bryan David as program director for the region, which includes the cities of Danville and Martinsville. In his new role, David will lead the operations of the Region 3 GO Virginia Council in collaboratio[...]
Northam declares Juneteenth a state holiday
Joined by superstar musician Pharrell Williams and many black elected officials, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that Juneteenth — marking June 19, 1865, when the last group of enslaved Americans were told they were free — will be an annual state holiday in Virginia starting this Friday, June 19. Addressing the COVID-19 pandemi[...]
$14.66M in GO Virginia funds redirected to COVID-19 recovery initiative
More than $14.66 million of Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) funding for economic development has been redirected to a new Economic Resilience and Recovery Program in response to COVID-19-related economic impacts, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday. “The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on our economy, and we must use every asset […]
Virus cases spike among Latino population in Richmond area
The Richmond region has seen a dramatic increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among Latinos because of workplace spread, health officials reported Friday. Although Hispanics make up only 6.5% of the population in the city of Richmond, they represent 30% of all virus cases and 30% of hospitalized patients there, said Richmond [...]
State extends utility disconnect ban to Aug. 31
The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) announced Friday it has extended the moratorium on service disconnections for electricity, natural gas, water and sewer utilities customers until Aug. 31. The SCC first ordered a 60-day ban on disconnecting utilities in mid-March for customers who have been unable to pay bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It […]
Va. launches platform to connect people to jobs, education
With more than 400,000 Virginians unemployed, the state has launched a platform designed to connect people to educational and work opportunities broken down by region, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. The Virginia Career Works Referral Portal connects people to training, certification, education and employment services to aid in job search and career development. Users can […]
Colleges need to play a role in rebuilding the economy, panelists say
As Virginia moves into its recovery phase from the COVID-19 pandemic, economic leaders say there is work to be done to support college students and Virginians who are changing careers, especially in terms of equal opportunities. Thomas Barkin, president and CEO of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank, and Virginia Economic Developm[...]
Phase Three timeline is coming Tuesday, Northam says
Gov. Ralph Northam said that he will provide information at Tuesday’s news conference about when the state could enter Phase Three of his “Forward Virginia” reopening plan, although he noted Thursday that the state will spend a minimum of two weeks in Phase Two, which started for most localities June 5. Richmon[...]
State General Fund revenues fell 20.6% in May
Due to the economic impacts of COVID-19, state General Fund revenue collections fell 20.6% in May, compared to May 2019, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. However, he noted in his afternoon news conference, this represents an improvement from last month and from an expected quarterly loss of $1 billion in revenue. In April, the state […]
Impact of reopening on COVID-19 rates may not be known till late June
As the state enters week four of reopening, the Virginia Department of Health probably won’t know if there’s a broad increase in COVID-19 cases until late June, State Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver said Wednesday. Because of the virus’ two-week incubation time, plus time for testing and reporting results to [...]
New VDEM chief named by governor
Curtis Brown, for four years the chief deputy state coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, was promoted Tuesday to state coordinator of emergency management, Gov. Ralph Northam announced. He is the first African American person to hold the post. “Curtis has done a tremendous job as chief deputy, and I am proud to […]