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SBA Paycheck Protection Program funds could run out by Thursday
The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) relief fund is expected to be exhausted by early Thursday. Since the application process for the fully forgivable loans opened on April 3, Virginia banks have been flooded with nearly 30,000 applications totaling $6.6 billion worth of requests from small businesses hurt by the […]
The show must not go on
Abingdon’s Barter Theatre – the nation’s oldest Actors’ Equity Union theater – has closed the curtain on its spring season. The theater, which opened in 1933 during the Great Depression, announced March 19 it would furlough 87 of its employees, then days later furloughed six more. This left a skeleton crew of 11 to fun[...]
Banks see online banking outages as stimulus checks drop
Some of the top banks in Virginia in terms of 2019 deposits reported issues with customers being unable to access their online banking accounts Wednesday — the same day that millions of Americans expected to receive federal stimulus checks of at least $1,200 deposited into their accounts. “Downtime for banking systems is[...]
Northam: Life may not return to normal soon
As Virginia remains under a stay-at-home order until June 10, Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday that even as restrictions ease, it’s not likely that life will return to the way it was until there is a vaccination or treatment for COVID-19. “Together we will figure out how to build a new normal,” Northam said du[...]
Roanoke apartments sell for $2.3M
The West End Flats apartments in Roanoke has sold for $2.3 million, Roanoke-based Waldvogel Commercial Properties Inc. announced Monday. The apartment complex includes 24 one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments and A Few Old Goats microbrewery, which is located at 515 8th St. SW. The transaction closed on April 10. The property[...]
Carilion Clinic furloughs workers, reduces hours
With its regular ambulatory and inpatient care declining by 40% to 70% during the COVID-19 crisis, Roanoke-based Carilion Clinic announced Tuesday it is furloughing employees to reduce expenses. It follows similar measures taken by other health care systems operating in Virginia including Bon Secours Mercy Health and Ballad Health. The number of employees who will be […]
Va. coronavirus cases top 6,000
3:40 p.m. April 14 update: The Virginia Department of Corrections reported the first confirmed COVID-19 death of an inmate Tuesday. According to a news release, a 49-year-old woman who was serving a nine-year sentence at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women in Goochland County died at the Virginia Commonwealth University [...]
U.Va. coronavirus model sees Va. cases spiking in July, August
University of Virginia data modeling predicting the spread of COVID-19 in the commonwealth shows that if social distancing continues until June 10, cases will continue at a steady rate of a few hundred cases a day on average. Absent of any protective measures, however, the state would have seen the pandemic spiral out of control[...]
Va. has 5,700+ coronavirus cases
4:50 p.m. April 13 update: In a news release, the Mount Rogers Health District in Southwest Virginia announced that there are now four fatal cases of COVID-19 in its district, including three over the past week. Officials said there is community transmission in Washington, Wythe and Smyth counties. Also, Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Henrico […]
Governor signs clean energy legislation
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Sunday that he has signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act into law, requiring state electricity providers to become 100% carbon free by 2050. The legislation sets a 2045 carbon-free deadline for Virginia power operations for Dominion Energy Inc. and a 2050 deadline for Appalachian Power. It also requires virtually all […]
Northam signs laws expanding election access
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed laws this weekend repealing Virginia’s voter ID law, making Election Day a state holiday and expanding access to early voting. After July 1, voters will not be required to show a photo ID in order to vote. The new laws also repeal the controversial Lee-Jackson Day state holiday in January, […]
Northam signs LGBTQ protections into law
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Saturday that he has signed the Virginia Values Act into law, making Virginia the first Southern state to pass sweeping anti-discrimination laws protecting the LGBTQ community. The act, which passed the Democratic-majority General Assembly in February and goes into effect July 1, prohibits discrimi[...]
