Fed’s Fifth District economy grows modestly
Economic activity in the Federal Reserve’s Fifth District (a multistate region including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Maryland) grew modestly from early September, according to the latest edition of the Fed’s Beige Book, released Wednesday. Published eight times per year, the Beige Book is base[...]
Trump Town owner calls assault, indecent exposure charges ‘fake news’
Donald “Whitey” Taylor, owner of Trump Town, a Boones Mill store dedicated to merchandise celebrating the 45th president, and a candidate for mayor in that same small town, was arrested Tuesday on charges of indecent exposure and assaulting store employees. Taylor, 74, sent a text to Virginia Business, describing the crimi[...]
SEC, Hampton managing partner of BFM Fund settle charges
The Securities and Exchange Commission settled charges in early October against a Hampton-based managing partner of The BFM Fund and a limited liability company for allegedly breaching their fiduciary duties and misleading investors. Himalaya Rao-Potlapally of Hampton is a managing partner of Portland, Oregon-based BFM Fund, a s[...]
Va. pending home sales, prices rose in September
Pending home sales in Virginia rose in September — increasing almost 14% from September 2023 — suggesting more buyers are entering the market, according to Virginia Realtors data released Tuesday. Last month, 8,065 homes sold in Virginia, a less than 1% increase from September 2023. Although closed sales remained relatively [...]
GD subsidiary in Norfolk wins potential $123.3M contract
General Dynamics NASSCO, a Norfolk subsidiary of Reston aerospace and defense giant General Dynamics, was awarded a U.S. Navy contract worth up to $123.3 million last week for maintenance, modernization and repair of the USS Porter destroyer during fiscal 2025. The base amount of the firm fixed price contract to General Dynam[...]
Dominion completes $2.6B sale of stake in offshore wind farm
Dominion Energy has completed its $2.6 billion sale of a 50% noncontrolling stake in its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project to investor Stonepeak, the Fortune 500 utility announced Tuesday. This transaction and several other recent sales reduce Dominion’s debt by approximately $21 billion, meeting a goal the utility se[...]
Work begins on organics-to-renewable gas facility in Amelia County
Vanguard Renewables, an organics-to-renewable natural gas company with headquarters in Massachusetts, broke ground Wednesday on its newest facility at Oakmulgee Dairy Farm in Amelia County. An anaerobic digester system on the property will allow Vanguard Renewables to convert cow manure along with inedible and unsalable food m[...]
Va. agricultural damage from Helene totals $159.3M
Hurricane Helene’s agricultural damage in Virginia totals more than $159.3 million, according to Virginia Cooperative Extension agents’ research. Hurricane Helene made landfall on the Gulf Coast in Florida as a Category 4 storm late on Sept. 26 and tore through the Southeast into Sept. 27, causing catastrophic flooding in pa[...]
Physical therapists get licenses revoked, suspended over patient sexting
The Virginia Board of Physical Therapy has revoked the license of a Lynchburg physical therapist and suspended the license of a Yorktown physical therapist assistant over unrelated sexting incidents with patients. The board entered an order to revoke Stephen Maynard Scott’s physical therapy license on Oct. 11 for “cond[...]
Leidos wins $331M Army IT contract
The U.S. Army has awarded a $331 million IT contract to Leidos to modernize its network, the Reston-based Fortune 500 federal contractor announced Monday. The Army Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Network (PEO C3N), formerly known as the PEO C3T, awarded the contract, which has a one-year base pe[...]
Former NFL, U.Va. football player indicted on embezzlement charges
Real estate developer Christopher A. Harrison, a former University of Virginia and NFL football player, was indicted last week on federal embezzlement charges connected to a downtown Richmond residential project and Petersburg’s former Ramada Inn, which he purchased in 2018 to redevelop. According to a news release by the [...]
U.Va. dedicates Ramon W. Breeden Jr. Commerce Grounds
The University of Virginia on Friday dedicated the Ramon W. Breeden Jr. Commerce Grounds plaza and officially named “Breeden Way,” located adjacent to the McIntire School of Commerce. The honor is in recognition of Breeden’s legacy as founder and chair of Virginia Beach-based real estate company The Breeden Co., as well as[...]