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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 […]
U.S. nonresidential construction spending dropped in May
Nonresidential construction spending in the U.S. dropped 0.9% during the month of May, the Associated Builders and Contractors announced Wednesday, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Spending totaled $812.5 billion for the month of May while private nonresidential spending dropped 2.4%. “Certain aspects of today’s data release are precisely what was anticipated, while other elements […][...]
Atlantic Coast Pipeline canceled
Despite a favorable recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Dominion Energy Inc. and Duke Energy Corp. announced Sunday that they are abandoning plans to build the controversial, long-delayed Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The 600-mile, $8 billion-plus natural gas pipeline was supposed to run from West Virginia through Virginia to eastern N[...]
300+ Alexandria small businesses receive COVID-19 funding
More than 300 small businesses in Alexandria were funded by the Alexandria Back to Business (ALX B2B) grants program in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) announced Thursday. In May, Alexandria City Council committed $2.4 million from its federal CARES Act appropriations, and allocated an additional $2 million from […]
Fleetwood Homes launching $2.1M expansion in Rocky Mount
Homebuilding company Fleetwood Homes will invest $2.1 million to renovate and expand its Rocky Mount facility, creating 60 jobs in Franklin County, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. “Fleetwood Homes has been a valued employer in Virginia more than 50 years, and we are proud to see the company reinvest in Franklin County,” Northam said in […]
Colonial Williamsburg names chief development officer
William & Mary’s associate vice president for development has been named chief development officer at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Earl T. Granger III will start his new position Aug. 2, the foundation announced Thursday. His hiring comes after a national search. A 1992 William & Mary graduate, Granger has[...]
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, […]
COVID-19 death toll underreported, study finds
A joint Virginia Commonwealth University and Yale University study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that the COVID-19 death counts reported to the U.S. public underestimate the true death toll of the pandemic in the country. “There are several potential reasons for this under-count,” lead author Dr. Steven Woolf, director […]
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[...]
2020 RAMP cohort chosen
Roanoke-based business accelerator RAMP — the Regional Acceleration and Mentoring Program — announced the selection of six high-growth startups as part of its fourth round of training. The companies are taking part in workshops that test the viability and marketability of their products before they enter a larger market. RAMP is focused on companies in […]
The Branch Group CEO resigns
Roanoke-based construction company The Branch Group Inc. announced Wednesday that CEO Will Karbach has resigned. Ron Oakley, the current chairman of the board, will serve as interim CEO, effective immediately. Upon the announcement Wednesday afternoon, The Branch Group had not provided a reason for Karbach’s departure and [...]
