Ex Chesterfield pharma CEO pleads guilty in federal opioid treatment investigation
Shaun Thaxter, former CEO of Chesterfield County-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Indivior PLC, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Abingdon to a misdemeanor criminal charge related to the U.S Justice Department’s probe into the marketing of Suboxone, Indivior’s opioid addiction treatment drug. Thaxter pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic […][...]
Northam recommends $4.2M in funding for SWVA projects
Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday recommended that more than $4.2 million in Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grants be distributed among 17 economic development projects in Southwest Virginia. ARC grants can be used toward infrastructure, entrepreneurship development and workforce development. Northam’s recommended allocations must be approved by the federal commission before being awarded later this year. […][...]
Cameron Foundation awards $1.13M in local grants
Petersburg-based The Cameron Foundation announced Tuesday it has awarded $1.13 million in grants to 24 nonprofit organizations in Central Virginia during its first round of funding for 2020. The two largest economic development grants went to Virginia’s Gateway Region and Virginia Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC). Virginia’s Gateway Region was awarded $136,063 for general operating […][...]
Virginia Employment Commission closes HQ due to COVID-19
The Virginia Employment Commission is temporarily closing its Richmond headquarters office after the fourth VEC employee in three months has tested positive for COVID-19, the VEC announced Tuesday. The closure affects 350 employees who work out of the Richmond office. VEC call centers and district offices have not been affected and will continue to process […]
VCU, UCLA research could lead to better computer memory storage
Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), released research findings Tuesday that could lead to more energy efficient memory storage for computers and other electronic devices. Magnets are used for computer memory due to their “up” or “down” polarity. The magnet[...]
Two Va. lawyers plead guilty in $200M extortion plot
Two Virginia lawyers have pleaded guilty to an extortion plot targeting a multinational chemicals company with demands for $200 million in “consulting fees,” according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. Lawyers Timothy Litzenburg of Charlottesville, and Daniel Kincheloe of Glen Allen, both pleaded guilty June 19 in Charlottesville federal court. They face up […]
Hershey announces $135M Augusta County expansion
The Hershey Co. will invest $135 million to expand its manufacturing operation in Augusta County, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. The 90,000-square-foot expansion of the Stuarts Draft facility will create 110 jobs. Hershey Chocolate of Virginia Inc. has operated in Augusta County for more than 30 years, employing more than[...]
Genworth Financial acquisition delayed again
The $2.7 billion acquisition of Henrico County-based Genworth Financial Inc. by China-based Oceanwide Holdings Group Co. Ltd. has been postponed — yet again — the companies announced Tuesday. The Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance reapproved the merger, and the companies agreed to a 15th waiver and agreement to each party’s right to terminate […]
Dominion debuts first offshore wind farm in U.S. federal waters
After nearly a decade of planning, Richmond-based Dominion Energy Inc. is on the verge of harnessing offshore wind power following the installation this month of two turbines off the coast of Virginia Beach. Standing approximately 600 feet tall, the 12-megawatt turbines are the cornerstone of Dominion’s $300 million Coastal Vi[...]
United Way of Greater Charlottesville teams up with Va. 30 Day Fund
The United Way of Greater Charlottesville announced Monday it has partnered with the Virginia 30 Day Fund with a goal to disburse $100,000 in funding to local early education centers, family day homes and minority-owned businesses facing financial challenges due to COVID-19. The United Way has made an initial $24,000 seed grant [...]
Lumber company to invest $11M in Caroline County
Gatesville, North Carolina-based lumber company Ashton Lewis Lumber Co. will invest $11 million to establish a specialty Southern yellow pine sawmill in Ruther Glen (part of Caroline County), Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. The company has also committed to sourcing 90% of its pine lumber purchases from Virginia forestland owners as part of the investment. […]
‘Our chance to restart and reinvent’
As part of its COVID-19 economic recovery initiative Project Rebound, the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce on Thursday released a blueprint outlining recovery action steps for the business community. Produced by Big Four accounting firm KPMG LLP, the “Blueprint for Economic Resiliency and Reinvention in the Great[...]