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$5M donation establishes Bridgewater’s School of Arts and Humanities
A 1962 alumna of Bridgewater College has made a $5 million donation that will establish the Bonnie Forrer and John Harvey Rhodes School of Arts and Humanities, named for the donor and her late husband. The private college’s first named and endowed school will combine its existing communications, fine arts and literature divisions with its […]
Nexus Services CEO calls state AGs’ lawsuit ‘a form of retaliation’
Nexus Services Inc., the bonding company being sued by the states of Virginia, Massachusetts and New York, responded Friday with accusations of its own. In a statement, Nexus CEO and President Mike Donovan said that the state attorney generals’ allegations that the company financially preyed on immigrants held in federal detention are “offensive, 100% false […]
VMI alums and cadets report racial slurs used on ‘regular basis’
In an interim report, investigators looking into reported racist incidents at Virginia Military Institute say some alumni and current cadets have reported hearing racial slurs “on a regular basis” at the state-funded military college in Lexington. The Washington, D.C.-based law firm Barnes & Thornburg LLP, which [...]
A turnaround in fortunes
After taking a hit from the coronavirus, economic activity in the Shenandoah Valley recovered in the second half of 2020, powered by the transportation, manufacturing and food-processing sectors. “The valley really showed its resilience,” says Jay Langston, executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership, a regional [...]
‘Miles of files’
After 16 years in the making, the $135 million FBI Central Records Complex opened in Frederick County in August 2020. The 225,000-square-foot facility off Millwood Pike (U.S. 50) is designed to archive billions of pages of FBI records — some dating back to the bureau’s earliest days — from its 56 field offices and other [&[...]
Mary Baldwin names interim provost/chief academic officer
Tynisha Willingham, dean of Mary Baldwin University’s College of Education, has been named the Staunton school’s interim provost and chief academic officer. She replaces Ty Buckman, who joined the Foundation of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture as its executive vice president this month. “I am delighted[...]
Virginia, other states sue Augusta County company Nexus Services
Updated 3:30 p.m. Feb. 22 Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring joined Massachusetts and New York in suing Virginia-based bonding company Nexus Services Inc., alleging in the suit that its Libre by Nexus subsidiary “preys on consumers held in federal detention centers by offering to pay for consumers’ immigration bonds to secure their release.” In exchange […]
First Bank to acquire The Bank of Fincastle
Strasburg-based First National Corp. (the bank holding company of First Bank) announced Thursday it will acquire The Bank of Fincastle. Financial terms of the transaction were not released, but the combined bank is expected to have approximately $1.2 billion in assets, $868 million in loans, $1 billion in deposits and 20 branch offices across Virginia. […]
Yorktown consulting firm sues SCHEV over VMI probe contract
A Yorktown-based consultancy is suing the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the firm conducting an investigation into Virginia Military Institute’s racial attitudes and practices, a contract the plaintiff unsuccessfully bid on last year. In a civil suit filed Feb. 11 in Richmond Circuit Court, the Center f[...]
Startup PPE manufacturer settles in Harrisonburg
Startup manufacturing company Valley Guard Supply LLC will invest $1 million to establish a personal protective equipment manufacturing facility in Harrisonburg, creating 45 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday. The service-disabled, veteran-owned company produces three-ply disposable masks and plans to produce other safety and security gear, according to Northam’s statement. “Domestic manufacturers of personal protective [&[...]
Northam named Appalachian Regional Commission states’ co-chair
The Appalachian Regional Commission announced Wednesday its 13 governors have elected Gov. Ralph Northam to serve as ARC’s states’ co-chair for 2021. As co-chair, Northam will work with the federal co-chair to invest in economic growth and development across the 13-state Appalachian region. In fiscal year 2020, ARC, a fede[...]
Rockingham County gets a little sweeter
Smiley’s Ice Cream will invest more than $1.15 million to build a new ice cream manufacturing facility and retail store in Rockingham County, creating eight jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. The homemade-style ice cream producer will source an additional 18,000 gallons of Virginia-produced dairy and 2,500 pounds of Virginia-grown fruits during the next three […]
