More Stories
Fortnite video game CEO makes Va.’s largest land conservation gift
Billionaire Tim Sweeney donates 7,300 acres in Halifax County
Published
North Carolina billionaire and Epic Games Inc. CEO Tim Sweeney has donated 7,300 acres of privately-owned land in Halifax County to the state — the largest single private land conservation gift in Virginia history, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. Cary, North Carolina-based Epic is the company behind the massively popular video game franchise Fortnite, which
VEDP, Martinsville receive $3.9M in federal grants
Funding to assist economic development, businesses
Published
The city of Martinsville and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership have been awarded $3.9 million in federal CARES Act grants to boost economic development during the downturn related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Thursday. Martinsville will receive a $3 million grant from the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration to expand
Advertisement
Hampden-Sydney receives $12M gift from alum’s estate
Bequeathment is school's second-largest gift
Published
Hampden-Sydney College announced Tuesday it has received a $12 million gift — the second-largest in the history of the 245-year-old private men’s college — from the estate of a 1937 graduate and his wife. The estate of M. Blair Dickinson Jr. and Sarah “Lucile” Lawton Dickinson bequeathed the gift to the college, which Blair Dickinson
A bend in the river
Danville’s economy rushes from trickle to flow
Published
An out-of-town trip to visit colleges with her daughter gave Christie Wall an idea that several years later she hopes will benefit her and her hometown. For fun, Wall and her daughter tried out an escape room — an interactive adventure game that requires participants to solve a themed puzzle or challenge in order to
Developments perk up Danville
Published
Danville City Council members faced a dilemma three years ago. Council members could pay up to $185,000 to demolish a crumbling stucco apartment building on Jefferson Avenue, or they could spend $75,000 in matching funds to augment a $125,000 grant from the Virginia Housing Development Authority to stabilize the property, which was declared unfit for
Pittsylvania truck sales company plans $5.2M expansion
27 more jobs expected with growth
Published
Chatham-based J&J Truck Sales Inc. will build a 45,000-square-foot facility off U.S. Highway 29 in Pittsylvania County, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday. The $5.2 million project, adjacent to the company’s existing operation, is expected to create 27 jobs and increase its ability to repair, refurbish and fabricate automotive-based equipment. Virginia beat South Carolina for the
More vaccine going to Richmond and NoVa, as demand increases
Avula says out-of-town travelers to Danville shows need
Published
More COVID-19 vaccine doses are going to be allocated to Northern Virginia and Richmond regions soon, the state’s vaccine coordinator said Friday, addressing higher demand in those areas of the state. Avula said he expects Northern Virginia to get 20% to 30% more doses next week. A large influx of Virginians driving several hours to
Va. allocates $20M for broadband infrastructure projects
MBC in South Boston receives $800K federal grant
Published
Seventeen localities statewide are receiving $20.1 million in grants to improve broadband internet infrastructure, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The funding will support 11 projects that will connect 13,400 customers, the governor’s office said in a news release. The localities — primarily in rural areas — are receiving funding through the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI),
Danville, Eastern Shore first Va. localities to move into third vaccination phase
Group 1c includes energy, law, finance and higher ed workers
Published
Danville and Eastern Shore health districts will be moving into phase 1c of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout this week, vaccinating a variety of workers from sectors including energy, higher education, finance, legal and housing and construction. Other regions are likely to follow soon, the Virginia Department of Health announced Tuesday. Others in group 1c include
State reaches $39.3M settlement with defunct Keysville tobacco company
Closed in 2019, S&M Brands never entered Master Settlement Agreement
Published
Twenty-three years after the landmark Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement was reached, defunct Keysville tobacco company S&M Brands Inc. has settled with Virginia for nearly $40 million, the attorney general’s office announced Wednesday. S&M Brands, the makers of Bailey cigarettes and other products, closed in 2019. It was started in 1995 by father and son Mac