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Danville's economy may be improving

Signs pointing to economic improvement in Danville include an uptick in building permits and retail sales tracking slightly higher than average for Virginia. That's good news for a city burdened by high unemployment -- 14.6% in March.

As the overall economy improves, homeowners can expect house prices to stabilize as more people look to buy homes.

Read more in the Danville News....

Posted on Friday, May 21, 2010 - 10:39am

Danville looks to make dams safer

In the wake of a child's drowning near a city-owned dam, Danville's interim city manager, Joe King, is looking into ways to make the Dan River dams safer -- starting with a report on all of the dams.  

“We are also doing preliminary assessments on what we may be able to do to remove some of the risks without removing the dams,” King said.

Serena McClain is an associate director at American Rivers, a conservation organization supporting river restoration. She says a dam can be removed withing a couple of years. There are federal and state grants available to help with dam removals, according to McClain. The grants require that removing the dam has a positive ecological impact -- even if the dam is unsafe. “There’s not really funding available out there to remove a dam because it’s not safe,” she said.

“Most of the dams that we help get funding for, 75% of them have safety concerns,” McClain said.

Read more from The Danville Register & Bee....

Posted on Monday, April 19, 2010 - 9:02am

EcomNets to create 160 jobs in Danville

EcomnetsEcomNets, a Herndon-based information technology company, has purchased the former EDS building in Danville's Airside Industrial Park. The company will manufacture computers on the site.

Danville officials worked hard to bring EcomNets to the city, according to Terrell Jones, director of infrastructure practice for EcomNets. He wasn’t interested in Danville initially, but the Danville Economic Development Department changed his mind.

“They came (to Herndon) one week, we went there the next week,“ Jones said. “The next week, we were buying a building.“

Workers at the plant will earn an average of $50,000 per year, good news for the local economy and in turn, for homeowners. 

Read more in the Danville Register & Bee....

Posted on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 5:21pm

Virginia unemployment rate lower than national average

The Virginia Employment Commission has released a report detailing employment statistics across the Commonwealth. Experts say that the job market has a direct impact on the housing market -- good jobs allow homeowners to pay the mortgage and stay in their homes. Poor job markets can lead to declining property values.

Virginia’s unemployment rate was 7.7% in February, lower than the national rate of 10.4%.

Read more in local news outlets....

Posted on Thursday, April 8, 2010 - 8:29am

Local governments pinched by declining revenue, climbing expenses

School and county Boards of Directors are struggling to balance budgets amid declining tax revenues, cuts in state funding, and rising expenses. What they choose to do could affect homeowners for years to come.

Read more in local news....

Posted on Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 10:42pm

School budgets continue to dominate local headlines

Danville Public Schools

School districts across Virginia are pressing officials for more money. Homeowners may feel torn between the need to keep taxes low in a tough economy and keeping the quality of local schools -- and their property values -- high. Read more from the local press....

York school board will ask county for more money (The Daily Press)

Schools chief not proposing to pay, middle school athletics (The Lynchburg News and Advance)

Augusta schools budget decision delayed (The Waynesboro News Virginian)

Council: It's too soon to tell if more funds possible for schools (Martinsville Bulletin)

Danville schools could lose 46 positions (The Danville Register and Bee)

Parents rally to save youth sports in Pittsylvania County (The Danville Register and Bee)

Posted on Friday, March 19, 2010 - 12:53pm

Pittsylvania County property owners to pay lower real estate taxes

Pittsylvania County property owners will pay less in taxes for the 2010-11 fiscal year. The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to lower the rate from 56 cents per $100 of assessed value to 52 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The board is required to set a rate that generates no more than a 1% increase in real estate tax revenue from the year before. Virginia statute requires the board to decrease next year's rate because the county’s 2009 land valuation was higher than it was in 2005.

Read more in the Danville News...

Posted on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 - 11:10am

Power Bills a Top Concern for Customers in Western Virginia

Power plantAccording to Delegate Ward Armstrong, rising electricity costs tops the list of concerns of his constituents. During the current General Assembly session he plans to introduce legislation to mitigate the impact being felt by families. According to the Dan River news, Appalachian Power increased its rates by 15.5% on December 12, 2009 and has proposed another rate hike that is pending approval by the State Corporation Commission. Howeowners throughout the state may see similar increases as well.

 

Read the full story...

Posted on Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 10:18am

Sen. Mark Warner Proposes Economic Development Legislation

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) is proposing federal legislation to better position localities, especially those in distressed areas, to recruit new businesses. He made his announcement in Danville yesterday regarding a bill that would provide federal loans of up to $10,000 per job to localities to help attract businesses to the United States. As former Governor, Warner brought a unique perspective and pro-business approach having built his own business over many years - a business that became quite sucessful. He grew frustrated, however, in keeping the United States competitive on a global scale. With this legislation, his goal is to keep Virginia "in the game" with increased incentives for businesses searching for a new location.

Read the full story...

 

Posted on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 11:22am

Leaders Celebrate Opening of One-Stop Center

Great news for residents in the Danville area, the Virginia Workforce Center opened yesterday, according to the Danville Register Bee.

This is good news for home owners in the area because the center will provide resources to help area residents find jobs, which will boost the local economy and property values.

"State and community leaders celebrated the opening of the Virginia Workforce Center — or 'One-Stop' — in Nor-Dan Shopping Center on Thursday morning.

'I look at these centers as platforms for opportunity and hope,' said Danny LeBlanc, senior advisor for workforce to the governor’s office.

The new one-stop center housed a full lobby of customers after opening three weeks ago. From Dec. 18 to Wednesday, the center served 1,521 customers.

'This region, we are well positioned for progress and we are ready to get the job done in a more effective and efficient way,' Mayor Sherman Saunders said.

What does the Virginia Workforce Center do?

Employers, workers looking to upgrade their job skills and job seekers will benefit from the integration of service providers. The facility streamlines employment services for customers with convenience in one location and by using a common registration form.

The center also serves in-school and out-of-school youth and provides internship training, job placement assistance and summer and in-school employment-related programs."

Read the full story.

Posted on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 5:03pm