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Meat processor will create 150 jobs in Henry County

Henry County, Va.Monogram Food Solutions LLC, a Memphis-based manufacturer of processed meats, will expand its operations in Henry County, investing $4 million and creating 150 new jobs. Officials say most of the jobs will be added by the end of 2010.

Significant investments and job creation boost the local economy, and benefit homeowners by indirectly fueling activity in the housing market.

Read more in the Martinsville Bulletin....

Posted on Monday, June 28, 2010 - 8:54am

Stanley Furniture to halt production in Martinsville and Henry County

Some 530 workers in Martinsville and Henry County will lose their jobs before the end of the year, when Stanley Furniture Co. halts furniture production in Virginia. The production lines will move to factories in Southeast Asia.

The job cuts will be "permanent but not immediate," said Glenn Prillaman, Stanley's president and CEO.

An increase in area unemployment can have a negative impact on property values, as homeowners struggle to pay mortgages or are forced to sell their homes to make ends meet.

Read more in The Roanoke Times....

Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 4:34pm

Budgets are balancing

In Staunton, residents will pay higher personal property taxes, more fees for water and sewer services, and see the Montgomery Hall Park swimming pool closed for the season. In Spotsylvania County, business owners may pay 42% more in property taxes next year. Henry County officials scrambled to find money to pay a deputy. In Charlottesville and Albermarle County, bad weather cost money by leading to reduced sales tax revenues.

Everywhere in Virginia, discussions are underway -- how will we balance our budgets?

Read more in the local news....

Posted on Friday, April 9, 2010 - 8:10am

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 dig deep to balance their budgets

Local agencies -- from schools to cooperative extension offices -- are feeling the pinch as cities and counties work to balance their budgets. Homeowners will also feel the pinch, through higher taxes, fewer services, or both.

Read more below:

Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - 3:07pm

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

MBC Announces Grants for Last-mile Broadband Projects in Southside

The Virginia Tobacco Commission awarded grants to the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Copperative (MBC) to help provide broadband access to rural areas in Southside Virginia, according to WPCVA.com.

This is a huge need in these rural markets. Broadband access allows these localities to be competitive for attracting businesses. It also brings great educational opportunities to the area. These features are valuable to protecting and increasing property values.

"The Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC), a successful open-access fiber optic backbone provider in rural markets, is pleased to announce that $1,514,143 was awarded to MBC Members as part of a last-mile matching grant program, funded by the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

These awards will enable deployment of broadband services for residential and business customers in unserved communities in Southern Virginia.

The 50/50 matching grants were awarded to:

CenturyLink, for an ADSL deployment in 14 digital loop carrier serving areas currently served by dial-up Internet access, located in Campbell, Prince Edward, Halifax, Pittsylvania, Henry and Patrick Counties;

DigitalBridge Communications, for expansion of its existing WiMAX deployment in Appomattox County;

Jet Broadband, for high-speed wireless deployment in two targeted areas in Charlotte County and Mecklenburg County; and

Telpage, for a broadband wireless deployment in Greensville County."

Read the full story.

Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 12:30am

Martinsville Builder Sees 50 Percent Increase in Business

An area builder of modular homes and commercial buildings has seen a 50 percent increase in production since March, according to the Martinsville Bulletin.

Nationwide Custom Homes has recalled workers that were laid off in 2008 to help meet the increased demands. Nationwide attributes the increased production to the homebuyer tax-credit program and to their continued commitment to customer service.

This is great news for area homeowners because as the housing market continues to rebound, Nationwide will be able to hire back more employees. Also, this is a great sign for the housing market.

"Nationwide Custom Homes’ production is up 50 percent since March, company officials said.

If that trend continues, the company’s goal is to recall workers and/or fill about 75 positions next year at the company’s Martinsville division, according to Nationwide President Andy Miller and Vice President-Operations Tommy Rakes.

The company already has recalled more than 20 of the 100 workers who were laid off in 2008 and filled six positions since June of this year, Rakes said. The Martinsville division has 206 employees, he added.

Miller said a bill that extends and expands a homebuyer tax credit program would help the housing industry. President Barack Obama signed the bill Friday. According to The Associated Press, the tax credits center on extending the popular $8,000 maximum credit for first-time homebuyers that was included in the stimulus package.

The credit, which was to expire at the end of this month, will be available through next June as long as the buyer signs a binding contract by the end of April.

The program is being expanded to include a $6,500 maximum credit for homeowners who buy a new home after living in their current residence for at least five years, The Associated Press reported.

Rakes said he attributes Nationwide’s 50 percent increase in production since March to factors including the company’s Mainstreet product line, which was introduced in 2008.

Also, he cited the company’s expansion of distribution channels by signing on 32 new builders since March; its efficiency gains; hard work of employees; and emphasis on customer satisfaction."

Read the full story.

Posted on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 7:30pm

VDOT Issues Study of I-73 Alternative in Martinsville

A few years ago Martinsville business owners and residents asked that an alternative route be discusses to better serve Patriot Centre at Beaver Creek, Martinsville industrial parks, and Martinsville Speedway.

VDOT recently unveiled a plan, according to the Martinsville Bulletin. The review doesn't state that this alternate route would be approved and used, instead it is just a picture of one possibility it's benefits and drawbacks.

Area homeowners should review the plan because it could greatly help improve traffic conditions, but some homes will have to be torn down to make it a reality.

"An alternative route for Interstate 73 proposed by the Henry County Board of Supervisors has both benefits and drawbacks, a final draft review released by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) on Friday shows.

Benefits include no commercial buildings needing to be demolished, fewer stream crossings and lesser environmental impact on wetlands. Drawbacks include more homes having to be torn down, more floodplain acreage being affected and higher costs, mostly due to more interchanges needing to be installed and having to add 1.8 miles to the highway, the review shows.

The review makes no recommendation as to whether the alternative route should be used. That will be up to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to decide, said Heidi Underwood, VDOT’s Salem District public affairs manager.

Underwood said the CTB would have to undertake a more in-depth study if, after analyzing the final draft review, its members think the alternative route is worth pursuing. That decision would be made after comments from county officials and others interested in the project are incorporated into the draft review, she said.

The review is 'just a factual evaluation' of the alternative route compared to the route that the CTB approved for the interstate in 2004, she said.

The approved route takes I-73 through Henry County east of Martinsville with six interchanges. The alternative route puts the highway closer to the city, and it has eight interchanges, a map included in the final draft review shows.

In late 2007, at the urging of local business people, the county supervisors asked the state to consider the alternative route to better serve the Patriot Centre at Beaver Creek and Martinsville industrial parks, as well as Martinsville Speedway. They also asked for a connector road to be built from the Patriot Centre to the interstate."

Read the full story.

Posted on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 - 12:32pm

Going 'Green" Could Help Farming Communities in Southside

Going green could help farmers in rural areas like Soutside, according to GoDanRiver.com.

Last week officials from the VA Commission on Energy & Environment met in Gretna to learn about the area's green and energy initiatives. One key point addressed in the meeting is how these initiatives can help farming communities.

This is an important topic for all homeowners in farming communities because there are key legislative changes that would have to be made to make these efforts able to have a positive impact on the state's energy consumption and economy. It's important because it could lead to more affordable, renewable energy sources, but could also help farmers who support many of the state's rural communities.

"Generating renewable energy from local sources could help rural areas like Southside, business leaders told policymakers Thursday.

The Renewable Energy Subcommittee of the Virginia Commission on Energy and Environment met in Gretna on Thursday to learn about the area’s 'green' and energy initiatives, said subcommittee chairman and Delegate Charles Poindexter, R-9th District. The subcommittee will report back to the commission, which will later make recommendations on legislation for the upcoming session of the General Assembly.

Ken Moss of Piedmont BioProducts in Gretna told the subcommittee that second-generation biofuels, those using biomass like wood or grass, would bring prosperity to farming communities in Southern Virginia."

Read the full story.

Posted on Thursday, October 29, 2009 - 10:11am