Saturday, July 25WATCHFUL EYE

Tag: Virginia Business

Target opening distribution center in New Kent
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Target opening distribution center in New Kent

Target is set to start construction on a distribution center in New Kent at the end of the month, according to an announcement from the County. The 1.4 million sq. ft. facility will be located just off I-64’s Exit 211 at Forge Logistics in the southwest quadrant of the New Kent City Center. Target will build on property it purchased earlier this month. Coinciding with that acquisition, earlier in March, Target also rolled out strategic plans to drive more than $154 billion in sales growth by 2030. Part of that strategy includes investing in the supply chain network to reach more consumers and get products to them faster. “Updates and expansions across the company's supply chain network will move inventory with more speed, accuracy and efficiency,” the company stated. The distri...
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Claytor Lake State Park resumes normal operations after months of Helene cleanup
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Claytor Lake State Park resumes normal operations after months of Helene cleanup

The job required modular barges, tugboats, and excavators, not to mention time, but the post-Hurricane Helene debris removal at Claytor Lake State Park in Dublin is complete, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced this week. Claytor Lake was one of nine Virginia State Parks DCR closed in 2024 due to severe damage from Hurricane Helene. Claytor Lake after cleanup (Photo: DCR) “The cleanup of Claytor Lake is a testament to the resilience and dedication of our federal and state agencies, park rangers and community members,” said DCR Director Matt Wells. The department noted that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), FEMA, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Friends of Claytor Lake, and DCR contributed to completion of the mission to get park c...
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Comments accepted: Proposed VA to PA transmission line & substation
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Comments accepted: Proposed VA to PA transmission line & substation

Maryland Department of Natural Resources will host an informational meeting on March 13 to gather public feedback on the Mid Atlantic Resiliency Link (MARL), a transmission line that’s slated to stretch from Frederick County, VA to Greene County, PA. According to NextEra Energy, the transmission company responsible for the project, MARL is part of broader effort to strengthen the backbone of the region’s energy grid. The proposed transmission line is expected to stretch about 105 miles and includes adding a new 500/138-kV substation in Frederick County, VA. But the exact route hasn’t been chosen yet, the company says. That’s why Maryland DNR is hosting the meeting. There’s a possibility that the line could run through western MD, the department said. And Maryland wants to understand ...
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Youngkin unveils sites promoting VA’s 250,000 open jobs & aiding former federal employees
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Youngkin unveils sites promoting VA’s 250,000 open jobs & aiding former federal employees

Gov. Glenn Youngkin unveiled new state resources Monday aiming to connect job seekers with job opportunities and provide the pathway forward for federal workers facing job loss. Speaking at an event held at the Capitol One headquarters in McLean, the governor “the evolution of opportunity in the Commonwealth. It has been unlocked and there is an open door to walk through to take advantage of it. And anyone can find that open door through VirginiaHasJobs.com.” The website VirginiaHasJobs.com is a new state resource showcasing and connecting jobseekers to the more than 250,000 open positions that the governor reports there to be in Commonwealth. “From Day One, I declared that Virginia was open for business, and we’ve worked tirelessly to deliver on that promise,” said Youngkin....
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Chesapeake Regional Medical Center charged for federal healthcare fraud
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Chesapeake Regional Medical Center charged for federal healthcare fraud

Chesapeake Regional Medical Center (CRMC) has been hit with federal charges for healthcare fraud associated with the unnecessary surgeries performed by the now-convicted Dr. Javaid Perwaiz. Perwaiz convicted Based on the evidence at his trial in 2020, Perwaiz performed irreversible hysterectomies, improper sterilizations, and other medically unnecessary surgeries and procedures on patients from at least 2010 and 2019. During that period, Perwaiz caused approximately $20.8 million dollars in losses to private and government health care insurers, court documents show. “In many instances, Perwaiz would falsely tell his patients that they needed the surgeries because they had cancer, or to avoid cancer, in order to induce them to agree to the surgeries. Many of the surgeries occurred ...
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Martinsville, VA doctor convicted of 467 federal drug charges
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Martinsville, VA doctor convicted of 467 federal drug charges

After 16 hours of deliberation, a jury in the U.S. District Court in Abingdon found Dr. Joel Smithers guilty of 467 counts of federal drug violations. Those charges stemmed from Smithers, a doctor based in Martinsville, illegally prescribing Schedule II drugs including oxymorphone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl. “Patients trust doctors to make decisions based on their healthcare needs, not a perversion of their own greed,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said after the conviction. “For many years, this defendant betrayed the trust placed in him by his patients, his community, and the medical profession as a whole through his illegal distribution of thousands of medically unnecessary opioids. According to evidence presented at trial, after Smithers opened the ...
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Why Virginia’s 2025 minimum wage hike is only $.41
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Biz & Life

Why Virginia’s 2025 minimum wage hike is only $.41

As of January 1, Virginia’s minimum wage inched up from $12 to $12.41 giving a full-time, minimum wage employee an additional $65.60 a month based on a 40-hour work week. Virginia’s minimum wage could have increased to $15 an hour this year. During the 2024 session, the General Assembly voted in favor of the higher increase, but the final call was made by Governor Youngkin who vetoed the bill. The governor said, “The free market for salaries and wages works.” He claimed the increase would be detrimental for small businesses across the state, except perhaps in Northern Virginia. "A one-size-fits-all mandate ignores the vast economic and geographic differences and undermines the ability to adapt to regional cost-of-living differences and market dynamics,” the governor stated. But...
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16-year-old allegedly caught trying steal 23 guns after Virginia Beach break-in
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16-year-old allegedly caught trying steal 23 guns after Virginia Beach break-in

A 16-year-old from Chesapeake was caught allegedly trying to steal 23 guns from a firearms dealer in Virginia Beach. At approximately 1:16 a.m. on December 14, the firearms dealer called in to report a burglary in process at his business in the 900 block of Reon Dr., Virginia Beach Police Dept. stated. When officers arrived at the scene, they caught the teenager still inside. VBPD is applauding the business owner’s decision to install surveillance cameras. “We are incredibly thankful the owner implemented surveillance cameras in his business,” said VBPD Chief Paul Neudigate. “As a result, he was able to discover the crime in progress and quickly alert law enforcement. Our officers were able to immediately respond and arrest the subject. In doing so, they prevented 23 firearms that...
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Caesar’s Virginia casino resort opening in December
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Caesar’s Virginia casino resort opening in December

Caesars Virginia casino resort in Danville will open its doors to guests on December 12 at noon. Caesars Virginia says the property will include over 90,000 square feet of gaming space, including nearly 1,500 of the “newest” slots, 79 live-action table games, 48 electronic table games, a WSOP poker room and Caesars Sportsbook. There will also be a 320-room hotel tower and 50,000 square feet of meeting and convention space that will also serves as 2,500-seat live entertainment venue. Other amenities include a full-service spa and pool. (Photo: Caesar's Virginia) (Photo: Caesar's Virginia) Ceasar Virginia says there will be bars, lounges, and a wide variety of dining options, noting that Ramsay’s Kitchen, the restaurant concept of chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay ...
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Virginia attracts $1 billion Microporous facility promising 2,000 jobs
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Virginia attracts $1 billion Microporous facility promising 2,000 jobs

Microporous, a Tennessee-based supplier of battery separators, announced it’s investing $1.3 billion to establish a manufacturing facility in Pittsylvania County that will create 2,015 new jobs. “Microporous is dedicated to developing the local workforce, investing in the community to improve opportunities for the local economy, and creating a better tomorrow for everyone,” said CEO John Reeves. The new facility is slated to be developed in two phases, with about 500,000 square feet in each phase, at the Southern Virginia Megasite. According to a joint press release from Microporous and Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office, Virginia successfully competed with North Carolina for this deal. And government leaders are celebrating it is a major milestone for Virginia’s position in the man...
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