Local Business and Economic Development
The 15-dollar per hour minimum wage recently implemented by Amazon is reminiscent of a similar move made by Henry Ford back in 1914. WFIR’s Ian Price has that story:
G Marrano photo/WFIR
A former high school and college basketball player who now refs games is launching an “urban wear line” on social media and at a party on Sunday – and all the proceeds go to a local non-profit. WFIR’s Gene Marrano has that story:
To order Ol Schoolz gear ahead of the official launch date contact Gabby Slayton: gcslayton@gmail.com
Robert Kulp (left) and Mike Whiteside of Black Dog Salvage/Ian Price WFIR photo
More exposure for Black Dog Salvage – and for the Roanoke area – courtesy of the Discovery Channel, which will run the second of three scheduled “Salvage Dawgs” TV marathons on the basic cable Discovery Channel tomorrow from 8-am until 2-pm. New episodes will air starting October 14 on the DIY network. Hear our full length in-studio interview below with Black Dog Salvage co-owners Mike Whiteside and Robert Kulp:
TAP released a statement over the weekend saying that the Dumas Center is off the market. This comes after The Dumas Hotel Legacy group said they signed a contract in August to buy the historic Dumas Hotel on Henry Street from TAP. The press release Saturday said after “several unsuccessful attempts to complete the sale”, the board has decided to take the property off the market.
Gas prices across the region seem certain to go up another five cents or so within a month. That’s because a pipeline that delivers a lot of gas to a big terminal in Montvale is scheduled to shut down this weekend. So a lot of the gas delivered to area stations will now have to be trucked in from further away, and that will increase the price. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
Photo: Ca. Artisan Cheese Guild
Botetourt County is one of several in the state considering a new economic possibility — and one designed to help its dairy farmers on a long-term basis. The question is whether the county might be a good location in efforts to attract California artisinal cheese makers to establish eastern states operations. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story:
Gov. Ralph Northam
Governor Northam plans to make appearances in Salem and Roanoke next week. His schedule calls for a “community development announcement” Friday morning outside the Salem Public Library — then an “economic development announcement” in Roanoke, the exact location not yet announced. After that, the governor will address the Virginia Economic Developers Association conference at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center.