An up-to-$500,000 grant from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Education and Telehealth Access Fund was closed Thursday with the Appalachian Council for Innovation (ACI) to be used toward the development of space-based broadband service in southwest Virginia. VCEDA was appropriated $500,000 in the Virginia state budget during FY2022, “for initiatives intended to expand education ...

By Scott Robertson The state of Tennessee just did our region an injustice. In a move that’s been in the works long enough to have hired Brad Paisley to record a video hyping it, the Tennessee Department of Tourism announced it is offering $2.5 million in $250 vouchers to travelers who will stay for two nights in a Tennessee hotel, if they fly into Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis or Nashville. That’s in the ...

“If you’re not making money in this market, you’re doing something wrong.” by Don Fenley The local real estate industry has a case of pandemic fatigue. While the rest of the economy was savaged by Coronavirus lockdowns, real estate saw unprecedented growth. The market is still robust, but there is a complication. Skyrocketing material costs, supply chain issues and labor shortages are to builders in today’s ...

by Scott Robertson Sometime in July, you’ll start seeing stories in the local media about the economic contributions of recreational fishing in northeast Tennessee. They will be very real business stories with ties to tourism, the environment and the quality of life in the region. They will also be promoted by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The TVA is making what appears to be a charm initiative this summe ...

In this issue: Residential Construction, a TVA for a new time, the Sessions Hotel ribbon-cutting, Lee County hospital and more. Download the July 2021 edition here. ...

Above: Rene Weber, director of Finance (standing, at left) goes through the proposed FY 2022 operating budget at the airport authority meeting June 24 at the Gray Fossil Site. The Tri-Cities Airport Authority approved on June 24 a fiscal year 2022 operating budget that includes a projected net operating loss of almost $1.5 million. The airport plans to draw $3 million from the $10+ million it received in CA ...

Above: Nurse Practitioner Suzanne Rogers Company hopes move will help attract additional employees Universal Fibers, a Bristol, Va.-based international sustainable solution-dyed fiber company, cut the ribbon June 25 on a new employee and family health clinic at the company’s Bristol manufacturing facility. The 1,000+ square foot clinic expansion creates a win-win for employees who need affordable care and a ...

If the current construction timetable holds, schools in Washington and Sullivan counties in northeast Tennessee will be at least partially powered by a new 9-megawatt solar farm by the end of the year. Silicon Ranch, BrightRidge and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at the newly christened Martin Solar Farm in northwest Washington County June 8. “Probably around November ...

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The Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association honored the tourism industry’s top performers June 3 during the 24th Annual Pinnacle Awards at MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center hosted by Visit Kingsport. Ranked by a panel of judges within the tourism industry associated with the Southeast Tourism Society, 36 Pinnacle Awards were given to the top entry in each category.  The event al ...