Fredericksburg is the place to go if you are a Civil War enthusiast, enjoy the outdoors, shopping and like the occasional scare.
Charlottesville Voted Best City to Live for a Reason
If you want to travel to a place that has a flair for the arts, history and fine wine, then Charlottesville is the place to go. Those attributes, and so much more, explain why it was recently bestowed with the title of the “Best City to Live in the United States.”
Filed under Arts, Entertainment, History, Travel
Follow the “Crooked Road” to Floyd
The recession has affected many areas of our lives. Right now, Americans are fighting to stay afloat during this tough economic climate, and trying to conserve money in as many ways possible by proactively sticking to a budget. One of the items that may be viewed as wasteful spending and could be cut from one’s wallet are: vacations.
Summer trips aren’t a necessity to some, but I place a great value on travel and believe it is one of the better ways to gain knowledge about different cultures and about life in general. But, travel doesn’t have to cost that much. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a plane ticket to travel to an exotic beach. There are so many wonderful places in our own backyard, and Virginia serves as a stellar example. The commonwealth offers vacationers beaches, mountains and the city life- it has it all. Thus, I will begin to explore many of these getaway opportunities in my blog: Keep It Local, because traveling local will save you money, and, in turn, help generate revenue for your state’s economy.
I believe that every place and every person has a story. I have traveled first to the great town and county of Floyd, which has roots deep in music, bluegrass that is.
Filed under Arts, Entertainment, Richmond, Travel
Virginia Lottery sales have dropped during the recession: Southern cities and counties affected by North Carolina Lottery
Click on the image above to view a graphic representation of Virginia that displays the profits and losses for Virginia Lottery sales between fiscal years 2008 and 2009, which were broken down into the commonwealth’s 95 counties and 39 independent cities.
When Star and Larry Bell moved from Las Vegas to Danville, the couple thought their decision to open a convenience store that primarily sold lottery tickets was a sure bet.
The couple bought the Carter’s Quick Shoppe from its previous owners this past April, with the intention of making a majority of their profits off of Virginia Lottery sales. In fact, the business was built to be a “lottery store,” according to Star Bell.
“Sales have gone way down,” she said. “If we knew this was going to happen, we wouldn’t have gotten the store.”
It appears that not as many people are willing to gamble in the commonwealth during the economic downturn. The Virginia Lottery has seen sales drop from $1.38 billion in fiscal year 2008 to $1.36 billion in fiscal year 2009, which represents a $22.6 million decrease.
Filed under Uncategorized
Crime continues to be a problem in Petersburg according to FBI
For the second year in a row, both the city of Petersburg and Virginia State University topped the list for the highest rate of crime for any city or university in the commonwealth, with property crime ranking the highest for both.
Petersburg had 95 major crimes per 1,000 residents last year, compared with a statewide figure of about 41 crimes per 1,000 people. In addition, VSU had 43 major crimes per 1,000 students, which is much higher than the statewide numbers. Virginia colleges reported 12.5 crimes per 1,000 students, slightly down from 12.7 the previous year.
Crime increased last year in both Petersburg and VSU, but levels for the state remained consistent.
Keeping the Hispanic culture alive
Richmond resident Evelia Gonzalez Porto has devoted her life to spreading the Hispanic culture throughout Richmond and advancing the lives of women. In 2003, she founded the Hispanic Women in the Arts and the Hispanic Women in Business.
As a child growing up in Colombia, Evelia Gonzalez Porto remembers being surrounded by strong women artists, music, dance and the theater. Those memories have served as the foundation and purpose of her life’s work, which is focused on spreading the Hispanic culture throughout the Richmond area via the arts, education and the advancement of women.
Filed under Arts, Entertainment, Hispanic Culture in Richmond, Richmond, Uncategorized
The play’s the thing
Agecroft Hall provides the perfect backdrop for touring troupe’s summer productions, while the performances, in turn, help bring a new life to the estate by bringing in a different audience.
By Jaclyn O’Laughlin and Ben Sellers
Filed under Agecroft Hall, Richmond, Shakespeare Festival
Young Girl’s Memory Lives on Through Camp Diva
Camp Diva is celebrating it’s fifth anniversary as a Richmond non-profit that helps African-American girls learn skills that will help them be responsible adults and lead more rewarding lives. The organization is named after a young girl named Diva who was killed while handling a gun in her Richmond home.
Filed under African-Americans, Metro, Richmond, Teenagers
