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Pittsylvania County beats out bids in three other states to get 50 new jobs
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – A Pittsylvania County company will be expanding its footprint in the community by investing $45 million in the next for years. Intertape Polymer Group Inc. plans to add 30,000 square feet to its facility at 1101 Eagle Springs Road, creating 50 new jobs. Though headquartered in Montreal, Québec, and Sarasota, Florida, the company currently employs over 300 people at its 45-acre operation in Pittsylvania County. “Intertape Polymer Group is a valued member of the Pittsylvania County community that employs many of our residents,” said Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bob Warren. “We are thrilled that IPG will be expanding its facility and providing even more high-quality jobs for Pittsylvania County households.”
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Virginia making payments in backlogged unemployment cases
RICHMOND, Va. – After being threatened with a lawsuit, Virginia has begun paying unemployment benefits to tens of thousands of people whose claims had previously been on hold because they were awaiting a staff review. State officials decided to go ahead and pay the applicants while their claims make their way through the determination process. A spokeswoman for the Virginia Employment Commission says payments started going out Tuesday night. The move will certainly be a relief for many Virginians. But if the determination process finds the recipients were not due the money, they will have to pay it back, possibly along with interest and fees.
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Better than a walk in the park: Reasons why now is a great time to pursue a career in forestry
Several colleges and universities offer programs to begin a life-sustaining career in the forestry industry. “The study of forestry is a critical service to the health of the earth and all that live on it,” DSLCC forestry instructor Scott Reigel said. What makes a DSLCC Forestry degree so unique? A hands-on learning experience at DSLCC can put you on the path to a broad spectrum of natural resource career fields. For more information on how to start a forestry degree, click or tap here.
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Botetourt County Public Schools hosts job fair to fill openings for teachers, bus drivers
DALEVILLE, Va. – Botetourt County Public Schools put its “Now Hiring” sign on full display on Wednesday. The school district hosted a job fair at Lord Botetourt High School throughout the day. Applicants were able to interview with school district leaders face-to-face, albeit with distance, between the tables due to COVID-19 precautions. Botetourt County Public Schools is looking to fill openings for teachers, bus drivers, bus aides, nurses, and custodians. “I want to help out wherever they need me.”The school district encouraged applicants to pre-register but did allow walk-ins to apply for jobs.
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Virginia’s extended benefits program to end Nov. 21
(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. A program that provided extended unemployment benefits to out-of-work Virginians will end Saturday. The Virginia Employment Commission on Wednesday announced the end of the state’s Extended Benefits program. The federally-funded program provided up to an addition 13 weeks of benefits to people who had already exhausted their regular benefits and any Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits. It is ending because employment in Virginia has improved and no longer meets a federal threshold for the program to be funded.
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Police: Actor Eddie Hassell, 30, killed in Texas shooting
The shooting happened early Sunday in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie. Police said in a statement that officers responded to a report of a shooting and found Hassell suffering from gunshot wounds. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP, File)GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – The actor Eddie Hassell, known for his roles in the NBC show “Surface” and the 2010 film “The Kids Are All Right,” has died after a shooting in Texas, police said. Grand Prairie police said in a statement that officers responded to a report of a shooting and found Hassell suffering from gunshot wounds. Grand Prairie police said the motive remained under investigation, but that a car had been taken from the scene of the shooting.
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Furniture company creating nearly 200 jobs in Pittsylvania County
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – Nearly 200 jobs are coming to Pittsylvania County as a North Carolina furniture company is moving into a recently vacated space. Ison Furniture Manufacturing is spending $3.5 million to buy and renovate the recently closed A.C. Furniture facility. As part of its multi-million dollar investment, Ison will purchase new equipment for the assembly and full production of its upholstered furniture products. “We are pleased to welcome Ison Furniture Manufacturing and Dogwood Global to Southern Virginia,” said Northam in a news release. The former A.C. Furniture Company in Pittsylvania County operated from 1977 to March 2020.
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Virginia’s first large-scale CBD oil extraction facility opens in Halifax County
Ralph Northam, Virginia’s Agriculture and Forestry Secretary, local leaders and facility founders cut the ribbon on a brand-new hemp laboratory in Halifax County. The new multi-million-dollar facility works to extract CBD oil from hemp plants. It’s Virginia’s first large-scale industrial hemp processing and CBD oil extraction facility, according to the governor. It’s really going to do so much to support our farmers,” said Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring. The extraction plant will work directly with farmers who grow hemp to produce CBD oil and other products, sold both domestically and internationally.
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Virginia unemployment agency getting outside PR help
A Virginia state agency that has faced criticism for its handling of an unprecedented flood of claims for unemployment benefits has hired a well-connected lobbying and communications firm to help with public relations, according to a purchase order. Dozens of Democratic Virginia lawmakers called for reforms at the agency last week, saying in a letter that they were worried about its ability to "adequately address" the high volume of claims sparked by the COVID-19 crisis. Republican state lawmakers and Democratic U.S. Rep. A. Donald McEachin have also separately raised concerns. The legislators say their offices have been flooded with calls and emails from constituents having trouble accessing unemployment benefits or reaching anyone at the commission for help. A persistent complaint from laid-off workers has been with getting in touch with the commission by phone.
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UK Treasury chief warns of depth of recession
But it could cost the Treasury as much as 9.4 billion pounds, and critics are wondering whether it makes sense. Though he acknowledged he couldn't save every job, Sunak told the BBC he was "throwing everything,' he could at stemming the losses. We are entering one of the most severe recessions this country has ever seen, Sunak told the BBC. The government hopes employers will help get the country back on track during a severe downturn - in March and April alone, the U.K. economy shrank 25%. Many economists think unemployment could more than double to over 3 million this year, to levels last seen in the 1980s.
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WATCH LIVE: President Trump hold news conference on great jobs numbers
WASHINGTON U.S. employers added a substantial 4.8 million jobs in June, and the unemployment rate fell to 11.1%, as the job market improved for a second straight month, yet still remained far short of regaining the colossal losses it suffered this spring.
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Fleetwood Homes investing $2.1 million, bringing 60 new jobs to Franklin County
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. A homebuilder and maker of manufactured homes is expanding its Rocky Mount facility, which will bring 60 new jobs to the area. Ralph Northam announced Thursday Fleetwood Homes plans to invest $2.1 million into the project, which includes $700,000 in new equipment. Fleetwood Homes has been in Franklin County since 1968. Rocky Mount is one of the companys seven locations across the U.S.Fleetwood Homes is a subsidiary of Cavco Industries, a national builder of manufactured homes, modular homes, park model RVs, commercial buildings and vacation cabins. View career opportunities with Fleetwood Homes here.
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Target raising minimum wage, offering bonuses to employees
Target is raising its minimum starting wage to $15 per hour and will give all hourly employees a one-time bonus of $200. The raise applies to employees at stores and distribution centers, beginning July 5. The company said the bonuses are meant to recognize part-time and full-time employees’ work during the pandemic. Target said the one-time bonuses will be paid out at the end of July.
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Virginia launches new website to help job seekers
RICHMOND, Va. – Those out of work and looking for a job have a new place to turn. On Friday, Virginia Gov. “This ongoing health crisis requires our government systems to respond faster and with more flexibility than ever before. This strategic investment in our workforce technology infrastructure puts the Commonwealth is in a stronger position to help Virginians get back on their feet and overcome these unprecedented challenges.”Along with the portal is a new Virginia Career Works Dashboard , which makes information about the state’s labor market and workforce system more accessible to workers, businesses and policymakers. A guide to navigating the Portal and creating an account can be found here.
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5 tips to start a franchise in a pandemic economy
Historically, economic downturns have been among the best times for people to start franchises. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing unemployment rates to soar quickly, starting a franchise might be on people’s minds. Diana Trondsen, a small business and franchising expert who is also a consultant with FranNet, offered five suggestions for those interested in starting their own franchise. When first considering whether to start a franchise, whether it’s a food or retail store, taking the time to analyze your life situation and then brainstorm the best ideas are essential. When researching what type of franchise to open, one needs to see how well competitors have done in that community.
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Game over? Sports bars face long-term slump without live contests
But the long term-prognosis might be worse because of one question: What will sports bars and restaurants do without games or events for the foreseeable future? March sadness for accounting booksJust like other sports bar employees across the country, Russell Luxton was counting down the days until March. Even when sports bars are allowed to resume dine-in services, there won’t be games returning alongside the opening of those establishments. When those youth teams have games or practices in the evening, sports bars are usually popular destinations to go out to eat afterward. Luxton said ideas such as dart and Golden Tee tournaments have been floated about once RJ’s is ready to open again.
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Walmart to hire more than 4,300 employees in Virginia to keep up with coronavirus demand
ROANOKE, Va. – Walmart is set to hire more than 4,300 employees in Virginia in order to keep up the high demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The company says the employees will be hired for jobs in stores, clubs, distribution centers and fulfillment centers. In order to apply, visit their website or text “jobs” to 240240 to get started. Walmart is also giving out $365 million in bonuses to hourly employees throughout the U.S. that started on or before March 1. The company is also accelerating the next scheduled quarterly bonus for employees a month early.
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Lynchburg police bringing back Cadet Program to recruit teens out of high school
LYNCHBURG, Va. – By the end of the month, Lynchburg police will be losing more officers. To stay ahead of their retention issues, the department is bringing back the Cadet Program after three years. It targets high school kids ages 17 and a half to 20-year-old young adults. Brian Smith says there are about a dozen officers who came through the program years ago and are still working there. That is in the program as they go through the have the tendency to stay because again, they are serving the community that they live in.
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'Should I personalize my resume for each company?' All your latest job search questions, answered
With the unemployment rate at 3.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current job market more so than in recent years seems to favor job seekers rather than companies. What should job seekers be looking for most with available openings? It’s important that job seekers look for positions that have qualities which they know they’ll be happy and productive with in the long-term. Many job seekers have a strategy of producing one generic resume and cover letter and sending it out to dozens, if not hundreds, of companies that are hiring. But knowing a prominent person in a company doesn’t necessarily guarantee a job, especially if that person isn’t in good standing with the company, Martin said.
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Dream job alert: Get paid $97,000 a year to travel in luxury
Um, maybe getting paid about $97,000 to travel the world and do it in luxury. HushHush, which markets itself as the “world’s leading luxury shopping marketplace,” is looking for a luxury product tester to review products before they are available for sale to the public. The lucky person who scores this job will also be expected to travel extensively, because they’ll be reviewing private islands and property for sale around the world. Some of the most expensive items that appear on HushHush's website include a $60 million superyacht, a 23 million private jet, an $80 million French chateau and a $71 million jewel-encrusted watch. The lucky person who snags this job will be in direct contact with HushHush’s trusted suppliers, so they must be discreet, sociable and eloquent.
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Walmart to pay drivers nearly $90,000, and company's hiring
Not only will Walmart drivers be making, on average, $87,500 a year beginning in February, but the company says it will be hiring hundreds of drivers this year to join its fleet. The company also plans to implement a new process in its hiring in order to speed things up, expediting the time it takes to complete a new hire. Walmart’s new process has already cut in half the time between an initial interview and a mandatory driving assessment. “I’ve never seen a transportation company hire so quickly,” said Lori Furnell, Walmart’s director of driver talent acquisition. “Our drivers are entering the program fully confident and prepared to perform this critical element of our retail business.”Walmart says new driver candidates frequently report the culture and reputation for professionalism as top reasons for applying to the company.
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Top 10 companies that offer work-from-anywhere jobs
The reality is that even when you find remote jobs, they often still have location restrictions. Flexjobs, which specifically finds jobs for people looking for flexibility in their careers, put together a list of top companies hiring for real, true remote work — like, seriously from anywhere. The company said its list is based on remote jobs posted in its database from more than 50,000 companies for the majority of 2018. Here’s the skinny: These companies had the most opportunities to work anywhere (without location restrictions), jobs that didn’t require any time in an office and full-time and part-time positions. Click here to see more companies that made the list.