In an effort to promote tourism in the city, Lynchburg has introduced a new way for residents and tourists to learn more about the area.

The nation’s top financial regulators told Congress Friday that threats to financial stability remain elevated even though the country has recovered from the worst economic shocks stemming from the COVID pandemic.

Federal Reserve officials agreed at their last meeting that if the economy continued to improve, they could start reducing their monthly bond purchases as soon as next month and bring them to an end by the middle of 2022.

The Senate parliamentarian has told Democrats that their newest proposal for helping millions of immigrants stay in the U.S. permanently could not be included in their $3.5 trillion social and environment bill.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is defending the ultra-low interest rate policies he has pursued since the pandemic decimated the economy more than 18 months ago.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says that President Joe Biden’s spending proposals represent will address long-overdue U.S. infrastructure needs and prepare the country to meet future challenges.

A rental crisis spurred by the pandemic prompted many states to make bold promises to help renters, but most failed to deliver on them after Congress passed the sweeping CARES Act in March 2020.

ROANOKE, Va. – Small business owners now have the opportunity for one-on-one help applying for PPP loans as part of the Cares Act. The Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center is going on a road show and offering in-person assistance for businesses with 20 employees or less. Amanda Forrester, the director, said money is still available but not enough business owners are taking advantage of it, especially women and minority owned businesses. Business owners must register for time slots online. The first one will be at the Vinton War Memorial on Wednesday, March 10.

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech is giving $96 back to students on campus and it’s all thanks to a $4-million dollar donation from the town of Blacksburg. The town received $4 million in CARES Act funding to support Blacksburg Transit during the pandemic, but Blacksburg decided to give the money to the university since many students could not use the bus service due to COVID-19. As a way to help out, Tech is covering the mandatory transportation services fee for this semester for every undergraduate and graduate student in Blacksburg. And so, while it won’t, if you will, you know, pay for everything,” said University Spokesman Mark Owczarski. “The hope is that every little bit will help.”The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors has to approve the move by the March 21-22 meeting.

RADFORD, Va. – The Radford Police Department now has new e-ticket systems to help protect them from the coronavirus. Police will receive 19 new e-ticket systems to limit face-to-face interaction during traffic stops. For about a year, the department had five e-ticket systems. But with an extra 19 systems, all 24 patrol officers will be equipped with the technology. Patrol officers will receive the new systems in about a week.

ROANOKE, Va. – If you’re interested in learning about construction and building trades and live in Bedford County, you could qualify for free tuition. The Build Smart Institute Core Fundamentals of Construction Program is free to any student who lives in Bedford County in tenth to twelfth grade. You can be in public school, private school or homeschooled. “The construction industry has been starved for skilled workers for decades now. There’s a real deficit even through the pandemic of skilled workers for the construction industry,” said Rob Leonard, Build Smart Institute director.

The holdups mean a weekend session now appears virtually certain, and a top lawmaker warned that a government shutdown this weekend can't be ruled out. Now, Republicans are motivated chiefly to extend business subsidies and some jobless benefits, and provide money for schools and vaccines. The urgency was underscored Thursday by the weekly unemployment numbers, which revealed that 885,000 people applied for jobless benefits last week, the highest weekly total since September. Some Democrats also mourned the exclusion of a $500 million aid package to help states run their elections. The emerging package would combine the $900 billion in COVID-19 relief with a $1.4 trillion government-wide funding bill.

WASHINGTON – Congressional negotiators closed in Wednesday on a $900 billion COVID-19 economic relief package that would deliver additional help to businesses, $300 per week jobless checks, and $600 stimulus payments to most Americans. But lawmakers briefed on the outlines of the aid bill freely shared them. President-elect Joe Biden is eager for an aid package to prop up the economy and deliver direct aid to the jobless and hungry, even though the package falls short of what Democrats want. The frightening, record surge in COVID caseloads and deaths, combined with troubling economic indicators, however, is mandating an agreement, though the emerging package contains less economic stimulus than the March aid bill. With Congress otherwise getting ready to close up shop, lawmakers are eager to use the relief package to carry other unfinished business.

The duo were the architects of the $1.8 trillion CARES Act, the landmark relief bill passed in March. Here are the top issues for the end-stage COVID-19 relief talks. ___JOBLESS BENEFITSThe CARES Act created a $600 per-week bonus COVID-19 unemployment benefit that sustained household incomes and consumer demand during the springtime shutdowns. House Democrats support the idea, but it is unpopular with many Senate Republicans and was left out of a scaled-back Senate GOP plan. ___LIABILITY SHIELDBusinesses reopening during the pandemic have for months been seeking a shield against lawsuits claiming negligence for COVID-19 outbreaks.

The duo were the architects of the $1.8 trillion CARES Act, the landmark relief bill passed in March. Here are the top issues for the end-stage COVID-19 relief talks. ___JOBLESS BENEFITSThe CARES Act created a $600 per-week bonus COVID-19 unemployment benefit that sustained household incomes and consumer demand during the springtime shutdowns. House Democrats support the idea, but it is unpopular with many Senate Republicans and was left out of a scaled-back Senate GOP plan. ___LIABILITY SHIELDBusinesses reopening during the pandemic have for months been seeking a shield against lawsuits claiming negligence for COVID-19 outbreaks.

Faulting inaction in Washington, governors and state lawmakers are racing to get needed pandemic relief to small businesses, the unemployed, renters and others affected by the widening coronavirus outbreak. Funded through the CARES Act, it offered grants to small businesses, bars and restaurants, low-income renters, arts groups, and colleges and universities. “It’s shameful that they have not acted in Congress, especially (Senate Majority Leader Mitch) McConnell and the Republican Senate, to throw a lifeline to small businesses,” he said. Republicans have proposed a $300 million aid package to small businesses and nonprofits, but the legislation is stalled. “This isn’t like all the blue states are hurting and all the red states are humming along.

ROANOKE, Va. – Participants are needed for a new study to better understand COVID-19′s impact in Southwest Virginia. The Virginia Department of Health has awarded Carilion Clinic $566,309 in CARES Act funding for the seroprevalence research. That will help health experts know where to concentrate messaging and resources. “It will also help inform how we roll out vaccines in this area in the best way. This is the first study of its kind dedicated to Southwest Virginia.

The Fed announced no new actions after its latest policy meeting but left the door open to provide further assistance in the coming months. The Fed's policy statement, issued after a two-day meeting, made no mention of lawmakers' failure to act. The Fed’s latest policy meeting coincided with an anxiety-ridden election week and an escalation of the virus across the country. “All of us have a role to play, to keep appropriate social distance and to wear masks in public.”The central bank's policy statement Thursday was approved on a 10-0 vote. Another dissenter in September, Neel Kashkari, head of the Minneapolis Fed, was absent, with his alternate, Mary Daly of the San Francisco Fed, approving the statement.

Local colleges and universities are getting millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funding. Governor Ralph Northam announced he’s distributing $116 million in Cares Act federal funding to higher education institutions across the Commonwealth. Virginia Tech is getting $13,296,727 and Radford University is getting $3,569,767. The assistance in paying for that is really welcome relief. Virginia Military Institute and the Roanoke Higher Education Center also received some funding.

The Bedford County Board of Supervisors will discuss CARES Act money. The school system would also receive money. More students will return to school in Lynchburg this week. Students will attend in-person two days a week and online three days a week. Fourth and fifth grade students, who receive daily special education or English learner services will return four days a week.

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Outdoor dining has become critical for the restaurants in our area during this pandemic, and now restaurants in the New River Valley are getting grant funding from the CARES Act to help keep their patios open longer. He co-owns Zeppoli’s in Blacksburg and while the signature lasagna isn’t changing, their outdoor seating area is. Outdoor seating has become a lifeline in the pandemic, but it won’t stay warm forever. Matt Hanratty is the Assistant to the Blacksburg Town Manager. They’re offering $15,000 grants to local eateries to help beef up outdoor seating options, and it’s all being paid for by federal funding.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lynchburg business owners have more time to apply for a local CARES Act grant. The City of Lynchburg extended its deadline to Oct. 30. You could receive a grant up to $20,000 as long as your business has at least one employee. The city council allocated four million dollars to the program. So far, 250 businesses have applied.

(Drew Angerer/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned Tuesday that a tentative recovery from the pandemic recession could falter unless the federal government supplies additional economic support. Yet hours after Powell's remarks, President Donald Trump announced that he was cutting off talks with Democrats over a new economic aid package until after the November elections. But the U.S. economy still faces threats, and without further aid, those downward trends could still derail the recovery, Powell said. In recent months, in speeches and in testimony to Congress, Powell has repeatedly urged lawmakers to enact an additional economic aid package. “Still, since it appears that many will undergo extended periods of unemployment, there is likely to be a need for further support,” Powell said.

Mnuchin agreed that business loans and enhanced unemployment support would be good priorities for Congress to back in any new package. Pressed to state what the top priorities should be, Powell cited providing more support through the popular Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses and boosting unemployment benefits. The original relief package provided a $600-a-week federal unemployment benefit, on top of whatever jobless aid a state provides. Powell repeated his view that providing more support was essential to keep the economy on a sustained upturn. Mnuchin was pressed by some senators to further simplify government forms that businesses need to provide to qualify for having their Paycheck Protection Program loans forgiven.

ROANOKE, Va. – Salem City Council will hold a public hearing about money received from the CARES Act. The city received $2.2 million during the last fiscal year. The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce holds a candidate forum today. Incumbent Republican Ben Cline will take on Democrat Nick Betts today at noon. Radford City Schools returns to face-to-face hybrid learning today.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lynchburg’s small business owners have a second chance to get their hands on CARES Act money if they’ve been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hill City’s economic office revitalized its eligibility this time around to attract more business owners. The last time they had the small business grants available, the application was only open for a week, and 150 business owners applied. Those who qualified last time can still apply this time, but the money will have to be used for another need. The application goes live on the city website on Friday.

ROANOKE, Va. Visit Virginias Blue Ridge is looking to drive visitors to the region in the safest way possible, especially during the fall and holiday season. The group has been marketing the region as an outdoor playground where people can safely participate in outdoor activities or dine at restaurants outdoor patios. VBR received $250,000 in CARES Act funding and used some of that money to start the Stay Safe Pledge, a campaign to encourage businesses and customers to do their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, while also supporting those local businesses. So far, about 200 local businesses have taken that pledge, which includes guidelines for both businesses and customers. To stay safe and to keep our region safe, but also continue to make it welcoming, said Catherine Fox, with VBR.

RICHMOND, Va. – More money is coming to Virginia schools to help cover COVID-19-related costs. This additional federal money to help schools cover COVID-19-related costs is from two relief funds established by the CARES Act: the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. $21 million in available GEER funds will be distributed to schools through formula-based and competitive grants. $17.75 million in available ESSER funds will be distributed to schools through formula-based and competitive grants. Virginia’s state superintendent also called on Congress to include more federal support for public schools in the next coronavirus relief package.