Governor McAuliffe Creates Contingency Fund for Virginia Ebola Response

Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that he has created a contingency fund of up to $2 million to help address specific public health and safety risks associated with the exposure to or threat of exposure to Ebola. 

“There have been no confirmed cases of Ebola in Virginia, but my administration continues to prepare so that we can respond quickly to this public health threat if it reaches our state,” said Governor McAuliffe. “This $2 million contingency fund will help state and local agencies cover costs in the event of a confirmed case, and allow responders to focus more on protecting Virginia families than on covering costs in the event of an emergency.”

The Governor is using the authority given to him in the Appropriation Act to grant supplemental funding for state agencies where a delay in action will produce a threat to life, safety, health or property. (Section 4-3.01 a.2.c. of Chapter 2 of the 2014 Special Session 1).

These funds will be used to reimburse state agencies for extraordinary expenditures related to specific incidents and actions taken by agencies related to exposure to Ebola, and/or the threat of the spread of Ebola into the general population.  This includes, but is not limited to, expenses associated with monitoring citizens exposed to Ebola, direct patient care, and transportation.   This funding is not intended to reimburse agencies for routine or ongoing program expenses associated with the agency mission.  These funds will not be used to supplant other eligible sources of fund including federal or private insurance funds.

Approval of requests for reimbursement of expenditures from this funding will undergo several levels of review by the responsible cabinet secretary and the Department of Planning and Budget to verify costs and justification. Final approval of disbursements will be made by the Governor on a case by case basis.

(You first have to buy into the fear that Ebola may even be a threat.  Well that's what you are supposed to believe because that is what everyone is telling you.  So you must buy this and own it as truth.  Now we can take your tax dollars and use that against you to take more of your freedoms.  Thank you for your participation.)

Governor McAuliffe Announces 25 New Jobs in Madison County

Map of Virginia highlighting Madison County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

~PH International, LLC to invest $4.5 million to expand headquarters operation~

RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that PH International, LLC, a manufacturer and distributor of home decor and garden products headquartered in Madison County, Virginia, will invest $4.5 million to consolidate operations of its subsidiary Plow and Hearth, LLC and sister company Viva Terra, LLC at its Madison County facility. The company will add 84,000 square feet and create 25 new jobs in the expansion, which will include adding warehouse storage for Plow and Hearth, as well as headquarters staff for Viva Terra.

Speaking about the announcement, Governor McAuliffe said, “Bringing new businesses into the Commonwealth and expanding existing businesses like PH International play a critical role in building a new Virginia economy that will enable the Commonwealth to remain competitive on a global scale. We are proud to have PH International on the impressive roster of companies that call Virginia home, and by growing their existing job base in an area that has been economically hard-hit, this project will help to build a solid foundation for economic success in Madison County and the greater region for years to come.”

“Growing our existing business is a key economic development strategy for the Commonwealth,”said Maurice Jones, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “We are excited about PH International’s growth in Madison County and the creation of new jobs paying above the average prevailing wage for the region.”

What began as a small retail store in Madison, Virginia in 1980, PH International, LLC has become one of the largest employers in Madison County. The PH International portfolio now includes the flagship brand Plow & Hearth®, plus five other brands, including Wind & Weather®, HearthSong®, Magic Cabin®, Problem Solvers®, and Reuseit®. The Plow & Hearth brand also has 24 retail locations located throughout the Mid-Atlantic, ranging from North Carolina up to New Jersey and Pennsylvania. PH International, LLC was purchased in 2010 by the owners of Evergreen Enterprises, based out of Richmond, Virginia. The company’s owners, Ting Xu and Frank Qiu, came to the U.S. from China when they were in college, made Virginia their home, and started Evergreen in 1993 when Ting and her mother began making and selling garden flags at the Virginia State Fair.  Combined, Plow and Hearth, Evergreen Enterprises, and recently acquired VivaTerra (eco-friendly home décor catalog and online brand) now represent a global wholesale and retail enterprise. 

           

 “Central Virginia is the perfect place to expand our business, accommodate our rapid growth from the past few years, and absorb recently acquired and future brands,” stated Ting Xu, CEO of PH International. “In Madison, we have access to a talented, dedicated workforce, beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and we have long-standing, strong ties to the community."

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Madison County to secure the project for Virginia. Governor McAuliffe approved a $100,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist Madison County with the project. Additional funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

“The Madison County Board of Supervisors is most pleased with Plow and Hearth’s decision to expand its facility in Madison County,” said Doris Lackey, Chair of the Madison County Board of Supervisors. “We have long enjoyed a beneficial and productive relationship with this firm, from its inception more than 34 years ago to its place in our community today.

Plow and Hearth has been a great partner and contributor to the community and has an excellent and successful business model. Madison County looks forward to many years of a mutually beneficial and productive relationship with Plow and Hearth.”

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Governor McAuliffe Accepts 127 Acres of Hallowed Ground from Civil War Trust

~ Successful partnership between Virginia and Civil War Trust increases amount of protected land at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historic and High Bridge Trail State Parks ~

RICHMOND - Governor Terry McAuliffe presided over a ceremony at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield, formally announcing and accepting the transfer of 127 acres of hallowed ground to the Commonwealth at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park, located in Amelia and Prince Edward Counties, and High Bridge Trail State Park in Prince Edward County. 

Speaking about the announcement, Governor McAuliffe said, “Through concerted efforts to preserve the Commonwealth’s battlefields and other historic treasures, this administration and its partners are creating a lasting legacy for present and future Virginians.  We will continue to work with nonprofit groups like the Civil War Trust to proactively preserve these irreplaceable resources, as we have done at Sailor’s Creek and High Bridge.”

Molly Ward, Secretary of Natural Resources, and Mike Grainger, Chairman of the Board of the Civil War Trust joined McAuliffe at the new conference.  According to Grainger, “The Civil War Trust and Virginia have a long history of cooperation to ensure the state’s Civil War battlefields are protected, interpreted, and open for the public to enjoy.  We are pleased to transfer these acres to the care of the state park system.  It is our firm belief that Virginia is the best possible steward of these hallowed grounds.”

In her remarks, Secretary Ward called the Commonwealth’s participation in the project a fitting example of the Old Dominion’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding her plentiful historic and natural resources.  “Virginia is home to some of the most stirring places in America, including some of the nation’s significant Civil War battlefields.  The Virginia State Park System is honored to be entrusted with the care of these newly acquired properties at Sailor’s Creek and High Bridge.”

The Commonwealth of Virginia and the Civil War Trust have been working together to protect hallowed ground at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield since 1996.  Due to this collaborative effort, 885 acres at Sailor’s Creek Historic Battlefield and 175 acres at High Bridge Trail have been protected. 

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Governor McDonnell To Propose New Funding to Help Ongoing Efforts to Reduce Homelessness in Virginia

Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell speaking at CPAC. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that his upcoming biennial budget will contain considerable new funding to support Virginia’s ongoing, successful, homelessness reduction and prevention efforts.  The governor will call for over $9.5 million in additional funding for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, the Rapid Re-Housing Program, and efforts to further enhance data collection.  In 2010, Governor McDonnellestablished Virginia’s first executive housing policy framework, which helped to guide the development of a housing policy in the Commonwealth that addresses homelessness and access to affordable housing.  These efforts have led to a 16% reduction in overall homelessness in Virginia since 2010.

 Speaking about the proposals, Governor McDonnell said, “We have made significant strides in the effort to ensure that every Virginian has a roof over their head.  In 2010, we set a goal of decreasing homelessness during this Administration by 15 percent and we are pleased that we have exceeded that goal with a 16 percent reduction in overall homelessness over the last four years, as well as a 17 percent decline in family homelessness. Between 2012 and 2013 homelessness among Virginia’s veterans dropped 18 percent. This is progress, but there is much more to be done to ensure that every Virginian has a place to call home and access to the tools they need to get back on their feet and become thriving members of their communities.  That is why we are directing over $9.5 million in new funding over the next biennium to assist in these efforts.  This funding will continue the progress we have made and strengthen the great work being done through the Virginia Housing Trust Fund and the Rapid Re-Housing Program.”

The governor’s budget provides the following funding towards homelessness assistance and prevention:

Virginia Housing Trust Fund

·         Establishes $4 million in general fund appropriation in each year of the biennium for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund.

·         The funding supports efforts to reduce homelessness by providing low-interest loans and grants through eligible organizations.

Rapid Re-Housing Program

·         Provides an additional $500,000 in each year of the biennium for the rapid re-housing program, which brings the total for the program to $1 million in each year.

·         The program assists households experiencing homelessness to quickly obtain permanent housing.

Enhanced Data Collection on Homelessness

·         Adds $585,413 the first year and $91,782 the second year in general fund appropriations to support the development and implementation of a new statewide application to increase the accuracy and reliability of homeless data collection.

·         The new database system will help to evaluate the successfulness of the programs being administered throughout the Commonwealth and to establish new avenues for aid to this population.

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