Category: Harrisonburg Issues
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After an eclectic first round, seed fund aimed at jump-starting entrepreneurs prepares for next batch
A line of natural, cruelty-free, eco-friendly skin care products. An ergonomic trash can designed for people with limited mobility. And an app to help drivers find their vehicle after it has been towed.Those were the start-ups conceived by JMU students or graduates that received the first three $5,000 investments as part of a new element of entrepreneurship — a program called Bluestone Seed Fund. The program is expected to announce the second round of winning start-up proposals on March 22.
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Cat’s Cradle landed additional money in as part of a national grant. Here’s how it’s using the funds.
Cat’s Cradle got a boost heading into this year to help cover veterinary and other costs for preparing cats for adoption after PetSmart’s national charity organization reached out to offer some additional money beyond what the organization requested.
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Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance earns accolades for response during pandemic
Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance has received two state honors through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s annual awards program, including an “MVP” award for its response to help small businesses through the pandemic.
For programs aimed at helping people with disabilities, funding remains a challenge
A pair of organizations continue to help people with disabilities be more involved in the community, including training them for jobs or providing them with volunteer opportunities. But those agencies find themselves constantly grinding away with fundraising and grant requests to pay for those programs.
City schools look to increase teacher and staff salaries
To help retain and attract teachers and staff to Harrisonburg schools, the school board is proposing “significant” salary increases across the system for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. That’s among the highlights of budget proposal school board members began working on Tuesday.
Council approves allowing affordable housing development on Lucy Drive
The Harrisonburg City Council gave the go-ahead Tuesday night for a proposed affordable apartment complex on Lucy Drive — another development councilmembers say they hope might ease the city’s housing crunch.
With $600,000 grant, city fire dept to start community paramedicine program
In Lexington, Kentucky, ambulance calls have decreased almost 7% since the city implemented a community paramedicine program in 2018, according to a recent story in the Lexington Herald-Leader. Harrisonburg Fire Chief Matt Tobia hopes to see similar results locally when the city fire department launches its own program sometime in the coming year.
