Wednesday, September 6th, 2023
It’s hard to say the two words together and not feel like they’re an oxymoron. “Old news,” “organized chaos,” “civil war,” “early retirement” … it sounds about the same. Perhaps the thought of “early retirement” incites a bit of manic laughter, followed by a self-loathing tear or two. It’s not unlike a desert mirage, something
Wednesday, September 6th, 2023
Laura Lamoureux grew up in Blacksburg, the daughter of two teachers. She was always determined, with a job and her own money from the time she was 12. Laura’s paper route funded shopping trips to the hippie...
Wednesday, September 6th, 2023
There is something intrinsically charming about an old schoolhouse. No wonder they are being salvaged and turned into just about everything from retirement homes to fresh markets to breweries. And let’s not forget the trend of renovating...
Friday, November 18th, 2022
At a party back in my 20s in Boulder, Colorado, I could make a rum-and-Coke-over-ice or one can of Coors beer last several hours. That might make me the only sober person in attendance. At one house,...
Friday, November 13th, 2020
The staff at Al’s on First broke away from its food side, prepping, cooking, serving, clearing, to embrace its decorative side right after Thanksgiving last year. “We made little groups of staff members who could decorate trees...
Friday, November 13th, 2020
The struggle is real, folks. It’s safe to say no business has been left unaffected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. From big box brick and mortar to mom-n-pop shops, everyone has had to rethink operations and refocus...
Friday, November 13th, 2020
You won’t find cosmetics, magazines or greeting cards when you go into Senthil Marimuthu’s pharmacies in Blacksburg and Christiansburg. What you will find, in addition to any medication you need, is an attention to detail and a...
Thursday, November 12th, 2020
“It’s challenging but I love every minute of it,” says Joe Cole, owner and president of Dehart Tile in Christiansburg. The flooring firm began when brothers Ed DeHart and Bill DeHart were doing floor installations in the...
Monday, May 13th, 2019
Somehow the declaration against windows became a joke in the world of cleaning. But what is a man who does do windows allowed to claim he doesn’t do? “I don’t do malls,” Ron Eaves, sole proprietor of...
Wednesday, November 14th, 2018
Perhaps two hearts are better than one. Somewhere there’s a cocktail napkin supporting a glass of champagne that promises as much. It’s especially true when those two hearts also possess tenacious entrepreneurial spirits and a penchant for...