Virginia’s unemployment rate for October fell to 6.3 percent from 6.5 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

For about two years, a heart condition has changed the way Glenn Wood looks at life and business.

Virginians are taking home less pay, spending less in stores and still are getting hit on their investments, new state tax-collection statistics show.

A bankruptcy trustee says claims have been filed for 154 people who say they were sickened by a salmonella outbreak traced to a Virginia peanut company.

Starting Dec. 1, smoking will be prohibited in restaurants, with some exceptions. Smokers and proprietors who violate the law will face civil penalties of $25.

With little hesitation, the Albemarle County Planning Commission sent a formal recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that called for wind turbines to be allowed in the county.

President Barack Obama says he’s worried that spending too much money to help revive the economy could undermine a fragile U.S. recovery and throw the economy into a double-dip recession.

Construction of new homes unexpectedly plunged last month, as builders waited to see whether lawmakers would extend a tax credit for homebuyers.

Across the country, businesses already strapped by the economy to turn a profit are sacrificing or scaling back employee health insurance plans because of their escalating costs.

Rep. Barney Frank said Monday he is pushing a proposal to use some of the interest the government collects from the financial industry bailout to give loans to unemployed homeowners struggling to pay the mortgage.

With a simple marketing twist, tobacco companies are avoiding hundreds of millions of dollars a year in taxes by exploiting a loophole in President Barack Obama’s child health law.

The Lynchburg region climbed 11 spaces in a think tank’s list of top cities for economic growth in the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. retail sales rose more than expected in October due largely to a big rebound in auto sales. But broader consumer spending remains under pressure, raising questions about the durability of the recovery.

General Motors Co. said Monday it lost $1.2 billion from the time it left bankruptcy protection through Sept. 30, far better than it has reported in previous quarters and a sign that the auto giant is starting to turn around its business.

A report says Virginia farms saw increased crop yields and cash receipts last year.

Hands that once made birthday cakes for U.S. presidents now whip up chocolate frosting, custard filling, éclairs and donuts in Lynchburg.

LONDON (AP) — British Airways PLC and Spain’s Iberia SA talked up the benefits of a proposed $7 billion merger on Friday, dismissing criticisms that the deal could increase fares, reduce competition and drag down service standards at Britain’s flagship carrier.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Home prices are expected to grow modestly next year and sales will keep rising as the housing market continues to recover from the worst downturn since the Great Depression, the National Association of Realtors said Friday.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP) — The world’s largest cruise ship has arrived in South Florida.

NEW YORK (AP) — The future of Google’s plans to scan and sell millions of books online could begin to take shape Friday.

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford Motor Co. says it plans to sell a new police cruiser vehicle to replace the Crown Victoria once the sedan is phased out of production in 2011.

Appalachian Power is revamping its Neighbor-to-Neighbor program to help more customers struggling to pay electricity bills.

Three credit unions in Lynchburg now belong to a network that allows its members to use each other’s ATMs interchangeably, along with 50,000 ATMs nationwide.

Banks will have to secure their customers’ consent before charging large overdraft fees on ATM and debit card transactions, according to a new rule announced Thursday by the Federal Reserve.

Two General Motors cars due in showrooms next year must be hits to help the automaker turn around sales and pay back its big debt to U.S. taxpayers.

Three decades of airline deregulation have helped make air travel more accessible to consumers through lower fares. Now labor unions are questioning whether the industry is paying the price, and the Obama administration is listening.

The number of homeowners on the brink of losing their homes dipped in October, the third straight monthly decline, as foreclosure-prevention programs helped more borrowers.

Americans spent about the same amount in October as in August and September, according to figures released Thursday by a key data service, and they may be settling into new low-spending habits.

The Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce next year will sponsor a visit to China, its first international trip.

The governors of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a formal tri-state partnership for the deployment of offshore wind energy in the Middle Atlantic region.