SERVPRO, a national leader and provider of fire and water cleanup, and mold mitigation and remediation, offered tips to Stafford residents in honor of National Home Safety Week.

STAFFORD — The Orange County Planning Commission voted 5-4 late last week, backing a proposal from Walmart that seeks to build a supercenter near a Civil War battlefield in Orange.

STAFFORD — The Surgi-Center of Central Virginia is heading to Fredericksburg, after receiving the OK from the Virginia Department of Health.

FREDERICKSBURG — PermaTreat Pest Control has been designated a Virginia Green Partner Organization by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

FREDERICKSBURG — PermaTreat Pest Control has been designated a Virginia Green Partner Organization by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

STAFFORD — Last week, it was announced that First Market Bank in Richmond and Union Bankshares in Bowling Green, would merge.

ALEXANDRIA — The VRE Operations Board took another step last week toward fulfilling its commitment to improving Virginia Railway Express operations.

STAFFORD — Virginia Congressman Rob Wittman visited The Reger Group in North Stafford on Monday, touring the facility and meeting with employees.

This year, the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control turns 75.

STAFFORD — Navy Federal Credit Union debuted its newest branch at the newly opened Quantico Corporate Center on Monday.

RICHMOND — At least three Richmond-area residents received calls recently from someone in Jamaica claiming to be associated with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in Central Virginia. They were told they won $3.8 million dollars in a lottery, but they first needed to send $380 before they can get the winnings.

STAFFORD — On Jan. 29, The Reger Group received a 2009 SmartCEO/Future 50 Award and was recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in the Washington, D.C. region by “Washington SmartCEO” magazine.

Business in Stafford County are ringing in the new year with new ideas, from Goodwill Industries’ new electric van to Ben & Jerry’s new partnership.

STAFFORD — Applications from HCA and Medicorp Health System to build cancer centers at their new hospitals in Stafford and Spotsylvania counties by obtaining radiation equipment for the facilities were rejected last week.

Tastefully Simple comes to Stafford and Giant prepares to celebrate Black History Month.

FALMOUTH — Iron Mountain, an information protection and storage service, will be moving soon into more than 140,000 square feet at the Virginia Gateway Distribution Center, built in 2007 and located at 2031 International Parkway.

STAFFORD — Sen. Richard Stuart was the keynote speaker at a Legislative Appreciation Reception held earlier this month.

FREDERICKSBURG — Del Webb, a leader in active-adult living, has announced that Celebrate, its Fredericksburg-based active-adult community, has been honored with two Silver Awards from the National Association of Home Builders for outstanding marketing materials.

FREDERICKSBURG — Fredericksburg’s Jabberwocky has become one of the nation’s top retailers of a popular family game called Ruckus, according to Dan Levy, president of Funstreet Inc.

STAFFORD – Adam and Denise Moody placed No. 16 in September 2008 sales volume among more than 55,000 U.S. distributors for Reliv International, Inc. Reliv International is a direct selling company that markets nutritional supplements.

DMV offices to close

STAFFORD — In honor of Veterans Day, all Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) customer service centers will be closed on Nov. 11.

Saxon Shoes’ footprint is expanding.

The family-owned retailer, which operates a store in the Short Pump Town Center in western Henrico County, plans to open a second location in the planned The Village at Towne Centre in Fredericksburg next spring.

Safeway stores raise funds, fight muscular dystrophy

GREENBELT, MD — Baltimore-Washington area Safeway stores this year contributed more than $684,000 to support the Muscular Dystropyh Association’s fight to defeat the disease, as well as related ailments.

STAFFORD —  A phone company will now offer home television service in Stafford thanks to a unanimous vote by the county board.

STAFFORD — The chief of the new Stafford Hospital Center was tasked Monday with helping open a state-of-the-art medical facility.

NORTH STAFFORD — Maggie Moos ice cream shop in Stafford Marketplace has announced a partnership with INOVA Health System to give ice cream to blood donors.

STAFFORD — Stafford now has another option when it comes to ordering a hamburger. Foster’s Grille, a franchise restaurant that already operates locations in Manassas and Massaponax, has opened a new location in the Carter’s Crossing shopping center, off of Warrenton Road in the southern portion of the county.

STAFFORD —  A local teen is making a name for himself supporting worthwhile causes.

FREDERICKSBURG — Virginia Partners Bank, based in Fredericksburg, has opened its doors.

Upper Marlboro, Md. — K&M Contracting, Inc. in Fredericksburg was recently re-certified through the NAHB Research Center’s prestigious National Housing Quality Certified Trade Contractor Program. The NAHB Research Center, a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders, offers the certification program and provides independent, third-party evaluations of participating contractors.