Employment numbers continue to improve
The state unemployment rate dropped in August to three percentage points below the national average, and the rate also dipped locally in the Central Shenandoah Valley.
The state rate was at 6.5 percent in August, down from 6.9 percent in July and 7.3 percent in June, according to data on the Virginia Employment Commission updated Wednesday. Read more
Daily Rant | We Get It, He’s Not Bob McDonnell
Democrats want to see more out of the Creigh Deeds campaign than, well, Creigh Deeds isn’t Bob McDonnell. AFP editor Chris Graham implores the Deeds folks to start delivering. Facebook Video. Length: 2:38. Read more
Environmental groups challenge Wise County coal plant
A permit for a 585-megawatt coal-fired power plant under construction in Wise County, Virginia violates Clean Air Act regulations for carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution, one of the main contributors to climate change, says a coalition of environmental and clean energy groups in an appeal sent today to the Court of Appeals of Virginia. Read more
Website to provide important family nutritional information
The Virginia Department of Health has awarded James Madison University a $3.4 million grant to produce content and design for an interactive website full of nutrition information for children and their families.
The future “Health Bites” site is primarily designed to assure success of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) by providing easy-to-understand nutrition information based on the most up-to-date research, according to Dr. Rhonda M. Zingraff, associate dean of the JMU’s College of Integrated Science and Technology and director of the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services. Once available online through the VDH, the site also will benefit the general public by explaining nutrition topics via short video clips and text. Read more
‘Topping out’ at new RMH
Harman Construction Inc. has celebrated the “topping out,” or completion of the steel placement phase, of the Hahn Building at the new RMH campus.
“Topping out” is a ceremony in which the final steel beam is hoisted into place, signifying the completion of the building’s steel structure. In the high-steel trade, it announces that the construction has reached the sky without loss of life or serious injury. Read more
Virginia eighth in domestic-visitor spending
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine on Tuesday announced that Virginia’s tourism industry rose to eighth in the nation for domestic visitor spending in 2007. The increase from tenth to eighth saw Virginia move past New Jersey and Georgia in nationwide rankings for domestic visitor spending, according to data just released by the U.S. Travel Association. The governor made the announcement at VA-1, the state’s annual tourism conference, held this year in Old Town Alexandria. Read more
Amtrak launches new passenger-rail service in Virginia
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine today joined Gov. Linwood Holton, Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman, Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman and state and local officials on a Whistle Stop Train Tour to launch new passenger rail service between Lynchburg and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. Beginning October 1, Amtrak Virginia, a partnership between the Commonwealth of Virginia and Amtrak, will expand daily round-trip service between Lynchburg, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, Boston and many other cities in between. Read more
Can the Little Giants step up against the Blue Streaks?
Waynesboro High School football coach Steve Isaacs joins today’s “Chris Graham Show” to preview the Little Giants’ game Friday night at Harrisonburg. What does WHS need to do to slow the mighty Blue Streak Machine down? Coach Isaacs gives his insight on that question and wraps up the loss to R.E. Lee Monday night. Length: 5:46. Read more
Rasmussen: McDonnell 51, Deeds 42
A new poll from Rasmussen Reports has Bob McDonnell reopening a healthy lead over Creigh Deeds in the Virginia governor’s race.
The Rasmussen poll has McDonnell with a 51 percent-to-42 percent lead over Deeds. Deeds had narrowed the McDonnell lead two weeks ago to a 48 percent-to-46 percent margin. Read more
Perriello working on unemployment-benefits issue
Congressman Tom Perriello is fighting to extend unemployment benefits in Virginia after the U.S. House passed a bill that did not benefit Virginia workers.
Last week, the U.S. House passed H.R. 3548, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act, which only applied to states with unemployment rates of 8.5 percent or higher (Virginia’s is currently at 6.5 percent). Prior to the vote, Perriello wrote to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer asking that regional considerations be made to account for areas like Southern Virginia with high unemployment rates. Because the bill would not benefit Virginians, Rep. Perriello broke with his party and voted against the bill. Yesterday, he sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee Chairman urging short- and long-term solutions for regions like Southern Virginia. Read more
President Barack Obama | Remarks on federal stimulus
Speech at National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Md.
Wednesday, Sept. 30
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you so much. Francis, thank you for the extraordinary introduction. I want to echo what has just been said about my Secretary of HHS. She is, I just think, outstanding. She hit the ground running, and with all the burdens that she carries, she always has a sense of fun and energy, and is just good to be around. So please give Kathleen Sebelius a big round of applause. (Applause.) Read more
Press Briefing | Press Secretary Robert Gibbs
Wednesday, Sept. 30
MR. GIBBS: Mr. Elliott, take us away.
Q Thanks, Robert. Can you tell us about the format of today’s meeting? Presumably, the President already knows where a lot of these folks stand, so is this going to be a debate, a discussion, a briefing? And are there going to be recommendations? Read more
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