Health officials: Beware of third wave of H1N1
Staff Report
News tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
Although influenza-like illness visits to emergency departments are decreasing, and more than 1.2 million doses of H1N1 vaccine has been administered throughout the state of Virginia, public-health officials are continuing to stress the great importance of members of the community receiving their H1N1 vaccine.
The Virginia State Health Commissioner, Dr. Karen Remley, has stated that, “History has demonstrated that, in the 1957-58 influenza epidemic, vaccination efforts waned and there was significant mortality in the third wave of disease in February. The 1918-1919 pandemic also featured a third wave in February-March in Britain.”
Also important to note is that children ages four and under are continuing to seek medical care at higher rates than the rest of the population.
The state is working to prevent a possible third wave of the 2009 H1N1 strain.
Call for art entries from Augusta Health
Staff Report
News tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
The Augusta Health Art Committee announces a call for entries for high quality 2-D art in the hospital gallery for the 2011 season and beyond.
Art shown in the gallery during the two-month’s long exhibits will be eligible for purchase by gallery visitors and by Augusta Health. To apply, artists are asked to submit one labeled CD which includes the artist’s resume, artist’s statement, and images (pdf or jpeg) including dimensions of at least eight different, original pieces of representational work.
Slides will not be accepted. Submissions must be received by Monday, Feb. 1, 2010. Read more
Barrel tasting at Virginia Wineworks
Staff Report
News tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
Virginia Wineworks will have a special barrel-tasting event on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 30 and Jan. 31, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
This is a unique opportunity to taste the recently blended 2008 Meritage and other Bordeaux varietals while they are still in the barrel. These wines will continue to age for another year and will not be officially available until 2011.
Customers will have the opportunity to purchase red wines from the heralded 2008 vintage at a significant savings. Both Michael Shaps and Philip Stafford will be on hand to sample and discuss these wines. Read more
UVa. baseball #2 in Baseball America poll
Staff Report
UVa. sports: www.virginiasports.com
The Virginia baseball team is ranked No. 2 in the 2010 Preseason Baseball America Top 25, which was released today by the publication. It marks the Cavaliers’ highest ranking at any point in program history.
Virginia’s previous top ranking was No. 3, set in April 2007 and matched this past December in the preseason Collegiate Baseball rankings for 2010. Texas holds the top spot in the Baseball America preseason rankings, while LSU, Cal State Fullerton and Rice round out the top five.
Led by seventh-year head coach Brian O’Connor, Virginia returns 23 of its 29 letterwinners from the 2009 team, which went 49-15-1, won the ACC Championship and captured the NCAA Irvine Regional and Oxford Super Regional titles en route to the program’s first College World Series appearance. Read more
RMH: #1 in Virginia for coronary interventional procedures
Staff Report
News tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
For the fourth consecutive year, Rockingham Memorial Hospital has been ranked number one in Virginia, and among the top 10 percent of all hospitals nationally, for coronary interventional procedures by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings company.
Coronary intervention, also referred to as percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, is performed to open blocked arteries to the heart. RMH opened its first cardiac catheterization lab in 1989 to perform diagnostic procedures. Physicians could determine whether arteries were blocked, but had to send patients to other facilities outside the local community for treatment of the blockages.
In January 2003, with the addition of an interventional cardiologist to the staff, RMH began performing coronary interventional procedures, or PCI. PCI involves the insertion of a balloon catheter to open a blocked artery and often the placement of stents, small metal mesh “cages,” to hold the artery open. Read more
Webb, Warner: Expedite development of offshore oil, gas
Staff Report
News tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
U.S. Sens. Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner today called on the Secretary of the Interior to promptly commence steps to ensure that the Virginia Lease Sale, for the development of oil and gas resources off the coast of Virginia, remains on track for 2011.
“Support among Virginia’s political leadership for the development of oil and gas resources is strong,” the senators wrote in a joint letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “If accomplished with a fair and equitable formula for sharing of revenues between the federal and state government, Lease Sale 220 will attract well-paying jobs to the Commonwealth to support a range of projects, from the transportation sector to coastal restoration. Further, it holds significant promise for boosting needed domestic energy production.”
In June 2008, Sen. Webb cosponsored legislation with then-Sen. John Warner to allow the Commonwealth to conduct energy exploration activities in the Outer Continental Shelf, with revenue-sharing provisions. “We believe the time has come for implementing the intent of the legislation by going forward with Lease Sale 220 in a more expedited manner,” wrote Sens. Webb and Mark Warner today in their letter.
Webb: Reverse decision on Gitmo trials
Staff Report
News tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va. joined five other senators Tuesday calling for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to reverse his decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other alleged conspirators in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in civilian court rather than military commissions.
The six lawmakers, including Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), expressed particular concern “about using the U.S. criminal-justice system for trying enemy combatants,” indicating that “due to time constraints and location, we strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other alleged conspirators in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.” Read more
The whole truth, and nothing but the truth
A review of Jim Hardy’s The Plane Truth for Golfers
Column by John Rogers
www.golfthingsconsidered.net
One of the many funny things about golfers is that we tend to bring religious conviction to our swing techniques. “Thou shalt not let thine elbow fly!” and a million other rules come down from the mountaintops of golf wisdom. We talk about swinging the club “the right way” or “correctly”, we seek the “secret move” like the Holy Grail itself, and I have found that it is a rare golf conversation that does not include the word “perfect” somewhere along the way.
True to form for us messianic mashers of golf balls, the titles of the three golf books I have recently read each include one of the following words: perfect, truth, and laws. These are great words when we are dealing with commandments and our eternal souls, but are they really appropriate when working on a reverse spine angle in this silly game we play?
Even for a teaching professional who spends the bulk of his life spouting golf prophecy, talking about the “right” swing is almost as absurd as saying, “I drove my car correctly to work today.” Sure, there are some unavoidable physics and some laws (both natural and man-made) involved in driving a car; but there are all kinds of people driving a bewildering array of cars, with a wide range of driving styles. Read more
VMI holds off game Southern Virginia
Staff Report
VMI sports: www.vmikeydets.com
VMI’s Stan Okoye posted his fifth straight game of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, and the Keydets outlasted a strong Southern Virginia effort to earn a 99-87 victory over the Knights in a non-conference contest played at Cameron Hall Tuesday evening.
After battling through a close game all night, the Knights pulled to within three after a pair of Derek Cutler free throws with 4:49 to play. VMI launched an 8-1 run on the next possession, and SVU could not get closer than eight the rest of the way.
Okoye’s 24 points led all scorers, as the Keydets overcame an early SVU lead to win back-to-back games for the first time this season. The freshman also posted 11 rebounds, leading the home team in that category as well. VMI prevailed in spite of a double-double from the Knights’ Cory Evans, who nearly equaled Okoye’s effort with 23 points and 10 boards of his own.
With the victory, VMI moves to 7-12 on the season, while the Knights fall to 12-5.
2008 Waynesboro High School graduate played two minutes off the bench and did not score.
Friendly fire
Citizens group hears from City Council candidate
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Ward D Waynesboro City Council candidate Mike Harris introduced himself to a friendly audience Tuesday night, speaking at a meeting of the Waynesboro Citizens for Responsible Spending at the Waynesboro Public Library.
Harris, 62, is a Virginia State Police and military veteran who settled in Waynesboro in 2004 after his retirement from the State Police. His 11-minute talk to the Citizens for Responsible Spending was heavy on biography and political red meat.
“I’m a conservative. I don’t like spending money. I hate it. I don’t like paying taxes any more than anybody else does. I detest it. So when we have tax increases, I always want to know why and what for. I think that’s a reasonable request,” said Harris, who is challenging Ward D Councilwoman Lorie Smith in the May 4 city elections.
Smith, a former Waynesboro School Board chair who was elected to City Council in 2006, was in attendance at the meeting. Citizens for Responsible Spending leaders said during the meeting that the group has not yet endorsed a candidate in the Ward D race, though one of the organization’s founding members, Constance Paradiso, said it is actively recruiting a candidate to run for the open Ward C seat on City Council, and Harris campaign signs and volunteer signup sheets were prominently on display in the meeting room at the library. Read more
Group urges Webb, Warner to oppose Bernanke confirmation
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
A vote is expected this week on the nomination of Ben Bernanke to serve another term as the chairman of the Federal Reserve. A political action organization founded by conservative Republican Congressman Ron Paul is calling on Virginia Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner to vote no.
“The American people are speaking up loud and clear: No Fed transparency should mean no Bernanke reconfirmation,” said Campaign for Liberty President John Tate in a statement.
“Mark Warner and Jim Webb have an opportunity to show real leadership and stand with their fellow senators. Campaign for Liberty hopes they will stand up to the Big Bank special interests and support this important push for transparency,” Tate said. Read more
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The Rant | They Listen, Sometimes
Posted on January 27, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Video Essay by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Waynesboro City Council could listen, literally, to complaints from the AFP and the Waynesboro Citizens for Responsible Spending about its new rules for public comments at City Council business meetings.
AFP editor Chris Graham lets ‘em hear it in today’s Rant. Read more
Filed under Blogs · Tagged with free speech, school redistricting, virginia, waynesboro, waynesboro city council, waynesboro school board