More snow on the way?
Early forecasts have Mid-Atlantic in crosshairs … again
Story by Chris Graham
News tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
A news release from AccuWeather.com Thursday morning has the Mid-Atlantic and Central Appalachians in the line of fire for a possible winter storm Sunday night and Monday.
The path of the storm is uncertain at this point, but the early forecast models are suggesting that the storm system, currently forecast to dump rain and snow on Califormia before tracking east, could produce heavy snowfall or heavy rain in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Either could be a problem with the substantial snowpack already on the ground.
Check back to AugustaFreePress.com for more information as the weather situation develops.
Saying something nice about ol’ Al
The guy could prepare kids for the NFL, even if he had a hard time winning games
Column by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Ambivalent about college athletics as I am, I’ve wondered over the years about whether or not we might not want to expect college coaches to think, you know, about things other than wins and losses. The thinking on that line being, well, college teams are attached, at least in name, to a college, i.e. a learning institution, so why not teach ‘em something, too, along the way?
Regular readers of my columns know how critical I was over the years of Al Groh and his failed tenure at his (and our) alma mater – how he couldn’t beat Tech, heck, couldn’t beat anybody consistently other than Duke, and even couldn’t do that at the end, that sort of thing.
Turns out he was taking care of business behind the scenes in one way that I would like to see more coaches emulate.
“I think a lot of people wonder, How does UVa. have so many players playing in the NFL when the team wasn’t doing well at the college level? I think one of the reasons is that Coach Groh ran an NFL system, so the transition and the learning curve for us wasn’t as steep as it was for some other college players,” four-year NFL veteran and 2006 UVa. alum Brad Butler told me recently.
Butler had just spoken to a group at a local high school about civic participation, a key interest of his dating back to his days on Grounds at the University. I admitted to him later that I hadn’t been following his NFL career as closely as I had some of our fellow alums. You can tend to forget the O linemen, especially when they play in obscurity in Buffalo, aka the team in the AFC East that never makes the playoffs. Read more
Live Blog | UVa. vs. Florida State
Moderated by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
The AFP and ACCVirginia.com will be reporting live from tonight’s UVa.-Florida State ACC men’s basketball game.
The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip. It is being broadcast on ESPNU.
Virginia is 14-9 overall and 5-5 in the ACC. Florida State is 18-7 overall and 6-5 in the ACC.
Editor Chris Graham will be blogging from courtside with score updates, commentary, analysis and observations on what is going on in the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville and the world at large.
Tri for the Y
Sprint triathlon will challenge participants
Story by Chris Graham
www.waynesboroymca.com
Call it the Waynesboro Ironman. The Tri for the Y, scheduled for Saturday, June 6, features a 400-meter swim, a challenging 15-mile bike ride, then finishes up with a 5K run along the South River.
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
“We didn’t exactly shy away from making this challenging. We want to make this a legitimate event,” said Lee Robertson, a partner in Elevation Athletics, which is sponsoring the Tri for the Y sprint triathlon with the YMCA. Read more
UVa. women knock off UNC in double-OT
Staff Report
UVa. sports: www.virginiasports.com
No. 21 Virginia defeated No. 20 North Carolina, 82-78, in double overtime on Monday night at John Paul Jones Arena. Monica Wright (Woodbridge, Va.) led all scorers with 33 points, while Telia McCall (Marietta, Ga.) hauled down 20 rebounds for the Cavaliers.
Virginia improved to 19-6 overall and 8-3 in the conference. The Cavaliers snapped a 13-game losing streak to the Tar Heels, winning for the first time since March 2, 2003 (a 69-59 victory at University Hall). UNC dropped its fifth-straight contest, making its record 16-8 overall and 4-6 in the ACC.
Wright was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line, and added nine rebounds in addition to her 33 points. It was her league-leading sixth 30-point game of the season and she moved up another spot on the ACC’s all-time scoring list. With 2,384 points for her career, she passed NC State’s Genia Beasley (1977-80; 2,367 points) and now is in third place. Read more
She has the Y
Senior credits health to Y family
Story by Chris Graham
www.waynesboroymca.com
Lucille Graves had just retired from DuPont. She was borderline diabetic, and had been dealing with high blood pressure for several years.
“I knew I didn’t want to sit around and watch TV the rest of my life,” said Graves, who joined the Waynesboro YMCA 20 years ago, and is preparing for her 82nd birthday in February by walking 20 miles a week on the treadmills upstairs.
“I try to keep at 3 miles per hour,” said Graves, who attributes her continued good health to her six-day-a-week routine at the Y. Read more
Save the CCCA – for the kids
Column by David Cox
Submit guest columns: freepress2@ntelos.net
God forbid, next winter I slip on the ice, bang my head, and sustain major injury. Our rescue squad right away gets me to Stonewall Jackson Hospital which provides immediate initial care. But the damage is too great for SJH to handle. They transfer me ASAP to the University of Virginia Hospital where an ICU bed awaits me, and brain surgeons prepare to work their miracles. Thank goodness, I can take advantage of the continuum of health care in our area.
God forbid, next winter a neighborhood child encounters teenaged angst in a big way. Parents try their best, get counseling and other help at hand in our community. But a crisis erupts that is more than anyone here, including professionals, can handle. The young person needs the equivalent of the UVA Hospital, one specializing in juvenile mental health. But it’s not there. The state closed the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents in nearby Staunton over the summer. SJH or the jail may be the only alternatives, neither of which wants to, or can, handle the crisis.
There is genuine danger that the continuum of health care in our state will soon be limited. CCCA is reportedly on the budgetary chopping block. It shouldn’t be. Shutting down an outstanding facility that treats youth in crisis with rare expertise is as foolishly shortsighted as closing the Natural Bridge Juvenile Learning Center. Read more
Rise ‘n shine
SMAC coach burns both ends of the candle
Story by Chris Graham
www.waynesboroymca.com
People can’t believe that Doug Wharam is at the YMCA by 5:15 every morning, but to Wharam, his daily routine is nothing extraordinary.
“The kids are here, and they work hard, and I love what I do. That makes it easy,” said Wharam, who was hired in August to lead the Y’s Shenandoah Marlins Aquatic Club – SMAC – competitive-swimming program.
Wharam oversees the training and competition regimens of 85 young SMAC swimmers, from learn-to-swim 8-and-unders to elite teens who compete at the national level.
Wharam came to Waynesboro most recently from Providence, R.I., where he was an age-group coach and volunteer assistant at Brown University. He has roots in Central Virginia, though, having competed on the club swimming team at the University of Virginia, where he also serves as a volunteer assistant coach. Read more
Author slows down, takes it all in
Augusta County native returns to his roots with Blue
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Cole Scrogham was on top of the world. Being on top of the world isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.
“The time constraints are enormous. A hundred-hour week is not uncommon. And travel is extensive,” said Scrogham, who after building a successful racing organization in Southside decided that the hundred-hour weeks weren’t worth it anymore and returned to his roots in Augusta County to pursue the ministry and writing.
His first work of literary fiction, Blue, is now available online, weaving storylines including politics, the ministry and life in Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.
“As you get to different points in your life, some things get to be more important than winning championships. I felt that kind of tug and at least wanted to explore what’s there,” said Scrogham in an interview for The AFP Show podcast last week.
Blue weaves elements of faith that are derived from a licensed pastor’s perspective in the Church of the Brethren, into a nonconfrontational discourse on personal and sensitive issues of our day.
“I hope people will enjoy this book, and although I certainly won’t be getting rich off of it, I hope someone out there will find it moving,” Scrogham said.
More information on Blue can be found at: www.lulu.com/product/paperback/blue/6319528.
Lawmaker Dispatches: Monday, Feb. 15
Featured: Mary Margaret Whipple, Rob Bell
Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple: Crossover
www.vasenatedems.com
Tomorrow is “crossover day” down here in Richmond, meaning each chamber must act on all pending legislation if they want it considered by the other. Consequently, your Senate Democratic Caucus is working hard to pass our priority legislation and send it to our counterparts in the House of Delegates where we hope it will find a warm reception.
Since my last update, we’ve gotten some great legislation through the Senate and kept a few bad bills from getting out. Last week we passed two very important equality bills, both sponsored by Democrats. Sen. Donald McEachin of Richmond introduced SB66 to prevent discrimination in the state workforce, including on the basis of sexual orientation. This important protection has traditionally been enacted by Governor’s Executive Order, but we felt it was important enough to put in the law. This basic protection means that all employment decisions in Virginia state government will be made based on talents and abilities, just as they should be.
The Senate also passed SB451 that will allow local governments to extend the insurance policies of their employees to other family members—including domestic partners or grown children—as the locality sees fit. I introduced this bill as a way to keep Virginia localities competitive against other localities and private business when attracting top talent. Read more
Winter Weather Advisory: 1 to 3 inches of snow in Greater Augusta
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro through midnight tonight.
The forecast is calling for snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches. The snow is expected to begin between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The heaviest snowfall is forecast between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Snow is expected to end by late evening.
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Fool me once … Will the Loophole Lender Lobbyists get their way again?
Posted on February 15, 2010 · 2 Comments
Column by Jay Speer
Submit guest columns: freepress2@ntelos.net
The 2008 General Assembly enacted several changes to the Virginia payday loans law that took effect January 1, 2009. But instead of complying with the new law, the payday lenders started doing “line of credit loans” to take advantage of a loophole in Virginia law that allows unrestricted, unregulated open-end loans.
Open-end loans have no set time to be repaid. The borrower just needs to make a minimum payment each month — think “credit cards” (with a 300 percent interest rate). Virginia enacted this open-end credit loophole many years ago in order to attract lending business here but this loophole is no longer necessary. Read more
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