VMI posts Big South win
Senior guard Austin Kenon and junior guard Keith Gabriel combined for 48 points to lead VMI over UNC Asheville, 83-72, Friday afternoon at the Justice Center.
VMI secured its first Big South Conference win of the year and snapped a 13-game UNC Asheville homecourt winning streak. The Keydets prevailed for the fourth time in its last five trips to the Justice Center floor. VMI moved to 8-5, 1-2 BSC while Asheville slipped to 6-7, 1-2 BSC.
Kenon sparked several VMI runs with perimeter shooting and hit five 3-pointers to finish with a game-high 26 points while Gabriel slashed his way to a 22-point outing hitting 8- of-16 attempts from the floor. Read more
Chopper-Cessna collision in Augusta kills two
Virginia State Police are investigating an aircraft collision that claimed two lives Friday afternoon in Augusta County. Trooper K. Hyden is investigating the incident and is still in the process of confirming the identities of the deceased.
At 2:27 p.m. Friday, a single-engine Cessna 172H and a medical transport helicopter made contact in the air near the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave, Va. The plane suffered severe damage and crashed to the ground. The plane’s two occupants died at the scene.
The helicopter’s skid was damaged in the collision, but was still able to safely land at the airport. The helicopter, AirCare 5 Medevac, had a pilot and a medical crew of two on board at the time. The helicopter had transported a patient to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville and was returning to the airport at the time of the incident. No one on the helicopter was injured.
State police have notified the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Investigators with both agencies are en-route to the scene.
The circumstances and cause surrounding the collision remain under investigation at this time.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
Weekend weather looks good to start, with rain coming
A cold, cold December is giving way to a nice New Year’s weather weekend.
The forecast for Friday looks the best for the three days, with mostly-sunny skies and temperatures topping out in the mid-50s. Lows for New Year’s Eve night are only expected to dip into the upper 30s, with clear skies becoming mostly cloudy into the overnight hours.
New Year’s Day has highs back into the 50s, but with a 70 percent chance of showers, mainly in the afternoon, and winds from the southwest at 5-10 mph and gusts up to 20 mph. The chance of rain continues into Saturday night with lows around 40.
Showers are also likely Sunday morning with clearing to a partly-sunny afternoon. Highs Sunday in the mid-40s, and lows Sunday night in the low-20s.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
Sans Scott: These Cavs are going to struggle
“Now we’re back to square one,” UVa. coach Tony Bennett said of the health issues of senior Mike Scott, whose bad ankle kept him off the court for Virginia’s lackluster 60-47 loss to Iowa State Thursday night.
He could also have been talking about his team as a whole. The defeat was the second in a row for the ‘Hoos, who have seen an 8-3 start that included wins over Minnesota and Virginia Tech turn into an 8-5 headscratcher. Read more
Arrests related to Speedy’s burglary
The investigation into a Dec. 28 conveniece-store burglary in Waynesboro has resulted in two arrests for that crime and several others.
Matthew McKinley Painter, 26, of Dooms, has been charged with breaking and entering and grand larceny in connection with the burglary at Speedy’s on North Delphine Avenue. Painter also faces charges related to the theft of a lawn mower from a residence on West 12th Street, a laptop from a residence on Woodland Circle and a purse from a residence on B Street.
Also arrested as a result of the investigation was Donnie Lee Jarvis, 34, of Crimora, who turned himself into Waynesboro Police on Thursday on a charge of grand larceny of an LCD television from the Waynesboro Wal-Mart.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
Hokies make it three in a row
Virginia Tech got 17 points from Malcolm Delaney and 16 points and 15 rebounds from Jeff Allen as the Hokies overcame a sluggish first half to post a victory over South Carolina-Upstate, 64-53, Thursday night in Blacksburg.
A 13-2 run to close out the first half erased a seven-point deficit and sent Tech into the locker room with a 34-29 lead.
South Carolina-Upstate (2-10) cut the lead to five midway through the second half before Virginia Tech (8-4) took control with a 10-2 run capped by a Victor Davila dunk.
The AFP on WREL: Looking ahead to 2011
AFP editor Chris Graham joins WREL’s “Online with Jim Bresnahan” to talk Virginia news.
The segment begins with a look ahead to the 2011 Virginia General Assembly session. The focus at the outset will be on the proposal of Gov. Bob McDonnell to have the state privatize its ABC stores and on a related topic involving transportation funding. Chris gives his insights into how those issues might be resolved by state legislators.
We wrap with a look ahead to the 2011 and 2012 election cycles.
Fox News be damned: Vick's story is tale of redemption
I have to admit to being surprised to hear Tucker Carlson saying on Fox News that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick should have been executed for his role in a dogfighting ring that landed the former Virginia Tech star in a federal prison.
I was surprised mainly because I didn’t realize that Tucker Carlson was still around, to be honest.
So Fox threw the buttoned-up conservative a lifeline after he was canned by CNN and MSNBC. Which is probably why you hear something incendiary from him now – seriously, one more pinkslip, and the guy is lucky to get a guest gig on my upcoming show on WVPT. Read more
Fox News be damned: Vick’s story is tale of redemption
I have to admit to being surprised to hear Tucker Carlson saying on Fox News that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick should have been executed for his role in a dogfighting ring that landed the former Virginia Tech star in a federal prison.
I was surprised mainly because I didn’t realize that Tucker Carlson was still around, to be honest.
So Fox threw the buttoned-up conservative a lifeline after he was canned by CNN and MSNBC. Which is probably why you hear something incendiary from him now – seriously, one more pinkslip, and the guy is lucky to get a guest gig on my upcoming show on WVPT.
To the substance of what Carlson had to say:
“Michael Vick killed dogs, and he did in a heartless and cruel way. And I think, personally, he should’ve been executed for that. He wasn’t, but the idea that the president of the United States would be getting behind someone who murdered dogs?”
Ah, here we go. This isn’t really about Michael Vick. The target is Barack Obama, who being a Democrat gets upbraided by Fox if he says the sky is blue. (Glenn Beck would swear up and down for weeks after that we all know the sky is purple, calling blue “the preferred color of the fascists and commies.”)
The criticism itself, though extreme, is something that I’ve heard and had a couple of friendly arguments about since Vick was first signed by Philly in 2009. My take on Vick is that he has paid his debt to society (which, incidentally, was handed down in a sentence issued by the same judge who just ruled in favor of Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli on his suit challenging the constitutionality of health-care reform signed into law earlier this year).
The book was thrown at him. The door was locked, the key thrown away. He had to file for bankruptcy after being released by Atlanta and losing his millions in endorsements. And there was no guarantee in signing with Philadelphia that Vick would ever be more than a footnote in football history thereafter. Remember, the Eagles at the time had Donovan McNabb as their starter and a guy named Kevin Kolb who was considered the quarterback of the future whenever McNabb was to move on. Vick was seen around the league as at best being a guy who could run some wildcat plays and maybe eventually get some playing time at receiver and maybe returning punts.
Now 16 months later he’s the NFC starter in the Pro Bowl and a top contender for the NFL most valuable player award. As such, Vick is, and I agree with the president on this, a perfect example of what can go right when a person who has a history of doing something very, very wrong is given a second chance.
The outcry initiated by the likes of Tucker Carlson reveals the facade that is the American attitude toward redemption. We like to say that we believe in forgiving and forgetting and giving people a chance to redeem themselves, but we don’t come close to practicing what we preach in that respect.
The great shame is that in doing so, we’re missing out on what could be a nice life lesson for us all. The world is chewing a lot of us up and spitting us out in all directions with the job market being what it is and the housing market being what it is. Seeing a guy like Michael Vick doing well with the lifeline that he was thrown could and should be an inspiration for people who need one.
For example, that Tucker Carlson guy. Dude, Fox rescued you from the TV-host trash heap. You’re getting a third chance when most don’t even get one. And you dare look your gift horse in the mouth?
Column by Chris Graham. More sports news and views at VaSportsOnline.com.
Good news, bad news in driving data
Some good news on driving safety today from Gov. Bob McDonnell: Traffic fatalities on Virginia roadways will reach a record low in 2010 for the second straight year.
Some bad news on the safety front today from AAA: A new report indicates that 10 percent of drivers have driven while under the influence of alcohol at least once in the past 12 months, and more than half of those reported doing so multiple times.
“Drunk drivers put everyone on the road in danger, especially during holiday season which often combines travel with multiple opportunities to consume alcohol,” AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson Martha Meade said.
And that’s the focus in the here and now, with the festive New Year’s holiday on the horizon. Analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data from 2000-2009 shows that an average of 80 people a year are killed nationwide in alcohol-related crashes on New Year’s Day, and in 2005, the last time New Year’s fell on a Saturday, 98 people died in alcohol-related crashes on New Year’s.
AAA is encouraging people to visit TakeThePledge.AAA.com to sign a quick online pledge to drive only while drug and alcohol-free this holiday season and all year long. Once you’ve taken the free pledge, you can share it via Facebook and Twitter, or even send personalized E-cards to encourage others to do the same.
Efforts at the state level to combat drunk driving are attributed with the reduction in traffic fatalities in Virginia in 2010. As of today, there were 715 road deaths reported statewide compared to 750 on this same date last year; a 5 percent decrease from 2009 and a 40 percent decrease from a record high of 1,026 traffic fatalities in 2007.
This year, DMV’s Virginia Highway Safety Office, Virginia State Police and local law enforcement joined together for “Checkpoint Strikeforce,” an annual media and enforcement campaign aimed at preventing drunk driving; as well as with VDOT for “Operation Air, Land and Speed,” an enforcement effort conducted periodically on Virginia’s interstates. DMV and State Police also partnered with local law enforcement for the periodic “Click It or Ticket” safety belt enforcement mobilization.
While the downward trend in traffic deaths is positive, safety experts warn motorists not to become complacent.
“We must remain vigilant on our roadways since there’s no such thing as an ‘acceptable’ number of traffic deaths, except zero,” said DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb, the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative.
Virginia State Police Superintendent, Col. W. Steven Flaherty, advises motorists to buckle up, avoid distractions, obey the speed limit and not to drive impaired.
“Virginians must make smart decisions and take responsible actions while driving on our roads,” Flaherty said. “The loss of life on our highways is unfortunate and needless. The goal for all of us should be to prevent crashes and change our driving behaviors for the better.”
Story by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
Nan Russell: The journal
Twenty-some years in the making, it wasn’t a typical Christmas present. But it was, truly, a gift of a lifetime. Our son, the recipient, knew his father made periodic journal entries about the joys and challenges of raising him, about family events and world happenings, peppered with memories from his own life.
But when the journal arrived in the form of a finished, self-published book on Christmas day, it took our son by surprise. Thirteen days after Ian’s first child was born, on the morning of her first Christmas, his father gave him the journal about his life as written from a father’s perspective. The timing of that gift was orchestrated to commemorate Ian’s becoming a father himself; a loving baton passed from one generation to the next.
Adorned with a half-dozen of Dan’s favorite Ian pictures on the hard-bound shiny front cover, and milestone pictures on the back, Ian’s Journal witnesses the love of a father for his son. It also records challenges and joys of fatherhood, interpreting two journeys: boy-to-man and young father-to-grandfather, through the eyes of the latter.
I was also a recipient of my own gift copy of Dan’s journal that Christmas. To read my husband’s words, to savor a memory through his eyes, to feel the sadness or love or frustration or worry, to catch a glimpse of his thoughts or perspectives long ago forgotten in our conversations, or to discover even more dimensions to this man I have shared my life with for thirty-five years, his journal is a living gift for years to come.
There is a depth and spirit about the journal, embedded with the giver’s love, that makes me ponder the usual gifts we give and get at the holidays: those latest gadgets, hottest toys, most popular video games, newest technology, trendiest clothes, and coolest jewelry, topped with gift cards, are hollow by comparison.
I don’t know about you, but I have more “stuff” than I possibly need. And after the glow of the season passes, the excitement about that stuff often passes, too. The Christmas presents that offer lasting memories, like Ian’s Journal, come from the soul.
Handcrafted and heart-made, these actions of love, gifts of time, simple kindnesses, encouraging words, rekindled friendships, unexpected pleasures, and shared joys with family and friends are what transmits the season’s message and magic.
So, in the scheme of things, and against this year’s backdrop of difficult economic times, world tensions, natural and man-made disasters, and the nasty rancor of politics and us-them finger pointing, I think we could all use a little more of that kind of Christmas. We could all use more gifts of love.
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JMU upsets Kent State, improves to 10-3
Posted on December 31, 2010 · Leave a Comment
JMU won its fourth in a row to improve to 10-3 for the season. KSU fell to 9-5 for the season with the loss. The 15-game win streak in the MAC Center, which started Jan. 20, was the 10th-longest in the nation entering the day. Read more
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