Among other reasons, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia dismissed the case based on its finding that the recent actions of the General Assembly in passing a new redistricting rendered the case moot.

“We are pleased that the court has granted the Motion to Dismiss.  Both the United States Constitution and the Virginia Constitution provide that redistricting should be handled by the General Assembly. Because the General Assembly has now completed the required redistricting, it was appropriate for the court to decline to become involved,” said Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II.

“We will continue to defend the law passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor McDonnell.  We continue to work with the U.S. Department of Justice for its pre-clearance of the new districts under the Voting Rights Act and are prepared to litigate that question, if necessary. Our goal is that the will of the people, as evidenced by the votes of their elected representatives, be enforced and that orderly elections occur in November,” said Cuccinelli.

The federal lawsuit is similar to another suit brought by six other Virginia residents in the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond which also seeks to have a court draw the new districts.  The plaintiffs in both cases are represented by the same lawyers. Motions for Summary Judgment in the state case are scheduled to be heard on Monday.

While 111.3 million people watched the actual game, 3 million more watched Madonna’s halftime show for a grand total of 114 plus or minus million people all tuned into the tube on Sunday night.

Some Cold Fusioners out there asked what was my opinion of this or that about the broadcast. Not one question was posed about the game. For the record, I was only concerned about the point total. I remained completely unconcerned about any of the so-called controversies surrounding the event. But since you asked…..

Madonna – I thought she put on a great show. Visually impressive. Entertaining. Was I upset that she lip synced part of it? No. I was grateful.

Madonna’s British Rapper Flipping the Bird to 114 million viewers. I didn’t see it. So, no harm no fowl. Get it? Fowl? Bird?

Gisele Bundchen’s Defense of Her Husband Tom Brady. Someone recorded audio and video of Mrs. Tom Brady stating that basically it wasn’t her husband’s fault that his team lost mentioning that he could not catch the balls he threw. This is true. If Brady were a receiver, he would never be open because he’s too slow. Maybe that’s what she meant.

Clint Eastwood’s America Comeback Commercial. I still don’t get the fuss here. A moderate Republican/Libertarian iconic actor basically gives the country a halftime pep talk about getting back up after we’ve been knocked down and this is controversial? I get where people see the political angle in the ad about Detroit and Obama and the Auto Bailout, but really….we could use a pep talk and clearly this president can’t give one. If there is a controversy to be had, maybe it’s that. We don’t have a leader right now. So, naturally some political people got the vapors about it. How else does the media fill 24 hours a day? Clint donated his earnings from the ad to charity. He should have bought a car or three.

Remember two years ago, when the Super Bowl had a controversial ad with Tim Tebow and his mother? Ohhhhh yeahh……since you probably don’t (and neither did I) it’s on You Tube.

These controversies are largely fabricated to make sure that one is rightly outraged enough to keep a story alive long after its relevance has faded. They just don’t really matter that much. Don’t get me wrong, they are interesting looks into our world  – it’s just that in the grand scheme of things, they really don’t stack up – a lip syncing aging pop star from the 80s and 90s? Nothing new there. A middle finger? Commuting 101. A supermodel defending her husband and ticking off the rest of the team? Okay, that’s not every day stuff. Clint Eastwood doing an ad for Chrysler? Maybe….but I agreed with him. Out loud, in fact. I DO like those Jeep Wranglers!

How about the only REAL outrage in sports last week? The Baltimore Orioles traded a pitcher, Jeremy Guthrie, to the Colorado Rockies. That’s an outrage? No. The Rockies had to sign him to a contract though. After LOSING seventeen (17) games last year the Rockies agreed, apparently without a gun to anyone’s head, to pay Guthrie $8,200,000.00 to pitch next year in Colorado. Eight Point Two Million. Hard bargain they drove there. Like a 17 game LOSER could not have gotten by on just Eight. Million. Dollars. Nah, throw in a two hundred thousand dollar kicker….Where’s Madonna’s Rapper when you need her?

Guthrie will still only pay $6,621 in Social Security taxes. Unlike Warren Buffett’s secretary who pays 12.4%. If Guthrie paid Warren Buffett’s secretary’s rate, he would owe $1,016,800.00 to Social Security. Like I’m TOTALLY Not Even Kidding.

But let’s enter the world of REAL outrage and controversy. As if there is not enough bone dry kindling just looking for a spark….

The Susan Komen Foundation decided that breast cancer research funds should not be co-mingled with abortion funds at Planned Parenthood. Then they undecided. Tall in the saddle moment that one.

That lead me to do a little research on Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood. For all of the controversy about her views on birth control, eugenics and races, Sanger was opposed to abortion since she believed that life begins at conception. Sanger was Catholic and one of eleven kids. I thought…well…that’s very interesting. The founder of Planned Parenthood was opposed to abortion.

All of that had been preceded by President Obama siding with the pro-abortion electorate (not a swing vote) over the Catholic Church. Not some Catholics, THE Catholics. All of them. THE Swing Vote of All Swing Votes. The Bishops reluctantly agreed to support ObamaCare if Conscience Protection was included. The Bishops were warned not to by a large segment of the Church, but went forward with their support. Then Obama threw them under the bus.

From the Guitar and Sandals Wing of the Catholic Church to the Smells and Bells Wing, Obama managed to tick off just about every Catholic in the country. And not just a little. Big Mistake. Huge.

He woke up a Sleeping Giant  -  with a white hot poker in the eye. As Chris Matthews said this morning on MSNBC, “Catholics aren’t left or right, they’re Catholics.”

Catholics have a tendency, like most organizations, to bicker among themselves and it’s best to let them (us) have their internal squabbles. But if you attack them (us) and their (our) core beliefs, they (we) will drop everything and come at you.

So, am I upset that Secretary Sebelius was lip syncing Obama’s voice? No. I am grateful….for the Sleeping Giant sleeps no more.

THE Super Bowl begins.

The Senate passed SB 349 on a 22 to 18 vote. The House passed HB 189, 71 to 28, on February 3.

“Virginia’s lawmakers are not only allowing private adoption agencies to discriminate against prospective parents, with the passage of this law they seem to be encouraging it,” said ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis.

The legislative measure comes after the State Board of Social Services nearly put in place regulations that would have prohibited discrimination in adoptions and foster care placement, but decided against it when the Governor and anti-gay advocacy groups opposed the changes.

“Less than a year ago, Virginia was on the verge of adopting rather routine non-discrimination rules to apply to state-licensed adoption and foster care agencies,” added Willis. “Now we have turned 180 degrees and are actually enabling discrimination. Suffering most will be the many parentless children in state care whose likelihood of placement with caring families just dropped dramatically.”

Virginia has the second lowest rate of public adoptions in the nation. Currently, over 1,300 vulnerable children in Virginia are in need of homes. More than half of these children are of African-American heritage. This legislation will delay or deny permanency for some children because the state-contracted agency responsible for their placement can turn away qualified families for reasons unrelated to child welfare.

In October, the ACLU of Virginia submitted comments to the Board of Social Services stating that private adoption agencies, including faith-based groups, should not be allowed to discriminate when they perform governmental functions such as certifying adoptive parents or placing children with foster parents.

The Dukes, who won their third straight, improved their overall record to 18-5 and their CAA record to 10-3.  With Hofstra’s loss at Virginia Commonwealth Thursday night, JMU claimed sole possession of second place in the league standings.

Drexel’s record is now 11-11 overall and 7-5 in CAA play.  The Dragons lost their third straight home game.

Hislop, who led all players with 22 points, hit a 17-foot jumper with 1:18 left in regulation to tie the game at 43 and force overtime.

JMU opened overtime play with four straight points to start a 10-2 run that put the Dukes up 53-45 with 1:06 remaining.  Hislop scored the last six points of the run, including four at the foul line where she twice hit both ends of 1+1s.

Drexel pulled within three, 54-51, with 15.1 seconds remaining, but Hislop’s two free throws with 12.7 seconds on the clock sealed the Dukes’ win.

Also scoring in double figures for JMU were sophomore guard Kirby Burkholder (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby), who scored 12 and grabbed nine rebounds, and redshirt senior forward Lauren Whitehurst (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River), who had 10 points and nine rebounds.  Junior forward Nikki Newman (Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby) led all players with 10 rebounds.

Drexel was led by junior guard/forward Hollie Mershon (Malvern, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) with 17 points.  Senior forward Kamile Nacickaite (Siauliai, Lithuania/Regis Jesuit, Colo.) added 12 and senior forward Tyler Hale (Baltimore, Md./Towson Catholic) scored 11 and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

In this comedy, a Waynesboro Players directorial debut for Caleb Towns, a group of buccaneers believes that hijacking a cruise ship on the Talk Like a Pirate Day holiday is the proper route to infamy. They discover more than they bargained for in a colorful ensemble of fellow passengers. By the time night falls of the first day at sea, a tentacled monster will be summoned, a sword fight will be fought with plastic butter knives, and someone will take a one-way voyage to Davy Jones’ locker!

Playwright Warner gives the show a shining sendoff by thanking the “cast and crew for throwing caution (and dignity) to the wind, and for making me laugh to the point of illness.”

The cast of this uproarious comedy features Michael Palmer as CJ; Savannah Olshove as Doris Nettleton; Tara Stoll as Gina; Megan Moore as Bridget; Tarken Davis as Walker D. Plank; Joseph Bruce as Hunky Guy; Ryan Moneymaker as Halitosis Halvard the Pink; Alex Maneval as Paisley Nettleton; Michael Vayvada as Frederick Feedle Fillingsworth; David Reznik as Ned Nettleton; Colt Fitzgerald as the captain; with Tony Matterson, Mary Beth Poole, Nicole Frazer, Josh Dodson, and Alice Heitzenrater as crew and passengers.

Towns directs this production with assistance by Victoria Ray, producers Becky Price and June Hall, and stage manager Elizabeth Bruce.

The show runs Feb. 23–25 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. at Kate Collins Middle School, Waynesboro. Tickets are $10 for adults, and students (high school and under) $6.

Tickets will be available online at www.waynesboroplayers.org, at the door and at various locations in Waynesboro, Fishersville, Stuarts Draft, Verona, and Staunton (a list can be found online).

Republican leaders then responded with a press event aimed at highlighting what they termed their “positive reform agenda.”

“Republicans are so focused on divisive policies that they are hindering our efforts at progress, putting our kids’ education at risk, and leaving them less prepared for the future,” said Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Donald McEachin (D-Henrico). “In the last four weeks, Senate and House Republicans have introduced hundreds of bills that target the poor, women, and immigrants, make it harder to vote, and discriminate against gays and lesbians. It’s time for Republicans to put divisive ideology and raw partisanship aside.

“It was just last month in his State of the Commonwealth address that Gov. McDonnell warned Republicans not to overreach,” said House Democratic Leader David Toscano (D-Charlottesville). “All people need to do is look at these bills – allowing guns in child care parking lots and airports, drug testing for poor people, and restricting a woman’s right to choose. Meanwhile, we are short-changing our schools and not focusing enough attention on creating jobs and economic opportunity.”

Democratic leaders said House and Senate Democrats remain committed to returning the General Assembly’s focus to jobs, education, and transportation while ensuring that our schools and safety-net programs remain fully funded in the budget.

House Republican Caucus Chairman Timothy D. Hugo (R-Fairfax) and Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Ryan T. McDougle (R-Hanover) responded with a report on the progress of the agenda being advanced by the Republican majorities in House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia.

“Contrary to the assertions of our colleagues in the minority, Republicans working here at the Capitol have developed, passed, and now look forward to implementing legislation that addresses the issues Virginians care about: jobs, education, transportation, and government reform,” said Del. Hugo. “While our Democrat colleagues remain singularly focused on a small number of social issues, we are enacting the reforms necessary to move Virginia forward.”

McDougle and Hugo both pointed to significant bills that have already been approved by the House and Senate, including incentives for expanding existing businesses, economic development grants for agricultural and forestry businesses, charter school enhancements, and the most sweeping government reorganization plan in recent history. In the first four weeks of session, the Senate has passed over 300 bills while the House has passed over 380. Only a handful of the bills approved were included on the list of bills legislative Democrats characterized as “divisive” at their media event.

“The irony of the Democratic mantra is that the bills they cite appear to have created the most division within the Senate Democratic Caucus,” Sen. McDougle said. “Democrats cite thirteen Senate bills that are still active, of which eight have received support from members of the Democrat Caucus.”

“The Democrats continue to focus on a handful of bills that have received extensive debate in order to divert attention from the extreme legislation sponsored by their members. After members of their caucuses introduced legislation to study the sale of marijuana in ABC stores, to impose a tax on plastic bags, to abolish the Court of Appeals, to reinstate the Death Tax, and to allow convicted drug offenders to receive government benefits, it is little wonder want to divert attention.”

“Fewer than 3 percent of the bills passed so far in the House are what the Democrats are calling ‘divisive’,” said Hugo.  “The disparity between their talking points and the facts suggests they are at best wildly unaware of the legislation before them this session and at worst intentionally misleading Virginia’s citizens.”

At a recent volunteer dinner Peggy Reed was recognized for her work stepping up to continue her husband’s service on Habitat’s Board of Directors.  Their gift of $100,000 earmarked for Waynesboro projects was announced today as a matching gift opportunity for the 2012 Habitat campaign, “What Will You Build?”

The Reed family has served SAW Habitat on 13 Waynesboro home projects and has been the central force behind Habitat’s vision for Waynesboro that involves building a planned community of low-maintenance green homes – offering 25 families of various low incomes opportunity for quality and affordable homeownership.

SAW Habitat Executive Director Rhonda Howdyshell noted that the Reed’s gift will allow others to know that their gift to the Habitat’s “What Will You Build” campaign will be matched.  She noted that Habitat is the only low-income housing opportunity that partners working families in need of decent housing, with caring community members to create homeownership opportunities … not low income housing.

Housing studies show consistently that homeownership increases community vitality and reduces crime.  It creates healthier families and improves test scores for students who have a decent environment to study in.  In fact, fifteen (15) of SAW Habitat children have gone on to higher education and four (4) of the high school seniors have been at the top of their class.

The Habitat program does not give homes away, instead families must work sweat equity to build their home and those of others.  As homeowners, they pay taxes, insurance, and a mortgage while becoming stakeholders and a vested part of the community in which they live.

A number of controversial issues have come to a head the past few weeks, and I can give you my take on a few of them:

· A bill passed requiring an ultrasound be performed prior to an abortion.  I voted no because I think these issues are best left between patients and physicians.  I am not willing to impose the General Assembly’s view with respect to a medical procedure that adds expense and may or may not be necessary.

· The Senate also passed Senate Bill 1 to require a voter to have an ID.  To some this might sound like a common sense measure, but the legislation will unnecessarily inconvenience voters, particularly those who may not have proper identification, whether they are young, old, or poor.

· This week I pulled my bill to abolish the Court of Appeals.  While the bill generated a lot of interest among lawyers, I introduced it simply to make a statement.  We hear a lot of talk from politicians about making government smaller and reducing costs, but seldom do we actually accomplish that goal.  For example, a bill was introduced on behalf of the Governor to consolidate or eliminate dozens of agencies and boards.  The bill, if fully implemented, is projected to save $2 to $3 million.  Abolition of the Court of Appeals would save $8.5 million every year.  Although some thought the idea radical, our justice system functioned well prior to the establishment of the Court of Appeals in the mid 1980s.  During this time of frugality, it makes more sense to abolish the Court of Appeals, which has not proven its value, than to cut services to children and the poor.

· The proposed eminent domain amendment to the Constitution of Virginia will be one of the most significant policy decisions we make this year.  As I write, the final vote on the measure has been delayed for several days as both sides try to marshal votes and fine tune the language of a companion bill.  I support the amendment and will vote to put the issue on the ballot for voters to decide this fall.  Its passage will ensure property is only condemned for public purposes and that landowners are fairly compensated.

· We also considered legislation to increase the number of women- and minority-owned businesses contracting with the state.  In Virginia we have a SWAM program, which gives a preference to these businesses.  Despite the program, women- and minority-owned businesses only receive about 2.5 percent of state contracts.  If we are to truly be a Commonwealth of opportunity for every citizen, we have to find a way to increase the share of the state’s work going to women- and minority-owned businesses.  The legislation passed out of the Senate with my support.

· I introduced legislation this year to allow Rockbridge County to keep its landfill open for two additional years.  The landfill, which has not presented any environmental problems, was due to be shut down at the end of this year under existing law.  I am pleased to report that working with Delegate Ben Cline and DEQ we have entered into an agreement whereby the landfill will remain open for an additional two years.  Because we accomplished our purpose, I struck the bill.

· A bill passed approving adoption procedures that essentially institutionalizes discrimination based all things except race, religion, and country of origin.  Because I was concerned about the precedent this matter set, I voted no.

One of the most divisive issues, however, is the repeal of the one gun a month law. Frankly, I know many of my friends and supporters will disagree with my vote in favor of the repeal.  Anyone familiar with my voting history or my public statements on this matter cannot be surprised.

When the law passed in 1993 I voted no because I thought it would have primarily symbolic value and not effectively deter crime.  I am not convinced that restricting the right to purchase firearms of those who obey the law deters crime.  People intent on violating the law are going to find a way to obtain the weapons they want, so the law only curtails behavior of law-abiding citizens.  Over the years, nothing has convinced me otherwise.  I have not seen empirical data to suggest the law has prevented people intent on committing crime from obtaining weapons.

The Second Amendment guarantees gun possession and ownership as a constitutionally protected personal right.  Limiting that right is a serious matter.  I do not own a handgun and have no desire to purchase one, so I understand the sentiment of proponents of the law inquiring why someone needs more than 12 guns per year.  However, I also cannot understand why one would need to buy six a year, or 24 a year.  Any limit set on this matter is arbitrary.

The reality is, under current law, people can already purchase more than one handgun a month.  During the 19 years after its enactment, numerous exceptions have been granted.  Among those exceptions are collectors, law enforcement officers, private sale and antique purchases, concealed carry permit holders, and private security companies.  In addition, nothing in the law prevents someone from purchasing unlimited numbers of rifles or shotguns.

People tend to talk in platitudes about the one gun a month law.  Either “the law ended gun running from the Commonwealth” or “it was an unreasonable limitation on gun ownership.”  The facts on the gun running claim are not clear.  I have not seen any empirical data suggesting the law significantly reduced the number of guns originating from Virginia involved in crime in other states.  In fact, the anecdotal evidence is mixed at best.   Some will argue that guns involved in crime from New York still come from Virginia; others will argue the rates have diminished.  There is simply not a convincing case to be made that the law effectively deterred gun-related violence.

After consideration of all of these factors, combined with the vast improvement in our background checks with the advancement of technology, I do not believe the law needs to stay on the books.  As I have said before, our focus should be on measures to promote economic activity, and this bill has distracted us from the real work of the General Assembly.  If we really want to reduce crime and improve the safety of our citizens, we need to invest in K-12 education, mental health services, and public safety.  A commitment to providing a top quality education to every student in the Commonwealth, to increasing access for mental health treatment, and to ensuring we have enough law enforcement officers on our streets will help grow our economy and reduce crime.  I think this is something we can all agree on.

Creigh Deeds is a member of the Virginia State Senate.

While the governor is claiming to provide about 500 million new dollars for public education, school boards and superintendents around the Commonwealth are talking about the cuts in programs and teachers they will need to make because of the loss of state aid in his budget.

The differences in the two perspectives can be explained in how the budget is constructed.  Every two years the formula for funding schools is adjusted in a process called “rebenchmarking” to ensure that the formula reflects the realities of school population increases, inflation, standards changes and other factors.  This year there was a partial rebenchmarking of the formula, and the result is that the cost of schools appears artificially low.  The costs left out of rebenchmarking included some inflation, federal funds, and cost to compete.  The Governor’s increases are added to an understated budget.

In order to calculate the benchmark for school costs without the arbitrary adjustments made by the Governor, the Appropriations Committee staff calculated that an additional $99.2 million would be required in the first year and $100.5 million in the second year. I introduced budget amendments to restore the cuts in funding.

In an analysis done for local governments to determine the cost to local government of the rebenchmarking policy changes, it is estimated that half of local governments will need to increase the real estate tax by at least two cents to make up the difference and in seven localities the increase would be five cents of the real estate tax rate.  I told legislators not to go home bragging that we did not raise taxes.  Our continued policy of devolution of costs for public education is the main driver in property tax increases.

The Commonwealth Institute measures our state’s declining support for education another way.  They found investment in education has fallen from 2.33 percent of personal income FY2007 to roughly 2 percent in the next biennium.

Keep in mind that Virginia is the 8th wealthiest state in per capita personal income in the nation.  Yet our per-pupil spending from state sources is 35th lowest in the nation.  Our average teacher’s salary is $4,510 below the national average. At the end of the next biennium we will be running our schools on $547 less per pupil than in 2009. We already have 2,116 fewer teachers in our schools today than we did in 2009, but we have about 45,000 more students.

As I told members of the House, it is time that we stop short changing the education of our children.

Ken Plum is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Work scheduled is subject to change due to inclement weather and material supplies. Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving tractors during mowing operations. Also, when traveling through a work zone, be alert to periodic changes in traffic patterns and lane closures.

AUGUSTA COUNTY

Interstate 64

No lane closures reported.

Interstate 81

* Mile marker 205.1 to 237, northbound and southbound – Debris removal, turf repair and guardrail work. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* (NEW) Mile marker 235, northbound and southbound – New traffic signals installed at exit ramps intersecting with Route 256. Signals go into flash mode on Feb. 9, and will go into full operational mode on Feb. 14.

Primary Roads

* Route 11 (Lee Jackson Highway) – Expect a lane shift and two-way flagging operations from Route 646 (Fadley Road) to Route 256 (Weyers Cave Road) for truck crossings, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* (NEW) Route 42 – Utility tree trimming. Flagger traffic control during daylight hours, Monday to Friday.

* Route 250, eastbound – Retaining wall excavation at the intersection of Old White Bridge Road and Route 640 (Goose Creek Road). Wednesday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* Route 256 (Weyers Cave Road) – Pole and wire installation, intermittent single-lane closure, from Route 11 (Lee Highway) to Route 2003 (Wayside Drive).

* Route 256 – Paving and shoulder grading, just east of Route 11, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

*Route 256 – Shoulder closures from Route 276 (Keezletown Road) to Route 847 (Valley Church Road).

* Route 262 (Woodrow Wilson Parkway) – Guardrail installation, single lane and shoulder closures, from I-81 to Route 11. Flagger traffic control. Work is Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

* Various roads – Pipe installation, patching, brush cutting, shoulder repairs, ditching and grading. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Secondary Roads

* Route 640 (Goose Creek Road) – Water line installation at the intersection of Route 250 (Jefferson Highway) and Westport Run. Single-lane traffic, Monday to Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Flagger traffic control.

* (NEW) Various roads – Utility tree trimming. Flagger traffic control during daylight hours, Monday to Friday.

* Various roads – Pipe installation, patching, brush cutting, shoulder repairs, ditching and grading. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

Interstate 81

* Mile marker 237.51 to 263.9, northbound and southbound – Debris removal, ramp delineator installation and guardrail work. Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Primary Roads

* Route 340 – Shoulder closure from Route 649 (Island Ford Road) to Route 642 (Captain Yancey Road) for railroad crossing repairs. Estimated completion is March 31. Speed limit reduced to 45 mph.

Secondary Roads

* Stone Spring Road – Erickson Avenue/Stone Spring Road Connector Project from Route 11 to Port Republic Road. Lane and shoulder closures, daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Estimated completion is spring 2013.

* Route 726 (Erickson Avenue) – Waterline installation from Route 33 (Rawley Pike) to Harrisonburg City limits. Intermittent lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* Route 727 (Airport Road) – Bridge from Route 11 (Lee Highway) to Route 696 (Kisers Road). Road closed until further notice.

* Route 753 (Kratzer Road) – Pole installation, intermittent lane closures from Route 908 (Pulses Hill Road) to Route 865 (Gravels Road).

* (NEW) Various roads – Utility tree trimming. Flagger traffic control during daylight hours, Monday to Friday.

Vegetation management may occur district wide on various routes.

Motorists are reminded to use extreme caution when traveling through work zones.