SurveyUSA has Hurt ahead of Perriello by a 61 percent-35 percent margin, ahead of the 23-point lead that the polling firm gave Hurt in July. An American Action Forum poll released two weeks ago had the race much tighter, with Hurt at 49 percent to 43 percent for Perriello.

Link to story on WhenVirginiaWasBlue.com.

“I have spoken personally with Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush. I expressed to him that extended lapses in state computer services was an unacceptable hardship on our citizens and employees. I made clear that I expected the best around-the-clock recovery efforts possible in order to reclaim and restore all missing files and data. I appreciate the company’s commitment to a full and comprehensive recovery from this system failure, and the agreement that Northrop Grumman would pay for the reasonable cost of the independent review that must take place immediately,” McDonnell said in a statement released on Thursday.

McDonnell also announced today that 14 DMV customer-service centers will be open Sunday and on Labor Day on Monday to help process the backlog in license applications resulting from the shutdown.

The extended hours will be offered at locations in Abingdon, Alexandria, Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Chesterfield, Fair Oaks (10:30 to 6:30), Hampton, Harrisonburg, Leesburg, Lynchburg, Richmond-Broad Street, Roanoke, Virginia Beach- Buckner and Woodbridge.

All DMV locations in Virginia will be open on Friday through 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

“We have also acted administratively to help Virginians who have been unable to renew their licenses over the past week by extending existing licenses for an additional 20 days. State and local law enforcement agencies have been notified of this extension,” McDonnell said.

“Like all Virginians, I am displeased by the recent computer troubles that have led to this situation. I have directed all impacted state agencies to take all actions necessary to return to normal operating conditions and to ensure that their citizen clients receive the service and assistance they deserve,” McDonnell said.
 
 

Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.

Staunton City Councilman Bruce Elder led a grassroots effort in 2007 and 2008 that helped draw attention to the issue by getting more than 60 local governments to sign on to a resolution calling for the General Assembly to move toward substantive reform. Elder is back at it again, leading a push that has more than 50 localities engaging state lawmakers to pass a hard interest-rate cap on loans.

“A couple of years ago, i think what you saw is that there were still people who thought that the industry had some legitimacy and that they were providing a good service. Now I think you can look back and say that they weren’t negotiating in good faith, that the industry continues to produce a loan product that preys upon people on fixed incomes, people on disability incomes and Social Security incomes, it preys on financial illiteracy in minority communities,” Elder said.

“If we’re looking to rebuild a weakened economy, we have to rebuild it for everybody,” Elder said.

The resolution passed first by Staunton City Council in May has localities asking the General Assembly to impose a 36 percent cap on interest and fees associated with loans. The annual percentage rate on payday loans, car-title loans and related loan products is in the 300 to 400 percent range.

The industry markets its products as being low-cost and hassle-free, attracting consumers who either don’t want to go through credit checks or are afraid that their credit would disqualify them from being able to access more traditional loan sources, said Dana Wiggins, the responsible lending coordinator at the Richmond-based Virginia Poverty Law Center.

“These lenders are on television, on the radio, nearly every hour of the day. They know how to target people. They know how to push those buttons and get people to come to them,” said Wiggins, who notes that it’s not just those on the economic fringes making up the customer base these days.

“With the turn in the economy, more and more middle-class people are seeking out these loans as a quick fix, and they’re realizing how onerous the terms are for these loans. And the people who are more middle class who are calling our hotline – they’re just totally shocked. They think these loans should clearly be illegal,” Wiggins said. “They get the loans, they look at the storefront. They say, There’s a storefront, they’re on a main street in my town. You would think is being condoned by the government because they’re out in the open and not some back alley. But after being in the loan and not being able to pay it off because of how high the interest is, they’re like, How is this even legal? They just really had no idea.”

There’s another impetus for change, then. You have the localities banding together again, as they did in 2007-2008, and now you have a new group of disaffected consumers. “As more people get to understand the industry and how it works, I definitely see a shift in the direction of taking stronger action,” Wiggins said.

The tough part to the effort, said Ward Scull, the cofounder of the Newport News-based Virginians Against Payday Loans, is whether the General Assembly gets it.

“When I got involved in this, I never realized it would take so long to get this squared away in Virginia. Social-reform legislation apparently takes a lot longer than I ever thought it would,” said Scull, a moving-company executive who with retired local-government official Mike Lane launched Virginians Against Payday Loans in 2007.

Scull applauds the efforts of Elder to put pressure on state legislators, and has hopes that the General Assembly will take action to limit interest rates and fees in its 2011 session.

“Hopefully legislators will listen to what their constituents are saying. 2011 is an election year. Hopefully this session they’ll do the right thing for the right reasons,” Scull said.
 
 

Story by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.

Republicans are poised to take the House with a net gain of 47 seats by the GOP, according to Sabato. Democrats would retain control of the Senate, but Republicans are still on track, in the Sabato rendering, to pick up a net of eight seats in the senior chamber, with an outside shot at getting a majority there as well.

The key to the predictions: expected low turnout overall, and dampened enthusiasm among Democratic voters.

Link to story on WhenVirginiaWasBlue.com.

A four-year starter for the Keydets at forward, Williams (Prince George, Va./Prince George H.S.) averaged 27.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists during his senior season of 2007-08, during which he led the nation in scoring for the second consecutive year. He finished his collegiate career as the all-time leading scorer in VMI, Big South Conference and Virginia State Division I history with 2,556 points, while ranking fourth all-time in VMI history in rebounds (820), fourth in three-point field goals made (196), sixth in assists (368) and sixth in steals (175).

Link to story on VaSportsOnline.com.

We recently saw a major milestone in our engagement in Iraq as the last combat troops left the theater on August 19. The United States will keep a troop presence in the country to assist in training of Iraqi security forces, protect American personnel, and assist with counterterrorism efforts.

Link to column on WhenVirginiaWasBlue.com.
 

Ken Plum: Division of powers

On my recent vacation to Scotland I took time out to visit the Scottish Parliament. Although the Parliament was not in session that day, the visit was worthwhile to see what has to be the most unique structure of any governmental body in the world. Drawing on symbols of the people, land, and history of Scotland, the building itself is worthy of study. (Link: www.scottish.parliament.uk)

Link to column on WhenVirginiaWasBlue.com.

“After more than seven years of operations and countless rounds of troop rotations, I am heartened today by the President’s confirmation of the end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq and his stated intention to withdraw all our troops by the end of 2011. Although our residual force of 50,000 will continue to perform hazardous duties during the year ahead, today’s transition is an important milestone.”

Link to news brief on WhenVirginiaWasBlue.com.

Southern Cal in 2004. Alabama in 2009. Both went on to win national titles those years, for those keeping score at home.

And then there’s the 2010 opener. Boise State is coming off an undefeated season and is #3 in the preseason national polls, and the trendy pick for the BCS title game in January.

But the Broncos have to get past a Tech squad ranked #6 in the coaches’ poll, #10 in the AP, the preseason favorite in the rugged (five teams in the preseason national Top 25) ACC, that also happens to have some institutional knowledge of how these kinds of early-season games can go.

Link to story on VaSportsOnline.com.

The tour highlights the fascinating history, architecture, and historical figures that are buried there. Guides will discuss the early history of Thornrose, describing how it began as a simple graveyard on the edge of town, and later, thanks to the vision of one early Stauntonian, was transformed into a charming park-like cemetery, characterized by lush landscaping and the medieval fantasy architecture created by T.J. Collins.

Along the way, your guide will introduce you to some of Thornrose’s most prominent citizens, brought “back to life” for a brief time to share their personal stories, achievements, heartbreaks, and, yes, even scandalous pasts.

Meet Father Daniel Downey, the first priest at St. Francis Catholic Church. Despite his reputation as a well-respected clergyman, he was accused of murder and then tried four times. Visit with John Willis McCue, a Virginia Military Institute cadet who ran away from school during the Civil War to join Mosby’s Rangers, the infamous Confederate 43rd Battalion, 1st Virginia Cavalry led by John Singleton Mosby.

Find out how Mary Julia Baldwin, a resourceful educator and future principal of Augusta Female Seminary, became an early leader in the field of higher education for young women. Learn why a Christmas wreath appears each year to adorn the grave of a circus performer who tragically died from a gunshot wound in a scandalous love triangle. And discover why the veiled woman who made daily visits to the cemetery became known by locals as the “Black Widow.” These, and other Thornrose residents will return briefly to offer amazing glimpses into their lives when they still walked among the living.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience a grave encounter with the residents of Thornrose Cemetery! This very popular program held twice in 2008, sold out completely. Tickets must be purchased prior to Sept. 18. Tours are limited to 25 per group. See below for ticket/tour information.
 

Want to go?

Cost: $20 (includes refreshments)
Tour times: Saturday: 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 1 p.m. Sunday: 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
For information and tickets, call the ACHS office at 540.248.4151 or visit www.augustacountyhs.org for ticket order form. Tickets must be purchased ahead of time. Indicate desired tour time. Tickets will be mailed to you and are only good for the date and time specified.
Notes: Thornrose Cemetery has steep, hilly terrain. Wear comfortable walking shoes. You may park inside the cemetery, along the drives, but do not block the roads. Tour groups meet at the gatehouse facing West Beverley and Henry Funeral Home. Tours take place rain or shine.
 
 

Meet the residents of Thornrose

Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.

“From this office to our agencies to our customer service centers, we are all committed to fixing these recent issues, returning all state operations to normal, and ensuring that outages of this nature do not take place in the future,” McDonnell said today.

The data-system failure affected 26 state agencies all told, according to a news release issued by the governor’s office. As of this morning, all impacted state agencies have received access to their computer systems and files. The required pre-usage testing process is ongoing and found issues are being addressed.

“The recent computer outages impacting state agencies, and the citizens they serve, are disappointing and unacceptable,” McDonnell said. “In the days ahead we will be launching a comprehensive effort to determine how this situation occurred and, most importantly, how we can ensure that it does not happen again. However, the foremost priority at this time is ensuring that all state agencies return to their normal operating conditions as quickly as possible. As of this morning all state agencies again have access to their computer systems and files. While some testing still is being done prior to a full return to normal, this is a positive development.”
 
 

Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.