Inside the AFP

Augusta Free Press LLC
P.O. Box 1193
421 W. Main St., Ste. D
Waynesboro, Va. 22980
Phone: 540.949.6574
Fax: 866.295.8799
Email: freepress@ntelos.net

About AugustaFreePress.com

The Augusta Free Press launched on July 2, 2002 – a service of what became Augusta Free Press LLC, which is also the parent company of The New Dominion Magazine, and a thriving book division that has published Mad About U: Four Decades of Basketball at University Hall, Judge Not, Where Was God? The World Trade Center Disaster seen through a Chaplain’s Eyes and Adventures in Warnerland: My political soap opera in Mark Warner’s Virginia.

The site serves as a portal into life in the Shenandoah Valley – in a region encompassing Augusta County and the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro and surrounding areas.

Augusta Free Press LLC is a member of …
- Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Harrisonburg Rockingham Chamber of Commerce
- Tourism Association of Greater Waynesboro
- Virginia Press Association
- Waynesboro Downtown Development Business Patron

Mission Statement

AugustaFreePress.com is a community forum that aims to inform, educate and as appropriate instill vigorous and ethical debate on the issues of the day that matter to the people of the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia.

The Internet is a tool for fostering this kind of social enlightenment that our foremothers and forefathers could only have dreamed of having at their disposal – and we aim to ensure that it is used in this forum to those purposes for which our mutual betterment is the highest goal.

The Principals

Chris Graham, President, Augusta Free Press LLC

Chris Graham | Create Your Badge

Chris Graham is a 15-year veteran of print and web media, radio and television.

He has covered two presidents – Bill Clinton and George W. Bush – in addition to conducting numerous one-on-one interviews with former Virginia governors George Allen, Jim Gilmore, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, current governor Bob McDonnell, and a host of other newsmakers in Richmond and on Capitol Hill.

Chris is the co-owner of Augusta Free Press Publishing LLC and editor of AugustaFreePress.com and The New Dominion Magazine. He has published two books, Stop the Presses, a humor column collection, and Judge Not, a political thriller. He also co-authored with Patrick Hite Mad About U: Four Decades of Basketball at University Hall. That book was released in September 2006.

Chris is also the web editor and play-by-play webcaster for the Waynesboro Generals Valley League baseball team.

He has won 15 Virginia Press Association awards for his reporting and writing.

Crystal Graham, Vice President of Design, Sales & Marketing

Crystal Abbe Graham | Create Your Badge

Crystal Graham is a 10-year veteran of the news industry in Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley and a graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in communications.

She is the co-owner of Augusta Free Press Publishing LLC and the publisher of AugustaFreePress.com and The New Dominion.

Until November 2004, she served as co-host and assistant producer of “Virginia Tonight,” a live news and public affairs program that aired every weeknight. Although the show was cancelled, a program that aired in 2004 on “The Passion of the Christ” was named a finalist for the national Telly Awards competition in March 2005.

In addition to television, Crystal also has an extensive background in print newspapers, having served as managing editor of The Shenandoah Valley Observer and The Charlottesville-Albemarle Observer. She began her career working as the lifestyles editor at The News Virginian in Waynesboro.

Crystal has won eight Virginia Press Association awards for her design and writing work.

She is an independent jewelry consultant for Cookie Lee Jewelry.

She is the past vice president and a founder of Successful Women’s Alliance Network, and a member of the Waynesboro Exchange Club, and Waynesboro Democratic Committee.

Crystal has volunteered with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Book ‘Em Foundation, Boys and Girls Club, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Kiwanis Club of Waynesboro, Riverfest, Waynesboro Family YMCA, Vector Industries, Waynesboro Players and Wayne Theatre Alliance.

She also organized the Hokie Fundraiser in Waynesboro following the tragedy of April 16 which raised $1,000 for the Hokie Spirit Fund established by Virginia Tech. In 2008, she organized a remembrance ceremony to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragedy. In 2005, she traveled to Long Beach, Miss., to cover the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

In 2007, she had her first book, Crystal Clear, published. It features a collection of columns she has written and is available at Amazon.com.

News Submissions/Tips

E-mail news tips to freepress2@ntelos.net

AFP Contributors

- Jim Bishop
- Shepherd Bliss
- David Cox
- Haresh Daswani
- Sanford D. Horn
- Stan Horst
- Jenny Hypes
- David Reynolds
- Nan Russell
- Bruce Sallan
- Chris DeWald

Contributor Guidelines

- Submit articles and columns to Chris Graham, editor, at freepress2@ntelos.net.

- There is no word limit – either a minimum or maximum – on submissions. It is suggested that pieces that are longer than 2,500 words in length be reviewed by the author to ensure that it is necessary to tell a story or make a point to go beyond that word count. But that will be left to the discretion of the author.

- There is no limitation on frequency of submissions. Neither is there a requirement that submissions be made on any kind of recurring basis (i.e. once a week, once every two weeks, once a month).

- The editor will be responsible for any copyediting and proofreading. If you as author come across any errors that might have missed the editor’s usually keen eye, please let him know by e-mail that a correction needs to be made.

- All articles and columns are to appear under the byline of the author. At the author’s request, an e-mail address for the author can be published with the story to allow readers to comment directly.

Forum Guidelines

- Comments of a personal nature or of a nature that focuses on making personal attacks on the author of an article or column or a person offering a commentary to an article or column will be deleted from the site – and the person making the offending comment will be prohibited from participating in forums for 30 days.

- Regular commenters who want to become regular contributors of articles and columns are encouraged to do so – contact Chris Graham, editor, at freepress2@ntelos.net to express your interest to that end.