State association honors Staunton Fire and Rescue
The Virginia Fire Chiefs Association has awarded Staunton Fire and Rescue the “VFCA Best Practices in Fire Service Health and Safety” Award.
The award program was created to further recognize the health and safety efforts of Virginia fire departments. The award is intended to acknowledge creative, comprehensive and/or significant accomplishments and programs that provide for the health, safety and welfare of our fire service members. Read more
McDonnell announces support and funding for Safe Routes to School
Gov. Bob McDonnell today announced the Virginia Department of Transportation awarded $5.9 million in Safe Routes to School funding to 18 communities across the Commonwealth for the 2012 SRTS grant cycle.
The funds will be used for projects that will make bicycling and walking to school safer and more appealing for students at 28 elementary and middle schools. Read more
Habitat shows appreciation
Misty Kyle, assistant service manager for Paul Obaugh Ford in Staunton, receives an award of appreciation from Habitat for Humanity ReStore Chair Charlie Frankfort. Frankfort shows service manager Jeff Norder the hand-made card that volunteers at the ReStore designed to show their appreciation to the auto technicians and the service department for giving Habitat’s trusty old Ford truck a much needed tune up. Habitat Volunteers use the truck in construction and cleanup work, as well as delivering larger items that have been purchased at the ReStore. If you would like more information about the Habitat for Humanity program in our area please go to www.habitatsaw.org or call 540-886-1944.
Business owner steps up to benefit Meals on Wheels
Rocky Simonetti saw a story on WHSV this week about the difficulties being faced by the Staunton Senior Center getting drivers to volunteer to deliver meals through its Meals on Wheels program due to high gas prices.
And then he did something about it.
“Gas is getting so high – three dollars and five cents a gallon now – it probably costs them twenty-five, thirty dollars a week to deliver that food. If they’re on fixed income, they haven’t got that extra money like that to do that. So I thought that by donating the money for the gas, that would give more people who could go deliver the food for them,” said Simonetti, the owner of Rocky’s Gold and Silver in Weyers Cave, who has donated $12,000 to the Meals on Wheels programs in Staunton/Augusta/Waynesboro and Harrisonburg/Rockingham areas to provide gas money for the delivery people.
The donations – $1,000 a month for the next year – will go to the United Way of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County and be distributed Meals on Wheels programs in the Greater Augusta and Greater Rockingham regions.
Simonetti told WHSV that he hopes his donation will spur others in the local business community to partner with local agencies coordinating Meals on Wheels deliveries.
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Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
On the streets and online: The New Dominion Magazine
The February issue of The New Dominion Magazine is on the streets at locations in Waynesboro, Staunton and Harrisonburg – and is also posted online at
TheNewDominion.com.
This month’s features:
Women at work: Two women share their experiences climbing the corporate ladder
Profiles of new Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce president Linda Hershey and new Mathers Team president Teresa Gauldin.
Lens crafters: Local club learning art of making movies the hands-on way
Inside the 2011 Waynesboro Short Film Competition – with a local filmmaking club that will be entering a film in the competition.
Arizona aftermath: Shootings force rethinking on interactions between politicians, citizens
The New Dominion talks with local elected leaders and security experts to make sense of what can be done to keep people safe when dealing with local government.
Market niche: Music teacher meets need with strings business
The strings teachers at Eastern Mennonite University had a problem. One of the teachers figured out a way to solve the problem – and started a business in the process.
Dynamic duo: Comic-book fans put up a shingle in Staunton
When they first broached the topic a year and a half ago, it wasn’t anything even remotely serious. A comic-book shop? Sure. Every little boy who gets hooked on his first Superman or Mad dreams of opening a comic-book shop.
Keeping it real: Charlottesville acting, modeling school pushes self-esteem
The curriculum at Cville Performing Arts includes a range of acting and modeling classes for children, teens and adults.
Wind Advisory in effect for Monday
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta County through 10 p.m. Monday.
The strongest winds are expected in the Shenandoah Valley Monday afternoon and into Monday evening.
Winds will be sustained in the 20 to 30 mph range, with gustss 45 to 55 mph.
Augusta Chamber launches free prescription cards program
The Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce introduce today a free Chamber RX drug discount card.
Chamber RX is a program of Chamber Solutions, a Norfolk-based firm providing services to chambers of commerce. The card is offered in an effort to make prescription drugs more affordable, especially to people with no health insurance or those who have insurance, but with limited or no prescription coverage.
The card covers medications that are FDA-approved brand name drugs and generic equivalents. There are no costs associated with the program, neither to Chamber members or cardholders who sign up.
Pharmacy discounts are not insurance cards and are not intended as a substitute for insurance. The program is managed by Health Trans, a pharmacy benefit administrator, offering discount programs that help individuals save on prescriptions. The cards are made available through 58,000 chain and independent pharmacies and healthcare service networks nationwide.
“Everyone is accepted, regardless of current health conditions or age, and the card can be used by the entire family with no limits on prescriptions.” said Linda Hershey, president and CEO of the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Our main goal is to create a healthy workforce and give back to the community by helping to lower the costs of prescriptions drugs.”
On Thursday, cards will be available from Chamber member exhibitors during the Chamber’s Business Showcase, which is being held at the Best Western Waynesboro Suites & Conference Center from 1-5 p.m. The show is free and open to the general public.
Effective Friday, the cards will be available at member distribution locations throughout the Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta County (call the Chamber for exact locations) or may be downloaded online at www.chamberRX.com. Just choose The Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce as your connection.
In addition, cards will be available at the Chamber office, 30 Ladd Road in Fishersville (540.324.1133) and member businesses.
To find out more about this new community outreach program, visit www.augustava.com and click on the members SAVE logo at the bottom of the home page or use the Pharmacy Locator and Medication Pricing tools at www.ChamberRX.com to find the pharmacies closest to you, as well as those that offer the lowest prices for your medication.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
