– Programming Note: Off to see Mark Warner in Staunton, posted Thursday, 10:20 a.m.
– Local News: Recognizing mental illness in children and adolescents, posted Thursday, 8:35 a.m.
– Sports: UVa. Spring Football Festival this weekend, posted Thursday, 8:35 a.m.
Programming Note: Off to see Mark Warner in Staunton, posted Thursday, 10:20 a.m.
The AFP will be in Staunton for the visit of U.S. Sen. Mark Warner this morning for an 11 a.m. town-hall meeting.
We should have our first report up around 1:15 p.m. We’ll have a video up later in the day as well.
Local News: Recognizing mental illness in children and adolescents, posted Thursday, 8:35 a.m.
Teachers, parents, and other adults who work with children can learn to recognize signs of mental illness in youngsters at a free presentation May 19 at the Augusta Medical Center.
Sponsored by Mental Health America of Augusta (MHA-A) with the help of the Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce Leadership Team, the presentation “Recognizing Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents” will be 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, in the AMC Community Care Building. The informational event will be led by Paul Harmon, LPC, LSATP, NCC, and Martha Sheridan, LPC, CASC, and is a part of MHA-A’s recognition of May as Mental Health Month.
The presentation is free and open to anyone interested. Reservations are preferred. Please contact the MHA-A to make a reservation. Contact the office at 540.886.7181, 540.949.0169 or through [email protected].
Harmon is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner at the Commonwealth Center for Children & Adolescents. He also works in private practice part time as the Clinical Director for New Dimensions Counseling Center in downtown Waynesboro and as a therapist for couples and individuals, both adult and adolescents. At the May event, Harmon will present mental health warning signs in children and adolescents. He will discuss communication problems between parents and providers, communication barriers, stigma, getting your child help, and the importance of knowing the signs and obtaining help.
Sheridan has been a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor at AMC’s Augusta Behavioral Health since 2005. She had been employed previously at Augusta Psychological Associates. Sheridan will focus on problems associated with at-risk and high risk adolescents and offer specific interventions that have been shown to be effective in reducing problem behaviors. She will touch on suicidal behavior, non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors, school dropout, risky sexual behavior, substance abuse and violent behavior during the presentation.
A similar presentation was held for regional school guidance counselors and pupil service personnel last year. “We wanted to get this important information to the public,” said Donna Gum MHA-A executive director. “During these times of financial and work stress on families, we want those that work with our youth in church, scouting, athletics and other youth-oriented activities to be aware of and able to recognize the mental illness symptoms and issues that might appear among the youth with whom they work.”
Gum thanked the members of the Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce Team – Melissa McAllister, Verna Johnson, Bridget Foster, Sandi Belcher, and Brian Viglione – for their help in getting the presentation together. “They have done an outstanding job of helping the MHA-A bring this seminar to the community”, Gum said.
Sports: UVa. Spring Football Festival this weekend, posted Thursday, 8:35 a.m.
Saturday marks the return of the Virginia Spring Football Festival to Scott Stadium. A variety of pregame activities will start at noon followed by the team¹s scrimmage at 2 p.m. All events are free to the public and there is no charge for parking at Scott Stadium as well as the Emmet/Ivy Garage. The Central Grounds Garage will also be available (rates apply). Accessible parking will be available for fans in the West Parking lot and the upper level of the South Parking Garage at Bryant Hall.
This year¹s scrimmage will give Cavalier fans their first look at a new no-huddle offense head coach Al Groh and his staff have implemented for the 2009 season. Virginia returns 12 starters and 36 letterwinners from last year¹s team.
Gates will open at noon on the east and west sides of the stadium. The Festival activities will be held on the field and at the west side of the stadium. Activities include a 40-yard dash, agility stations, field goal kicking station and target throw. Events on the field will close at 1 p.m.
From noon until 1:45, the west gate will host inflatable games. Former UVa football standouts Barry Word, Tony Covington, Tyrone Lewis, Clint Sintim, Jon Copper and John Phillips will be on hand to answer questions and sign autographs leading up to the scrimmage. Fans will also have a chance to tell their ³Virginia Football Moment² on video. The responses will be posted throughout the spring on VirginiaSportsTV.com. The west side will also feature face painting and tattoos, balloon artists, caricature artists and appearances by Cavman with his horse, Sabre. Fans will be able to pick up posters and schedule cards at both the east and west gates. In addition, fans will be able to enter to win prizes from Virginia Athletics at the raffle sign up stations near each entrance.
All students, eighth grade and under, are encouraged to write an essay on “How wellness impacts my future.² Kids with submissions to the Cavalier Essay Contest will also be able to hand their essay in at either the east or west entrance. Entries will be reviewed and judged by the UVa Athletics Academic Affairs staff. This year¹s winning essays will be chosen from elementary and middle school participants. Each of these winners will receive prizes from Virginia Athletics.
Fans will have the opportunity to purchase food and beverages from the concession stands located on the west side of the stadium. The west side will also will feature ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s and Dippin’ Dots, Domino’s Pizza, along with hamburgers and hot dogs from the Cavalier Grill. There will also be a portable drink cart located at the east entrance.
Prior to the 2 p.m. start of the scrimmage, the annual Rock Weir Award winners will be announced that honor the most improved players during spring drills. At the conclusion of the Spring Game, fans will be able to obtain autographs from the players on the field.
Hoo Vision will not be operational during the Virginia Spring Football Festival. Construction work has begun to replace the 21¹ x 28¹ screen with a 32¹ x 57¹ large screen video display that will be operational prior to the start of the 2009 season.
Fans unable to attend Saturday¹s activities at Scott Stadium are invented to watch a live video webcast of the team¹s scrimmage for free online at VirginiaSports.com. The webcast will begin at 2 p.m. Fans can access the webcast from the Featured Video area on the home page of VirginiaSports.com.
Share
Contributors
