Wednesday, Sept. 9
– State News: Kaine proclaims Sept. 11 as Day of Service and Remembrance
Tuesday, Sept. 8
– Local News: Church sponsors free oil change, safety checks for single moms
– Local News: Accident damages Waynesboro gas station
– Local News: Local VDOT road-work update
Monday, Sept. 7
– State News: Virginia wins award for Stimulus.Virginia.Gov
Wednesday, Sept. 9
State News: Kaine proclaims Sept. 11 as Day of Service and Remembrance
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine today proclaimed September 11, 2009 as a Day of Service and Remembrance in the Commonwealth, and urged citizens to find a way to honor the lives lost in 2001 through volunteer work in their communities. As the proclamation explains, September 11 also marks the culmination of the summer phase of the national United We Serve initiative. United We Serve aims to put volunteers on a path to sustained service in their communities.
“I can’t think of a better way to commemorate the American spirit and the heroism we witnessed on 9/11 than by giving something back to our communities and to each other,” Governor Kaine said. “For months, we’ve had the young and the young at heart rolling up their sleeves to tackle projects, and help folks in the community who need them. Last year, Virginians devoted more than 215 million hours to causes they found worthy, and we can honor their efforts by adding to them. I’m very proud of the work that’s being done by people of all ages across the Commonwealth.”
President Obama’s United We Serve initiative was launched in June with the goal of putting volunteers on a path to sustained service. The initiative has encouraged participation across a wide range of service areas, with particular emphasis on fields that will help mitigate the effects of the economic downturn and help America recover, such as:
• Promoting clean energy, energy efficiency, and public land restoration
• Education and literacy
• Increasing health care access, public health awareness, and prevention
• Providing community renewal to areas hardest hit by the economic crisis
United We Serve encourages citizens to organize within their community, identify unmet needs, develop their own service projects, and network with others who have similar skills or interests. Culminating events planned for September 11 include a trail clearing in Charlottesville, and NASA employees joining student volunteers to create a butterfly garden at the Hampton Veterans Hospital.
“Volunteering is an excellent way to celebrate the resiliency of our country and our communities,” said Dr. Jarris L. Taylor Jr., chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Board on National and Community Service and organizer for the Hampton event. “Most people will have an opinion about what others should do to improve their situation. Now is the opportunity for us to ask ourselves what we should do – and then do it.”
Hundreds of volunteer needs in Virginia are posted to the www.serve.gov site, ranging from helping seniors balance their checkbooks to school beautification projects. Mentoring programs, animal, art and nature activities can be searched on the site by keyword and zip code. Citizens are encouraged to organize those within their community, identify unmet needs, develop their own service projects, and network with others who have similar skills or interests.
Tuesday, Sept. 8
Local News: Church sponsors free oil change, safety checks for single moms
The Waynesboro Seventh-day Adventist Church is sponsoring a special event to help out single moms in these tough times by offering them a free oil change and safety check for their car this Sunday, Sept. 13.
Call 540.949.7291 to schedule an appointment.
Local News: Accident damages Waynesboro gas station
A motor-vehicle accident at the Texaco station at 181 E. Broad St. at 6:31 p.m. Monday caused structural damage to the building, Waynesboro Police are reporting this morning.
There were no reported injuries in the accident.
Local News: Local VDOT road-work update
The latest on road projects from the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Rockbridge County
Interstate 64
* Mile marker 41 to 57, eastbound and westbound – Litter and debris removal. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
* Various locations – Mowing, Tuesday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
* Various locations – Shoulder repair, ditch cleaning. Tuesday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Interstate 81
* Mile marker 174 to 205, northbound and southbound – Litter and debris removal. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
* Mile marker 182.3, northbound and southbound – Bridge painting. Alternating lane closures, Tuesday to Thursday, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Estimated completion is late September.
* Mile marker 195, northbound and southbound – Roadway lighting testing.
* (NEW) Mile marker 195 to 173, southbound – Shoulder restoration, Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Mile marker 200, northbound and southbound – Roadway lighting testing.
* Mile marker 219.1, northbound and southbound – Bridge painting. Alternating lane closures, Sunday to Thursday, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Estimated completion is late September.
* Various locations – Mowing, Tuesday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
* Various locations – Shoulder repair, ditch cleaning, litter and debris removal. Tuesday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Primary Roads
* Route 11 (Fancy Hill) – I-81 bridges. Bridge painting. Alternating lane closures, flagger traffic control, Tuesday at noon to Friday at noon.
* Route 11 – Roadway lighting testing.
* (NEW) Route 60, eastbound and westbound – Paving from Buena Vista City eastern limits to Amherst County line. Flagger traffic control and pilot truck, Thursday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
* Route 130 (Glasgow) – Bridge construction at Route 501. Periodic single-lane traffic with flagger traffic control, signs posted. Tuesday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday, 7 a.m. to noon. Use extreme caution as motorists become acquainted with new traffic pattern. Completion is in September 13, 2010.
Secondary Roads
* Route 710 – Roadway lighting testing.
* Various roads – Brush cutting. Single-lane traffic, flagger traffic control, Tuesday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
* Various roads – Grading, mowing.
Augusta County
Interstate 64
No lane closures reported.
Interstate 81
* Mile marker 205 to 237, northbound and southbound – Litter and debris removal. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
* Mile marker 219.1, northbound and southbound – Bridge over Route 654. Bridge painting. Alternating lane closures, Tuesday to Thursday, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Estimated completion is late September.
* (NEW) Mile marker 222 to 225, northbound and southbound – Bridge repairs. Possible shoulder closures, Tuesday, noon to 7 p.m. and Wednesday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
* Various locations – Ditch cleaning, mowing, litter and debris removal. Tuesday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Primary Roads
* Route 11 (Greenville) – Sweeping from Route 662 to Route 1210. Mobile operation, Tuesday to Friday.
* (NEW) Route 340 – Brush cutting around guardrail from Route 611 to Rockingham County line, Tuesday to Friday.
* Route 262, westbound – Construction of acceleration lane extension from Middlebrook Avenue to Route 262. Single-lane traffic, flagger traffic control, Tuesday to Thursday, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Estimated completion is October.
* Route 340 (Waynesboro) – Construction from Route 250 to Delphine Avenue for railroad bridge replacement and roadway widening, Tuesday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Expect minor delays from Broad Street to Sixth Street for construction work. Seventh Street closed from Winchester Avenue to Commerce Street, June 1 to January 2010, and Sixth Street closed from Delphine Avenue to Commerce Street, July 6 to late January 2010, for retaining wall construction, bridge and utility work. Estimated completion is November 2011.
* Various roads – Litter and debris removal, Tuesday to Friday.
Secondary Roads
* (NEW) Route 732 – Patching from Route 613 to Route 745. Traffic control, Tuesday to Friday.
* (NEW) Route 745 – Patching from Route 732 to Route 742. Traffic control, Friday.
* Route 774, northbound and southbound (Cline River Road, New Hope) – Bridge over Middle River. Bridge replacement activities from Route 608 (Battlefield Road) to Route 775 (Craig Shop Road). Road closed from Mar. 30 to Nov. 13. Suggested detour: Northbound traffic take Route 608 to Route 778 (Knightly Mill Road) to Route 775 to Route 774. Southbound traffic take reverse of northbound detour.
* Route 794 (Sangers Lane), eastbound and westbound – Bridge over Christians Creek, from Route 792 (Basley Road) to Route 642 (Barren Ridge Road). Bridge replacement. Road closed, 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, April 27 to Dec. 16. Suggested detour: Westbound traffic, take Route 792 south to Route 250 (Jefferson Highway) east to Route 642 north to Route 794. Eastbound traffic, take reverse of westbound detour.
* Route 802 – Rural rustic from Route 252 to Route 693. Road closed to thru traffic. Flagger traffic control, Tuesday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Estimated completion is Sept. 15.
* Various roads – Mowing, machining dirt roads. Mobile operation, Tuesday to Friday.
* Various roads – Brush cutting, mowing. Signs posted, Tuesday to Friday.
* Various roads (Swoope) – Pothole repair. Signs posted, Tuesday to Friday.
Rockingham County
Interstate 81
* Mile marker 237.51 to 263, northbound and southbound – Sign and fence repair, litter and debris removal. Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Primary Roads
* Route 42 (Main Street, Broadway) – Autumn Days Craft Show. Road closed from Route 259 (Broadway Avenue) to Route 259 (Lee Avenue). Sept. 19, 5:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
* Route 42, northbound and southbound – Paving from Route 1151 to 2.23 miles north of Route 778. Single-lane traffic, Tuesday, noon to 8 p.m. and Wednesday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
* Route 211 (New Market Road) – Cable installation from Route 960 (Water Wheel Road) to Shenandoah City limits. Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Secondary Roads
* Route 724 (Trinity Church Road) – Road widening from 0.7 mile east of Buffalo Drive (Route 238) to 0.2 mile west of Route 717 (Indian Trail Road). Single-lane traffic, flagger traffic control, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 727 (Airport Road) – Grade/slope work from Route 11 (Main Street, Mount Crawford) to Route 696 (Kiser Road). Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 843 (Cemetery Road) – Road work at Route 641 (Cave Hill Road) and Route 650 (Power Dam Road). Intermittent single-lane traffic, flagger traffic control. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 867 (North River Road) – Construction entrance from Route 11 (Main Street) to Route 693 (Fairview Road). Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 7
State News: Virginia wins award for Stimulus.Virginia.Gov
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced that Stimulus.Virginia.Gov, Virginia’s official website for citizen input for and reporting to the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), has been honored with a national Digital Government Achievement Award in the Government-to-Citizen category by the non-profit Center for Digital Government.
“Since day one, citizen input, transparency, and accountability have been top priorities in the process of distributing ARRA funds,” Kaine said. “This honor affirms that Stimulus.Virginia.Gov is an effective mechanism to achieve these goals and is yet another way that Virginia is taking the lead in its use of technology to engage citizens.”
More than 9,000 ideas were submitted to Stimulus.Virginia.Gov by citizens, localities and other groups between February 10 and March 6, 2009. Since that time, the site has transitioned to an easy-to-use graphical, geographic reporting resource of ARRA funds received in the Commonwealth and projects undertaken. The stimulus website was created by a cross-boundary state team including the Governor’s Webmaster and staff, the Department of Planning and Budget, the Department of Accounts, the State Comptroller and VITA’s Enterprise Applications Division.
The Center for Digital Government also honored the City of Virginia Beach as the best city web portal in the nation, and Fairfax County as best county web portal in the nation. Virginia’s official state Web portal was ranked first in the nation among states in 2008, and therefore did not compete in this year’s state category.
According to the Center, the Digital Government Achievement Awards showcase progressive and innovative web sites and digital applications by government entities worldwide. Best of the Web ranks the top U.S. state and local web portals, recognizing advances in digital solutions and communication with citizens, government communities and business. The awards are judged by a panel of experts on a wide range of categories, including site accessibility, innovation, cost-savings, ease of use, and exceptional service to public.
For more information on the awards, please visit the Center’s official announcement at http://www.centerdigitalgov.com/survey/88.