Virginia lagging behind in carbon-footprint reductions

Item by Chris Graham [email protected] The Richmond and Northern Virginia-Washington, D.C. metro areas are among the top 15 metro areas in the country with the highest levels of carbon emissions per capita, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Brookings Institution. But that’s not the rest of the story regarding carbon footprints.

Local Libertarians talk up Barr as presidential nominee

Item by Chris Graham [email protected] Former Republican congressman Bob Barr is the Libertarian Party’s nominee to run for president. Charlottesville-area Libertarians are excited with the choice. “Unlike the Democrats and Republicans, whose conventions are nothing more than coronations, our convention was full of suspense and drama. No one knew who was going to win going…

Economic immunity: Are the Valley and Central Virginia recession-proof?

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The Shenandoah Valley is recession-proof. Charlottesville is recession-proof. I’ve heard people say this for years. As the argument goes, the local economies have two big things going for them – major universities and agriculture. Kids still go to school in recessions. And kids and everybody else still eat in recessions….

Field of Dreams: But will economic realities nip proposed $20M stadium in the bud?

Story by Chris Graham [email protected]  Yeah, I know, invoking “Field of Dreams” in a piece examining the economic aspects of a proposed $20 million baseball stadium is beyond cheesy. But I do it to try to make you consider something that you might not otherwise. Namely, that the whole idea rests on the notion that…