Help the Wildlife Center name its new hawk

AFP

The Wildlife Center of Virginia, a leading teaching and research hospital for wildlife, is enlisting the help of area elementary-school children in coming up with a name for a Red-tailed Hawk – an non-releasable hawk that will soon be visiting schools as one of the Center’s environmental ambassadors. Earlier this month, the Wildlife Center contacted…

House votes to repeal health-care law

Chris Graham

The House of Representatives voted 245-189 on Wednesday to pass a resolution to repeal the health-care reform that was signed into law by President Barack Obama last year. The resolution had been promised by the new Republican leadership in the House. The vote isn’t likely to lead to any effective repeal with a Democratic majority…

Wildlife expert: Extent of impacts of Gulf spill will never be known

AFP

Backing a recently released final report on the 2010 BP oil spill, a local wildlife expert said it is likely that the oil company responsible for the 208 million-gallon spill into the Gulf of Mexico will likely get away with paying for little or none of the damage, and that the federal government’s efforts to…

McDonnell adds to roads plans

Chris Graham

A key part of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s plan to get Virginia transportation moving would rededicate a portion of sales-tax revenues from the pot of money used to fund schools and public safety to roads projects in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. McDonnell said today that he will back legislation to move about $140 million a…

Swartzendruber appointed to another term at EMU

Jim Bishop

Loren Swartzendruber will serve another four-year term as president of Eastern Mennonite University. Andrew (Andy) Dula of Lancaster, Pa., chair of the EMU board of trustees, announced at the opening convocation of second semester Wednesday, Jan. 12, that Dr. Swartzendruber has “gratefully accepted” an appointment to serve a third term that begins July 1, 2011…

Harrisonburg Chamber honors community business leaders

AFP

The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual membership meeting and awards ceremony Thursday at the JMU Festival Conference & Student Center. During the ceremony, the Chamber honored two restaurateurs, and a local farm family that is dedicated to sustainable farming practices.   2010 Entrepreneur of the Year Aaron Ludwig, owner of Jack Brown’s Beer…

Mitchell Gold: New Year’s Resolution-End greed, invest in a healthy economy

AFP

As a business owner who has created hundreds of jobs over the past two decades, I understand economic policies that build sustainable growth. Yet the billions in tax cuts for the wealthy just signed into law compromise our shared future. The promise of “trickle down” economics has failed. When recent studies suggest that 1 in…

State announces $100K in farmland preservation grants

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell today announced the distribution of $100,000 in grants from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to eight Virginia localities. Localities must use the grant monies to preserve farmland within their boundaries through local purchase of development rights programs. PDR programs compensate landowners who permanently preserve their land by voluntarily placing…