Tumbleweeds

Chris Graham

Ask me what Waynesboro’s biggest problem is, and I’ll tell you this – people here love telling you how nobody here seems to have a clue of what we need to do to move Waynesboro forward, but when push comes to shove on that, folks don’t seem to want to do anything about it other…

Unemployment up slightly in May

AFP

Unemployment ticked up a bit across the Valley in May, though the slight increases were called seasonal by a Virginia Employment Commission economist today. Waynesboro still has the highest unemployment rate locally, at 9.1 percent, up from the 8.8 percent mark in April, according to VEC data released today. Staunton was up from 6.9 percent…

Federal, state grants aid local criminal-justice efforts

AFP

State money going to support programs to improve criminal-justice services across the Commonwealth will be flowing to a few worthy programs in the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia. The Collins Center and First Step Inc. in Harrisonburg will receive funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, more popularly referred to as the…

Vindication – Deeds takes Democratic nomination in dramatic fashion

Chris Graham

When Creigh Deeds announced his candidacy for the 2009 Democratic Party gubernatorial nomination back in December 2007, it was not exactly with the full support of the Democratic Party decisionmaking set. The whispers at the time and for months after were that party leaders had been trying to persuade Deeds to make another run at…

Bluegrass festival in Waynesboro Saturday

Chris Graham

The Wayne Theatre Alliance will host its second annual Bluegrass, Blue Jeans & BBQ Festival on Saturday, June 13, from 4-9 p.m. in Waynesboro’s downtown Constitution Park on Main Street. Headlining the festival are The Hackensaw Boys, recognized by many as one of the most exciting new groups on the American music scene. This Charlottesville-based…

The ACV is back

AFP

If I want to know what’s going on with the Artisans Center of Virginia, the easiest way for me to find out is to get up from my computer, walk down the hall toward my old office on the other side of the Augusta Free Press Publishing building and ask Sherri Smith, the ACV’s new…