VDOT fills senior staff positions

Chris Graham

The Virginia Department of Transportation, in a late-afternoon Friday news dump, made several announcements regarding staff additions, including the hiring of a new chief financial officer, John W. Lawson. The 21-year VDOT veteran will oversee VDOT’s $3.3 billion annual budget and will provide oversight and bring innovation to VDOT’s spending of state and federal resources….

State launches review, extends DMV hours

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee are launching an independent review of the computer-system failures that affected operations at the Department of Motor Vehicles and 25 other state agencies – and Northrop Grumman is picking up the tab. “I have spoken personally with Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush. I expressed…

A new year under way at Fishburne

Chris Graham

Fishburne Military School has changed Brian Watkins. “This school works wonders. It really changed me. It changed the way I act, respect, my discipline,” said Watkins, a senior and the new battalion commander, at a ceremony Tuesday marking the first formation of the corps of cadets for the 2010-2011 school year. Watkins, a Fairfax Station…

Challenging nonconference hoops schedule for VCU

Chris Graham

Seven postseason qualifiers and a possible trip to The Mecca of Basketball, Madison Square Garden, highlight the 13-game 2010-11 non-conference schedule for the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s basketball team. “Overall our schedule presents a wide variety of challenging opponents,” head coach Shaka Smart said. “We’ll have the chance to test ourselves in extremely hostile environments…

Jim Bishop: Gettin’ in beachtime, makin’ waves, mullin’ the future

Jim Bishop

Column by Jim Bishop Submit guest columns: [email protected]   “Sittin’ on the dock of the bay, Watching the tide roll away . . .” – Otis Redding (1968) VIRGINIA BEACH – What could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning? How about poolside in Virginia Beach on a sunny, warm afternoon, alternately…