Harrisonburg: Are voters being disenfranchised?

Chris Graham

Column by Joseph Fitzgerald Hundreds of potential first-time voters may have been disenfranchised by the Harrisonburg Registrar’s Office as part of a pattern that increasingly looks like an active campaign to limit voting by college students in the presidential election. The campaign began with unsubstantiated warnings to students about financial repercussions from registering; it is…

Harrisonburg: Retired JMU prof honored for professional achievement, service

Chris Graham

Staff Report Kathleen G. Arthur, a James Madison University professor emerita, received The Award for Exemplary Achievement, the most prestigious award given by the Southeastern College Art Conference, in recognition of personal and professional development as well as longstanding service. Arthur has served the SECAC, a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote the visual arts…

Harrisonburg: EMU alums honored for post-grad work

Jim Bishop

Story by Jim Bishop The Alumni Association of EMU honored three of its graduates Sunday, Oct. 12, for their work in reflecting the school’s vision, mission and values. Donald B. Kraybill, 63, of Elizabethtown, Pa., a 1967 EMU graduate with a double major in Bible and sociology, received EMU’s 2008 “alumnus of the year” award…

Local Politics: Ready to RockDem in Harrisonburg, Rockingham County

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The ballot in Harrisonburg on Nov. 4 is mighty crowded, with two dozen or so names covering races from the White House to Harrisonburg City Council promising to keep voters inside the curtain for a minute or two or more on Election Day. The crowding means that you…

Harrisonburg: Candidates in Sixth talk issues

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The economy, Iraq, health care and interestingly, term limits. Voters in the Sixth District were able to get a glimpse into the differing approaches of Republican incumbent Bob Goodlatte, Democrat Sam Rasoul and independent Janice Lee Allen on those issues and others in a candidates forum sponsored by WSVA-550AM in…

Harrisonburg: Learning in a real-world setting

Jim Bishop

Story by Jim Bishop For most majors, Eastern Mennonite University offers smaller classes that provide much opportunity for close student-faculty interaction and mentoring. In addition, many majors include opportunities for internships, where students apply classroom learning to “real world” settings. Beyond this, a number of students majoring in the sciences, particularly biology or chemistry, are…

Harrisonburg: Annual relief sale a big success

Chris Graham

Story by Jim Bishop Economic woes apparently took a back seat to spectacular weather that helped draw an enthusiastic crowd of nearly 10,000 to the 42nd annual Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale held Oct. 3-4 at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds. This year’s sale raised approximately $307,638 in total receipts for Mennonite Central Committee. This does not…

Harrisonburg: Retired JMU lab coordinator honored for alternative fuel research

Chris Graham

Staff Report Retired James Madison University Alternative Fuel Vehicle Lab coordinator Randy Poag was recently inducted into the Nashville Auto Diesel College Hall of Fame for his contributions to JMU’s pioneering work in biodiesel and alternative fuels. “Randy’s guidance in the AFV lab was integral to the success of many projects,” said Christie-Joy Brodrick Hartman,…

Harrisonburg: A feast fit for a Royal

Chris Graham

Story by Andrea Schrock Wenger Bibb lettuce that traveled about 10 miles from Marlan Showalter’s farm to the table formed the base of a veggie wrap that was among the fare served at Eastern Mennonite University dining hall’s first “harvest meal” of locally-grown food, held Oct. 1. “The meal was amazing,” said Leah Risser, a…

Harrisonburg: Republicans for Warner

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The press release billed the event as being the launch of something to be called Virginians for Warner, and let us know that former Republican state senator John Chichester was going to be tagging along with his friend from across the aisle. It didn’t say anything about the gaggle of…