Panera partners with Food Bank

AFP

Panera Bread bakery-cafes will partner with Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network to help put food on tables for Food Bank recipients throughout the state when they host their first “Panera’s Pantry” food drive campaign through Nov. 23. Patrons can bring nonperishable canned food items to any Panera Bread location in the Blue Ridge Bread…

SRI marks formal grand opening

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham With AFP Video It’s nearly been three years since state leaders announced the move of SRI International to locate its East Coast research and development headquarters north of Harrisonburg. Local and state officials marked the formal grand opening of SRI’s new Center for Advanced Drug Research on Monday afternoon. “Today, we…

Focus | Kaine offers advice to McDonnell on health care

Chris Graham

Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell doesn’t think health-care reform with a public option is going to be “something that is going to help us in Virginia.” His predecessor recommends that he wait until Congress makes its final call on reform before painting himself into a corner. “What I would say – he’s going to make his own…

The Pulse | ‘Interesting’ week for Kaine, DNC

Chris Graham

The media and Republicans are howling about the gubernatorial-election trainwrecks in Virginia and New Jersey spelling early doom for the agenda of President Barack Obama not even a year into his term. It’s Tim Kaine’s job as Democratic National Committee chairman to put a silver lining in the smoke clouds. I asked Kaine after a…

AFP Focus | Never say die

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham It was a good idea. We at AFP.com would become effective groupies for Waynesboro High School football, and remember, before the season, we all thought this was going to be the year things started turning the corner down at the high school. Steve Isaacs, mad scientist of football that he is,…

Dukes break losing streak, win at Delaware, 20-8

AFP

Redshirt freshman quarterback Justin Thorpe (Richmond, Va./Varina) ran for one touchdown and threw for another to lead the James Madison football team to a 20-8 victory at Delaware Saturday. Thorpe ran 12 yards for JMU’s first touchdown and hit senior tight end Charlie Newman (Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby) on a seven-yard scoring play for the Dukes’…

Boy Scouts using Halloween to collect for Food Bank

AFP

There’s a different sort of trick or treating going on this Halloween! The Boy Scouts in the Valley and Charlottesville will be “Scouting for Food” this Saturday. Scouts will drop by homes, collect food left by residents at their doorsteps and bring the donations to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “Scouting for Food” begins…

RMH moving flu clinic, expanding hours

AFP

The Rockingham Memorial Hospital Flu Care Clinic is moving to a new location and expanding hours beginning Monday, Nov. 2. The Clinic is moving to Cloverleaf Plaza, 518 Burges Road, Harrisonburg, behind the Shoney’s on East Market Street, and will be open from 6-10 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and…