Building a new industrial sector in Waynesboro

Chris Graham

Special Report by Chris Graham [email protected]   Waynesboro was once the envy of Western Virginia for its manufacturing economy. As recently as 1990, almost half of the city’s workforce was employed in manufacturing, whose rate of pay has traditionally been at least 40 percent and some years approaching 50 percent higher than the median income…

State of the Union: A Virginia perspective

Chris Graham

  Edited by Chris Graham [email protected] Everything you wanted to know about the State of the Union, but were afraid to ask. We have the full texts and videos of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s Republican response. We also have reactions from Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner, congressmen…

VDOT sends out layoff notices

Chris Graham

678 jettisoned as department addresses $4.6B shortfall Staff Report News tips: [email protected] The Virginia Department of Transportation today began issuing 678 layoff notifications in its final round of position eliminations. The staffing reductions are a portion of a three-part plan, called the Blueprint for the Future, addressing a six-year $4.6 billion transportation revenue shortfall and…

Biscuit Run to become state park

AFP

Former largest planned development in Albemarle history to be preserved as open space Staff Report News Tips: [email protected] Gov. Tim Kaine on Wednesday announced the purchase of approximately 1,200 acres in Albemarle County known as “Biscuit Run” to be held by the state as a site for a future state park. “When developed as a…

Snow, ice possible overnight, Thursday morning

AFP

National Weather Service: 1-3 inches of snow and ice forecast Staff Report News Tips: [email protected] The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the Greater Augusta area that will be in effect from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. Accumulations of 1 to 3 inches of snow and sleet are possible from…

Traffic deaths in Virginia decline 13 percent in ’09

Chris Graham

Kaine attributes increased safety to increased seat-belt usage Staff Report News Tips: [email protected] Gov. Tim Kaine today noted that as of Nov. 30, 2009, preliminary data indicates there were 98 fewer traffic fatalities in Virginia compared to this same time period last year, a decline of 13 percent. The 821 traffic fatalities recorded for 2008…

Live Blog | Snow Day in the Valley

Chris Graham

  Send Snow Day in the Valley photos and weather-related cancellations to [email protected].   Update: 3 p.m. The Waynesboro Christmas Parade scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight has been canceled. No makeup date has been announced. A city official cited the worsening weather conditions and safety concerns as key to the decision.

Focus | Groundbreaking development at new WSH

Chris Graham

Governor in town to help mark occasion Story by Chris Graham [email protected] With AFP Video Government doesn’t have a reputation for doing something that makes as much sense as the work that is going into the construction of the new Western State Hospital, which is being built adjacent to the current WSH campus in Staunton…