Mike London discusses his 2011 recruiting class

Chris Graham

Transcript of Virginia football coach Mike London’s Feb. 2 press conference discussing UVa.s 2011 recruiting class. COACH LONDON: First of all, I’d like to acknowledge the hard work of my staff. They did a tremendous job going out into the various areas representing the message of the University of Virginia very well and establishing relationships…

Ken Plum: Legislative agenda

Ken Plum

I often describe the General Assembly session as being like a roller coaster ride. It starts off slowly but accelerates in speed as the bottom seems to drop out. There are many ups and downs along the way. The session is scheduled to adjourn February 26. In the meantime about 3,000 bills and resolutions will…

Creigh Deeds: Session report

Creigh Deeds

The regular 2011 session of the General Assembly began on the second Wednesday of January. The day was full of pomp and circumstance and some matters of substance. We swore in a new state senator, Bill Stanley, from Franklin County, who was elected to fill the seat of newly elected Congressman Robert Hurt. The Courts…

McDonnell adds to roads plans

Chris Graham

A key part of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s plan to get Virginia transportation moving would rededicate a portion of sales-tax revenues from the pot of money used to fund schools and public safety to roads projects in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. McDonnell said today that he will back legislation to move about $140 million a…

Governor, Republican group react to proposed state action countering DADT

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell wants to see the Virginia National Guard adhere to the same rules as the Department of Defense with respect to its treatment of gays and lesbians serving in the nation’s military. McDonnell addressed the issue on his monthly call-in show on WTOP in response to questions that have arisen regarding legislation that…

Ken Plum: it will take more than magic

Ken Plum

A hobby I pursue infrequently is performing magic tricks. Recently I did a magic show for preschoolers to help the United Christian Parish Preschool that my wife Jane directs raise money to improve the preschool library. As I explained to my eager audience, magic can make the seemingly impossible take place. When the children were…

Ken Plum: Unraveling the mysteries of redistricting

Ken Plum

In the very near future Virginia will receive its official population numbers from the 2010 census. Our numbers are among the first to be issued because our off-year elections require us to redraw our legislative district lines in time for the 2011 fall elections. Follow the progress of the census results being made available at…

Report: Link between sprawl, transportation issues, housing affordability

Contributors

Housing affordability is a critical challenge throughout Virginia—a challenge heightened by the recent recession and continuing economic turmoil, as well as problems with transportation and sprawl development, according to a report released today by Housing Virginia and the Southern Environmental Law Center. In addition to examining these problems, the organizations outline a range of practical,…

Conference focuses on small business

Chris Graham

Virginia has come full circle since Jodi Raskind’s college years. Raskind, the director of a microloan program in the U.S. Small Business Administration, started college at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in Clifton Forge. This was before interstates and highway bypasses made it easy to get to Clifton Forge from Northern Virginia. “My father once…

Ken Plum: E-V ready

Ken Plum

This summer Gov. Bob McDonnell announced a “collaborative effort to prepare the Commonwealth for electric cars.” The initiative is funded through the federal Clean Cities program. More information is available at www.hrccc.org/get-ready/. Reading the press release about the initiative made me remember a similar program in Northern Virginia and Richmond in 1997 to get the…