The Health Desk: Thursday, Feb. 25

Contributors

– Local News: RMH experts to speak at Free Heart Symposium – Local News: Free H1N1 shots available at RMH – Study: Socioeconomic status can affect life expectancy    Edited by Chris Graham [email protected]    Local News: RMH experts to speak at Free Heart Symposium RMH will hold its third annual “Matters of the Heart”…

Political Blogs: Sunday, Feb. 14

Chris Graham

Featured: Jim McKelvey, Bill Bolling, Creigh Deeds Jim McKelvey: Senate Bill 481 www.mckelveyforcongress.com Once again politicians at every level of government do not get it. State Sen. Robert Hurt introduced SB 481; this bill essentially lowers the number of new employees a business must hire to be eligible for a tax credit. We need to…

Lawmaker Dispatches

Chris Graham

Featuring: Randy Forbes, Tom Perriello, Robert Hurt, Kaye Kory Randy Forbes: National Dialogue www.forbes.house.gov Ask a teacher, and they will most likely tell you that one of the quickest ways to kill classroom discussion is for one strong-willed student to monopolize the conversation. A long-winded or uncomfortably impassioned monologue inevitably polarizes viewpoints. Conversation shuts down,…

News Update: Tuesday, Feb. 9

Chris Graham

– School Board meeting moved back – Bridgewater College receives $124K scholarship grant – EMU students win counseling ethics competition – Farm, rural business profitability focus of upcoming forum Edited by Chris Graham [email protected] School Board meeting moved back: The Waynesboro Public Schools will postpone the Tuesday, Feb. 9, Waynesboro School Board Meeting. The meeting…

Richmond Reports

Ken Plum

Featured: Del. Ken Plum, Del. David Englin Ken Plum: The LCI takes center stage www.kenplum.com Virginia’s formula for funding public schools is very complex. Theoretically the average school district would be funded half by the state and half by local government. In actuality, the split in spending for public schools is closer to 55 percent…

Deeds reports on General Assembly session

Chris Graham

   Column by Sen. Creigh Deeds www.creighdeeds.com The General Assembly session is now in full swing. The subcommittees and committees meet around-the-clock, and the halls are packed with lobbyists, legislators, and citizens interested in the process. More often than not, I have several meetings scheduled at the same time. This week has seen some interesting…

Webb: Reverse decision on Gitmo trials

Contributors

   Staff Report News tips: [email protected] U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va. joined five other senators Tuesday calling for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to reverse his decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other alleged conspirators in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in civilian court rather than military commissions. The six lawmakers, including Sens. Joe…

Bill to ease absentee voting passes Senate

Contributors

   Staff Report News tips: [email protected] The State Senate on Monday passed legislation expanding access to absentee ballots and making it easier for all Virginians to participate in the electoral process. Sponsored by Sen. Janet Howell (D-Fairfax), the bill, SB 83, will allow any qualified voter to cast an absentee ballot in person without providing…