Sarah van Gelder: Families can’t afford to stay home on Election Day

AFP

If you’re like me, this election doesn’t feel anything like 2008. The excitement and hope of that historic election have been replaced by worry and disappointment. The 2008 campaigns at least occasionally addressed our country’s serious problems. This year it’s all noise, attacks, and accusations. Little actual policy makes it through. Meanwhile, billionaires, big oil,…

Sanford D. Horn: Juan gone From NPR

Chris Graham

The vigorous and immediate support of former NPR commentator Juan Williams, in the wake of his unceremonious dismissal via cell phone, from both sides of the aisle both politically and in the media speaks volumes – especially when Williams has been silenced, albeit only by NPR. For a simple expression of his true feelings, that…

David Brodwin: The business case for fair elections

AFP

This year, the United States Supreme Court reversed years of precedent limiting how corporations may spend money to influence elections. This decision will substantially increase the importance of corporate influence in politics—both in determining who gets elected and how they decide once they are in office. As executives, owners, investors, and business professionals involved in…

Court hears arguments in AG challenge to health-care reform

Chris Graham

A federal judge heard arguments for the state and for the federal government in a case brought by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli challenging the constitutionality of the federal health-care reform bill passed and signed into law earlier this year. Judge Henry E. Hudson said in Monday’s hearing in Richmond that he will hand down…

Governor announces specialty-crops funding

Chris Graham

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell announced funding today for 18 agriculture-related projects which will promote and enhance the competitiveness of Virginia’s specialty crops. The projects resulted from the competitive grant process established by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) for the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service Specialty Crop Block Grant…

Shenandoah U. to join ODAC in '12-'13

Chris Graham

Shenandoah University is set to become the newest full-time member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, effective in all sponsored sports at the beginning of the 2012-13 academic year. The acceptance of Shenandoah’s application for admittance was ratified last week at an annual meeting of the ODAC’s presidents. “The colleges and universities in the Old…

David Cox: Quiet progress

David Cox

Lately, the federal deficit has been decreasing its increasing. With all the hype over burning Korans, building mosques, protesting Tea Partiers, not to mention the triumph of good over evil of the Redskins beating the Cowboys a week ago Sunday, you might have missed that point of some, if small, consolation. So I’ll repeat: The…

Conservation in the spotlight

AFP

The Shenandoah Resource Conservation and Development Council will join fellow RC&D Councils throughout the United States to commemorate RC&D Week, which runs from Sept. 19-25, 2010. RC&D Week is held annually to celebrate the success of the RC&D Program nationwide. During RC&D week, the Shenandoah RC&D Council will be presented with the Southeastern Association’s “Outstanding…

Sarah van Gelder: The new normal

AFP

Americans are facing a troubling reality. The economic recovery they were promised has not materialized. There’s growing talk about a “new normal”—a new way of life to take us through a long period of failed recoveries. There are, indeed, good reasons to believe we won’t go back to the old ways. But this new normal…