Virginia set to become first state to pass statewide limitation on drone use

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell last night proposed limited amendments to legislation that called for a two-year moratorium on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, by law enforcement and regulatory agencies in the Commonwealth thereby assuring that Virginia will become the first state in the nation to enact a statewide restriction on the use of drones.

Exploring Virginia’s botanical history through the centuries

AFP

The story of Virginia’s Floras, both past and present, will be told in the Shenandoah Valley on Thursday, at 2 and 7 p.m. at Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) in Weyers Cave. Exploring Virginia’s Botanical History through Three Centuries, featuring Dick Cheatham as John Clayton and Donna Ware as herself, will be the topic of the 75-minute program. The word “flora” is the technical term used by botanists to describe a guide to plants living in a particular area. Thus a Virginia Flora is a guidebook to all the documented plants with sustainable wild populations in the commonwealth.

Matt Lohr

Matt Lohr: Technology on the farm now fits in the palm of your hand

AFP

In January 2011, I featured Social Media in this column. I reread it the other day and thought, “Wow, how things have changed in two years.” At that point in time I mentioned cell phones and laptops, and used the word “perhaps” in conjunction with smart phone and tablet use on the farm. For Social Media, I limited the discussion to Facebook, Twitter and blogs and only referred to “applications” once. I noticed that I wrote applications, not apps.

university of virginia uva

New technique can identify role of proteins with unknown function

AFP

An ingenious new technique is making it quicker and easier for scientists to identify the function of uncharacterized proteins in cells. The method, developed by researchers primarily from the Wladek Minor laboratory at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, already is being used to solve some of the most stubborn mysteries of cellular function.

Council announces Tech Nite 12 winners

Chris Graham

Once a year, the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council (SVTC) takes the time to recognize and celebrate the achievements of technology firms, organizations and programs in the region and the entrepreneurs and innovators behind those successes. This year’s twelfth annual technology awards gala, Tech Nite 12, took place on May 2nd at James Madison University in…

McDonnell, Cisco, college presidents highlight tech-sharing initiatives

AFP

Today Gov. Bob McDonnell joined John T. Chambers, chairman and chief executive officer of Cisco and university presidents Alan Merten (George Mason University); Linwood Rose (James Madison University); Charles Steger (Virginia Tech) and Teresa Sullivan (University of Virginia) via Cisco TelePresence to discuss the progress of the 4-VA initiative and the pilot projects for instructional…