Fighting early release

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   Column by Del. Rob Bell www.delegaterobbell.com Last Saturday, I was very surprised to hear that Gov. Tim Kaine had approved the transfer of a Virginia inmate, Jens Soering, to Germany. Pursuant to the agreement, Soering would be eligible for parole in as soon as two years. Soering was the University of Virginia student from…

Local officials back jobs program

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   Staff Report News tips: [email protected] As U.S. mayors gathered in Washington this week to meet with the Obama administration about unemployment and the economy, Virginia local government officials and community leaders are calling for the creation of a Community Jobs program. The jobs program would provide funding to localities across the country to create…

Soft sand

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  Column by Randy Forbes www.forbes.house.gov If you haven’t personally experienced the situation yourself, you have surely witnessed it at the beach or perhaps in the middle of a snow storm – those people who think their truck or SUV certainly must have more than enough gusto to make it through that batch of soft…

Going organic

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   Column by Leanne Ely www.savingdinner.com I get asked all the time about using organic food to healthfully feed your family. My answer invariably is yes, go as organic and as natural as you can afford to. If going “all the way” isn’t possible, at least go with some organic produce. Don’t worry, I’ve got…

Show me the money

Chris Graham

Court strikes down restrictions on corporate campaign financing Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The best government that money can buy – it’s official now. “Their decision announced today in Citizens United v. FEC is constitutionally irresponsible and will surely bring about an anti-democratic revolution in how we finance elections in this country. Today, basic pillars…

No surprise – House rejects proposed Kaine tax increase

Chris Graham

   Story by Chris Graham [email protected] A move by House Republican leaders to get outgoing Gov. Tim Kaine’s politically tone-deaf state income-tax increase up for an early vote on the House floor did what it was supposed to do. The House voted 97-0 on Thursday to reject the proposed 1 percent state income-tax hike that…

What is ‘the right direction’?

Chris Graham

  Column by Chris Graham [email protected] My first reaction to the news that Republican Scott Brown had upset Democrat Martha Coakley in the special election to fill the late Ted Kennedy’s Massachusetts Senate seat – Damn, there goes the country. The pundits were laying out the course for the next few months in the political…

Why abortion is the wrong fight in the health-care debate

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   Column by Rev. Anthony Butler Submit guest columns: [email protected] As a Baptist minister from Nebraska (born in Louisiana), I have watched from the pulpit as three formative events profoundly reshaped America’s view of its destiny and possibilities: the 9-11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the recent economic meltdown. I hoped that last year, life would…

EMU jumps to #7 in national rankings

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   Staff Report EMU sports: www.emu.edu On the strength of last Wednesday’s 90-67 romp over then-No. 1 Randolph-Macon, the Eastern Mennonite men’s basketball team jumped 11 spots this week to No. 7 in the D3hoops.com national poll. In just their third week in the nation’s top 25, the Runnin Royals skipped up from No. 18…