House committee to initiate redistricting review

Chris Graham

Del. Mark L. Cole of Fredericksburg today announced that the redistricting subcommittee of the House of Delegates Committee on Privileges and Elections has scheduled a series of six public hearings throughout the Commonwealth to encourage broad public input into the redistricting process. The public hearings will take place in September, October and December in preparation…

Cuccinelli opinion pushes abortion clinics to the brink

Chris Graham

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has issued a legal opinion that there is authority in state law to place greater restrictions on abortion clinics. The opinion, issued late Friday, says the state “has the authority to promulgate regulations for facilities in which first trimester abortions are performed, as well as for providers of first trimester abortions,…

Ground Zero Mosque: Legal-Yes; Moral-Never

AFP

The Jewish synagogue, the Christian/Catholic church, the Shinto and Confucian shrines, the Buddhist and Hindu temples, and yes, even the Islamic mosque are all houses of worship to be respected, revered and prayed in by people of faith seeking answers, guidance, truth, atonement and presumably a path to goodness, peace, righteousness and betterment. Yet, as…

White House News: President speaks on clean energy manufacturing

Chris Graham

Remarks from President Barack Obama at Menomonee Falls, Wisc., on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010:   Thank you very much. (Applause.) Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you very much. It is wonderful to be at ZBB Energy. And thanks for your hospitality, and thanks for helping to build a future. I’ve got a couple of…

Haitian choir coming to Staunton

AFP

The earthquake changed the center of their world. Their Holy Trinity Cathedral and thousand-student music school in Port au Prince collapsed into rubble. Scores of lives were lost all around the church complex. The philharmonic orchestra’s instruments were crushed. Choristers in the elite men and boys choir, Les Petits Chanteurs, lost their homes. They sleep…

Capri, Hypes and a musical movement

AFP

Local celebrities Bobby Capri and Andrew Hypes are moving up into the big boys league. The duo has had shows here in the Valley as well as up and down the East Coast, including, Washington, D.C., Brooklyn and Manhattan. The pair have made their way from independent artists to collaborating and joining the independent label,…

A merger that isn’t Comcastic

AFP

On Dec. 3, 2009, the cable giant Comcast announced plans to buy NBC/Universal from General Electric in a $28 billion merger. Ever since, lawmakers in Washington and legions of activists have been raising the alarm about the threat such a deal would pose to telecommunication workers, cable and Internet users, and communities of color. As…

Staunton gets state tourism-marketing grant

AFP

The Staunton Convention Visitors Bureau, Staunton Downtown Development Association and the Staunton Music Guild announced Wednesday that they have been awarded a $4,840 marketing grant as part of Virginia Tourism Corporation’s Marketing Leverage Program. The VTC program is designed to stimulate new tourism marketing programs through the creation of local, area and regional tourism partnerships….