MHA-A announces annual-meeting speakers

Contributors

Item by Chris Graham Mental-health planner Jo-Amrah McElroy and counselor Scarlett Coffman Danraj will share their experiences in the Virginia mental-health system as the state works to improve its service-delivery capabilities at the Nov. 16 annual meeting of the Mental Health Association of Augusta. “Recovery from a mental illness involves more than recovery than the…

Smucker family faces wait and a weight, part two

Jim Bishop

Bishop’s Mantle column by Jim Bishop Dave and Shari Smucker were stymied. Nearly three years had passed, and it didn’t appear hopeful that Aaron, now 3 years old, would ever join their family in Harrisonburg. The couple had made several visits to the youngster’s home in Guatemala, and each time, some technicality prevented them from…

Family encounters – wait and weight

Jim Bishop

Bishop’s Mantle column by Jim Bishop The past four years, Dave and Sheri Smucker of Harrisonburg have had numerous hands-on lessons in learning to wait … and waiting some more. Their amazing odyssey includes two adoptions, a near-death experience and several minor miracles – if one believes that certain experiences defy rational explanation.

Bridging the race divide?

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham   Daryl Davis has plenty of detractors – people who question his motives for wanting to meet with white supremacists, who wonder why an African-American man would of his own volition attend rallies of the Ku Klux Klan, who outright doubt his stories of conversions of racial separatists as…

Valley responds … or not

Crystal Graham

(This is the final installment in a six-part series on The Valley Responds, an effort that links the Shenandoah Valley with residents of Long Beach, Miss.)   Helping school children return to classes. Assisting an elderly couple in efforts to rebuild their home. Clearing land so that churches may resume services … The rebuilding process…

Getting to know Tim Kaine

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham Tim Kaine knew when he made his mind up that he was going to run for lieutenant governor in 2001 that he was committing himself to another political campaign four years later. “Honestly, when I ran for lieutenant governor, I thought, you know, if I am lieutenant governor, then I will…