Community Foundation distributes nearly $50K in scholarships to area students

Chris Graham

The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge announces awards of nearly $50,000 in scholarships to 38 area students. Each scholarship has its own specific purpose, selection and eligibility criteria. The selection process is managed in a variety of ways, depending on the wishes of the donor. “We are so thrilled and thankful to be…

McDonnell signs school-safety legislation

AFP

Gov. Bob McDonnell signed into law today seven pieces of legislation passed during the 2011 General Assembly session that offer additional protections to students in Virginia’s public and private schools. The new legislation focuses on reducing risks for Virginia students by making it illegal for sex offenders to operate or ride on school buses, increases…

Warner, Wolf announce bipartisan jobs initiative

AFP

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va. 10) today announced a bipartisan legislative push to encourage the creation of new manufacturing jobs here in America, strengthen worker training and industry certification programs, and expand U.S. exports. The Warner/Wolf partnership, launched after the U.S. unemployment rate edged up to 9.1 percent in…

Virginia Tech adds meteorology degree

AFP

The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approved a new bachelor of science in meteorology during its quarterly meeting on June 6. The new degree program, which will reside in the College of Natural Resources and Environment’s geography department, will prepare students for careers in meteorology and weather forecasting with a significant focus on geospatial information…

Hospice partners with veterans’ group

Chris Graham

Hospice of the Shenandoah has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a campaign developed by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs. We Honor Veterans is a program to help provide care and support that reflect the important contributions made by these men and women. As…

Boys & Girls Club holds Open House

Chris Graham

The Boys & Girls Club showcased its kinder, gentler side to the local business community on Thursday. “We want people to realize that (the arts) is something that we do here,” said Tyrell McElroy, the chief professional officer at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta County, which held an Open House…

Claire Coleman: Family planning – an essential part of American life

AFP

If you’re an average woman, you want two children, according to various surveys. That means you’ll spend about five years of your life trying to become pregnant, being pregnant or recovering from pregnancy, and 30 years trying to avoid it. You can do that thanks to the June 1965 landmark Supreme Court decision Griswold v….

Sam Gbaydee Doe and Al Fuertes: Two SPI learners/teachers who keep coming back

AFP

For both Sam Gbaydee Doe and Al Fuertes, the vocation of peacebuilding was forged in the trauma of civil war. In Doe’s native Liberia, 10 percent of the population perished. For Fuertes, growing up on the Philippine island Mindanao, one of the world’s longest recent wars seemed “a given.” Now, over more than a decade,…

Local seniors honored by Comcast

Chris Graham

The Comcast Foundation, founded in 1999 to provide charitable support to its local communities and to empower and enrich lives, is awarding 53 Virginia high school seniors scholarships through its annual Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program. The program, one of the Comcast Foundation’s signature community investment programs, recognizes students’ leadership skills, academic achievement and commitment…