Community Mourning: Waynesboro loses local arts icon

Chris Graham

The Waynesboro arts community is in mourning today over the sudden passing of artist, dramatist, author and retired Waynesboro High School teacher Duane Hahn. “Duane … how can we imagine creative Waynesboro without you? I’m heartbroken,” wrote author and friend Elizabeth Massie on a Facebook post Thursday morning. Hahn was an icon to the local…

McDonnell’s higher-ed reform legislation passes key legislative hurdles

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell’s “Preparing for the Top Jobs of the 21st Century: The Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011” passed two key votes on Wednesday in Richmond. Following a vote in favor of the omnibus bill by the Senate Finance Committee earlier in the morning, the full House of Delegates voted unanimously for final…

Mill at South River completes $5.5 million prep work

AFP

Redevelopment team members for the Mill at South River in Waynesboro announced today that the project has successfully completed a $5.5 million voluntary remediation and site preparation phase of the property redevelopment. It is the largest known voluntary Brownfield investment by an individual in Virginia and ranks in the top 7 percent in size of…

David Reynolds: Denial

David Reynolds

Boy, I’m sure glad I live in Rockbridgeland . . . and not in Virginia. And that our three local governments can take the year off. After all, we were told that almost everything was accomplished in paradise during 2010. But that the Commonwealth has all sorts of problems, from textbooks to roads, from funding…

Hartman named VP of enrollment at EMU

Jim Bishop

Harrisonburg educator Luke A. Hartman has been named vice president for enrollment at Eastern Mennonite University. He will assume his new role Aug. 1, 2011. The appointment was announced Wednesday, Jan. 26, by EMU President Loren Swartzendruber. In his new role, a president’s cabinet-level position, Hartman will oversee the departments of admissions and financial aid….

Forum on homelessness in Waynesboro

Chris Graham

An informal open forum meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Waynesboro to provide information and education on the homeless situation in Waynesboro. Community leaders from the Waynesboro Police Department, Valley Mission, Social Services, and Salvation Army will be speaking and participating. There will also…

Neal Menefee: Public media provides unique services that positively impact our communities

AFP

It has been more than 40 years since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. This resulted in the distinctly American creation of public television and public radio, which at its core was meant to provide a service to “enrich man’s spirit.” WVPT Public Television has demonstrated that public media has…

Creigh Deeds: General Assembly Report

Creigh Deeds

The 2011 session is proving to be one of the busiest I’ve seen. A typical day starts before 7 a.m. when constituents come to the General Assembly Building to meet with their legislators, followed quickly by 7:30 a.m. subcommittee meetings. Standing committees meet before and after the 12 p.m. session and last into the evening,…

Help the Wildlife Center name its new hawk

AFP

The Wildlife Center of Virginia, a leading teaching and research hospital for wildlife, is enlisting the help of area elementary-school children in coming up with a name for a Red-tailed Hawk – an non-releasable hawk that will soon be visiting schools as one of the Center’s environmental ambassadors. Earlier this month, the Wildlife Center contacted…