Relief Sale has strong weekend

Jim Bishop

Much-needed rain in the Shenandoah Valley gave way to brilliant fall weather, contributing to the “enthusiastic spirit” that prevailed at the 44th annual Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale held Friday evening and Saturday, Oct. 1-2, at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds. This year’s sale raised approximately $284,914 for the worldwide relief and service program of Mennonite Central…

Shenandoah U. to join ODAC in '12-'13

Chris Graham

Shenandoah University is set to become the newest full-time member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, effective in all sponsored sports at the beginning of the 2012-13 academic year. The acceptance of Shenandoah’s application for admittance was ratified last week at an annual meeting of the ODAC’s presidents. “The colleges and universities in the Old…

Virginia wine sales see boost

Chris Graham

Sales of Virginia wine in fiscal year 2010 increased nearly 13 percent from 2009, according to numbers released today by the state. Total sales of Virginia wine amounted to $1,604,387 in wine liter tax collections during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, whereas the total wine liter tax collected by the state derived from…

College students to mark change in health-care law

Chris Graham

Students will gather across Virginia on Thursday to celebrate the six-month milestone of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act being signed into law. The students will be focusing on the provision that the new law extends coverage for young adults. Starting Thursday, young adults can stay on a parent’s plan until they turn 26….

One last drive

Jim Bishop

At age 88, Margaret Martin Gehman of Harrisonburg has lost a little of her trademark drive, largely because she has parted company with a faithful friend. Dr. Gehman and her trusty, albeit a bit rusty, mechanical steed, a blue 1967 Volkswagen Beetle, are almost synonymous to many observers. For years she motored the streets of…

Advance opens new store in Fishersville

AFP

Advance Auto Parts Inc., a leading automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, batteries, accessories and maintenance items, today announced it will open its first store in Fishersville at 32 Windward Drive, Suite 120 on Thursday. Company officials said they chose this location for the store because it’s convenient to where their customers live and shop as…

Don’t ask, don’t tell, DREAM Act fall victim to filibuster

Chris Graham

An effort to get a vote on legislation repealing the don’t ask, don’t tell policy that is used to keep gays and lesbians from serving in the United States military and a vote on a bill that would open educational opportunities and a path to citizenship for undocumented Americans who are long-time U.S. residents failed…

BC to honor three with induction into Hall of Fame

Chris Graham

Three stellar former Bridgewater College athletes have been selected for induction into the College’s Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 8, in the Kline Campus Center, as part of Homecoming activities. The inductees for 2010 are Mary Frances Heishman, ’66, of Dayton, Va.; Anthony Lawrence, ’90, of Chantilly, Va.; and Pattiann Dzikowicz Beach, ’91,…

State announces funding for prisoner re-entry

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell on Friday announced initial funding for his strengthened prisoner re-entry program currently under development. Under the leadership of Banci Tewolde, appointed by the governor to serve as the state’s first prisoner re-entry coordinator, the Commonwealth has secured federal funding for three components of the governor’s comprehensive prisoner re-entry initiative. Virginia has been…

Kathleen Rogers and Antonio Gonzalez: Seeking one principled person from each side of the aisle

AFP

On Sept. 17, 1787, a group of visionaries and leaders signed our Constitution. They were intent on creating a functioning government based on universal truths and extraordinary principles in an environment complicated by disparate regional economies and wildly divergent parochial interests. Back then, differing proposals for the shape of our government divided our country into…