Karen Jacob: Hard choices

Contributors

I’ve lived in the heartland for more than two decades. And I can tell you that there’s nothing like a sultry July night at the local ballpark, rooting for the home team, eating hot dogs and quaffing beer, watching fireworks viewed from damp, warm infield grass. This time of year, the Midwest is awash in…

Funding for CBF Partnership to improve Valley water quality

USDA NRCS has approved $50,000 in funding to sustain ongoing partnership activities with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to improve water quality in the Shenandoah Valley. Authorized through the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI), this project is part of a multi-stakeholder effort to target technical assistance and funding in the high-density animal production regions of Page,…

Robert Hurt: Promoting a sustainable economic recovery

Robert Hurt

A year ago, in the midst of over nine percent unemployment and a quickly escalating 13 trillion dollar national debt, the White House launched its “Recovery Summer” tour in an effort to gain support for its failed trillion dollar stimulus plan. Since the stimulus was signed into law, what we have seen is anything but…

Senate passes Webb amendment to end ethanol subsidies and tariffs

Today, the Senate overwhelmingly approved Sen. Jim Webb’s amendment to eliminate the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit and repeal the import tariff on foreign ethanol. The measure, which he co-sponsored with Senators Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), passed with bipartisan support in a 73-27 vote and will save taxpayers $6 billion annually. “Eliminating…

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 clean-energy legislation

Gov. Bob McDonnell signed eight pieces of new legislation today at a ceremony at the VCU School of Business to promote the clean and renewable energy industry in Virginia and to spur development of new pilot projects and technologies that will promote reliable and affordable energy for Virginia’s families, businesses and industry. The legislation will…

McDonnell signs school-safety legislation

Contributors

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…

Virginia Tech adds meteorology degree

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…

New FMS football coach stresses character, discipline as keys to success

Players don’t remember Xs and Os years after they hang up the spikes and close their lockers for the last time. “The playbook isn’t the foundation of a program,” said Dan Baranik, announced last week as the new head football coach at Fishburne Military School. “Ten years from now, the players who came through here…