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The resurgence of Cimex lectularius, the common Bed bug, is being reported across the Commonwealth of Virginia. VPMA-member pest control companies who received one or two bedbug calls a year are now reporting one to two each week. That’s 50 times more calls! Experts say the bed bug resurgence started with international travel with bugs…
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Recently I had the tremendous honor of attending Virginia’s 85th state FFA convention on the campus of Virginia Tech. What a wonderful opportunity to see more than 1,700 bright, eager and enthusiastic young agricultural leaders in action. As I sat there in Burruss Auditorium, I found myself reflecting back to my own days when I…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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While recently shoveling aged horse manure around berry vines on my small organic farm to fertilize them, which gives me great pleasure, I thought about what I have learned about the community of the land by farming over the last two decades. I noticed how spreading brown gold–to which I add the green manure of…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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