Royals overcome slow start and run by Randolph, 79-48

Contributors

From the opening minutes of the game, you wouldn’t have known that visiting Randolph was still looking for its first conference win.  But after falling behind 10-2 to the WildCats, the Eastern Mennonite women quickly regrouped and controlled the rest of the game in a 79-48 victory in Harrisonburg Friday night. Randolph College confidently came…

Chris Graham: A catastrophe in the making

Contributors

That’s how I’m describing the budget-wrangling in Richmond that will effectively reduce state spending on K-12 education in Virginia. The moves – forced by Gov. Bob McDonnell’s push on funding for the Virginia Retirement System for public-sector employees – are forcing the hands of local decision-makers. Local government, of course, is where the rubber hits…

State Senate overturns Sunday hunting ban

Chris Graham

Today the Senate of Virginia passed SB 464 sponsored by Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk) which will permit hunting on Sundays on private land in Virginia. A companion bill, SB 173, sponsored by Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax City), which adopted the “private land” compromise for permitting Sunday hunting, was rolled into Senator Northam’s bill in committee….

JMU announces 2012 football schedule

Contributors

The James Madison University football team announced its schedule for the 2012 season today, which includes six home games at the expanded Bridgeforth Stadium including defending CAA champion Towson. Game times will be announced at a later date, following the completion of the CAA Television contracts. “This is a quality schedule for our football program…

Barefoot Puppets come to WTA’s Gateway

Chris Graham

How does a spider beat an elephant in a bout of tug-of-war?? You’ll find out when the nationally recognized Barefoot Puppets presents Trickster Tales! at WTA’s Gateway at 329 West Main on Friday, January 27 at 4 pm and 6 pm. This 45-minute performance stars Anansi the Spider in two traditional folktales of the Beluba…

Comedy Night at WTA’s Gateway

Contributors

Comedy Night is back at WTA’s Gateway Theatre with an evening of musical and improvisational comedy on Saturday, January 28 at 8 pm.   The evening will be hosted by Jim Zarling, founder of Charlottesville’s Comedy Roundtable. First up for the January Comedy Night will be a Richmond favorite, Manly Man.  The  two-woman musical powerhouse spent…

Democrat warns of cut to health-care safety net in state budget

Contributors

At a news conference in Richmond this morning, Del. Bob Brink (D-Arlington), member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Joint Commission on Health Care, outlined the eroding support for vital safety net services in Gov. Bob McDonnell’s proposed budget.  Nearly $5.4 million in aid to various programs is on the chopping block. “Gov. McDonnell’s…

Chris Graham: Breaking down the McDonnell-Romney endorsement

Contributors

The cynic’s view could be that Bob McDonnell is jumping on the Mitt Romney bandwagon with his endorsement today of presumptive GOP presidential nomination frontrunner Mitt Romney. If you believe that Romney is not only the frontrunner but the all-but-declared nominee, then the Virginia governor would be guilty of bandwagon-jumping. But then there’s this hard…

McDonnell announces $1.2 million in Farmland Preservation Grants

Contributors

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced on Tuesday the distribution of $1.2 million in farmland preservation grants from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to 13 Virginia localities. This is a significant increase from the $100,000 available last fiscal year for state matching funds.  Localities must use the grant monies to preserve farmland within their…