Festival features best of Virginia indie film

Contributors

The Virginia Film Office and the Virginia Production Alliance are cooperatively producing the fourth annual Virginia Indie Film Festival Feb. 26 and 27. The Festival features independently produced documentaries, short films and features from Virginia filmmakers. The films were selected by panels of industry professionals and come from Midlothian, Blue Ridge, Richmond, Virginia Beach, Roanoke,…

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

Contributors

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…

The AFP on WREL: Deep inside Virginia politics

Chris Graham

AFP editor Chris Graham talks news and Virginia politics on WREL’s “Online with Jim Bresnahan.” The segment begins with discussion of the ongoing 2011 Virginia General Assembly session, which Chris said will be short for a reason – this is election year for all 140 members of the state legislature, and the guys and gals…

Study: Virginia urban areas are congested

Chris Graham

A study of urban traffic congestion ranks three areas in Virginia among the most congested in the United States. The Texas Transportation Institutes’ 2010 Urban Mobility Report lists Washington D.C./Northern Virginia as the nation’s most congested region when measuring average annual delay. Virginia Beach and Richmond also rank high for congestion delays. “This study reinforces…

H-R Chamber presents Economic Forecast

Contributors

The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce will host its Annual Economic Forecast on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the Grace Street Building, fourth floor conference room, at the former RMH campus, Harrisonburg. The Chamber’s Economic Forecast is becoming one of most comprehensive economic outlook events in the region. Consumers, businesses, and…

AG backs effort to clarify state gambling laws

Chris Graham

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli today announced his support for new legislation which clarifies Virginia’s gambling laws. Questions about the law arose in 2010 when a number of Internet gambling businesses started to appear around the Commonwealth. Companion bills, House Bill 1700 and Senate Bill 1195, patroned by Del. Clay Athey (R-Front Royal) and Sen….

McDonnell names redistricting panel

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell on Monday signed an executive order creating the Independent Bipartisan Advisory Commission on Redistricting, though its powers are limited to a review and recommendation capacity. “As Virginia redraws its legislative districts later this year, the process should take place in a manner that is fair and open,” McDonnell said in naming the…

Ken Plum: Opportunity for leadership

Ken Plum

As Spock in the 1991 film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country quoted “an ancient Vulcan proverb, only Nixon could go to China,” only Gov. Bob McDonnell can save Virginia’s transportation funding program from bankruptcy. Nixon had a strong anti-communist reputation. He was able to go to China and open diplomatic relations without fear of…