Y volunteer gets hand up from local nonprofit

Chris Graham

Ginger Quillen showed up for her volunteer job at the Waynesboro YMCA on Monday bundled up like it was winter, and not 70 degrees. Somebody asked her about the extra layers of clothes, noting the warm early-spring temperatures. “It’s cold when you’re coming down the hill on 13th Street,” responded Quillen, who had to cover…

Webb on Libya: No clear sense of direction

Chris Graham

Virginia Sen. Jim Webb is offering sharp criticism of the handling of the ongoing crisis in Libya that escalated over the weekend with the launch of air strikes against key military installations of the Muammar Qaddafi regime. Speaking with MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” on Monday, Webb, a military veteran and former Secretary of the Navy,…

Politics from McDonnell on anniversary of health-care bill

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell played some politics with a statement released on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the signing of the health-care reform legislation. “Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of President Barack Obama’s signing of the hastily passed 2,700 page federal healthcare bill that creates an unprecedented intrusion on America’s strong free enterprise…

‘TOP’ teachers celebrate ‘Magic of Education’ at JMU

Contributors

James Madison University sophomore Abby Jamison has wanted to become a teacher ever since she can remember. Influenced and encouraged by the example set by her mother, a second-grade teacher in New Jersey, Jamison is preparing for her dream career to make students’ learning experiences “enjoyable, significant and fun.” “I think teachers have such an…

The AFP on WREL: Sweet (16) Dreams

Chris Graham

AFP editor Chris Graham talks Virginia sports on WREL-1450AM’s “Online with Jim Bresnahan.” The segment begins with a look back and look ahead at VCU and Richmond and their runs in the NCAA Tournament. Can either of the two surprise Sweet 16 teams be Final Four-bound? Chris and Jim then break down the rest of…

McDonnell orders immigration-status checks ahead of schedule

Contributors

Gov. Bob McDonnell officially ordered today that all executive branch state agencies implement the E-Verify system to verify employment eligibility based upon immigration status for all new hires by June 1, 2011, a full 18 months ahead of the legislated deadline of Dec. 1, 2012. The 2010 General Assembly passed legislation (HB737) requiring all state…

State forensics lab now doing familial DNA testing

Contributors

The Virginia Department of Forensic Science has developed the capability to perform a technique known as familial DNA searching. This application will expand DFS’ ability to assist in criminal investigations by searching its DNA database for a person or persons who may be closely related to an unknown individual, not in the database, whose DNA…

Harrisonburg Chamber hosts Military Support Fair

Contributors

The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce is hosting its second annual Military Support Fair on Wednesday, March 23, from 4-7 p.m. The Fair will be held at the JMU Festival Conference & Student Center located on 1301 Carrier Drive in Harrisonburg.This event is brought to you by the Shenandoah Valley Energy Partnership and JMU Outreach &…