Hite kicked upstairs, replaced on staff by Shane Beamer

Chris Graham

Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer announced Monday that longtime assistant Billy Hite has been elevated to a new administrative position as assistant to the head coach and senior advisor, and that Shane Beamer will join the Tech coaching staff and assume Hite’s on-field duties as running backs coach. “Over the years, I’ve had…

Creigh Deeds: Session update

Creigh Deeds

The Virginia General Assembly works as close as is possible to the way representative government was intended. Sessions are short, fast-paced and members, by necessity, have to earn their principal income outside of government. Members of the General Assembly come from all walks of life and must balance family and work with legislative service. It…

Volunteers honored during Girl Scout Annual Meeting

Contributors

Volunteers — the lifeblood of any nonprofit organization — were honored Jan. 29 by Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council during its annual business meeting. Virginia “Jinx” Weary of Trefoil service unit in Roanoke, received the Thanks Badge, the most prestigious award presented to an adult in Girl Scouting. The Thanks Badge recognizes outstanding service…

Ken Plum: Tough choices

Ken Plum

A legislative session is filled with tough choices. Allocating scarce resources in the budget presents difficult choices that have been discussed many times in this column. This legislative session has been presented the choice by the Governor of taking money from the general fund that supports public schools, police, and mental health programs and others…

David Reynolds: Barack and Bob

David Reynolds

Politics makes strange bedfellows. We elected a president over two years ago. We gave him a midterm report card. It was not good. The voters said he was spending and borrowing too much. Then just over a year ago Virginians elected a new governor. He had two opponents, a Mr. Deeds and the president. Both…

Students to hold mock Wilson press conference

Contributors

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum will sponsor a student mock press conference on Friday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. in the school forum at Beverley Manor Middle School. Judd Bankert, portraying President Woodrow Wilson, will take questions from 21 Beverley Manor seventh-graders acting as reporters, and student Cole Fainter will portray President Wilson’s…

McDonnell backs local delegate on balanced-budget amendment

Chris Graham

A resolution proposed by Rockbridge Republican Del. Ben Cline that calls on Congress to pass an amendment to the United States Constitution requiring it to adopt a balanced budget has the support of Gov. Bob McDonnell. “Over the last two years, the federal government has added approximately $3.37 trillion to the national debt, making the…

Rams grind out win in double-OT

Contributors

It’s been nearly two weeks since the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s basketball team has played at home. On Wednesday night, senior Jamie Skeen helped the Black & Gold make sure it was a happy homecoming as the Charlotte, N.C. native scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in an 84-74 double-overtime thriller over…