It’s showtime! AWE primed, ready for debut

Chris Graham

The minutes are counting down. “I’m pumped. Let’s get it on!” said Marvin Ward, the president of Awesome Wrestling Entertainment, a Virginia-based professional-wrestling promotion with aspirations toward the big time. AWE will mark its launch Saturday night with its first live event at Waynesboro High School. The main event pits former WWE superstar Jimmy Wang…

Scholarship program will add to ties between Waynesboro, Wanzhou

Chris Graham

One way to keep the growing United States-China global competition from descending into 20th century-style Cold War is to push cultural and economic connections – the likes of which are being forged between Waynesboro and its sister city Wanzhou, China, a bustling industrial city on the Yangtze River with a population of 1.7 million. Adding…

House passes McDonnell transportation package

Chris Graham

The Virginia House of Delegates voted 65-33 on Friday in favor of the $4 billion transportation package being pushed by Gov. Bob McDonnell that includes a significant amount of state borrowing. “This transportation funding plan is a timely and innovative solution to many of the infrastructure issues facing our Commonwealth,” said House Speaker Bill Howell,…

Creigh Deeds: Session report

Creigh Deeds

The 2011 General Assembly session is racing toward conclusion. We are now at the halfway point, the crossover, when each house must complete work on its own bills. We are just days away from having competing versions of the budget adopted and finalizing actions on a number of controversial issues. Intensifying the work is the…

Baron leaving UVa. to go back home

Chris Graham

Freshman guard Billy Baron (East Greenwich, R.I.) is leaving the Virginia men’s basketball program and plans to transfer to the University of Rhode Island this semester. “I love my coaches and my teammates at Virginia,” Baron said. “Virginia is a great place, but I want to go home, be with my family and play for…

Cuccinelli will push for Supreme Court hearing of health-care appeal

Chris Graham

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said Thursday that Virginia will file a petition to ask the United States Supreme Court to take Virginia’s health care lawsuit without first waiting for review by a federal court of appeals. “Given the uncertainty caused by the divergent rulings of the various district courts on the constitutionality of the…

Poll: Help the WIldlife Center name the hawk

Contributors

The polls are now open in the Wildlife Center of Virginia’s campaign to name a red-tailed hawk – a non-releasable hawk that will soon be visiting schools as one of the Center’s environmental ambassadors. The Center is taking online votes in this Name-the-Hawk contest through Monday, Feb. 21, and everyone is encouraged to participate. To…

Report: Transportation investment would boost economy

Chris Graham

Virginia’s economy would expand by $4.1 billion and support 56,798 additional jobs if 16 infrastructure mega-projects being considered by the Virginia Department of Transportation are completed, according to research conducted by Stephen S. Fuller, a George Mason University professor in the School of Public Policy and Director of the Center for Regional Analysis. Gov. Bob…

Community Mourning: Waynesboro loses local arts icon

Chris Graham

The Waynesboro arts community is in mourning today over the sudden passing of artist, dramatist, author and retired Waynesboro High School teacher Duane Hahn. “Duane … how can we imagine creative Waynesboro without you? I’m heartbroken,” wrote author and friend Elizabeth Massie on a Facebook post Thursday morning. Hahn was an icon to the local…