Frank Blechman: Stacking the panel

Contributors

Many governors appoint their friends and business associates to various advisory panels to ensure that the results of the panel will go in the direction they want. No surprise there, simply the spoils of war. However, Gov. McDonnell’s appointments to the recently announced Virginia Health Reform Initiative Advisory Council go further than the average stacked…

Underage drinking prevention efforts get boost

Contributors

The Strong Families/Great Youth Coalition has been awarded a $7,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to help prevent underage drinking. The coalition plans to use the grant to fund writing, production and broadcast of a 20-minute educational video. The video will be written and produced by coalition youth with the help…

VaSportsOnline.com: Fall ball at UVa.

Chris Graham

Virginia head baseball coach Brian O’Connor has announced his team’s upcoming fall schedule, which includes three open practices, an exhibition with the Ontario Blue Jays and the program’s annual Orange and Blue World Series. Fall practice begins next Friday (Sept. 3) and runs through mid-October. Link to story on VaSportsOnline.com.

VaSportsOnline.com: 1-2-3

Chris Graham

Defending national champions, #2 in the preseason national polls – and #3 in the ACC. That’s where ACC coaches voted the Virginia men’s soccer team in their preseason voting. North Carolina and Maryland were slotted at one and two. UNC is the last team to knock off the Cavs, 1-0 in double overtime back on…

1-2-3

Chris Graham

Defending national champions, #2 in the preseason national polls – and #3 in the ACC. That’s where ACC coaches voted the Virginia men’s soccer team in their preseason voting. North Carolina and Maryland were slotted at one and two. UNC is the last team to knock off the Cavs, 1-0 in double overtime back on…

DREAM Act rally to greet McDonnell

Chris Graham

Members of a Valley-based group will greet Gov. Bob McDonnell on his way to his town-hall meeting at James Madison University in Harrisonburg on Thursday to voice their disapproval of the Republican’s stance on immigration. “We believe that immigration is a federal issue, and that politicians such as Ken Cuccinelli and Gov. McDonnell should be…

Transportation audit yields mixed results

Chris Graham

A review of performance audits of the state transportation program found that the current business model for transportation research is sound, but comprehensive implementation and utilization of research results is lagging. That’s the word from the study of the Virginia Transportation Research Council conducted by the Federal Highway Administration’s Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center and B.T….