In the News

AFP

– Local News: Rose named grand marshal of Valley 4th parade – Local News: Rockingham seeks Auxiliary Deputy applicants – Local News: Drinking Liberally meeting next week – State News: Organizing for America announces Virginia staff 

It’ll be OK, Andy

Chris Graham

I could feel the sting. “We’re not off to quite the start we wanted to be. It’s not a disastrous start or anything,” Andy Chalot told me as we talked for a puff piece for the upcoming Generals Magazine. “We’re still 11-9 and over .500. But we had a couple of games that we should…

Unemployment up slightly in May

AFP

Unemployment ticked up a bit across the Valley in May, though the slight increases were called seasonal by a Virginia Employment Commission economist today. Waynesboro still has the highest unemployment rate locally, at 9.1 percent, up from the 8.8 percent mark in April, according to VEC data released today. Staunton was up from 6.9 percent…

Money, money, money

Chris Graham

How can you tell that we’re near a supposedly critical political fundraising deadline? By checking your e-mail. “May I have just five minutes of your time?” one in my in-box yesterday from Republican guberatorial nominee Bob McDonnell asked, then got to the point. “In just 36 hours, I reach one of the last critical benchmarks…

A clear direction on energy

Chris Graham

We may not yet have a firm grasp on exactly what we need to do to merge the words clean and energy in perfect harmony, even with the 219-212 vote of the House of Representatives on cap-and-trade legislation last week. But we do at least have direction, and considering how much muck was thrown into…