Jim Bishop: Drive, They Said – Miata Madness Strikes the Valley

Jim Bishop

Column by Jim Bishop Twenty-one Mazda Miata convertible sport coupes departed Harrisonburg for “Wild, Wonderful West Virginia” on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 7; twenty returned. This columnist, who confesses to a four-and-a-half year love affair with his miniaturized motorcar, wondered if anyone would respond to an announcement in the News-Record and other outlets to join a…

Augusta: Fire in Crimora a $700K loss

Chris Graham

Staff Report A fire destroyed an auto shop in Crimora that was not insured, according to its owner. American Way Auto Collision Repair Center owner William Burrow told The News Leader that he estimates the loss just in vehicles at $300,000. The News Virginian reported the overall damage estimate at $700,000. Among the items lost…

White House ’08: Va. race continues to be close

Chris Graham

Analysis by Chris Graham [email protected] Battleground Virginia continues to tighten – and a new poll has Barack Obama with a four-point lead over John McCain. A SurveyUSA poll released yesterday had Obama ahead of McCain in Virginia by a 50 percent-to-46 percent margin. A week ago, SurveyUSA had McCain ahead of Obama by a 49…

Notes from the Press: AFP editor on WINA this afternoon

Chris Graham

Notes from the Press column by Chris Graham [email protected] AFP editor Chris Graham will appear on “Charlottesville-Right Now!” on WINA-1070AM in Charlottesville today at 4:30 p.m. to talk Virginia and U.S. politics. Graham will join host Coy Barefoot for a solid half-hour of politics talk. More on WINA at www.wina.com.

Harrisonburg: Professor to lead forum on breast-cancer research

Jim Bishop

Item by Jim Bishop Breast cancer will afflict one of every eight American women in her lifetime. A pharmacologist who is doing cutting-edge research on separating normal and cancer cells will discuss her work in this area at the second Suter Science Seminar of fall semester at Eastern Mennonite University. Jeannine Strobl, professor and pharmacology…

Waynesboro: Former Mississippi governor to campaign for Obama on Thursday

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Former Mississippi governor Ray Mabus will be in Waynesboro on Thursday to lead a “Real Change for Rural America” community forum for the Barack Obama presidential campaign. Mabus served as governor of Mississippi from 1988-1992 and was selected as the best governor of the millennium in a 1999 poll commissioned…

Winners and Losers: Al Groh, Ned Yost, JMU-App State, Ed Hochuli

Chris Graham

Compiled by Chris Graham [email protected] GROH-ING SENSE OF IMPENDING DOOM: Another blowout loss UConn. had a tough time beating Temple. Showing that Al Golden knows something that Al Groh doesn’t. That 45-10 loss that the Huskies hung on Groh’s Cavs might as well have been 45,000,000-10 the way it’s going over in Hooville. My take:…

White House ’08: McDonnell talks up McCain, energy issues in ’08 race

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Attorney General Bob McDonnell is applying for another job next year, as you might have heard. But first things first. McDonnell is focused through Nov. 4 on the ’08 elections and what he can do to help keep Virginia in the Republican Party column. “It’s a competitive state. It’s obvious…

Business and Politics: Do tax cuts spur economic growth?

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham [email protected] (Second in a series.) “There’s no surer way to kill economic growth and kill jobs than raising taxes in tough economic times.” Former Virginia attorney general and ’05 gubernatorial silver medalist Jerry Kilgore is echoing there what has become the Republican Party mantra dating back to Ronald Reagan….