Monday, October 31, 2011

Your Community Paper - Fort Monroe a National Park

VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 10/30/11

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Not yet a VCDL member? Join VCDL at: http://www.vcdl.org/join.html
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VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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1. Reminder: Operation Campus Safety protest at ODU - Tuesday, November 1st
2. Reminder: Membership meeting in Mechanicsville with Hanover Sheriffs Department on November 2nd
3. Last renewal notice
4. 'Fast & Furious': How botched operation spawned fatal results
5. ATF priorities: Smuggle guns to drug cartels, arrest cigarette smugglers
6. Response on Virginia's new gun safety curriculum
7. Packing heat on college campus: New restriction on guns unnecessary
8. Guns at work: Should you be able to defend yourself?
9. Senators: Veterans Administration has denied gun rights to more than 100,000 veterans
10. Virginia man tackles, restrains burglar
11. Update on H.R. 1865: Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act of 2011
12. Harrington's mother files lawsuit for $3.5 million
13. Obama Administration: Less protection for gun rights
14. Clerk kills would-be robber who grabbed daughter
15. Guides to debunking gun control myths
16. Nope, no crime at Virginia Tech
17. Bloomberg, ignore soaring crime and police corruption in NYC, play politics in Virginia!
18. Anti-gun candidate hates VCDL, attacks pro-gun Dick Black!
19. Bus being chartered from NoVA to Virginia Tech on November 17th

Sunday, October 30, 2011

YOUR HELP is needed by Tom Harmon for VA Senate this last week!!!

The Tuscany Forum provides the following information at the request of Lynda Fairman, York County Coordinator, Tom Harmon for Senate
The Forum encourages all York County Citizens to actively support the candidates of your choice!


***************************************************************************
We look forward to seeing everyone at these events in these last days before the Nov. 8 election!!
Tom Harmon has a real chance of winning IF the voters from York County and the 2nd District get to the polls on Nov. 8th!
Even if you aren’t in the 2nd District, it’s important to help get voters motivated to elect Tom Harmon! We need you!!
Tom’s opponent thinks York County doesn’t matter even though we’re now in the 2nd District – it’s time we showed her all of York County & all of the 2nd District care about who represents us in Richmond!
IT’S UP TO YOU TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Hunt for Seaford and Dandy History to be held Nov. 5

 

Hunt for Seaford and Dandy History to be held Nov. 5
 
October 27, 2011
 
FOR RELEASE AT WILL
 
The third in the series of York County Hunt for History events will be held Saturday, Nov. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Seaford Elementary School, 1105 Seaford Road, in York County. 
 
The event will feature:
  • Exhibits by various history-related organizations, including genealogical research groups
  • Slide-shows of the historic Seaford and Dandy area photos
  • Lectures / Presentations
       Ms. Susan Antoniewicz do a presentation about the history of Dandy.
       Local historian, Mr. Frank Green, will speak on the history of the Seaford Community
       Ms. Bethany Austin, Hampton History Museum, will instruct participants on how to best care for and preserve important family papers and photographs for future generations
  • Showing of "Virginia in the Civil War: A Sesquicentennial Remembrance," a film series produced by the Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War
  • Antique post card display and sale
  • Children's activities
  • Food and concession sales
Archivists from the York County Historical Museum will be available to digitally copy family letters, photos, diaries, hand-drawn maps and other family documents of historical significance. They will also photograph three-dimensional objects/items of historical significance. Items should be originals and owned by the individual presenting the materials. Individuals will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. 
 
The event is in cooperation with Virginia's Civil War 150 Legacy Project, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War by identifying and recording previously unknown Civil War-era documents. Though Virginia is focusing primarily on the Civil War, the York County Historical Museum is seeking to document historically significant items from any era of York County's history. 
 
Hunt for York County's History is only one of numerous events planned by the York County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee and is free and open to the public. For more information, call 757-890-3500 or visit www.yorkcounty.gov/ychm.
 

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YOUR HELP is needed by Tom Harmon for VA Senate this last week!!!

Please pass this along to club & committee members & fellow conservatives!! We look forward to seeing everyone at these events in these last days before the Nov. 8 election!!
Tom Harmon has a real chance of winning IF the voters from York County and the 2nd District get to the polls on Nov. 8th!
Even if you aren’t in the 2nd District, it’s important to help get voters motivated to elect Tom Harmon! We need you!!
Tom’s opponent thinks York County doesn’t matter even though we’re now in the 2nd District – it’s time we showed her all of York County & all of the 2nd District care about who represents us in Richmond!
IT’S UP TO YOU TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Thanks for all you’re doing to get the word out that there IS a conservative choice for the 2nd District Senate – Tom Harmon!!
Hope to see you at my home for Tom’s “Meet & Greet” on Nov. 1st!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tom Harmon Event with E. W. Jackson

To: Republican Party of Hampton City Committee and Sustaining Members: 
 
   Please come help put Tom Harmon over the top.  Republican Voter turnout will make the difference in this election.   
 
Carl Anderson
RPHCC Chair

Friday, October 21, 2011

Major Campaign Events

 

 

 

October 20, 2011

 

Major Campaign Events

Dear Friend,

                The Loyola Campaign is having events in every locality of the district this weekend, so please bring your friends to meet their next State Senator, Ben Loyola. If you are able to volunteer or assist at any of these events, please contact Austin Chambers at Austin@BenLoyola.com.

 

Town Hall at Little Italy in Northampton County

When: Saturday, Oct. 22, from 12:00 PM- 1:30 PM

Where: Little Italy Restaurant, 10227 Rogers Drive, Nassawadox

Description: Ben will be answering questions from voters, so come out to voice your concerns and issues!

 

Town Hall at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club

When: Sunday, Oct. 23, from 1:00 PM- 3:00 PM

Where: 7001 Hampton Blvd, Norfolk

Description: Ben will be answering questions from voters, so come out to voice your concerns and issues!

 

League of Womens' Voters Debate in Norfolk

When: Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 6:30 PM- 7:30 PM

Where: Diehn Performing Arts Building at Old Dominion University

Description: Come out and show your support for Ben at the Debate! 

 

Support Ben Loyola, click here now.

Ben Loyola is the Republican candidate in Virginia's 6th Senate District. He's a 27-year resident of Virginia Beach, Naval Academy graduate, 30-year Navy veteran with combat experience, successful businessman, and Conservative Reagan Republican.

For more information, visit www.benloyola.com or call 757-502-3114.

 Paid for by Friends of Ben Loyola

 



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VPAP Whipple Report - October 21, 2011

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TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION - FINAL DAY
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VPAP Whipple Report Friday, October 21, 2011

Compiled by David M. Poole

ELECTIONS

PULLER: "I'M STILL A STRONG SUPPORTER OF OBAMA"

By ANITA KUMAR

Thursday, October 20, 2011

VPAP Whipple Report - October 20, 2011

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VPAP Whipple Report Thursday, October 20, 2011

Compiled by Paul Brockwell, Jr.

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

MCDONNELL, OBAMA MEET ABOUT VETERANS, FEMA AID

By OLYMPIA MEOLA
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Gov. Bob McDonnell and Virginia First Lady Maureen McDonnell met privately with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for approximately 10 minutes this morning in Hampton in what was described as a "friendly visit" by McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin. The conversation ranged from Louisa County disaster aid to a park designation for Fort Monroe to the focus of the president's event - veterans.

ELECTIONS

WHITE HOUSE DOWNPLAYS REPORTS ABOUT LACK OF SUPPORT BY VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS

By ANITA KUMAR
Washington Post

The White House on Wednesday downplayed reports that few Democrats are attending his events in Virginia, and that the president's schedule was changed after prominent members of the party asked him to avoid swing districts where he is less popular. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the events - in Emporia and Hampton on Tuesday and Wednesday - have been attended by Democrats and Republicans, including Gov. Bob McDonnell (R).

VPAP: PARTY FUNDS TARGET RACES THEY DEEM CRITICAL

By BOB LEWIS
Associated Press

There's no question which state Senate races the Democrats and Republicans both consider vital in next month's definitive quest for control of the General Assembly. Both parties are letting their dollars do the talking. The Super Bowl among elections for all 40 Senate seats is the Southside Virginia race between two incumbent senators: GOP freshman Bill Stanley and 3½-term Democrat Roscoe Reynolds.

IN VIRGINIA SENATE RACES, MONEY IS FLOWING

By ANITA KUMAR AND LAURA VOZZELLA
Washington Post

Republicans aggressively fighting to gain control of the Virginia Senate next month have bankrolled GOP challengers in key races as they try to take the last bastion of Democratic power in Richmond. The state's top Republicans, including Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, and GOP political committees have focused on five candidates: Bryce Reeves in the Fredericksburg area; Mickey Chohany in Hampton Roads; Sen. William M. Stanley Jr. (Franklin) in Southside; and Adam Light and Del. David A. Nutter (Montgomery), both in southwest Virginia.

POLITICAL PARTIES BANKROLL BIG CHUNKS OF SOME VIRGINIA SENATE RACES

By LAURA VOZZELLA
Washington Post

If Virginia state Sen. William M. Stanley Jr. doesn't prevail on Election Day, he can't blame a lack of support from the state GOP. Stanley got a whopping 93 percent of his campaign cash last month - $215,799 of the $231,999 he collected in all - from Republican party committees. That's according to an analysis by the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan tracker of money in politics.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES DOWN 13 % FROM 2007

By JIM NOLAN
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Contributions to General Assembly candidates are down 13 percent in 2011, compared with 2007 - the last election cycle when every seat in the 100-member House of Delegates and the 40-member state Senate was up for grabs. Through Sept. 30, cash donations are at $28.4 million this year, compared with $32.6 million in 2007, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan tracker of money in state and local politics.

$1 MILLION RAISED FOR AN $18,000-PER-YEAR JOB

By TIFFANY HOLLAND
Danville Register & Bee

With control of the Virginia Senate up for grabs, Republicans and Democrats are pouring money into several races around the commonwealth. Here in the Dan River Region, the 20th District contest between Democrat Roscoe Reynolds of Martinsville and Republican Bill Stanley of Franklin County has become a $1 million race, according to recent spending reports, making it one of the most expensive in Virginia.

CUCCINELLI SAYS SENATE DEMS "MUST BE STOPPED"

By JIM NOLAN
Richmond Times-Dispatch

You've heard it said that just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean people aren't out to get you. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli might fall into that category. Cuccinelli, writing in his online political newsletter, The Cuccinelli Compass, issued a GOP fundraising plea Wednesday that skewers Virginia Senate Democrats with the same kind of fiery rhetoric that Dems have used about Cuccinelli to motivate their own base. "The Democrats in the Senate have done all that is in their power to oppose and undermine the work I promised I would do during my campaign in 2009," says Cuccinelli, himself a former state senator from Fairfax.

REPUBLICAN CHICHESTER ENDORSES DEMOCRATS IN SENATE RACES

By ANITA KUMAR
Washington Post

Former state senator John Chichester - a powerful Republican who headed the Senate Finance Committee - has endorsed a pair of Democratic senate candidates in Northern Virginia. Chichester was often at odds with members of his own party and teamed up with then-Gov. Mark Warner (D) to approve higher taxes in exchange for new investments in education, public safety and health care. He represented the Fredericksburg area for almost three decades until he retired in 2008.

GOP'S CHICHESTER BACKS DEM MITCHELL OVER BLACK

Leesburg Today

During a 2011 campaign season in which candidates have highlighted support from leaders within their own party, Democrat Shawn Mitchell today announced an important cross-the-aisle endorsement in his race against former Loudoun Delegate Dick Black. Former Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Chichester, a Republican who served in the state Senate from 1978 to 2008, said he is supporting Mitchell as a candidate who can work across party lines to address the challenges faced by the commonwealth.

GARRETT, DODSON HAVE SIMILAR IDEAS ON DRUG TESTING

By RAY REED
News & Advance

Republican Tom Garrett and Democrat Bert Dodson renewed their debate rivalry Wednesday night by taking similar stands on drug testing for people who receive state funds - not just welfare recipients, as Garrett has proposed, but individuals who receive other payments too. President Obama also became an issue in the state Senate debate, which was sponsored by the League of Women Voters at Lynchburg College. Questions about highway taxes, abortion and Social Security also got into the debate.

2 DEBATE IN NEW 22ND SENATE DISTRICT

By JIM NOLAN
Richmond Times-Dispatch

President Barack Obama was nowhere near the 22nd state Senate District during his bus trip to Virginia, but the fact that he's a Democrat seemed close enough for Tom Garrett. "Did you vote for President Obama and do you intend to support President Obama in 2012?" the conservative Republican Senate candidate asked Democratic Senate candidate Bert Dodson at the close of Wednesday's League of Women Voters debate at Lynchburg College. "I voted who I wanted to vote for," answered Dodson, whom Garrett portrayed as a tax-increaser in a campaign mailer plastered with a picture of Obama. "Obviously, President Obama took this state of Virginia. I'm focused on issues related to the 22nd Senatorial District, and I'll remain with those issues."

NEWMAN RESIGNING FROM BEDFORD GOP COMMITTEE TO ENDORSE PUTNEY

By RAY REED
News & Advance

State Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, is resigning from the Bedford County Republican Committee in order to support the independent candidacy of Del. Lacey Putney. Because of a Republican Party rule, any committee member who supports a non-Republican candidate must be removed from the committee, Newman said.

STEWART TOUTS BIGGEST FUNDRAISER OF HIS CAREER

By JEREMY BORDEN
Washington Post

The chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors said he had the biggest campaign fundraiser of his political career last week, hosting business executives from across the region at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large) is running for reelection against Democratic challenger Babur Lateef, a local physician, and independent John S. Gray, an accountant. Stewart said his campaign pulled in about $234,000 last Wednesday night, giving him about $300,000 to spend heading into the Nov. 8 election. The business executives attending the dinner included some of Prince William County's and the region's largest real estate developers, he said.

ALLEN PUTS ON HIS CAMPAIGN SHOES

By BOB STUART
News Virginian

Republican U.S. Senate candidate George Allen was in full campaign form Wednesday, offering a fiery speech to show his support for House District 20 Del. Dickie Bell while visiting downtown Waynesboro. "What do we see in Washington? Czars and Russian monarchs on the banks of the Potomac,'' said Allen, mocking the current bureaucracy. "The president is on a bus tour advocating a second stimulus with more government spending and programs."

STATE GOVERNMENT

VIRGINIA WON'T SEEK FEDERAL PRE-K FUNDING

By HATTIE BROWN GARROW
Virginian-Pilot

Gov. Bob McDonnell has decided not to pursue $60 million in federal early education funds at the recommendation of the state superintendent of public instruction. Wednesday marked the deadline for states to apply for the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, a joint effort of the U.S. education and health and human services departments.

STATE COMMERCE SECRETARY PUSHES FOR BUSINESS INNOVATION

By CRAIG DAVISON
News & Advance

State Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jim Cheng said Wednesday in Lynchburg that small business innovation is one of the state's biggest issues. Cheng said small businesses are responsible for 65 to 75 percent of job growth. "We need to innovate," he said

CONGRESS

SENATORS, CONGRESSMEN SEEK FEMA AID FOR TROPICAL STORM LEE

By ANITA KUMAR
Washington Post

Virginia's U.S. senators and seven of its congressmen sent a letter to President Obama on Tuesday supporting Gov. Bob McDonnell's request for federal disaster aid for damage caused by Tropical Storm Lee Sept. 8 and 9 in Fairfax and Prince William counties. The letter was signed by Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner, both Democrats, U.S. Reps. Gerry Connolly (D), Jim Moran (D), Frank Wolf (R), Rob Wittman (R), Bobby Scott (D), Bob Goodlatte (R) and Morgan Griffith (R). Connolly, Moran and Wolf represent Northern Virginia.

ECONOMY/BUSINESS

IN HAMPTON, OBAMA PUSHES PLAN FOR HIRING VETERANS

By BILL BARTEL
Virginian-Pilot

On the last morning of a three-day, two-state bus tour promoting his jobs bill, President Barack Obama spent considerably less time attacking Republicans, focusing instead on praising members of the military and their families. Before a cheering crowd of about 2,400 in a hangar at Joint Base Langley, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama talked Wednesday about the need to provide more jobs for veterans and military spouses.

MCDONNELL: OBAMA ADMINISTRATION "ALMOST CLUELESS" ON ECONOMY

By ANITA KUMAR
Washington Post

Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R), who will be meeting privately for a few minutes with President Obama in Hampton this morning, has a few things on his mind. McDonnell, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, said in an interview Tuesday that he would like to give Obama some advice on the economy. "If he'd listen to 30 seconds of advice on the economy, I'd tell him. 'Mr President, rather than listen to all your advisers, listen to the job creators, listen to business people and entrepreneurs,''' McDonnell said.

OBAMA AT LANGLEY: HIRING VETS 'AN AMERICAN RESPONSIBILITY'

By HUGH LESSIG
Daily Press

President Obama, nearing the end of two-state swing, stopped at Langley Air Force Base Wednesday to rally support for his plan to hire more veterans, hoping to enlist both parties on behalf of military families. He drew thunderous applause from airmen, soldiers and invited guests when he said that standing up for veterans is not a Republican or Democratic responsibility, but "an American responsibility."

IN HAMPTON, OBAMA URGES BUSINESSES TO HIRE VETERANS

By WESLEY P. HESTER
Richmond Times-Dispatch

The F-22 Raptors were cleared from the 94th Fighter Squadron Hangar at Joint Base Langley-Eustis here Wednesday to make way for President Barack Obama, who vowed before a crowd of several hundred military personnel to fight for increased job opportunities for veterans. "We ask you to fight, to sacrifice, to risk your lives for our country. The last thing you should have to do is fight for a job when you come home," he said to the sea of camouflage. "Not here. Not in the United States of America." But the commander-in-chief deferred to his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, who spoke first about her "Joining Forces" initiative, an effort to help veterans and their families. Drawing big applause, the first lady announced a commitment by the American Logistics Association, a trade group of 270 private companies, including Coca-Cola and Tyson Foods, to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013.

IN CHESTERFIELD, PRESIDENT OBAMA SAYS JOBS PLAN WOULD HELP FIRST RESPONDERS

By OLYMPIA MEOLA
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Having shed his suit jacket and teleprompter, President Barack Obama on Wednesday urged an intimate audience of first responders in Chesterfield County to support his jobs plan. He capped a three-day bus tour through North Carolina and Virginia in a fire station where he asked attendees to urge Congress to pass his $447 billion jobs package that includes funding for firefighters, police and teachers. In this stretch of the state, that congressman would be House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-7th, a frequent critic of the president's policies who has said the House of Representatives will not take up the entire package.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY DETAILS INCENTIVE DEAL WITH BACKCOUNTRY.COM

By JEFF STURGEON
Roanoke Times

Online retailer Backcountry.com, which announced plans last week to build a 200-employee distribution center in Montgomery County, is set to get more than $2 million in incentives, newly released documents show. County officials say that in spite of local and state governments providing a seven-figure financial incentive courtesy of taxpayers, the county will earn a substantial, long-term return on its initial investment in buying and improving the site the company is getting.

ARLINGTON APPROVES NEW BOEING REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS

By PATRICIA SULLIVAN
Washington Post

The Arlington County Board agreed Tuesday to allow Boeing to build a six-story regional and international headquarters, instead of a mixed-use development, on county-owned land near the Pentagon and Reagan National Airport. The aerospace firm, a major regional employer, will build the 453,000-square-foot secure facility, with two floors of underground parking, just north of Crystal City near the Roaches Run wildlife refuge, on Old Jefferson Davis Highway and South Sixth Street. Construction is expected to begin next month and will merge two offices at one location. A 45-room motel and five warehouses on the site are currently vacant.

VIRGINIA OTHER

METRO LINE TO DULLES COULD RUN $150 MILLION OVER BUDGET,

By DANA HEDGPETH
Washington Post

The first phase of the new Metrorail line to Dulles Airport could run as much as $150 million over budget, the head of the construction project said Wednesday. Executive Director Pat Nowakowski told the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board during a meeting that the project is going to come in "very close" to its projected price tag of $2.8 billion. The 11 1 / 2 miles of rail will run from Falls Church through Tysons Corner to Reston.

AIRPORTS BOARD TALKS SECRETLY ABOUT BEING OPEN

By LIZ ESSLEY
Washington Examiner

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority met behind closed doors Wednesday to talk about how it could be more open with the public. The meeting came after months of accusations from Virginia officials that the authority is secretive and "dysfunctional." The private meeting ran about 30 minutes past its allotted time, but when officials finally emerged, they would say only that they had asked the board's lawyer and secretary to examine the authority's bylaws and "submit any proposed amendments" to a board committee.

VIRGINIA TECH STUDENTS REACT TO STUDENT LOAN DEBT AT ALL-TIME HIGH

By JARRETT HENSHAW WSLS
Richmond Times-Dispatch

The Federal Reserve reports student loan debt reaches an all-time high. Virginia Tech students we talked to on Wednesday said they weren't surprised at all by this news, especially considering how much the cost of college has gone up over the last few years. We talked to one grad student who said he owes $45,000 in student loans. He added that he has a difficult time making payments on just the interest, let alone whittling down the principal.

U-VA. NEWSPAPER EDITORS WHO ALLEGED PLAGIARISM WOUND UP IN THE HOT SEAT

By DANIEL DE VISE
Washington Post

When editors of the Cavalier Daily discovered evidence of rampant plagiarism by a staff writer at the University of Virginia's 121-year-old student newspaper last month, they dutifully reported it to their readers and removed the offending articles from the paper's Web site. They also contacted the university's Honor Committee, made up of fellow students who enforce a tradition of academic integrity that is older, even, than the newspaper. At a campus as earnest as U-Va., it seemed the right thing to do.

UVA JUDICIARY COMMITTEE DISMISSES CASE AGAINST CAV DAILY EDITOR

Associated Press

A University of Virginia student judiciary panel has dismissed an honor-code case against the editor of The Cavalier Daily student newspaper for disclosing that a former staff writer plagiarized material and was under investigation by the school's Honor Committee. The University Judiciary Committee trial panel ruled Tuesday it lacked jurisdiction to rule in the case of editor-in-chief Jason Ally. He was accused of breaching the confidentiality of another student after the paper's managing board published an editorial last month about the fired writer, whom they didn't identify.

PRESIDENT'S CHESTERFIELD VISIT ATTRACTS OPPONENTS, SUPPORTERS

By ZACHARY REID AND REED WILLIAMS
Richmond Times-Dispatch

A couple of hundred onlookers gathered along Midlothian Turnpike on Wednesday, hoping to glimpse the presidential motorcade and greeting President Obama with everything from sentiments of love and support to slogans such as "Un-occupy the White House. Impeach."

OBAMA MAKES SURPRISE STOPS AT HAMPTON PUMPKIN PATCH, PIZZA PLACE

By DAVID MACAULAY
Daily Press

It was the most remarkable day Bill Wood has seen at his farm market. And he's seen quite a few. Wood, who has worked for the family business Wood's Orchards Farm Market in Hampton since 1946, received a surprise visit from President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday morning, when the first couple stopped off to buy pumpkins for the White House steps.

OBAMAS PICK PUMPKINS AT HAMPTON FARM MARKET

Virginian-Pilot

Some Peninsula pumpkins are headed to the White House for Halloween. Ground Force One, as President Barack Obama's bus has been dubbed, stopped at Wood's Orchard Farm Market in Hampton this morning so the first couple could do a little shopping. The Obamas spent about 20 minutes inspecting pumpkins, fruit, jams and other goodies at the market, which has been in business for 60 years, according to owners Billy and Betty Wood.

WVTF EXPANDS BROADCASTS TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA

By RALPH BARRIER
Roanoke Times

Soon, public radio station WVTF-FM (89.1) will be heard from the coalfields of far Southwest Virginia to the commuters of Northern Virginia. The Roanoke-based station, which is owned by the Virginia Tech Foundation, has received permission from the Federal Communications Commission to acquire a station in Spotsylvania County near Fredericksburg that would carry WVTF's Radio IQ programs.

VIRGINIANS GO GREEN FOR FORT MONROE

By ANITA KUMAR
Washington Post

Hampton officials had asked people to wear green Wednesday to support their effort to get President Obama to make part o f Fort Monroe a national park. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) was wearing a light green tie when he met with Obama in the Hampton Roads city this morning. Sen. Mark Warner (D) was wearing a not-quite-as-subtle green tie when he testified about Fort Monroe at an Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee hearing Wednesday.

BLOGGING LAWYER GETS ADMONITION, ORDERED TO POST DISCLAIMERS

By PETER VIETH
Virginia Lawyers Weekly

A Virginia State Bar discipline committee rejected First Amendment defenses and distinctions about public information to find misconduct on the part of a lawyer who blogged about his cases without client consent and without a disclaimer saying case results can be unreliable. The eight-member district committee ordered Horace Hunter of Richmond to yank from his website any case accounts where the client did not agree to have the information posted. The panel also ordered Hunter to post a disclaimer that complies with the Rules of Professional Conduct.

PANEL: RICHMOND LAWYER BROKE RULE

By FRANK GREEN
Richmond Times-Dispatch

A disciplinary committee of the Virginia State Bar on Tuesday found a Richmond lawyer violated a rule requiring an advertising disclaimer on his blog about his own legal cases. The committee also found that Horace Frazier Hunter violated rules by disclosing detrimental or embarrassing information about clients without their consent. He received a public admonition and was told take corrective action within 30 days.

LOCAL

RICHMOND GETS $62 MILLION DEAL FROM RMA

By WILL JONES
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Despite a last-minute appeal for delay, the Richmond Metropolitan Authority approved Tuesday a debt-refinancing plan on the toll-road system that will allow repayment of a $62.3 million debt to the city. Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones, whose administration negotiated the repayment, lauded the unanimous decision as financially sound and in the best interests of the city and RMA.

RICHMOND MAYOR SEEKS UNDERSTANDING WITH OCCUPY PROTESTERS

By REED WILLIAMS
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones issued a statement Wednesday affirming the right of demonstrators with Occupy Richmond to protest peacefully but said he must ensure that they do so legally. Organizers of the Occupy Richmond movement have said that a police lieutenant told them Monday that they could erect tents and tarps in Kanawha Plaza before Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood told them later that day that they needed to take down the tents.

SNUBBED BY FEMA, LOUISA COUNTY WORKS ON QUAKE RECOVERY

Associated Press

Louisa County is taking its own steps to recover from the August earthquake after the federal government refused to provide disaster aid. The county Board of Supervisors approved tax relief this week for homeowners whose properties were damaged. A Nov. 8 referendum is scheduled on a proposed 4 percent tax on food and beverages sold in restaurants. The revenue would help pay for repairs to damaged schools.

NORFOLK BOARD DISCUSSES IDEAS TO REDUCE DROPOUT RATE

By STEVEN G. VEGH
Virginian-Pilot

The division needs to look at "doing things radically differently" to reduce the high dropout rate that is undermining high schools' chances for full accreditation, School Board Chairman Kirk Houston told members Wednesday. The state considered on-time graduation rates for the first time in accreditation, and the division's 15.7 percent dropout rate was one factor why four of the city's five high schools missed full accreditation.

COST OF VA. BEACH LASKIN GATEWAY PROJECT LOOKS TO GET HEFTIER

By DEIRDRE FERNANDES
Virginian-Pilot

The cost of completing the Laskin Road Gateway, a street and utility project aimed at jump-starting economic development near the Oceanfront, has mushroomed by about 45 percent to nearly $40 million. Most of the additional cost is tied to an increase in the project's scope, said Dave Hansen, a deputy city manager.

CHESAPEAKE TO TRAIN VOLUNTEERS TO PLUCK ILLEGAL SIGNS

By MARJON ROSTAMI
Virginian-Pilot

Pillow top queen-size mattress sets for $299. Multifamily garage sale. Now hiring/help wanted. The Public Works Department has long encouraged residents to get a permit and follow the rules before posting these types of signs in the city. Now, people who fail to do so face the wrath of the Chesapeake Sign Sweepers.

LANDSLIDE COULD SWALLOW TWO HOMES IN STAFFORD COUNTY

By SUSAN SVRLUGA
Washington Post

When Michele O'Leary got married 26 years ago, she never thought she and her husband Dan would ever be able to afford a house like this: Two stories with a finished basement and two decks, in a neighborhood with good schools for their two children, close to I-95 in Stafford County. Now she and her husband are praying it doesn't fall into the giant landslide that opened up in their backyard.

COMMUNITY RALLIES AFTER ACTS FOOD PANTRY CLOSES

By AILEEN STRENG
News Messenger

Lauren Bowen learned Tuesday night the Action in Community Through Service food pantry had temporarily closed because it ran out of food. By Wednesday morning, the Falls Church mother of three was in Dumfries dropping off bags of food to ACTS. "It broke me down. I've always had a soft spot for ACTS," Bowen said. "I asked people for a bag of anything they could spare. People met me on their way to work."

GROUP FILES MOTION TO HALT FEDERAL FUNDING OF PARKWAY

By STAFF REPORT
Daily Progress

A group seeking to halt construction of Charlottesville's portion of the Meadow Creek Parkway has filed a motion in federal court that argues the project was unlawfully approved and that its federal funding should be nullified. The Coalition to Preserve McIntire Park filed a motion for summary judgment on Monday that challenges the validity of the Federal Highway Administration's decision to approve and fund the U.S. 250 Bypass interchange at McIntire Road. The motion was filed in the U.S. District Court in Charlottesville.

TEN COMMANDMENTS DISPLAY IS PRIVATE SPEECH, LAWYERS SAY

By LAURENCE HAMMACK
Roanoke Times

Sued for hanging the Ten Commandments in a high school hallway, the Giles County School Board is now distancing itself from the controversial display. When the school board voted 3-2 to allow an exhibit of the Ten Commandments and historical documents in county schools, it did so with the understanding that a private citizen would actually put up the display, attorneys for the board argued in court papers filed this week.

EX-CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE CHARGED IN ELECTION FRAUD

By GRAHAM MOOMAW
Daily Progress

Former Charlottesville City Council candidate James Halfaday has been charged with four counts of election fraud for allegedly using a false address on campaign filings, city officials announced Wednesday. Halfaday has been under investigation since Sept. 16, and he now faces felony charges that carry a maximum fine of $2,500 and up to 10 years in prison, according to a release from Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Claude V. Worrell II.

EDITORIALS

APATHY WILL BE THE DEATH OF SOCIETY YET

News & Advance Editorial

In just a few weeks, voters in Virginia will head to the polls to elect their representatives to the General Assembly and to fill local offices all over the commonwealth. Well, a few of us will, at least. Earlier this month, Christopher Newport University and the Richmond Times-Dispatch conducted a statewide poll of voters to gauge the interest level in the 2011 elections, and the results are maddening, infuriating and saddening.

VOTER APATHY: WHOSE FAULT?

Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial

A headline in Monday's editions reported, "Poll shows apathy about legislative elections." The story explained that few citizens express an interest in elections for the state Senate and House of Delegates. The explanations included the absence of legitimate two-party competition in many districts.

ETHICS: WRIGHT WRONG?

Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial

Did Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia Wright violate state conflict-of-interests laws by going to education conferences? You can make a case that she did - a grossly overstated case.

ENERGY: BAT BLACKOUT

Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial

"Thirty-five windmills at a Western Pennsylvania wind farm have been silenced at night since a bat that belongs to an endangered species was found dead under one of the turbines," reported the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review a few days ago.

FREE-RANGE LEGISLATORS CAN'T STRAY FAR FOR NOW

Roanoke Times Editorial

Knock knock. Who's there? Voters. Voters in my old district or the new one? The old district. Nobody's home. Now get off my porch or get a face full of my Glock.

LEFFEL AND FOSTER, FOR THE GOOD OF BOTETOURT

Roanoke Times Editorial

Botetourt County supervisors have two important duties on the horizon: hiring a new county administrator and building a school to replace Colonial Elementary. Voters in the Blue Ridge, Fincastle and, to a lesser extent, Valley districts must decide whom among the candidates warrant their confidence. Ordinarily, unless incumbents give cause to question the direction they're heading, The Roanoke Times editorial board supports their re-election. But in Botetourt County, there is reason to suspect politics have overtaken good sense. Challengers Jack Leffel and Sam Foster offer a chance for the board of supervisors to regain a civil footing.

DOROTHY ROUSE-BOTTOM, RIP

Daily Press Editorial

Those who knew her - loved her. Those who knew of her - revered her. Dorothy Rouse-Bottom, a former editor and owner of The Daily Press Inc., and a longtime resident of Hampton, died at home on Wednesday, Oct. 12. She was 83.

THE WINNERS OF CLASS WARFARE

Virginian-Pilot Editorial

A recent report by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis ranked Virginia as second in the nation - behind only New Jersey - in terms of the disparity between the state's wealthiest and poorest workers.

UNHEALTHY STREAMS ARE UNACCEPTABLE

Virginian-Pilot Editorial

We can do better. Surely, we can do better. A new report tells us that 70 percent of streams in the Rivanna River Basin are impaired.

SAVING ANOTHER ROSENWALD SCHOOL

Virginian-Pilot Editorial

Old buildings like the tiny, time-worn schoolhouse off U.S. 158 in Currituck County convey a sense of place, a sense of history, a sense of continuity. Wise communities don't part with them easily. This summer, Currituck commissioners set a deadline for demolition or relocation of the old school, now deemed an eyesore on a road heavily traveled by tourists headed to the Outer Banks. But at the request of local historian Barbara Snowden, county officials granted it a reprieve.

This email was sent to virginia@peninsulateaparty.org by updates@vpap.org |  
Virginia Public Access Project | P.O. Box 7356 | Richmond | VA | 23221

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Victory against UN AG21! Regional Water Supply Plan

Dear Ones,
This is an outstanding victory and  accomplishment against a  UN AG21 initiative of the MPPDC in Middlesex County. This important victory serves as a notice to the MPPDC and BOSs from the six counties and three towns making up the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission, that as individual  local communities, we do not accept or desire their costly involvement in planning our lives!
Congratulations to Trudy and Tom for shedding light (truth) on darkness.  Why does Hampton Roads Sanitation- a gov't entity , formerly NN Waterworks, want to control the water supply to the entire Middle Peninsula and get rid of our wells and septic systems?  Remember the expensive battle we had fighting against them taking over the water supply by way of the King William Reservoir? Who is providing the data regarding "failing systems" and  aquifer water depletion? Please call 804-786-2211 TODAY & tell our Governor  NOT sign the VA Dept. of Health's regulations pushing UN AG21 initiatives regarding  our septic systems. The proposed regulations would have a crippling impact on the building industry, on property values, resale value and on tax revenue. For more information call Alan Farmer at 804-815-8850 or go to farmersseptic.com
Keep up the great work and I hope to see you Monday, Oct. 24, 7:00 pm for our event with Donna Holt at Cornerstone. She will reveal the link between several Comp Plans, including Mathews' Plan, and UN AG21.
For Liberty,
Tricia

On Wed, Oct 19, 2011 at 10:37 AM, Dakotasky109 <dakotasky109@aol.com> wrote:
Tea Party = 1, Middlesex Board of Supervisors = 0
 
At last night's Board of Supervisors meeting the vote was unanimous to delay until November 1 taking action on a resolution to approve/disapprove the Regional Water Supply Plan. 
 
The proposed Water Conservation ordinance went down in flames--it was very poorly written (came verbatim from the Middle-Peninsula Planning Commission).  A revised ordinance will be given at the November 1 meeting. 
 
I am attaching copies of my testimony on the Plan and the ordinance.   I'm also attaching my husband's testimony on the Plan. 
 
It was obvious most (if not all!) of the supervisors had not read the Water Supply Plan.  Nor were they aware of what the ordinance was about.  Even Carlton Revere was surprised and expressed his disfavor with making law enforcement personnel "water leak police".  Attorney Soberick actually suggested to the supervisors that they didn't have to approve the Plan because it didn't appear to him to be mandated that all the counties and localities within the Planning District had to adopt it.  Clara Meier, a planner with the MPPDC who gave a brief overview of the Plan and discussed the ordinance with the supervisors, politely disagreed (well, actually I'm not sure she knew whether by not adopting the Plan it would place Middlesex County in an unlawful or untenable position...I felt she was telling the supervisors more than she actually knew).
 
Next step:  The Board of Supervisors agreed last night to accept WRITTEN comments about the Regional Water Supply Plan prior to their Nov. 1 meeting.  Acting Chairman Wayne Jessie said Public Hearing on the Plan was over.  I can't imagine there won't be a Public Hearing on the revised ordinance, however.  I believe that is required by law.  If you are willing, you can write to each supervisor with your concerns and/or send a Letter to the Editor of the Sentinel.  Continued concerns:
 
1)  It is unacceptable the Supervisors have not read this Plan.  Hold their feet to the fire on this one.  Remember Pelosi's "We have to pass this health care plan to know what's in it."
 
2)  Provide as much factual information to the Supervisors as possible.  Tell them how this Plan will directly affect you and your neighbors.  Business owners, including restaurants, have no idea how they will be regulated with adoption of this Plan.  Talk to them!  This needs to be brought out!
 
3)  Doubt can be cast on the accuracy of the data in the Plan.  Tom and I opened the door to this last night and it can be expanded.  For example, a man who lives at Locust Hill told me afterward last night that his private well is 500 feet deep and by his measurements the groundwater level has gone down 1.5 feet in the last three years.  This would be worth exploring since the environmental consulting firm that wrote this Plan stressed throughout the Plan that Middlesex's groundwater was consistent and sufficient.  Obviously, discovering the county's groundwater is not in as good a condition as was touted would be bad news for it would definitely open us to immediate demand control methods.  But,
adding this error to what's already been found would cast extreme doubt on the verity of the entire written Plan.
 
4)  Middlesex County should stand alone on a Water Supply Plan, in my opinion.  It should not be lumped in with the Planning District; there are too many variances; e.g., agricultural, industrial, residential, seasonal residential, etc.  Our county Board of Supervisors should be the ones making the decisions about what's happening in this county--not the Middle Peninsual Planning District Commission, the EPA or the United Nations!
 
5) From what I read in the Plan each County contributed upwards of $6,000 each to the Middle Peninsula Planning District to have this Plan prepared.  Did this environmental consulting firm which the MPPDC hired use a computer model to write this Plan?  It's an expensive way to find out how the government plans to control rural water.
 
Please, please give me your thoughts.  My intention is to write each supervisor, using my testimony and verifying it by giving page number and line where I read the information in the Plan. If you can't download the Plan and ordinance from the Middlesex County homepage, give Betty Muncie a call at the courthouse and ask for a hard copy.  This will let the Supervisors know there is interest in how our county is regulated. 
 
Thanks for your continued support and good work!
Trudy Feigum
 
 
 



--
Tricia Stall
Distinction between conservation and environmentalism: The first means taking care to use natural resources without ruining them for the next person. The second says that mankind has no rights and suggests that any use of any natural resource causes damage. We must STOP AGENDA 21!

VPAP Whipple Report - October 19, 2011

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VPAP Whipple Report Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Compiled by Paul Brockwell, Jr.


EXECUTIVE BRANCH

MCDONNELL CHIDES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR HINDERING ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

By PETER BACQUÉ
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Gov. Bob McDonnell chided the federal government Tuesday for standing in the way of developing energy resources he called vital to the country's future. Speaking to about 400 people at the second annual Governor's Conference on Energy at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, McDonnell said, "We unfortunately have erected too many impediments, too many roadblocks at the federal level."

CUCCINELLI FILES RESPONSE TO EPA RULING

By JIM NOLAN
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's protracted battle with the Environmental Protection Agency over its process for regulating greenhouse gases took another legal step this week. On Monday, the AG's office filed its response to the EPA related to its appeal of the agency's 2009 ruling that carbon dioxide and other gases are pollutants that pose a threat to humans.

ATTORNEY GENERAL CUCCINELLI SPEAKS TO NORFOLK STUDENTS

By JOANNE KIMBERLIN
Virginian-Pilot

What's the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony? What kind of crime can send a teen to adult prison? What consequences come with a criminal record? Name one law that applies to boys but not girls. "Pay your child support!" shouted one teen, which got a laugh out of Ken Cuccinelli.

ELECTIONS

VA. GOP EAGER TO HITCH DEMOCRATIC OPPONENTS TO OBAMA

By JULIAN WALKER
Virginian-Pilot

Republicans seem more excited than Democrats about President Barack Obama's bus tour in Virginia this week, seeing it as another chance, weeks before the state legislative election, to link opponents to the president's weak poll numbers and the slumping economy. Obama will speak at a Hampton military base today on the final leg of a three-day tour to promote elements of his jobs plan. As he arrives, Republicans say, members of his party in Virginia are retreating.

CHARGES OF ETHICAL WRONGDOING HEAT UP 37TH SENATE RACE

By VICTORIA ROSS
Connection Newspapers

The third debate between Republican Jason Flanary and Incumbent Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37), which took place Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church, began politely. The candidates shook hands, and the audience gave a round of applause when Marsden announced that it was his wife Julia's birthday. But what started with a whimper ended with a bang when simmering tensions and allusions about ethical breaches spilled over into the candidates' closing comments.

ARMSTRONG STANDS BY AD ATTACKING APPALACHIAN POWER

By AARON MARTIN
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Politifact Virginia rated House of Delegates Minority Leader Ward Armstrong's (D-Henry Co.) ad on Appalachian Power's finances as "pants on fire," for being misleading and overstating the facts. Armstrong stated in the ad, and repeated in Tuesday's interview, that Appalachian Power is bringing in $136 million, which he calls record profits. Armstrong added the company has raised rates nine times over the last four years.

ROANOKE-AREA GENERAL ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES: CUTS TO MEDICAID ARE PAINFUL

By MASON ADAMS
Roanoke Times

The candidates in the 17th House District and 21st Senate District races sparred Tuesday over issues including health care and economic development during a candidates forum in northwest Roanoke. Nearly 75 people - including pastors, neighborhood leaders and community activists - attended the forum at William Fleming High School, hosted by Roanoke's NAACP branch and alumnae chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

MONEY POURS INTO ROANOKE-AREA STATE SENATE RACES

By MICHAEL SLUSS
Roanoke Times

The fight for control of the Virginia Senate had money pouring into key races in Southwest and Southside Virginia during September, according to campaign reports filed this week. Senate Democrats, trying to maintain their 22-18 majority, had $3.2 million in the bank as of Sept. 30, according to data compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. Republicans had $3.1 million on hand. Major party candidates in three Southwest and Southside Virginia districts raised six-figure sums in September with help from state parties or partisan caucuses.

HOUCK HOLDS FUNDRAISING ADVANTAGE

By CHELYEN DAVIS
Free Lance-Star

Republican state Senate candidate Bryce Reeves reported receiving $140,516 from the Republican Party of Virginia in September, all in the form of in-kind donations, which means they weren't cash; the party has been paying for a lot of mailers for Reeves' campaign.

STANLEY'S TEAM NOTES CAMPAIGN FINANCE ERROR

By WESLEY P. HESTER
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Against the backdrop of a GOP push to take control of the state Senate, the clash between two incumbent state senators in Southwest Virginia has become one of the most hotly contested, high-stakes affairs in this year's legislative elections, and the money is pouring in. Because of redistricting, Sen. William F. Stanley, R-Franklin County, is taking on fellow incumbent Sen. W. Roscoe Reynolds, D-Henry, in Senate District 20.

REPUBLICAN LOOKS TO KEEP SEAT IN 34TH HOUSE DISTRICT

By BEN PERSHING
Washington Post

Del. Barbara Comstock and Pamela Danner are making different bets on what Northern Virginia voters want in the state House. Is the 34th District looking for a woman with two years' head start in Richmond, a solidly conservative record and a Rolodex full of national contacts? Or a self-described moderate lawyer who brags about not being an incumbent?

DODSON, GARRETT TANGLE ON JOBS, EDUCATION, TAXES

By RAY REED
News & Advance

Democrat Bert Dodson and Republican Tom Garrett disagreed about school vouchers, the best means of creating jobs, and the Virginia Education Association during a forum in the 22nd District state Senate race Tuesday night in Fluvanna County. The two Senate candidates faced a crowd of 100 or more residents of Fluvanna County during a candidates' forum that was sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

59TH DISTRICT CANDIDATES SPAR IN CAMPBELL COUNTY FARM BUREAU FORUM

By AMY TRENT
News & Advance

Two of the three candidates for the 59th House of Delegates district differed on everything from invasive wildlife to constitutional amendments Tuesday evening in a candidate forum hosted by the Campbell County Farm Bureau. Matt Fariss, a Campbell County farmer and the Republican candidate endorsed by the Virginia State Farm Bureau, was not present at the debate

AN EMINENT DEBATE

By MICHAEL LEE POPE
Connection Newspapers

Should business owners be able to recover lost profits when government takes land through eminent domain? That's a hotly contested topic that will be considered in the upcoming session of the Virginia General Assembly, and the candidates on the ballot this November in Arlington have starkly different viewpoints. At issue is a proposed amendment to Virginia's Constitution that supporters say would strengthen the rights of property owners when government takes their property for public use, compensating businesses for lost profits if a government reduced public access to their locations. Republicans tend to support the amendment, and Democrats are divided.

VIRGINIA CONGRESSIONAL INCUMBENTS RAKE IN CASH

By BEN PERSHING
Washington Post

After three incumbents lost their seats and a fourth - Rep. Gerald Connolly (D) - narrowly escaped defeat in 2010, Virginia's congressional incumbents are building solid financial firewalls ahead of next year's elections, according to the latest Federal Election Commission filings. The redistricting process has yet to be completed in Virginia, but the final map is likely to make most - if not all - of the state's incumbent lawmakers safer. That includes the 11th district of Connolly, who reported raised $228,000 from July through September and had $607,000 in the bank as of Sept. 30.

ROMNEY TO VISIT VA, THANK VOLUNTEERS

By OLYMPIA MEOLA
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney will make a couple of stops in Northern Virginia next week, including a visit to the Fairfax County Republican headquarters to meet with volunteers. The former governor of Massachusetts will meet with volunteers working on legislative races Wednesday morning and then hold an availability with Gov. Bob McDonnell and Lieutenant Gov. Bill Bolling, according to Bolling's chief of staff.

STATE GOVERNMENT

VDOT: NO PROPOSAL TO CUT LOCAL ROAD FUNDS

Leesburg Today

A recent Virginia Municipal League newsletter caused quite a scare among local municipal governments when it was reported that a proposal had surfaced to significantly slash road maintenance funding for VML member governments. But, according to VDOT, there is no proposed legislation to do any such thing

PORT AUTHORITY CALLS SPECIAL MEETING; CHAIRMAN VOWS FEWER CLOSED SESSIONS

By PETER FROST
Daily Press

The Virginia Port Authority's new board of commissioners will go behind closed doors again on Monday in a special meeting in Richmond to discuss a host of issues, including a performance review of the port's top executive, Jerry A. Bridges. The meeting, hosted by Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean T. Connaughton, marks the fourth time the board will hold a closed session since Gov. Bob McDonnell replaced 10 of its 11 members in July.

VA. OFFICIALS DELAY DECISION ON RULES FOR ABSENTEE VOTES

By JULIAN WALKER
Virginian-Pilot

State election officials Tuesday delayed adoption of rules clarifying which errors on absentee ballots would disqualify a vote.

CONGRESS

WEBB'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE BILL INCHES FORWARD IN SENATE

By BEN PERSHING
Washington Post

A criminal justice reform bill long-championed by Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) is inching forward on Capitol Hill. The measure, The National Criminal Justice Commission Act, would create a blue-ribbon panel to conduct a comprehensive review of the nation's criminal justice system and report back with recommendations for reform. The bill passed the House in 2010 and also cleared a Senate committee, but never became law.

VIRGINIA OTHER

VA. STATE POLICE MOTORCYCLE CRASHES DURING OBAMA MOTORCADE

By LAUREN KING
Virginian-Pilot

A Virginia State Police trooper suffered minor injuries when his motorcycle crashed at an exit ramp on Interstate 95.

OBAMA LOOKS TO SOUTH IN BID TO HELP KEEP HIS JOB

By JULIE PACE AND KEN THOMAS
Associated Press

Three years after his surprising wins in Southern states, President Barack Obama's re-election campaign is doubling down in the region, hoping to turn changing demographics into electoral wins and offset potential losses in traditional swing states next year. Obama's Southern strategy is at the heart of his three-day bus trip this week through North Carolina and Virginia. In 2008 he became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win in those Republican strongholds in a generation.

OBAMA WRAPS UP A BARNSTORMING DAY WITH A NIGHT IN HAMPTON

By STAFF REPORT
Daily Press

President Barack Obama ended a day of campaign-style, town-to-town barnstorming with an after-sunset drive across the James River Bridge, up Mercury Boulevard and into Hampton Tuesday night. Two dark-colored buses carrying the president, his entourage and the national press corps followed a string of 25 State Police motorcycles, blue lights blazing, to the SpringHill Suites, the hotel where the president would spend the night.

OBAMA PUSHES JOBS BILL IN EMPORIA ADDRESS

By OLYMPIA MEOLA
Richmond Times-Dispatch

This afternoon at Greensville County High School in Emporia, President Barack Obama renewed his push for his American Jobs Act before a vocal and supportive crowd. "It doesn't seem like your voices are heard enough in Washington," he said. "They don't seem to be listening," he said, mocking Senate Republicans for scuttling the $447 billion measure last week by refusing to debate it.

OBAMA ARRIVES IN VIRGINIA. WHICH DEMOCRATS WILL BE WITH HIM?

By ANITA KUMAR
Washington Post

President Obama arrives in the state Tuesday as part of three-day North Carolina and Virginia bus tour to talk about the economy, but it's not clear how many Virginia Democrats will be with him. As we reported today, Democratic state legislators are none too eager to support Obama, let alone be seen with him. The state's top Democrats will be not be around, either.

FORMER U.S. PRESIDENTS ON THE PENINSULA

By MARK ST. JOHN ERICKSON
Daily Press

During the past century, especially, the Peninsula has become an unusually popular destination for America's chief executives. They've come to visit so many times that it's easier to note the single president of the modern era who didn't make at least one trip - John F. Kennedy - than to rack up all the others who have passed through such places as Colonial Williamsburg, Newport News Shipbuilding and the Yorktown National Battlefield.

VAN WITH STOLEN OBAMA TELEPROMPTER RECOVERED

By MICHAEL MUSKAL
Daily Press

A van containing presidential communications material has been recovered and is awaiting the arrival of President Obama, who is bringing his bus tour in support of the jobs program to Virginia. A spokeswoman for the Defense Information Systems Agency confirmed the theft and recovery in an email on Tuesday. The incident, which is under investigation, was first reported by NBC12 in Richmond, Va.

ARMY POST TIGHTENING AIRSPACE

By RUSTY DENNEN
Free Lance-Star

Civilian aircraft flying over much of Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County can go no lower than 5,000 feet. Now the Army wants to be able to raise its restricted airspace to 9,000 feet at certain times to enhance its training activities, according to post spokeswoman Jennifer Erickson.

LOCAL

FAIRFAX BOARD REJECTS WOLF PLAN TO EXPAND VA. REPRESENTATION ON MWAA

By FREDRICK KUNKLE
Washington Post

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday declined to endorse legislation before Congress that would boost Virginia's representation on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority's board, with several supervisors expressing fears that the measure would only aggravate regional tensions. But the Board also asked its legislative staff to draft a letter that would thank its sponsor, Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), for his efforts and perhaps pursue other ways for Congress to address the concerns of political leaders in Northern Virginia's about oversight of the airports authority.

PLANNING BOARD TO WEIGH $29M PLAN FOR BETTER PEDESTRIAN, BIKE ACCESS TO METRO

By ASHLEY HALSEY III
Washington Post

Washington's regional planning board on Wednesday will consider a proposed application for more than $29 million in federal funding to improve pedestrian and bicyclist access to rail stations. The proposal also would pay for safer sidewalks and street crossings, a cycling track and new Capital Bikeshare stations at Army Navy Drive in Arlington.

LOUDOUN SUPERVISORS DENY CELL TOWER

By ERIKA JACOBSON MOORE
Leesburg Today

Following the urging of surrounding residents, the Board of Supervisors voted Monday night to deny the application to place a cell tower on Lovettsville Road. T-Mobile had proposed to build a telecommunications tower with interior antennas and ground-mounted equipment at a height of 90-feet, with space for up to five carriers on less than half an acre along Lovettsville Road, but neighbors and supervisors said the height was too much for the area and that the tower itself was not needed.

NORFOLK PARENTS SEEK AN END TO SCHOOLS' BAN ON CELLPHONES

By STEVEN G. VEGH
Virginian-Pilot

Among the nefarious items considered contraband in Norfolk's schools is something Jennifer Palmer says she wants her children to carry: a cellphone. Norfolk is the only division in South Hampton Roads that bars students from having cellphones at school. Palmer said she and other parents will beseech the School Board at its meeting tonight not to penalize students for simply possessing phones on campus.

RICHMOND SCHOOL LEADERS REVEAL MIDDLE SCHOOL RENAISSANCE INITIATIVE

By JEREMY SLAYTON
Richmond Times-Dispatch

To boost the city's lagging graduation rate, Richmond education leaders are putting a strong focus on the middle-school level. On the heels of a 70.2 percent on-time graduation rate for the Class of 2011, Richmond Public School officials revealed Tuesday the four-pronged Middle School Renaissance initiative aimed at increasing the number of students who graduate on time.

POLICE CHIEF ASKS OCCUPY PROTESTERS TO REMOVE TENTS

By RAY REED
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Richmond Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood went to Kanawha Plaza on Tuesday to reiterate his request that protesters with the Occupy Richmond movement remove their tents from the city park. Later in the day, the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia issued a statement asking the city to allow the demonstrators to camp overnight and express their First Amendment rights.

LOUISANS TO VOTE ON MEALS TAX TO AID QUAKE VICTIMS

Daily Progress

Even as Louisa County officials complained strenuously about the lack of federal disaster aid, the county's Board of Supervisors voted to pass tax relief for homeowners whose homes suffered damage in the 5.8-magnatude earthquake that hit the county Aug. 23.

EDITORIALS

ENDORSEMENTS FOR THE VIRGINIA SENATE

Washington Post Editorial

SINCE THE 2007 ELECTIONS, when they gained a narrow majority in the upper house of Virginia's General Assembly, Senate Democrats have been the grown-ups in Richmond. The role was forced on them by House Republicans, who have sent over waves of reckless legislation. Senate Democrats defeated a House attempt to force Virginia colleges and universities to allow students and faculty to carry guns on campus and a bill to repeal the state's 20-year-old law limiting individuals to one handgun purchase a month. They killed legislation targeting illegal immigrants that would have plunged Virginia into the same bitter debates and federal litigation that have ensnared Arizona and Alabama.

THEN AND NOW: MUDSLINGING BEGINS

Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial

If the Virginia Senate election ranks as the marquee campaign in the 2012 cycle, then the Massachusetts race likely comes in second. Next year Republican Scott Brown will defend the seat he won in the special election to fill a vacancy caused by Ted Kennedy's passing. Elizabeth Warren is expected to receive the Democratic nod. Warren was slated to be the first head of the commission regulating the financial sector, but Republican opposition derailed her.

OBAMA TRIP: WELCOME

Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial

President Barack Obama is cruising through Virginia, which resembles his second home. It seems he appeared at the University of Richmond only yesterday yet already has returned. Today Obama will visit a Chesterfield fire station. Tuesday's Times-Dispatch described efforts to spruce up the site. The firefighters looked forward to greeting the president. Indeed, a presidential stopover is an event to be welcomed.

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT

Daily Press Editorial

Hello, Mr. President, and welcome to Hampton Roads! We appreciate your visit, and we hope you enjoy your time on the Peninsula. We have some of the most breathtaking shoreline sights in Virginia and we encourage you to take some of them in along the way. Fortunately, with your Secret Service escort and presidential motorcade, you are not forced to endure the incessantly bottlenecked traffic our dysfunctional road system has wrought on the rest of us. Our transportation problems are plaguing our local economy, so if you can put a good word in for us with your incoming Secretary of Transportation, we'd be very grateful.

CEMETERY NOT A PLACE TO PARTY

Virginian-Pilot Editorial

There are thousands of stories in any big cemetery: tragedy, drama, intrigue, all of it written in stone. Norfolk's Elmwood Cemetery is no different. Wander around the place, and there are narratives everywhere, including where there are only fading numbers carved in marble: 187, 188, 189, 190, standing in rows like crooked teeth around a rusty anchor, occasionally interrupted by a taller marker telling the tale of a soldier who died too young.

CONSOLIDATION PLAN FLAWED BY UNIQUENESS

Roanoke Times Editorial

The word most often used to capture the essence of a proposed City of Alleghany Highlands is "unique." The consolidation of Alleghany County and the city of Covington would create Virginia's largest city in geographic terms, at 450square miles, but its 22,000 residents would place it among the smaller cities in the state. It would be the only city in the commonwealth with an elected sheriff as its chief law enforcement officer. It would be the only Virginia city in which the state would have responsibility for maintaining some of its roads indefinitely, at least in theory.

BACKGROUND CHECK MUST BE FACT-BASED

Virginian-Pilot Editorial

It's not clear who, specifically, should bear the blame for the 18 longtime employees abruptly fired, without explanation, in August from their positions with a federal contractor. It is clear, however, what was missing from the process: common sense. As The Pilot's Kate Wiltrout recently reported, the employees worked for LB&B Associates.

A FUTURE FOR ELMWOOD

Roanoke Times Editorial

Elmwood Park is a lovely, secluded oasis in Roanoke's downtown. It could be more. Today and tomorrow, the public can suggest modern updates for the century-old park by stopping by an open house at the Main Library on South Jefferson Street from 3to 6p.m.

OP-ED

SCHAPIRO: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE IN STATEHOUSE FIGHT

By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Ahead of Barack Obama's latest swing through Virginia, Republicans played the guilt-by-association card, linking targeted Democratic legislative candidates to a president whose popularity here - like the economy - is sagging. This is the outside game in the GOP drive to restore one-party control after a decade of divided government. It is almost entirely focused on the Democrats' last bulwark of power, the state Senate.

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