Dog Pound in Motion
0Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. You would have thought that after the presidential election was over that things would settle down, and the start of a new year would allow us to catch our breath…but no….it does not appear like that is happening. Matter of fact it seems to be getting worse. Does beg the question, if the election went the other way would there be this much moaning and gnashing of teeth? Speaking of emotional pain, we have experienced some of that at work as well. We started the new year very relaxed,…
Virginia Democratic Leaders Rally for Obamacare
0By Jim Thomma Capital News Service RICHMOND – U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, the Democrats’ unsuccessful vice presidential nominee, kicked off his remarks at a health care rally at Capitol Square by recounting the first vote in the Republicans’ renewed efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. “I stood up,” Kaine said. “I said, ‘Madame Clerk, I was sick and you visited me. I vote no.’” With that biblical reference, Kaine cast one of 48 Democratic votes against the budget reconciliation measure that would streamline the dismantling of the health care law, also known as Obamacare. But the Republicans pushed the…
In Step with the Women’s March, Richmond Takes to the Streets
0By Jesse Adcock Capital News Service RICHMOND – More than 1,000 protesters gathered at the Lee Statue on Monument Avenue on Saturday and marched to Boulevard in solidarity with next week’s Women’s March on Washington protesting Donald Trump’s inauguration as president. State officials and local activists gave speeches before and after the march, urging more public participation in politics and activism to counter the Trump administration. “We will fight like we’ve never fought before to make sure all people are treated with love and respect,” Democratic state Sen. Jennifer McClellan of Richmond told the crowd. “We are strong because…
Virginia Attorney General Seeks to Expand Hate Crime Definition
0By Mary Lee Clark Capital News Service RICHMOND – Attorney General Mark Herring, backed by Democratic legislators and interfaith leaders, said Friday he will seek to broaden the state’s definition of “hate crime” to cover gender identity, sexual orientation and disability. “Too many Virginians and folks all around the country have been targeted by a criminal simply because of who they are,” Herring said at a press conference. State law defines a hate crime as “any illegal act directed against any persons or their property because of those persons’ race, religion, or national origin.” Del. Richard Sullivan, D-Arlington, is sponsoring…
Black Legislators Seek to Protect Education Funding
0By Jessica Nolte Capital News Service RICHMOND – As Virginia faces an estimated $1.26 billion budget shortfall, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus announced that its top priority during the General Assembly’s session is to protect funding for K-12 education. Additionally, the VLBC will focus on criminal justice reform, job creation, increasing the minimum wage and public safety. “These are the issues we will continue to fight for because there must be a change,” Del. Roslyn Tyler, a Democrat from Jarratt and president of the caucus, said at a news conference Wednesday. In November, Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s administration warned higher education…
That was then… John Randolph
0John Randolph – the name is synonymous with education, healthcare, agriculture, and politics. A number of well-to-do families were all related to Randolph in and around Petersburg. Young John lived at Matoax (Matoaca) until he was nine years old. The old Matoax home was located on Randolph Farm in Chesterfield and is now part of Virginia State University. According to Alan Taylor, “The Internal Enemy,” Randolph vehemently opposed the War of 1812 and the Missouri Compromise of 1820; he was active in debates about tariffs, manufacturing, and currency. With mixed feelings about slavery, he was one of the founders of…
Precious gifts across two hemispheres
0Dickie and Alena King celebrated their 10th anniversary on Nov. 14. It was also the day, Maria, an 11-year-old Bulgarian girl officially became part of their family. “That is the day I got her into my arms,” said Alena. The Kings had planned a trip to Las Vegas for their anniversary, tickets were purchased, but when the call came notifying the Kings that the adoption had been approved, Alena was on a plane to Bulgaria to bring their new family member home. “We [Dickie and Alena] always wanted to have a family together. From our first date we talked about…
BRRR!
0Temperatures plummeted to 2 degrees on Monday morning; 22 degrees below the high of Sunday afternoon. By now, according to forecasts you are no doubt basking in a balmy 53 degrees. But according to Chesterfield’s favorite weather prognosticator, the weekend snow, measured at 6 inches, will be the only big snow for the rest of the winter. Normal temperatures over the last few days should range from a high of 47 to a low of 28 degrees. The record of 73 degrees was recorded in 2008 and the record low was a chilling 1 degree in 1940 when snowfall piled…