According to the Associated Press on Dec. 9, Fredericksburg authorities plan a gun give-back event. Fredericksburg’s police department and its sheriff’s office will sponsor their second gun give-back initiative Saturday. From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at police headquarters, gun owners can turn in any unwanted firearms for safe disposal to ensure that they don’t end up in the hands of criminals or children. Some of the guns will be donated to the Virginia Department of Forensic Science to assist with research. For every weapon turned in, philanthropist Doris Buffet of Fredericksburg will make a $100 charitable donation. The…
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2016 High School Essay Contest Explores a School’s Right to Access Students’ Secrets Is it OK for school administrators to go undercover or use false identities to dig out secret information from students’ social media pages? What if that information includes a test stolen from the school? A competition with almost $7,000 in prize money asks Virginia high school students to weigh in on these issues. The essays, which must be between 750 and 1,000 words, will be judged on how well they demonstrate the student’s understanding of the role and value of the legal system in everyday life,…
By Matt Chaney Two Democratic members of the Virginia General Assembly said Monday they plan to sponsor legislation to address what they described as a “student debt crisis.” https://www.flickr.com/photos/vcucns/albums/72157661977066232Del. Marcus Simon and Sen. Janet Howell, both of Northern Virginia, said the state needs new laws to regulate student debt and let students refinance their loans under certain circumstances. The legislators said reviving the Virginia Education Loan Authority, a state body that was liquidated in the late 1990s, would help address the problem. “This is not a program that is going to forgive or erase anybody’s student debts,” said…
By Shuran Huang Xiaomin Wu, who is from Wuhan, China, graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in May with a master’s degree in information systems. But she hasn’t left VCU. Instead, she now works in the provost’s office as a business intelligence analyst. “When I was doing the job hunting, I threw out three applications within Virginia Commonwealth University,” Wu said. “Two offers were received in the end.” To get the job in VCU’s student affairs division, Wu needed a visa called H-1B. This program allows employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in the U.S., according to the U.S. Labor Department’s…
During her eight years as a senator, Hillary Clinton was part of a small but growing club of Democratic women. They gathered for monthly off-the-record dinners, shared a tiny ladies’ room just off the Senate floor and looked out for each other. They also shared dinners in DC and Northern Virginia locations. Clinton helped out in her own way, raising their collective profile and hitting the campaign trail for many of them. On Monday, 13 of them came together at a Capitol Hill hotel to return the favor for Clinton, each making her case for the Democratic presidential front-runner in…
The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to end the year with real meaning by donating blood for hospital patients in need. Holiday activities, severe weather and seasonal illnesses, like the flu, can pull people away from their regular blood donation schedules. This creates a greater need for blood donations this time of year, especially around the winter holidays. To encourage donations, all those who come to donate Dec. 23, 2015, through Jan. 3, 2016, will get a long-sleeve Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last. Jamie Czesak made her first blood donation on Dec. 27, 2013. “As I spent Christmas…
Only two weeks remain before the December 15 enrollment deadline Over two million consumers selected a plan in the Federally Facilitated Marketplace as of Nov. 28, 2015, including 86,908 in Virginia. “Americans who need health coverage starting January 1st have just two weeks remaining before the December 15 enrollment deadline,” Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said. “Whether you are enrolling for the first time or an existing customer who is shopping for the best plan for 2016, now is the time to visit HealthCare.gov or CuidadoDeSalud.gov. We’re encouraged by the number of people who are returning…
By Rachel Williams – Capitol News Service Beside a budget hotel in the West End section of Henrico County is an American-style restaurant. There’s a patch of dead vegetables and wilting herbs in the back parking lot. People walk in and out of the dimly lit space. They probably don’t realize the hotel next door had 11 cases of prostitution during a recent six-month period. From April 1 through Sept. 30, police responded to a total of 191 prostitution-related incidents throughout Henrico County, according to a computer analysis of the Police Department’s crime data. Experts say the prostitutes come from…
It’s hard to find a simpler, yet more personal way to decorate your home for the holidays than with fresh evergreen trimmings from your yard or garden. “You can use all types of evergreens to make your own swag,” said Augusta County horticulturist Mark Viette, who appears on Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s weekly television show Real Virginia. He recommends using cypress, juniper and fir cuttings. First, check out your evergreens, and cut a long growth from one. “You want a nice, long, flat spray for your swag,” Viette said. “Take time and look for the nice pieces.” He also suggests cutting…
Beacon Theatre publishes new lineup including Yardbirds, George Clinton, Joe Diffie, Steve Bassett & Friends and Mallory Lewis & Lamb Chop among others. Schedule – Updated November 16, 2015 Box Office: 804-446-3457 401 N. Main St. Hopewell, VA 23860 http://thebeacontheatreva.com/schedule-2/ http://www.myticketstobuy.com/ The Yardbirds with special guest The Skip Castro Band THIS Thursday November 19, 2015 Doors: 6pm Performance: 7pm Tickets: $20-$45 Advance/$25-$50 Door http://www.theyardbirds.com/ George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic THIS Friday November 20, 2015 Doors: 6:30pm Performance: 7:30pm Tickets: $30-$75 Advance/$35-$80 Door http://georgeclinton.com/ Blackfoot with special guest Rickey Medlocke THIS Saturday November 21, 2015 Doors: 8pm Performance: 9pm Tickets: $25-$60…