AP
Update: Tues., 10/14/14 3:02 p.m.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Gov. Terry McAuliffe is staking out an energy plan for Virginia that promotes more renewable sources such as solar and wind, as well as traditional resources including natural gas. McAuliffe formally rolled out his four-year energy plan Tuesday in Richmond before an audience of energy entrepreneurs and environmentalists. A key point he stressed is the prospect of diminishing federal dollars for northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, which has huge military presence. McAuliffe says “those days are over” and the state must build a new economy. He pointed, for example, to the development of an offshore wind industry that would create a new industrial base in Hampton Roads to build massive wind turbines. The McAuliffe event also included about 30 chanting opponents of a natural gas pipeline through the state.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia tax collections increased more than 5 percent last month. September collections complete the first quarter of the state’s fiscal year and typically is a significant month for revenue collections. The main drivers of the revenue increase were the individual income tax, the corporate income tax, and sales tax. Officials say total revenue collections rose 6.7 percent on a fiscal year-to-date basis, well ahead of the revised annual forecast of 2.9 percent growth. Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Tuesday that while revenue collections are up, there’s reason to remain cautious. That’s because Virginia has only collected about one-quarter of its general fund revenue estimate to date.
Source: sunburstfoods.net
GOLDSBORO, N.C. (AP) _ A Goldsboro, North Carolina, company is voluntarily recalling several food products because they might be contaminated with an organism that can cause infections in some people, including young children. Sunburst Foods is voluntarily recalling all of its Sunburst, Fresh Bites and Private labeled products because they might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Company officials said they’re unaware of any illnesses related to these products, which were sold in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia. The Private label products are identified by the following brand names: River Edge Farms, CFW, Southern Zest, CJ’s Vending, Binford Street Deli, Middle Georgia Vendors, Roanoke Foods, Select Foods, and Jesse Jones (Double Chili Dogs).
Click HERE for link to products being recalled.
Bob and Maureen McDonnell
(Associated Press photo)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Former Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell is asking for a delay in her 2015 sentencing on nine public corruption convictions. In a filing with U.S. District Court in Richmond, McDonnell is seeking a sentencing hearing of Feb. 16 instead of Jan. 6, when one of her attorneys is scheduled to begin a jury trial. U.S. District Judge James S. Spencer had not acted on McDonnell’s request on Monday. Former Gov. Bob McDonnell and Maureen were convicted in September of performing “official acts” to promote former Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams’ dietary supplement products in exchange for more than $165,000 in gifts, trips and loans. Bob McDonnell was convicted on 11 public corruption counts. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 6. The McDonnells were represented by separate attorneys at trial.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The clock is ticking for Virginians who want to vote in next month’s mid-term elections. Today is the deadline to register to vote. The marquee contest Nov. 4 features the U.S. Senate race between Democratic Sen. Mark Warner and Republican Ed Gillespie. A successor will also be elected in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, once held by former U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Virginians can register at their local voter registrar’s office, at Department of Motor Vehicles offices or on the state Department of Elections website at www.elections.virginia.gov. To complete online registration, applicants must provide a driver’s license or DMV identification card number. Applicants who don’t have a DMV number can still fill out the application online.
Updated: Tues., 10/14/14 12:42 a.m.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and Republican challenger Ed Gillespie are both accusing each other of putting partisan self-interests ahead of Virginia’s needs. Warner and Gillespie sparred on taxes, ethics, and other issues during their final debate Monday in Richmond. Public polls have shown Warner with a comfortable lead over Gillespie, who said he believes the race is tightening in its final weeks. Warner is a former governor and cellphone pioneer seeking a second term in the Senate. Gillespie is a former lobbyist and adviser to President George W. Bush. AARP Virginia and The League of Women Voters of Virginia hosted the debate at the studios of WCVE.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) _ Nearly 150 years after the Civil War, coded entries in a diary kept by a Confederate officer have been deciphered. And it turns out he liked to gossip. Lt. James Malbone of Virginia wrote in code about a fellow soldier caught in bed with another man’s wife. And he gave an encrypted description of Confederate President Jefferson Davis’ wife, who at the time was rumored to be of mixed race. Malbone reported that she had “very very brown skin.” The coded entries were discovered two years ago by a volunteer for the New York State Military Museum, which holds the diary. Kent D. Boklan, a Queens College computer science professor and former government cryptographer, cracked the code and deciphered the passages in just a week.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Some $4.8 million in federal homeland security funding is headed to 79 projects around Virginia. The funding announced Friday by Gov. Terry McAuliffe is aimed at enhancing emergency preparedness throughout the state. The Homeland Security Grant funding is administered by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. The funding will go to a range of projects, including law enforcement equipment and regional emergency response efforts. The grants also include $150,000 for hazardous materials response team equipment in Fairfax County, $72,000 for protective equipment for a law enforcement tactical response team in the city of Roanoke, and $100,000 for a hazardous materials team in Virginia Beach for railway incident responses.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Tobacco-curing barns that dot the Southside Virginia countryside are among the nine historic places being recognized by the Department of Historic Resources. Tangier Island’s role in the War of 1812 is also being honored. The historical marker will recognize Fort Albion, which was established by the British on the Chesapeake Bay island. The island was a haven for former slaves who received military training their under British forces. The historic marker recognizing the so-called bright leaf tobacco barns will rise in Pittsylvania County. One of the worst train wrecks in Virginia history will also receive a marker. The Thaxton train wreck on July 2, 1889, left 18 people dead. The crash occurred in Bedford County. Two historical markers in James City County will recognize French support during the Revolutionary War.
Sen. Mark Warner
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Sen. Mark Warner doesn’t often sound like he’s working at his dream job. He frequently expresses frustration with the Senate’s slow pace and partisan gridlock and even considered quitting in 2012 to run for his old job as Virginia’s governor. So why does he want a second term? The Democrat says he’s begun to figure out how the Senate works and how he can make it a better place. Warner is facing challenges from Republican Ed Gillespie and Libertarian Robert Sarvis in next month’s election. While Warner’s colleagues in several other states are facing tough re-election prospects thanks in part to President Barack Obama’s sagging popularity, polls in the Virginia contest have shown Warner with substantial leads.