Evan Jones
A Roanoke College poll finds that most Virginians support stricter guns laws, but even those in favor do not generally believe it will make them any safer. The same survey shows most Virginians favor more police or armed guards inside schools but do not want to see teachers armed. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Click here for full poll results and methodology from the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College.
Governor McDonnell’s Campus and School Safety Task Force has a Thursday deadline to submit its first recommendations, and a member representing teachers is arguing against any suggestion that educators be armed. Virginia Education Association President Meg Gruber says carrying weapons is best left to those who are properly trained. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
A Roanoke-based company has created assessment tools for diagnosing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on-line — with plans for a national release later this year. Attention Point developed the Internet-based assessment system as an alternative to the the traditional means of filling out paper forms, saying it is faster, more thorough and more likely to help produce a correct diagnosis. As WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Virginia Western Community College’s newest building should be completed this spring and ready for students when the next school year begins. The $26 million building is going up along Colonial Avenue and will house classrooms and labs for health and natural sciences courses. It is part of Western’s growing emphasis on science, technology, engineering, math and health care. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Del. Mark Dudenhefer
Committee hearings are scheduled to begin next week on Governor McDonnell’s transportation funding proposal, and lawmakers heard a colleague deliver a heartfelt plea yesterday for action — for painful and personal reasons dear to his heart. Fredericksburg area Republican Mark Dudenhefer is not urging specific approval of Governor McDonnell’s proposal, but he implored fellow lawmakers to reach agreement on a plan to improve Virginia roads and highways. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Gov. Bob McDonnell
Governor McDonnell is back in campaign mode today, holding several news conferences across the state to boost support his transportation funding plan. He says among other things, it would provide 100 million dollars to expedite Amtrak service to Roanoke. The governor proposes dropping the gas tax and raising the sales tax to boost transportation funding.
Click here for Governor McDonnell’s web site in support of his transportation proposal. It includes links to the full list of proposed projects he says could become funded.
It’s now up to the House of Delegates to decide on the controversial State Senate redistricting proposal passed earlier this week. House Democrats are already sounding the alarm, but Republicans say it’s a big improvement over present district lines. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
A veteran Richmond political observer says State Senate Republicans went ahead with Monday’s controversial redistricting vote when it became clear other ways to gain the needed support would fail. And former long-time Virginia Commonwealth University Political Science Professor Bob Holsworth questions whether the vote could have completely blindsided Governor McDonnell. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Bob Holsworth is now a Managing Partner of Richmond-based DecideSmart.
One of Richmond’s most respected political observers says Monday’s surprise vote to redraw several State Senate districts is likely to dominate and divide the General Assembly to a degree rarely seen — and it may not be good for Governor McDonnell’s hopes to reshape transportation funding and education reforms. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Grandin Theatre photo
The Grandin Theater is embarking upon a public fund-raising campaign to help pay for new projectors. The theater says many distributors will stop providing film prints of movies by the end of the year, so the Grandin is appealing for donations to help them pay for digital projectors. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.