News 2008-04-15 Andanh.com

How to plan for a happier ending - roanoke.com Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Wednesday is National Healthcare Decisions Day.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Marilyn Morenz teaches seminars on making medical decisions at the end of life and how to fill out living wills.

Of all people, this nurse and director of community education for Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region knows what to expect and how to prepare for death.

Tuesday on the talk shows - roanoke.com Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

"Today" 7 a.m., 11 a.m. WSLS (Channel 10) The "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" cast; the Naked Brothers Band

"Good Morning America" 7 a.m. WSET (Channel 13) Cynthia Nixon; Lisa Williams

"Live with Regis & Kelly" 9 a.m. WDBJ (Channel 7) Milo Ventimiglia; Jordin Sparks

I'm that guy I read about here! - roanoke.com Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Q: What can you do if you are that jealous, overbearing mate -- and you recognize it and want to stop? Hearing about my girlfriend hanging out with other guys just as friends makes me freak out internally and, as much as I try to keep that internal, it sometimes gets out.

The Tuesday Short List - roanoke.com Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Places to go, things to do

TODAY

Tax Day

Eep! It's your last chance to get those taxes in on time -- better head to the post office ASAP. You want to this year: No tax return means no free money from Uncle Sam.

Slipping a little bacon back into the Virginia budget Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:55:02 -0500
Gov. Tim Kaine announced his amendments to legislation today. As usual, they included a bunch of budget amendments. Lawmakers did a fairly good job of keeping pet projects out. Apparently the governor couldn't resist sticking a couple back in. $5 million for Civil War sites? $200,000 for the Daniel Boone Visitors Center? That's a few million dollars that could go to transportation or something else useful. Still a long way to go to make up the $1.1 billion, though. Read the full press release below.

Red light on Roanoke's amphitheater Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:31:42 -0500
For Tuesday: After months of secretly reviewing proposals, Roanoke announced it will contract with Charlottesville's Red Light Management to develop an amphitheater. Red Light was selected because it was "the most responsive to the city's needs." Really? Who determined the city's needs? Certainly not the public that will pay to build an amphitheater.

Death in Iraq Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:23:28 -0500
How many Iraqi civilians have died as a result of the American invasion? Depends who you ask. This Congressional Research Service report rounds up the estimates. They are wildly divergent: 30,000 to 790,000. Meanwhile, you can check out U.S. casualties in this CRS report.

U.S. Attorney's office shouldn't just say no to every sentence reduction Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:17:52 -0500
For Tuesday: The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia opposed sentence reductions for crack cocaine offenders in every case up for review since new guidelines, meant to redress a discriminatory policy, were made retroactive. As the district's chief judge noted, such blanket opposition is not helpful to the courts. Nor is it just.

Economic development in the New River Valley Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:41:53 -0500
Virginia's First Regional Industrial Facility Authority has $666,000 in the bank, and some of the localities that contributed it want to get some back through grants. That's a reasonable request as long as it is handled well. The authority exists to help a large-scale employer come to the region. When one comes knocking, the authority must have resources on hand to make the project happen. Figure out how much will safely cover costs, and then use the excess funds in the account for local economic development grants. So we'll argue in an editorial later in the week.

Discuss Monday's editorials Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:04:30 -0500
Heed Social Security, Medicare warnings Two necessary and popular programs are on an unsustainable path. Neither party has shown the courage or will to address the issues. Every year, Social Security and Medicare trustees warn of impending doom, a coming national catastrophe: Obligations made by the two most popular government programs in existence will outstrip available resources in just a matter of years. The nation tut-tuts. Republicans offer halfhearted solutions unacceptable to Democrats and vice versa. And on the nation goes, seemingly oblivious, until the next round of increasingly dire predictions. Read more. A neighborhood vision worth fighting for The Village at Stone Creek promised to be different; the courts should hold developers to that. Roanoke County is right to sue developers to try to force them to meet zoning requirements they ignored in building a portion of a subdivision near the Blue Ridge Parkway. The subdivision was the first the county approved under a planned residential development zoning designation adopted in the mid-1990s. The ordinance, which requires such community amenities as trails and wildflower plantings, was the result of years of negotiations among county and parkway officials and the original developer. Read more.

Discuss Monday's commentary and letters Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:44:45 -0500
Smoky Mountain memories Ray Stubblefield Stubblefield, who teaches earth science at Franklin County High School, is a Roanoke Times columnist. I was waiting for the light to change. The wipers were working on a cold rain that had come for the day and stayed a week. The grass couldn't be greener, and everything was in full bloom. Read more. This country needs a statesman as president Bob Peckman Peckman is a retired engineer/physicist from ITT Night Vision. After 40 years we need to listen again to the words of Martin Luther King Jr. Not just the favorite sound bites of a few speeches, but all of what he had to say. And when we do, they sound shockingly like Jeremiah Wright. "If Jeremiah Wright were my pastor, I would go to a different church." What a simple sound bite for Hillary Clinton to say. Sound bites are the fast food of political speech; they nourish neither the mind nor the soul. More important, if she cannot tolerate the words of Jeremiah Wright, then she is not listening to the words of Martin Luther King either. Read more. Confessions of a C-Span addict David Goode Goode is an adjunct professor of psychology at Central Virginia Community College. I have become a C-Span addict. It began innocently enough -- the early primary debates and analyses there and on neighboring channels. Soon, I was mainlining C-Span: the weekend book reviews featuring authors discussing timely issues, Congressional committee hearings questioning expert witnesses, and finally, watching our dignified, empathetic leaders stand on the legislative floor, dramatically decrying the plight of their much beloved constituents. Read more. Read Monday's letters here.

Monday open thread Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:41:57 -0500
What do you want to talk about today?

Concert review: Steve Earle, Allison Moorer Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:08:31 -0500

First, the ever-lovin' deadwood version.

Another good show at the Jeff. When are they going to book a dud?

Earle, as is his wont, talked a little about politics. At one point, a guy in the audience yelled, "Just sing!" Earle ignored him.

But c'mon. Do you expect to hear an artist like Earle and not get a dose of his opinions. It's not like we're talking Linda Ronstadt in Vegas -- and she has the right to say what she wants, too. This is a guy who nowadays is known nearly as well for his strong opinions as for his songs. And a lot of his songs have opinions in them. I guess it's just easier to ignore something about which you disagree if it has a nice guitar part with it.

Still, the "just sing" guy wasn't the entertaining yeller. That honor goes to a guy who definitely loves him some Steve Earle. He was obviously one of those fans who has been with Earle from the beginning, and definitely digs the outlaw vibe of a lot of Earle's music. He just would not shut up, until finally an usher settled him down. But he did get in a couple of funny statements.

Late in the show, Earle asked the audience, "Have I ever played here before?" Several people shouted no. The excitable Earle fan shouted: "Every night, at my house! In my car! In my house! All the time, Steve."

Earle, who had tried to ignore most of the man's statements (lest he encourage him?), had to crack a smile at that one.

Homegirl comes back to rock Roanoke College Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:31:42 -0500

From roanoke.com's So Salem blog:

RC Alumna and Salem native Corynne Wilder to rock Alumni Weekend

Get more details Thursday, in Inside Out's Top Tickets.

What would you pour over Heather Mills' head? Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:07:53 -0500

We begin a new feature on the old blog: The question of the week. It'll usually be about music, or something related to music -- in today's case, Heather Mills, who is now Paul McCartney's nouveau riche ex-wife.

As you know, if you follow the pop culture maelstrom, she poured a jug of water over the head of Macca's divorce attorney. If you don't know, here's the story.

So, here we go -- what would pour over Heather Mills' head?

We promise a more substantive question next week! Maybe ...

A source for heirloom tomato plants Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:17:23 -0500

I got an e-mail this morning from the folks at Riverside Nursery in Salem, who are fully stocked for the summer gardening season.

Apparently, owner Bruce Feldberg noticed the rising popularity if heirloom and specialty tomato varieties in gardening magazines and on food shows and local plates. As a result, he has not 10 or 20 varieties for sale at his store, but 90!!

Feldberg also has 40 different kinds of peppers, so head over and check those out, too.

So far, my vegetable garden consist of two cherry tomato seedlings in paper cups that I got from a co-worker. I'd also like to get a few Better Boy plants, but my plot isn't quite ready for anything yet. I've also purchased some seeds for rainbow chard, yellow squash and zucchini.

I guess I've got some work to do!

Is the angler in your life a liar? Smoke out fish tales with our latest database Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:07:14 -0500

Someone you know been boasting about the bulk of their latest bass? Does their story about landing a crappie sound like a load of, um, garbage?

Our database of nearly 12,000 Virginia freshwater citation fish won't tell you about the ones that got away, but you can track trophy catches right down to the pound, ounce and inch.

We just updated the database with about 5,500 fish from 2007, so there's two years worth of trophies in there in 23 species, plus the names of the anglers who caught them and where each was landed.

And don't think this is inside stuff just for serious fisherman. You won't find me hanging around the baitshop, but I gotta say, when I first saw this database, the first thing I did was try to figure out, what's the biggest darn fish in there? I mean, who isn't interested in the biggest anything?

The answer, by the way, is a 95 pound, 11 ounce, 54-inch blue catfish landed by Archie Gold in 2006 in the James River. That's a state record.

But there are other curiosities. Like where they are caught. Check out the related graphic of where the most trophy fish were caught in 2007. Here's a tease: The top producers aren't all big rivers and lakes. Think of that cliche about fish in a barrel. Fish in a farm?

And if you want an expert's view of the data, read Roanoke Times Outdoors Writer Mark Taylor's take on it.

Best times to shop with kids and save money Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:25:45 -0500

Most moms and dads would agree that shopping isn’t easy with children in tow.
Here are a few tips from Shop Smart magazine on maneuvering stores and restaurants with little ones. The article also included some tips on finding good deals, whether you are a parent or not.

Best time to eat out with infants, toddlers and preschoolers:
Sunday through Wednesday before the usual rush, which is 11:30 a.m. for lunch and 5:30 p.m. for dinner. It’s often when eateries are not as crowded and service is faster.

Best time to grocery shop with kids: Right after breakfast or lunch on weekdays. It’s when the aisles are not as crowded with after-work and weekend shoppers.

Best time to find baby products on sale:
The fall, when some retailers discount inventory to make room for new merchandise. Also, often locally owned shops offer larger sales and discounts, especially to regular customers.

Best time to find good deals on grocery items: The day after the supermarket’s ads come out, when there are plenty of items left in stock.

Feel free to comment on some of your own strategies as well.

Frost could be widespread by Wednesday morning Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:16:29 -0500

It's been a little too warm for snow except in the higher elevations around Southwest Virginia ... we've just had chilly sprinkles with temperatures in the 40s in the Roanoke Valley. The real issue could be how much frost develops by Wednesday morning across the area. There could be some frost on Tuesday morning if the cloud blanket rolls away overnight, allowing radiational cooling to take temperatures near freezing. Tuesday night into Wednesday, however, clear skies and calm winds may take temperatures below freezing across almost all of the area, and this could allow for a widespread frost. A frost advisory is in effect for Tuesday morning and a freeze watch is in effect for Wednesday morning, which may be upgraded to a freeze warning sometime Tuesday. Though Thursday morning could be pretty cold, a warmup is expected to set in Thursday afternoon into Friday.

One can never be totally certain, but there is a good chance this will be our last bout of near freezing weather this season.

Wilder returning car allowance he was paid since 2005 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:57:03 -0400
BY WILL JONES Times-Dispatch Staff Writer Mayor L. Douglas Wilder announced tonight that he will reimburse the city for the $700-per-month automobile allowances paid to him since 2005, when a police unit began providing a vehicle for his use on city business. In a released statement, Wilder also announced that he had accepted the resignation of Benjamin Johnson, the city's emergency-management director, in the fallout of an audit that showed Johnson received a $500-per-month car allowance from the city while driving a city vehicle.

Richmond City Council cuts tax rate 3 cents over Wilder's objections Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:40:02 -0400
BY WILL JONES Times-Dispatch Staff Writer Richmond City Council cut the proposed real-estate tax rate by three cents tonight despite warnings from Mayor L. Douglas Wilder that such action could force a reduction in services. Spurred by audits highlighting wasteful city spending and angered by fights with Wilder's administration, council members voted 8-1 to set the rate at $1.20 per $100 of assessed value. The vote came after a vote for a $1.21 rate failed on a 4-5 vote.

Dissident for Media General board gets support Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:08:31 -0400
BY JOHN REID BLACKWELL Times-Dispatch Staff Writer One of three candidates nominated by a dissident investor to the board of directors of Media General Inc. won the support of a proxy adviser firm, according to a regulatory filing by the investor. Media General today continued to reject dissident nominees to its slate of board nominees.

Former candidate charged in razor cutting Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:00:31 -0400
By Carrie J. Sidener Media General News Service A former candidate for the Amherst County Board of Supervisors has been arrested in connection with an incident last year in which a man cut his hand on a razor blade hidden on one of the candidate's campaign signs. Timothy Alan Beverly, 50 of Madison Heights, was arrested Saturday and charged with malicious wounding after deputies connected him with the razor blades found embedded in the bottom of one of his campaign signs, according to the Amherst County Sheriff's Office.

Powhatan board raises tax rate Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:57:02 -0400
The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors tonight adopted a $72.3 million operating budget that includes a 5-cent increase in the real estate tax rate to 71 cents per $100 of assessed value. The county had advertised a $73.3 million budget that would have been based on raising the real estate tax rate from 66 cents to 73 cents of $100 assessed value.

Richmond official who accepted car allowance resigns Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:04:13 -0400
Richmond Director of Emergency Management Ben Johnson has resigned, according to a statement released this evening by the city. A report by the city auditor released last week revealed that Johnson had been accepting a $500-a-month allowance for using his own car on city business even while driving a city-owned vehicle. The statement from the city today said Mayor L. Douglas Wilder accepted Johnson's resignation. It said Johnson will be replaced by Deputy Director Anthony McLean.

Sources: Virginia Union's Robbins retiring Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:29:32 -0400
Dave Robbins is expected to step down tomorrow after 30 years as Virginia Union University's men's basketball coach. Robbins won 713 games and three national titles at Virginia Union.

Delta OKs Deal to Take Over Northwest Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:25:48 -0400
ATLANTA -- Delta Air Lines has reached an agreement with Northwest Airlines to take over Northwest and create the world's biggest carrier. The boards of both companies gave the deal the go-ahead Monday.

Braves' GM: ballpark next to I-95 won't work Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:33:04 -0400
BY MICHAEL MARTZ Times-Dispatch Staff Writer The Richmond Braves' general manager says the city's proposal for a new baseball stadium next to Interstate 95 is a bad idea. "Sorry, it does not work," General Manager Bruce Baldwin told the Kiwanis Cub of Richmond at a luncheon today at the Virginia Historical Society. "It makes no sense whatsoever."

Accident closes Nine Mile Road Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:52:01 -0400
Nine Mile Road is closed between Westover Avenue and Newbridge Road because of a crash that damaged a utility pole. Major delays are expected, particularly during rush hour. Traffic is being detoured off Nine Mile Road. A Virginia Department of Transportation news release said repairs are expected to continue through 10 p.m. and advised motorists to avoid the area if possible.

Dwight Jones sets up Web site for mayoral bid Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:59:01 -0400
BY WILL JONES Times-Dispatch Staff Writer Richmond Del. Dwight C. Jones remains mum on whether he's running for mayor, but there's a strong indication in cyberspace to count him in. The Web site <a href="http://www.dwightjonesformayor.com" target="_blank">www.dwightjonesformayor.com</a> is active, although apparently still under design, with a photo of the delegate. The site has links to join and to contribute to the campaign, among other things, -- but as of 4 p.m. afternoon the links lead back to the site's home page.

Kaine completes action on bills Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:58:04 -0400
Gov. Tim Kaine has finished action on the 889 bills passed by the 2008 General Assembly.

City deeds property for John Marshall park Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:11:02 -0400
The John Marshall Foundation formally took possession of almost a half-acre behind the great jurist's 18th-century home today in the first step toward creating a historical park that will showcase his legacy.

Man sentenced for car wash attack Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:11:01 -0400
A judge today sentenced Dante Lamont Lewis to 16 years in prison for his role in the October robbery and throat slashing of a Chesterfield County car wash manager. Circuit Judge Cleo Powell imposed sentences of eight, five and three years on Lewis recommended by a jury in February on convictions of robbery, conspiracy and use of a firearm in a felony, respectively.

Va. Supreme Court hears Randolph College cases Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:09:01 -0400
The Virginia Supreme Court today heard arguments in two cases challenging a formerly all-female college's decision to start enrolling men. Randolph College in Lynchburg formerly was known as Randolph Macon Woman's College. A lawyer for nine female students told the court this morning that the change amounted to a breach of contract because promotional materials and admission letters touted the college as an all-female institution.

Barnes & Noble coming to VCU Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:37:03 -0400
Virginia Commonwealth University today announced a five-year contract that calls for Barnes & Noble College Booksellers to manage book stores at the Monroe Park and MCV campuses. As part of the contract, which takes effect this summer, Barnes & Noble will renovate both locations. The new stores will offer an expanded selection of general reading books, magazines, gifts and VCU clothing as well as textbooks, school supplies, computer software and accessories and reference materials.

U.Va. modifies mental-illness policy Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:53:50 -0400
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The University of Virginia may now notify the parents of a student who is mentally ill and is deemed a danger to himself or others. U.Va.'s Board of Visitors on Saturday approved the policy, which school officials say formalizes practices already in place. The policy authorizes U.Va. officials to contact parents if there is a "substantial likelihood" in the near future that their child will harm himself or others, based on the student's behavior or other relevant information.

Performance Foods sets sale vote date Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:16:32 -0400
Performance Food Group Co. today announced a date for shareholders to vote on the Goochland County-based restaurant distributor's merger proposal. Performance Food announced in January that it was being sold to the private-equity firms Blackstone Group and Wellspring Capital Management LLC for $1.3 billion. Performance shareholders of record at the close of business on April 3 will be entitled to vote on the proposal May 14 at 9 a.m. at the company's corporate offices located at 12500 West Creek Parkway.

Blockbuster seeks takeover of Circuit City Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:54:31 -0400
Movie rental chain is taking an unsolicited $1 billion-plus bid for Henrico County-based company directly to shareholders.

Governors to meet on saving blue crabs Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:30:31 -0400
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley will meet in Colonial Beach tomorrow to learn more about the Chesapeake Bay's troubled blue crab population. The meeting of the two leaders comes as watermen in both states resist proposed regulations designed to save the economically important species from overfishing. Virginia and Maryland are considering a host of possible restrictions to slash the crab harvest by 20 percent to 40 percent in hopes of rebuilding the crab population and the multimillion-dollar commercial fishing industry they support.

Cool start to work week Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:00:31 -0400
The National Weather Service is calling for a cool start to the work week in Richmond. Today's forecast is for mostly cloudy skies with a high near 54 degrees. After today, the highs should climb into the upper 50s tomorrow, the upper 60s Wednesday, the mid 70s Thursday and the upper 70s Friday. Clear, sunny conditions are in the forecast for all four days.

Dante Lewis sentencing today in Chesterfield Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:54:03 -0400
Dante Lamont Lewis, sentenced April 1 to 30 years in prison for wounding a Blue Bunny ice-cream vendor in a Richmond shooting, will be sentenced in Chesterfield County today for his role in the robbery and throat slashing of a car wash manager. A Chesterfield jury has recommended 16 years in prison. The two sentences mean the 19-year-old Lewis, who has a lengthy violent criminal history, will likely be well into his 50s before he is released from prison.

Marshall house gets land from city today Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:46:32 -0400
The city is donating land behind the John Marshall house in Court End to create a historical park next to the courts building that is named in his honor.

Chesterfield police plan meeting for Hispanics Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:40:02 -0400
The Chesterfield County Police Department plans to hold a community meeting with Hispanic residents to help them keep from becoming victims of crime. The meeting will be held at St. Augustine Catholic Church at 4400 Beulah Road on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. Call Juan Santacoloma at (804) 796-7085 with questions.

Goochland may acquire property for parks, fire station Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:47:31 -0400
The Goochland County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to meet in closed session today to consider acquiring real estate for parks and recreation and for a fire station, and to discuss an economic development prospect. The agenda for the open portion of the meeting includes resolutions to fund design and construction of a school bus garage and additions at two elementary schools. The meeting is set for 1:30 to 5 p.m. at the Goochland County Administration Building.

Calm visit in Virginia for Obama's ex-pastor Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:08:58 -0400
NORFOLK -- Barack Obama's longtime former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., avoided controversy yesterday as he delivered the sermon to a Baptist church where his late uncle was minister.

Rezoning, site plan fees might increase in Chesterfield Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:08:57 -0400
Chesterfield County's Planning Department is proposing the highest fees in the region for residential rezoning applications and the second-highest for commercial site plan reviews.

McDonnell to visit financially troubled Petersburg school Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:08:57 -0400
Attorney General Bob McDonnell, a Catholic high school graduate, will tour and make a $1,000 donation today to Petersburg's St. Joseph School, which needs to raise $1 million to stay open.

Ukrop's gives discount dollars to customers this week Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:08 -0400

Downtown Starbucks at the Omni opens today Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Meet the People: Debbie Rea Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:20:00 -0400
Meet Debbie Rea, manager of zoology at Maymont in Richmond.

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