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MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 8th, 2010 P.M. UPDATE
Reported
by Chuck Vipperman & Jack
Garrett
 (SOUTHSIDE)
-- SOUTHSIDE’S
BROADBAND NETWORK IS ABOUT TO GET A
LOT LONGER.
A PAIR OF FEDERAL RECOVERY
ACT GRANTS WILL ADD 500 MILES TO THE
NETWORK, WITH LINKS TO 121 SCHOOLS.
THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT
WILL LINK THE EXISTING BROADBAND
NETWORK TO 121 SCHOOLS, 12 COUNTIES
AND THE CITIES OF DANVILLE,
MARTINSVILLE AND EMPORIA.
WHITE
HOUSE CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
ANEESH CHOPRA ON MONDAY
ANNOUNCED 2 FEDERAL GRANTS THAT WILL
FUND MORE THAN 500 MILES OF NEW,
OPEN-ACCESS INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE
ACROSS SOUTHSIDE AND IN APPALACHIA.
N-T-I-A ADMINISTRATOR LARRY
STRICKLING SAYS THE LION’S SHARE
WILL PAY FOR A $20 MILLION PROJECT
TO BUILD 465 MILES OF NEW FIBER TO
LINK WITH AN EXISTING 800-MILE FIBER
NETWORK IN SOUTHERN VIRGINIA. U.S.
SENATOR MARK WARNER STARTED THE
BROADBAND INITIATIVE WHILE HE WAS
GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA. HE SAYS THIS
MONEY WILL TAKE THAT NETWORK TO THE
NEXT LEVEL. 5TH
DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN TOM PERRIELLO
CALLED THE FEDERAL DOLLARS AN
INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE, MAKING
CERTAIN “EVERY CHILD BORN IN
SOUTHSIDE HAS ACCESS TO THE
WORLD’S LIBRARIES.” A $16
MILLION GRANT HAS BEEN AWARDED TO
THE MID-ATLANTIC BROADBAND
COOPERATIVE TO EXPAND THE EXISTING
HIGH-SPEED FIBER NETWORK, CONNECTING
K-12 SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS MORE THAN
58,000 CHILDREN WILL
BENEFIT.
(SOUTHSIDE)
-- THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS
ANOTHER WINTER STORM WILL ARRIVE IN
DANVILLE TUESDAY. BLACKSBURG
METEOROLOGIST DENNIS SLEIGHTER SAYS
A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE
REGION, BRINGING LIGHT SNOW EARLY IN
THE DAY. THE SNOW WILL CHANGE TO
RAIN AND SLEET TUESDAY AFTERNOON,
BEFORE CHANGING BACK TO SNOW AND
ENDING EARLY TUESDAY NIGHT. THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS A TWO
INCH ACCUMULATION OF SNOW AND ICE IS
POSSIBLE BEFORE THE STORM MOVES OUT
OF THE DANVILLE AREA WEDNESDAY
MORNING. SLEIGHTER SAYS BLUSTERY
WINDS WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHSIDE AFTER
THE STORM EXITS THE
AREA.
(SOUTHSIDE)
-- MOST
OF THE POWER OUTAGES IN DANVILLE
HAVE BEEN RESTORED, BUT A FEW
SCATTERED OUTAGES MAY STILL REMAIN.
UTILITIES DIVISION SPOKESMAN
KEVIN MARTIN SAYS THEY HAD ABOUT
55-HUNDRED CUSTOMERS OFF-LINE AT THE
HEIGHT OF THIS WEEKEND’S STORM.
MOST EVERYONE HAD POWER
RESTORED LATE LAST NIGHT.
IN THE REST OF THE AREA, THE
WORST OUTAGES WERE IN THE CHATHAM
AREA.
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY SET UP
TWO RED CROSS SHELTERS FOR FOLKS WHO
NEEDED THEM.
THE SITUATION IS WORSE IN
MARTINSVILLE, WHERE 78-HUNDRED
OUTAGES WERE REPORTED LATE LAST
NIGHT.
 (DANVILLE)
--
WITH
THE DANVILLE SCHOOL SYSTEM FACING A
NEARLY FOUR (M) MILLION DOLLAR CUT
IN STATE FUNDING, LOCAL TEACHERS ARE
NOT ASKING FOR A PAY RAISE.
KIM ROBERSON, PRESIDENT OF
THE DANVILLE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION,
TELLS THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT THEY’D
BE PLEASED SIMPLY TO KEEP WHAT
THEY’VE GOT.
THE D-E-A IS ALSO WANTS
LEADERS TO REVIEW CLASS TRAINING AND
DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES AND TO
MAINTAIN CURRENT BENEFITS. THEY ALSO
WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE CLOSE TO
RETIREMENT DON’T HAVE THEIR
CONTRACT SHORTENED---AND THEY’RE
PUSHING FOR A LIVING WAGE FOR
EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL.
  (CHATHAM)
--A GROUP THAT WANTS
TO BRING BROADBAND CONNECTIONS TO
EVERY HOME AND BUSINESS IN THE U-S
HAS SECURED A COUPLE OF LOCAL
LEADERS TO HELP WITH THEIR EFFORTS
IN VIRGINIA. “BROADBAND FOR AMERICA” HAS NAMED FORMER CHATHAM STATE
SENATOR CHARLES HAWKINS (pictured,
left) AND COUNTY BUSINESS LEADER BEN
DAVENPORT (pictured, right) TO THEIR
VIRGINIA ADVISORY BOARD.
HALIFAX COUNTY CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE PRESIDENT NANCY POOLE IS
ALSO ON THE PANEL, WHO WILL TRY AND
PROMOTE THE BENEFITS OF BROADBAND
THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH.
(RICHMOND)
--THE STATE SENATE
HAS LENT UNANIMOUS APPROVAL TO A
LOCAL LAWMAKERS’ EFFORTS TO CRACK
DOWN ON HABITUAL DRUNK DRIVERS.
CHATHAM STATE SENATOR ROBERT
HURT SAYS STATE LAW PREVENTS
PREVIOUS D-U-I CONVICTIONS IN MOST
OTHER STATES FROM BEING APPLIED TO
THOSE ARRESTED FOR DRIVING DRUNK
HERE IN VIRGINIA. THE BILL NOW GOES TO THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
(DANVILLE)
-- A
MAN WITH FOUR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
RINGS IS THE NEW HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
AT GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH
SCHOOL. JIMMY TEAGUE WAS
APPROVED BY THE DANVILLE SCHOOL
BOARD THURSDAY NIGHT. HE HAS
29 YEARS OF HEAD COACHING
EXPERIENCE---MOST OF IT AT
REIDSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL. TEAGUE
LED THE RAMS TO FOUR STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
HE RETIRED AFTER THE 2008 SEASON,
WITH THE RAMS IN THE MIDDLE OF A
32-GAME WINNING STREAK. TEAGUE
AMASSED A 198-40 RECORD AT
REIDSVILLE. HE SPENT THE 2009
SEASON AS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR AT
GREENSBORO COLLEGE.
WHILE
AT REIDSVILLE, TEAGUE'S RAMS TEAM
PLAYED FOUR GAMES AGAINST G-W.
THEY SPLIT ALL FOUR, WITH EACH GAME
COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE.
TEAGUE
BEGAN HIS HIGH SCHOOL COACHING
CAREER AS AN ASSISTANT AT CUMMINGS
HIGH SCHOOL IN
BURLINGTON. HE GOT HIS
FIRST HEAD COACHING JOB AT EASTERN
ALAMANCE HIGH SCHOOL. TEAGUE
SPENT FOUR SEASONS THERE BEFORE A
STINT AT GRANGER HIGH SCHOOL IN
CHARLOTTE.
TEAGUE
REPLACES DAN NEWELL, WHO HEADED UP
THE EAGLES' PROGRAM THE PAST SEVEN
YEARS. NEWELL IS THE NEW
OFFENSIVE LINE COACH AT AVERETT
UNIVERSITY.
 (WASHINGTON,
DC)
--
5TH
DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE TOM
PERRIELLO INTRODUCED LEGISLATION
THURSDAY TO REPEAL THE ANTI-TRUST
EXEMPTION FOR HEALTH INSURANCE AND
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE INSURANCE
COMPANIES.
PERRIELLO SAYS HEALTH
INSURANCE COMPANIES SHOULD NOT HAVE
MONOPOLY PROTECTIONS, BUT SHOULD
HAVE TO COMPETE LIKE EVERY OTHER
BUSINESS.
HE SAYS CONSUMER GROUPS
ESTIMATE THE CHANGE WILL RESULT IN A
SAVINGS OF ABOUT 10 PERCENT ON
INDIVIDUAL PREMIUMS.
PERRIELLO AND CONGRESSWOMAN
BETSY MARKEY INTRODUCED LEGISLATION
THURSDAY TO REPEAL THE ANTI-TRUST
EXEMPTION FOR HEALTH INSURANCE
COMPANIES. THIS IS PART OF THE HOUSE
STRATEGY TO PUSH THOSE ELEMENTS OF
HEALTHCARE REFORM THAT CAN BE DONE
AS FREESTANDING BILLS WHILE THE
DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP WORKS ON
NEGOTIATING THE LARGER BILL. UNDER
THE BILL, HEALTH INSURERS WILL NO
LONGER BE PROTECTED FROM LIABILITY
FOR PRICE FIXING OR BID-RIGGING.
PERRIELLO SAYS THE MEASURE HAS
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE HOUSE.
 (DANVILLE)
-- JOHN GILSTRAP IS THE LATEST
CANDIDATE TO ANNOUNCE HIS RUN FOR
DANVILLE CITY COUNCIL.
THE MAN WHO HEADED UP THE
CITY’S PARKS AND RECREATION
DEPARTMENT FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS
MADE IT OFFICIAL THURSDAY. IN ADDITION TO HIS GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE, GILSTRAP ALSO
HAS AN ACTIVE CIVIC RESUME.
IT INCLUDES WORK WITH THE RIVERVIEW
ROTARY CLUB, PATHS, THE COMMUNITY
IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL, BIG
BROTHERS-BIG SISTERS, THE BOYS AND
GIRLS CLUB, AND BOY SCOUTS.
GILSTRAP LISTS JOBS, EDUCATION, AND
INFRASTRUCTURE AS HIS TOP THREE
PRIORITIES GILSTRAP AND
FELLOW NEWCOMER ALONZO JONES ARE THE
ONLY TWO ANNOUNCED CANDIDATES SO
FAR. FOUR INCUMBENTS ARE UP FOR RE-ELECTION.
ONLY RUBY ARCHIE HAS MADE AN
ANNOUNCEMENT.
SHE’S NOT RUNNING
FOR ANOTHER TERM.
Averett
University announces the
receipt of a $525,000 gift to
convert a house at 354 West Main
Street into a new university
bookstore. The gift, given by a
friend of the university who wishes
to remain anonymous, will allow
Averett to refurbish the two-story
home located at the corner of West
Main Street and Woodland Drive,
turning the 7,000 square-foot
property into a community bookstore.
 (DANVILLE)
-- DANVILLE
RECENTLY LOST ITS ONLY BOOKSTORE.
BUT
AVERETT UNIVERSITY WANTS TO CHANGE
THAT.
AVERETT PRESIDENT DR. TIFFANY
FRANKS SAYS THE
SCHOOL RECENTLY RECEIVED A $525
THOUSAND GIFT FROM AN ANONYMOUS
DONOR TO REFURBISH A TWO-STORY HOME
AT THE CORNER OF WEST MAIN AND
WOODLAND DRIVE TO A UNIVERSITY
BOOKSTORE.
FRANKS ENVISIONS THIS AS A
GATHERING PLACE FOR THE ENTIRE
COMMUNITY.
SHE SAYS THE BOOKSTORE WILL
FEATURE ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS, BUT
ALSO BESTSELLERS, THE NEW YORK TIMES
AND MORE.
THE FOLLETT HIGHER EDUCATION
GROUP HAS CHIPPED IN $165,000
FOR THE RENOVATION AND WILL OPERATE
THE NEW STORE. FOLLETT CURRENTLY
OPERATES MORE THAN 850 BOOKSTORES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING STORES
AT JAMES MADISON, THE UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA- GREENSBORO AND NOTRE
DAME. SHE SAYS THE NEW BOOKSTORE
WILL BE UP AND RUNNING BY THE FALL
OF THIS YEAR.
The
giant snowman on James Road near
Butch's Garage and Raywood Landscape
Center has
been brought back to life bigger and
better this time and even has lights
on it for night time viewing!
(Richard T. Davis photo)
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