Police will be the first to tell you they don’t know everything. They can’t be everywhere all the time. There simply are not enough of them to go around.

For decades, the U.S. Forest Service has cautioned visitors to Crabtree Falls in Nelson County about the dangers of straying from the well-marked trail for a better glimpse of the majestic falls.

Anti-nuclear activists are waging a battle against uranium mining in southern Virginia. They warn of the catastrophic potential for radioactive uranium-milling wastes to pollute the environment.

For the first time in decades, it’s looking as if one of the two major parties in America is going to have a presidential nominating fight that’s going all the way to the convention.

The author of a March 24 letter to the editor, reacting to the Grand Oaks public hearing, waxed poetic about Jeff Helgeson. He stated: “There is one member who weighs each issue, who has the financial expertise, who takes the time to study all of the facts and who cares about all city residents, especially those who elected him.”

Sometimes, you learn from adversity; unfortunately, there are times when you don’t learn a thing.

In just a few short weeks, the one-year anniversary of that horrible day in Blacksburg will be upon us: April 16, the day a demented sociopath woke up and decided to go on a killing spree at Virginia Tech.

Could the International Olympic Committee be rethinking its decision to hold this year’s summer games in Beijing? If not, it should be.

Have politics diminished the will to clean up the polluted Chesapeake Bay? Or is it bureaucratic foot-dragging that results from not having enough money to make a difference?

One of the goals of the community college system in Virginia was to establish campuses in as many communities as possible. That would bring the hope of a college education to more Virginians throughout the state.

The so-called third rail of American politics isn’t Social Security, as many people used to think. It’s race and ethnicity. Touch that topic, even in a meaningful way, and you’re likely to be seriously burned.
That’s why last week, both nationally and locally, was so significant.

Twenty-two months ago, I wrote a letter to this paper discussing the absence of funding for Central Virginia’s transportation infrastructure. Now, two legislatures have ended without a viable solution to our road needs. Our legislative representatives, save Del. Shannon Valentine, continue to oppose raising taxes to fund this vital taxpayer need. They are also unwilling to cut other services to fund this need.
Where will the funds come from?

The Lynchburg budget draft unveiled earlier this month is a mammoth proposal, topping out at close to $375 million, if you include all the federal, state and local dollars flowing through the city’s ledger.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine mounted his bully pulpit Wednesday and pulled out his big stick, telling the leaders of the General Assembly they need to show a little political courage and confront the state’s growing transportation needs.

The news the Virginia Department of Transportation had for the Bedford County Board of Supervisors earlier this month was anything but good. It also puts an accent mark on Virginia’s critical need for a fresh infusion of money for the maintenance of roads and highways throughout the state.