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School districts across the commonwealth consider their options

School boards and the officials that report to them are rolling up their sleeves in preparation for battles and tough decisions. The state budget, passed on Sunday, included $253 million in cuts to public education. School districts now must decide where those cuts will be felt.

Read more about hoWesley Fryerw local districts are handling the pinch....

Education budget: some ease despite cuts  (The Virginian-Pilot)

School funding formula benefits Northern Virginia but not other areas (The Washington Post)

Local school districts will see $79 million less from the state in 2011 (The Daily Press)

Roanoke schools may cut 146 positions (The Roanoke Times)

Franklin Co. to discuss school budget (The Roanoke Times)

Budget cuts assessed (Martinsville Bulletin)

What impact will the new state budget have on local schools? (The Lynchburg News & Advance)

Plans pit Gladys school closure against employee pay cut (The Lynchburg News & Advance)

Some layoffs likely for Amherst schools (The Lynchburg News & Advance)

State education aid figures unclear (The Staunton News Leader)

Posted on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - 11:32am

Isle of Wight - Coal-Fired Power Plant in Sussex Moving Forward

Last week, the Dendron Town Council approved land use and zoning applications for the construction of a massive coal-fired power plant and Surry County officials later followed suit, paving the way for environmental impact studies to begin. Last month, the Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors voted to send letters to the Chairman of the Surry County Board of Supervisors and the mayor of Dendron, urging them to carefully consider the proposed plant's effects on the region.

 

Read the full Tidewater News story...

Posted on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 - 6:13pm

Hampton Roads Home Sales Soared While Prices Slid Last Month

The Virginian-Pilot reported some good news about the housing market in Hampton Roads.

Home sales in the area soared while buyers rushed to beat the deadline for the first-time buyers federal tax credit.

The tax credit has been extended, and expanded to include current homeowners who wish to move into a different home.

Get details about the current federal tax credits for home buyers that expire on April 30, 2010.

"Home sales in South Hampton Roads soared as prices slid during November as first-time buyers rushed to beat the now-extended deadline for a federal tax credit, according to a report released Wednesday.

Last month's sales volume was up 5.1 percent from October and 87 percent over November 2008, according to Real Estate Information Network Inc.

The Virginia Beach-based multiple listing service reported 1,164 homes in the region sold in November, compared with 623 a year earlier.

Despite increased sales, home prices continued to fall, partly reflecting activity by first-time buyers at the low end of the market. The multiple listing service reported that the median price for existing homes in November was $199,950, down 7 percent from a year ago and at the lowest point in 10 months.

November marked the six month in a row of growth in local home sales and the biggest year-over-year gain in 2009. The rebound contrasts with the market a year ago, when sales were plummeting amid deteriorating economic conditions."

Read the full story.

Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 10:26pm

Hampton Roads Area Having a Top-10 Year for Rainfall

Hampton Roads has experiences it's rainiest year since 2003, acording to the Virginian Pilot.

The increase in rainfall will hopefully have a great impact on the area's agriculture.

"Hampton Roads officially broke into the top 10 wettest years on record with the recent heavy rainfall.

The region's 2009 rainfall total moved into the No. 6 spot, overtaking the 1937 amount of 59.7 inches, said Craig Moeller, meteorologist for WVEC-TV.

At 5 p.m. Wednesday, 60.75 inches of rain had been measured for the year in Norfolk, according to the National Weather Service in Wakefield.

'This is the most rain we’ve had since 2003,' Moeller said. That year, the National Weather Service measured 61.76 inches of rain at the Norfolk airport and ranked it the fifth wettest year."

Read the full story.

Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 10:15pm

State to Cut Spending for Hampton Roads' Again

The Virginian-Pilot recently reported that state funding to build, improve and repair roads for the Hampton Roads area has again been cut.

The Virginian-Pilot believes that the area is receiving less than its fair share when compared to the percentage that Northern Virginia receives.

Improvements in transportation is key for the Hampton Roads area for economic  and community development. The cut in budget may delay certain growth until the funds are budgeted to come through in a few years.

Homeowners in the area should be concerned because the inability to improve roads and tranpsortation can affect the marketability of certain communities, which will affect property values.

"Hampton Roads once again is getting less than its fair share of state funding to build and improve roads, a transportation official said Tuesday.

The state's proposed revisions to the six-year road-building plan are 'a severe blow in tough financial times when we need the help the most,' said Dwight Farmer, executive director of the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization.

Many improvements to local highways have been slashed over the past year and a half as the Virginia Department of Transportation cut $4.6 billion out of the road-building budget. In this most recent round, funding is set to be eliminated for widening Interstate 64 on the Peninsula and improving the I- 64/I-264 interchange.

Farmer outlined 'issues of great concern' in a letter presented at a public hearing Tuesday night in Richmond. He noted that while the state is proposing an overall increase of about 3 percent in the fiscal year 2010 budget for road construction, Hampton Roads' share would decrease by 13 percent.

Hampton Roads is the only area in the state that would have a reduction, Farmer said. Northern Virginia would see a 5 percent boost in funding.

In addition, the region would get no interstate funds in 2011, which Farmer said is unprecedented. In that same year, Northern Virginia would get $225 million, or 93.2 percent of the state's interstate money.

Farmer said Hampton Roads' funding outlook improves in 2015 with nearly $100 million in interstate allocations. But the six-year plans are revised regularly, and Farmer wrote that he has 'no confidence that the strategy would hold for the long term.'

Over the six years, Hampton Roads would get 15.3 percent of interstate funds and Northern Virginia would get 66.5 percent. The remaining 18.2 percent would go to the rest of the state."

Read the full story.

Posted on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - 3:34pm

Crowd Speaks Out On Coal-Fired Energy Plant in Surry

A small town in the cetner of Surry County has been proposed as the site of a mega coal-fired power plant that would open in 2016.

On Monday night more than 200 people showed up at thePlanning Commission meeting that was scheduled to vote on the matter. Most of the people in attendance were against the power plant, however, most of those people were from surrounding areas such as Richmond, Williamsburg and Norfolk.

Residents supported the plant, because it could bring jobs, tax revenue and hope to the town that has been struggling. Homeowners should be aware that the Planning Commission rescheduled their vote for Dec 14th.

"More than 50 people spoke Monday night ahead of a vote next month that could pave the way for a tiny town to house a coal-fired power plant - and the vast majority were against the project.

Dendron, in the center of the county, has been proposed as the site of the Cypress Creek Power Station, a mega coal-fired power plant that would open in 2016. The 1,500-megawatt plant would be the state's largest to produce electrical energy.

But it could also be an environmental hazard, opponents of the plant said.

'Consider the impact it may have on your neighboring communities,' said Gary West, a former Newport News Planning Commission member. 'From agriculture to industry, it would be a severe and dramatic change.'

The Planning Commission, faced with nine proposals from Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, had been scheduled to vote on the plant Monday night, but by the end of the public hearings had decided to delay the vote. The group will take up the matter again Dec. 14.

The crowd of 200-plus on Monday night overwhelmingly seemed to oppose the plant. They came from as far as Richmond, Norfolk and Williamsburg to speak. They called coal a dirty resource - one that is not renewable - and said it has the potential to harm the community's health.

Residents who want the power plant say it could bring jobs and industrial-type businesses that provide additional tax revenue to the struggling rural county."

Read the full story.

Posted on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 - 11:42pm

Mayors Met over Lunch and Laid Out a New Rail Plan

Mayors of vairous towns in the Peninsula n South Hampton Roads recently met to discuss high-speed rail, according to the Daily Press.

The discussion revolved around the region having to join together behind one plan for the benefit of everyone.

In the past, the Peninsula and South Hampton Roads have battled for equal resources, but the plan with high-speed rail would not reach the Peninsula because the cost to service that area would not be worth the benefit.

Thankfully mayors of those localities were able to see the need of all towns to band together and support high-speed rail coming to Virginia in order to receive federal funding for the project.

High-speed rail could link these areas with Petersburg, Richmond and DC, which will bring greater opportunities for economic growth.

"The Peninsula's hopes for high-speed rail were dealt a severe blow at the end of October when the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization endorsed a route that follows the Route 460 corridor south of the James River from Richmond to Norfolk.

The organization's board, which is made up of local elected officials, voted unanimously for the southern route for high-speed rail. In return, the endorsed plan calls for enhancing the existing passenger rail line on the Peninsula to increase both the frequency and speed of the trains.

Board members took pains to avoid describing the agreement as a compromise, or concession.

Several Peninsula leaders were absent from the vote including Newport News Mayor Joe Frank, who was at a funeral, and Williamsburg Mayor Jeanne Zeidler, who had a conflicting City Council meeting, though they expressed support for the plan. Hampton Mayor Molly Joseph Ward voted for the resolution, despite some reservations about not discussing it with her City Council before voting.

The vote was a major step, as fights over transportation plans have frequently divided the Peninsula from South Hampton Roads.

The mayors said it was important to act now or the region would run the risk of being left out of the Obama administration's plans for a national high speed rail system.

In March, the state will have the opportunity to request a portion of nearly $8 billion allocated for building the rail lines in the stimulus bill Congress passed last February. The long-term goal is to create a rail system that will allow travelers to board an early morning train in Hampton Roads that will allow them to reach as far as Washington, D.C., without a transfer.

The plan endorsed by HRTPO calls for the route to flow from Richmond through Petersburg and along Route 460 to Norfolk. It calls for at least one additional train to be added to the Peninsula, where rail service is plagued by frequent delays. Currently, the Peninsula is the only source of passenger rail in Hampton Roads."

Read the full story.

Posted on Monday, November 9, 2009 - 11:22pm

Home Sales Continue to Grow in Hampton Roads

The Virginian-Pilot recently reported on housing sales and trends in South Hampton Roads.

Although the average price did fall, the news is still good for homeowners because of the increased activity.

"Home prices in South Hampton Roads fell last month, most likely pushed lower by sales of foreclosures and strong buying activity in the market’s lower price range, according to a report released Friday.

The median price for an existing home in September was $210,000, down 6.7 percent from August and 4.1 percent from a year earlier, according to Real Estate Information Network Inc., the Virginia Beach-based multiple listing service. The median is the point at which half the prices are higher and half are lower.

The listing service also released data showing that 1,082 homes sold last month, up slightly from August but 28 percent higher than a year ago. That's the biggest year-over-year gain this year.

September marks the fourth month of year-over-year sales increases since home sales volume turned positive in June. The strong sales volume likely reflects historically low interest rates and first-time home buyers taking advantage of the $8,000 federal tax credit.

The report also showed that the number of homes on the market last month in Hampton Roads fell slightly. In September, there were 14,029 homes on the market. Meanwhile, the average time on the market for existing homes in Hampton Roads also fell to 82 days last month, compared with 86 days in September 2008.

Read the original story.

Posted on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - 11:23pm

Sales of Existing Homes Rise in South Hampton Roads

For the third consecutive month, home sales volume inched higher than the same month last year, according to a recent story in The Virginian-Pilot.

In South Hampton Roads there are a few signs that the local housing market is improving. A driving force behind the improved numbers is first-time home buyers taking advantage of the $8,000 federal tax credit. Also, investors are snapping up foreclosed properties with plans of renovating them.

This is great news for homeowners in South Hampton Roads, because as the market improves their home value is also increase.

"First-time home buyers and investors continued to drive sales of existing homes in South Hampton Roads last month.

Real Estate Information Network Inc. released data showing that 1,043 homes in the region sold in August. Although it fell 15.6 percent from July, the sales activity last month was 1 percent higher than the 1,033 homes that sold in August 2008, the Virginia Beach-based multiple listing service said.

It is the third consecutive month that sales volume inched higher than the same month last year, suggesting the local housing market might have reached a bottom. June was the first month with a year-over-year volume increase since January 2007.

'I think people are aware of the tax credit and aware of the low interest rates,' said Dick Thurmond, president of William E. Wood and Associates. 'So people are thinking they need to make a move now to take advantage of that.'

Any first-time home buyer or any buyer who has not owned a principal residence for three years is eligible for an $8,000 federal tax credit. Thurmond said he expects the credit to encourage many more buyers to enter the market before the incentive expires Dec. 1."

Read the full story.

Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 6:47am

Hampton Roads Economy is Better Than Most Metro Areas

Hampton Roads economy is in the top 20 of nation's 100 largest metro areas, according to a recent article in The Virginian Pilot.

The recession has spared almost no region of the country, but lower-than-average job losses have helped Hampton Roads fare better than most of the nation's major metropolitan areas, which could be due to the concentration of defense and government activity.

Homeowners in the area have seen a decrease in housing prices and an increase in foreclosures, but those statistics have also been better than the average of other metro areas around the country.

"Jobs in the region in the second quarter of 2009 slipped by 2.1 percent from the peak in 2007. That compared with an average decline of 3.8 percent in the 100 largest metro areas.

Hampton Roads' unemployment rate of 7.4 percent during the quarter remained well below the 9.7 percent average for the 100 areas, according to the Brookings Institution report. The output of Hampton Roads' goods and services has slipped only 0.8 percent from the peak during last year's third quarter. The average decline was 3.7 percent for the 100 areas.

Housing prices were down 2.1 percent from one year ago, according to the Brookings report. That put the region on the bottom half for the 100 metro areas, where the average decline was 4.4 percent. A rising number of foreclosures also put a damper on regional economic recovery. Hampton Roads saw 2.43 real estate owned properties per 1,000 mortgageable properties, while the average among metropolitan areas was 4.20."

Read full story, including a link to the full report.

Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 12:02pm