Valley Pulse

It pretty much sounds like a four-letter word: the economy. Water, sewer and trash rates are going up - officially - and local non-profits aren’t receiving as much, and those, according to several people we talked about yesterday, aren’t receiving as much money also.

Water, sewer and trash rate increases are up for a vote tonight at the Waynesboro City Council meeting.

It’s another water main break at Berkeley Glenn Elementary School.

Welcome to the Valley Pulse, the latest in blogs from The News Virginian. It’s your place to get the latest news on what’s going on throughout the Waynesboro/Staunton/Augusta County region - from the halls of local government to breaking news and meeting outtakes.

It’s about time for the first meeting of the River City 2020 board.

If John McCain needed a game changer in Tuesday night’s presidential debate he didn’t get it.

The Republican nominee was strong as usual on foreign policy, but otherwise seemed to ramble and lacked detail. He also appeared irritated with Barack Obama

Sarah Palin proved much more effective in Thursday’s vice presidential debate than she has in recent television interviews with anchors.

The wait was worth it.

After being told that Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden would be available for a brief telephone interview on Saturday by Obama campaign officials the day before, there were several delays.

The crowd of Democrats that filled a pavilion at the Frontier Culture Museum Saturday night represent a big step forward for a party that has been a perennial doormat in this area for decades.

Two lingering thoughts about Saturday’s debate between U.S. Senate candidates Mark Warner and Jim Gilmore.

While fall campaigns traditionally kick off on Labor Day, Republican U.S. Senate challenger Jim Gilmore is not letting any grass grow under his feet.
Gilmore spent part of Monday in Waynesboro and Staunton as part of his two-day working families tour.
And staffers for the candidate said he had campaigned during the holiday weekend in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore. Gilmore was to journey to Southwest Virginia Tuesday.

Supporters of Republican Richmond area Congressman Eric Cantor are boosting the 45-year-old as a potential running mate for John McCain.

Friends of Cantor from Richmond, Washington and New York recently began an online dialogue and are circulating a petition urging McCain to choose Cantor.

The fault line in the Virginia Republican Party is more like that from an earthquake, not a minor jolt.

Witness this past weekend’s Virginia GOP Convention where former Gov. Jim Gilmore barely garnered enough delegates to become the party’s U.S. Senate nominee, and the trouncing of state GOP Chairman John Hager by Prince William Del. Jeff Frederick.

Perhaps Gilmore’s less than mandate selection is not a surprise given the divide in the GOP and his indifferent fundraising since he announced his candidacy five months ago.