what we think: John McCain has seized an unexpected opportunity

One thing’s for sure about John McCain’s choice of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his vice-presidential running mate: It will shake things up, at least for a while. The real test of its wisdom will come after the surprise and excitement have worn off and voters have time to think about the implications.

what we think: local school systems are being squeezed from all sides

what we think: the news is mixed on this Labor Day

what we think: unless proven otherwise, we trust local voting machines

what we think: the Democratic presidential nominee has a rare political gift

what we think: research is a big part of changing our economy

It’s never too late. The rains that drenched Rockingham County, eastern North Carolina and southern Virginia this week, though belated, were welcome, despite the inconvenience caused by some flash flooding.

what we think: the local races for treasurer are too important to ignore

what we think: this was a tragic but justified shooting

what we think: NextGen Aeuronautics brings the future here

what we think: more public information about hospitals will help our hospital

what we think: chemical trespass ordinances make sense

what we think: it makes sense to pay close attention to the candidates’ economic plans

In a matter of a couple of weeks, four disparate entities managed to obtain $6,000 to fund a feasibility study for a museum in the old Rockingham County courthouse in Wentworth.

what we think: it’s time to put Virginia’s budget on a diet

what we think: our economic problems are getting the national attention they deserve

The case of the 3-year-old boy found alone at Danville Stadium Cinemas July 15 has put the work of Danville’s Division of Social Services in the spotlight. The investigations conducted at a local social services department in Virginia are always confidential and involve just the parties directly involved. In rare cases, though, part of the incident occurs in public, raising questions in the minds of the public that can sometimes take a long time to be answered — if those answers ever see the light of day.

Flue-cured tobacco still grows throughout Pittsylvania County and cigarette makers still buy that locally grown tobacco.

The Rockingham County school board will interview all 13 people who applied to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Dr. Jim Austin. 
Austin died in early June, and the board won’t interview the candidates until Aug. 27. The interviews are scheduled for 2 p.m. at the central office in Eden. By the way, they are open to the public, and we encourage residents to attend.

It’s been 13 years since two members of the Caswell County, N.C., Board of Commissioners publicly squabbled over second-hand smoke.

Considering the slumping economy, weighed down by high gas prices and their residual effects, people – families, in particular – are choosing to vacation close to home.
Call it a “staycation” if you will, but people apparently are discovering the beauty and diverse recreational opportunities that North Carolina – and most especially Rockingham County – have to offer.

What if someone were to come to Danville to build a new fiber-optic broadband network that competing Internet service providers could to offer everyone the Internet speed and capacity they want?

We don’t have debates in this country about the need for people living in rural communities or the inner cities to have electric service or a landline telephone. Everyone gets the same electric and telephone service, regardless of where they live.

Danvillians don’t need to be reminded that it’s painful to lose jobs. Tobacco and textiles defined this community’s economy for generations, but that didn’t save the thousands of jobs that were lost when those two giants collapsed.

Luther Martin, who is 18, will face the death penalty in the killing of 11-month-old Antonio Bridges at an Eden motel room in June.

what we think: changing what we eat is a major local health challenge

what we think: everybody knows what a Republican is

what we think: even in the Internet age, libraries matter

County officials and residents know that large-scale industry is not returning to Rockingham County, at least not how we remember it. We must turn to tourism, and we must work toward developing a strategy to promote the county beyond not only its borders but our state lines as well. We know what we have to offer, but much of the state does not. We can bring attention to our county, as evidenced by the PBS piece, but it takes hard work and a concerted, professional effort.