The Wren Cross controversy may be settled for now, but a growing number of William & Mary alumni are convinced that the cross episode is merely a symptom of a larger problem: President Gene Nichol. Seth Freedland at The Daily Press reports on a movement to pressure the Board of Visitors not to renew Nichols’…

~ Capitol Steps to Performat 3rd Annual Awards Event ~ On May 3, 2007, the Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) will honor individuals and organizations within the Commonwealth who have set themselves apart as leaders in conservation and sustainability. The event, which will include a performance by the Capitol Steps, will take place at the Modlin…

College of William and Mary President Gene Nichol has stirred up a good deal of controversy at Virginia’s oldest university. The Wrenn Cross episode was only the most visible of his antics. (See “Nichol Bound for Duke?” for a satirical take on his brief but tempestuous tenure there, with links to documentation of less widely…

There are no words to describe the enormity of this morning’s tragedy at Virginia Tech, so I won’t even try. But if there any Hokie readers out there, please know that the thoughts and prayers of every Virginian are with the staff, students, parents and everyone else in the Virginia Tech community right now.

Darragh Johnson’s did does a nice job in today’s front page WaPo story on the insight of children. (“Fear of Climate Change Scares – and Inspires – Kids, Fears About Environment Pushing Kids to Act – Some to Therapy.”) I recall well that it was Columbia’s Bryant Woods Elementary School students who inspired the adults…

The April 16, 2007, edition of the Bacon’s Rebellion e-zine has been published. Visit the e-zine here. Never miss a single issue, subscribe here and get the latest edition e-mailed to you free. Here are this week’s columns and features: Honoring Hallowed GroundCate Wyatt is reinventing the economy of Virginia’s northern piedmont. The Journey Through…

My old friend Veritatus has submitted another satire in the form of a news story from Durham, N.C. Nichol to be Recruited by Duke’s Group of 88Durham, NC—In the wake of the dismissal of rape charges against three former Duke University lacrosse players, Duke’s Group of 88 professors are regrouping to continue their struggle against…

The Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia has jacked up in-state tuition and fees at Mr. Jefferson’s University by 8.3 percent, or $655 per year. (See the Times-Dispatch article.) The usual justification for the relentless increases in tuitions year after year is the declining share of funding provided by the state. If you…

A thought provoking piece from Robert Epstein on education wonders whether we’re doing more harm to kids with our current system than good. Snip: Our educational institutions today are cursed by at least four fatal legacies of the Industrial Revolution—ideas that may have been helpful a century ago but have no place in today’s world.…

Another “Business As Usual” Republican, Sen. Marty Williams, R-Newport News, has picked up a primary challenger. Patricia Stall, a long-time Republican Party activist, is emphasizing her tax-cutting credentials. In announcing her candidacy, Stall noted that she had served as the Newport News “KNOW” Campaign” and “Ax the Tax” coordinator that defeated the Sales Tax Referendum…

With the steady encroachment of the nanny state in Virginia, it won’t be long before Mary Poppins launches a bid for governor. (If Mary Poppins is too obscure for the younger generation of readers, nominate Nanny McPhee.) Booster Seats: New legislation mandates the use of booster seats for children seven years or younger. I agree,…

Summarizing what officials told him without a direct quote, Tim Craig said the following yesterday in a Metro Section story titled “Va. Transportation Bill On Verge of Approval:”“Traffic congestion will continue, they say, but might not be as bad as it would have been without the new revenue.” That is a “the glass is way,…

National Review’s Jonah Goldberg takes to the pages of USA Today and asks where, oh where, the real conservative is in the GOP presidential field. It’s worth reading, if you’re curious. But he touches on another matter that is really far more important: The 2000 GOP convention’s theme was “Prosperity with a Purpose,” and in…

A rare piece of good news on the budgetary front. It looks like payments to Medicaid HMOs will plateau next year — a welcome respite from the 4-percent to 7-percent annual increases that have been typical in recent years. As David Ress reports for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, an outside consultant is crunching numbers to set…

People have a lot of opinions about illegal immigration, but there’s precious little data to back up their views. That’s about to change in Virginia. The Virginia State Crime Commission, according to the Associated Press, is establishing a task force to study the effect of illegal immigration on the state’s criminal justice system. State lawmakers,…