Altria cuts jobs because of economic uncertainty
Altria Group, the owner of the nation’s biggest cigarette maker, confirmed on Tuesday that it has started to cut jobs because of the widespread economic turmoil.
A spokesman declined to say how many cuts would be made but said they were planned for employees of parent company Altria and its cigarette unit, Philip Morris USA.
Miners’ widows press claims against Massey Energy
Testimony is about to start in a lawsuit over the deaths of two men in a conveyer belt fire at a Massey Energy coal mine in West Virginia in 2006.
Attorneys representing the men’s widows are expected to call their first witnesses Wednesday morning. They’re trying to prove that Richmond-based Massey, two subsidiaries and Chief Executive Don Blankenship owe damages for the deaths of 46-year-old Ellery Elvis Hatfield and 33-year-old Don Bragg.
Va. earns D on preterm-birth rankings
Virginia earned a D on a March of Dimes report card ranking states on the number of babies born prematurely.
The nonprofit group said Virginia had a preterm-birth rate of 12.3 percent in 2005, the most recent data available. That’s compared to 12.7 percent nationally, also a D grade.
The Rome report
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
I would like to send my sincere apologies to Joe Paterno and his Penn State Nittany Lions because I must have jinxed them. People who read my commentary know that I put the Nittany Lions in the championship game a couple of weeks ago because of their “easy” schedule.
Rams blow out Panthers
Juniors La’Tavia Rorie (Charlotte, N.C./Harding University H.S.) and D’Andra Moss (Atlanta/Norcross) each scored 19 points in a 93-48 victory over Virginia Union this past Friday night.
Even though the Rams scored 93 points, it was defense and rebounding that were the key to victory.
This week
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Wed., Nov. 12, vs. Virginia State (Exhibition), Siegel Center, 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 16, vs. The Citadel (Cancun Challenge), Siegel Center, 4 p.m.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Fri., Nov. 14, @ Liberty (Preseason WNIT), Lynchburg, 7 p.m.
Nov. 16-20, TBA (2 WNIT games)
VOLLEYBALL
Fri.
Rams drop Union with second-half surge
Senior Eric Maynor (Raeford, N.C./Westover) posted a game-high 25 points for VCU, and the rest fell into place as the Rams won their exhibition opener, 91-63, Friday against the visiting Virginia Union Panthers.
VCU set the tone early with outside shooting.
Art Walk entertains thousands
From mushroom people and fire spinners to Cold Toast and brass bands, Broad Street came alive for the third First Fridays Art Walk of the season. Hosted by Curated Culture, this First Fridays featured artwork and music by a wide range of artists and musicians and marked the first official inclusion of the Henry Street Gallery and the Grace Yoga Studio.
Missed Halloween? Round Two! Cosplay!
As a fashion buff would say, “One day you’re in, the next day you’re out.”
Shelby Day knows this as she steps onto a floor surrounded by thousands of people looking at her outfit, snapping photos as she walks by.
Only, her floor isn’t a New York runway.
Friends embrace life, freedom, hip-hop
Amidst a cloud of smoke and beer-wielding hip-hoppers, Bugs Raleigh, a hip-hop group from Alexandria, stood on the porch of Nara Sushi waiting to perform for a packed house on Friday night.
Earlier in the day, Andrew “Lou Tully” Parkinson, a member of Bugs Raleigh, could not have hoped for a better turnout – a crowd of more than 120 – as he spoke about the group’s history and future.