It's approaching; make-it-or-break time for Portsmouth residents seeking to oust James Holley from the mayor’s office.

On Election Day, organizers of the recall effort gained some momentum. They collected roughly 2,415 signatures from voters, bringing the total to more than 5,200.

In a year that's seen layoff after layoff, and plant closing after plant closing, the coming holiday season will be a time of angst and disappointment for many families. Breadwinners are desperately seeking work. Some are in jobs that pay far less than they previously earned.

When will President Barack Obama tell us what he plans to do in Afghanistan? It is a fair and important question, especially as terrorists there turn their attacks to Americans.

In the legislature, a delegate pushes $50 million in spending measures for a state university, while his wife earns more than $90,000 raising money for a private foundation supporting the same school. The college's president sends out a letter - on institution letterhead - praising the lawmaker and asking people to donate to his re-election.

Portsmouth's school officials face, by far, the most daunting challenges in the region in regard to dropout and graduation rates. But they're not entirely alone - every school division in Hampton Roads is wrestling with similar problems in at least one high school.

Republicans mounted a decisive comeback Tuesday at the state Capitol, seizing control of the state’s top job after an eight-year hiatus. The party swept all three statewide offices and strengthened its hold on the House of Delegates by promising a return to prosperity through a detailed program of job creation, investment in transportation and expanded access to education.

Virginia has been at a crossroads - in a political traffic jam - for years. Lawmakers' inability to agree on a way to pay for transportation improvements has resulted in potholed interstates and clogged secondary roads.

Marine Sgt. Michael Ferschke and Hotaru Nakama fell in love while he was stationed in her native Japan. On July 10, 2008, after receiving news that they would have a child, they said their marriage vows by telephone — he in Iraq and she in Japan. A month later, he was killed in combat.

Reduce costs and insure everyone: The goal of health care reform can be captured in one sentence. But the details emerging from Congress prove how hard it is to accomplish even simple things in Washington.

Donald Austin didn't exactly get to ease into his retirement. A few days before ending a 35-year career with the North Carolina Ferry Division, he was leading the Silver Lake back from its Cedar Island-Ocracoke run when he noticed a dim glow in the water.