Rep. Tom Perriello wasn’t elected to spend the next two years pushed around by protest rallies and the latest public opinion polls. In our country, the only poll that matters is the one on Election Day when all of the registered voters get to have their say.

That’s the system we have

Our long-running concern about that study isn’t that it will fall on one side or another of this contentious debate, but that it will leave us without the conclusive yes-or-no answer that so many local people seem to want.

If that happens, then the debate over uranium mining and milling in Pittsylvania County will have just begun — both here and in the legislature.

Justin Ferrell’s story is more than the will of one individual to channel frustration, loss and disappointment into a better life through sports — first by wrestling and then football. Others have blazed that trail, but along the way, the street’s temptations and traps are always out there, always ready to send another young life off in the wrong direction.

We know what that looks like. The problems that Justin Ferrell faced growing up in Danville still haunt his hometown, but they don’t define him.

The clock can’t be turned back for the kids who miss out on early childhood development programs. This is one of those programs that needs all the help — and money — our political leaders can muster

That prison is in our backyard — and what goes on there reflects on all of us. This is the question: What really happened that day?

Saying that everything the government charges people and industries is a tax might make for a good political argument, but that doesn’t shed much light on how “Congressman Verga” would turn campaign rhetoric into the kind of government spending controls he says he wants.

This fee increase — and that’s what it is, a fee increase — is a weak argument to make. Richmond — and Hurt — already got the message about tax increases long before this year

The government agencies that get fewer dollars will be forced to do the same kind of prioritizing that rarely seems to occur during the “fat” years. If that’s good enough for struggling families and businesses, it should be good enough for the government, too

Throughout his long career in Danville, Lyle Lacy worked on projects that will pay off for years to come: The White Mill, the new Robertson Bridge and the Berry Hill Road industrial mega park. But he will be remembered for the way he treated people, the way he worked for the people who elected his bosses and an endless reservoir of charm, wit, wisdom and patience

The next time you see — and hopefully not hit — a pothole, call VDOT or Danville’s Department of Public Works. Don’t deprive them of the opportunity to keep us moving pothole free

In the future, a study of the effectiveness of community colleges in general, and DCC in particular, would certainly be appropriate. DCC is no sacred cow that has to be protected, it’s a workhorse for this community that has consistently pulled its share of the load

Once Danville and Pittsylvania County get closer to landing an industry at Berry Hill Road, though, they will have a powerful group of allies because of where the industrial park is being built. Henry County is one possible future partner, as are Rockingham and Caswell counties in North Carolina

This community is frustrated with Danville Regional, and it has a right to be frustrated. It’s not Eric Deaton’s fault that he won’t have much of a honeymoon, but it is his challenge

Adults have to be able to make choices — including bad ones that could affect their health and their quality of life. If health care reform moves forward, no one should be forced to buy it, and no one should be surprised at how that will affect people in the real world.

We won’t know until June 8 how Republican primary voters really feel about Sen. Robert Hurt’s legislative résumé, but the question for congressional candidate Jeffrey Clark and other conservative and Republican candidates isn’t just what they believe, but how they plan to turn those beliefs into action when they’ll be one of 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Hurt’s taking a lot of jabs right now, but he’s also the candidate who has had the most experience getting things done in a legislative setting.

That doesn’t mean a businessman like Clark — or any of the businessmen in this year’s race — couldn’t also get things done in Congress. It means that as the campaign moves forward, it’s one of the questions that needs to be answered.

For the Tea Party Patriots, their participation in the nitty-gritty of politics will help determine if their movement is a lot of anger and swagger or if it really makes a difference not only this year, but in the future

In a better world, the city government would find a way to help those who are least able to help themselves pay their electric bills. In our world, the city won’t upset the apple cart, no matter how correct someone like Councilman Tomer is on an issue like this.

Gov. Bob McDonnell is right that Virginians will be affected by this year’s budget cuts. But until the governor and the legislature agree on the final numbers, no one can say for sure just how much “pain” this latest round of budget cuts will cause

While the technology is interesting, it’s not all that interesting if only a few dairy farms will be able to take advantage of it. Like all new technologies, an anaerobic digester has to not only work as advertised, but over time, it has to become more affordable so that other dairy farms — and other types of farms — will be able to take advantage of this promising new way to deal with an age-old problem

The only poll that matters isn’t done in February. But the first publicly released poll about the Fifth District congressional race has answered a lot of questions

Was anyone really surprised when Lynchburg-based Centra Health announced plans to build a 27,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery center and emergency department on Piedmont Drive?

Community beautification efforts are important. How a community looks to both longtime residents and first-time visitors says a lot about a place

Before we spend $222 million, shouldn’t we find out if the Berry Hill Road industrial mega park is being built for the uranium mining and milling industry?

For the Republican congressional candidates, the only thing they can count on this year is that the strategic decisions they make early on will make or break them long before November arrives

Swanson has done his part to keep the county’s land-use program working for the farmers. Now it’s up to the Board of Supervisors to ensure that it works for everyone else

If any Democrat can win in 2010, it’s Perriello

Moving forward, we’d like to see more from the state than simply an explanation. People are concerned about what this prison transfer will mean to Pittsylvania County, and listening is only a first step

Another winter storm is in the forecast, but it doesn’t look like it will hit us as hard as last weekend’s. While it’s still too early to tell, one thing is for certain: The parking lot at Janie’s Hope Apartments ought to be plowed quickly

In a world where you can get the same meal from cookie-cutter establishments all over the world, Schoolfield Lunch offered comforts beyond a hot bowl of beans on a cold day. It wasn’t new or fancy or a lot of other things modern restaurants are, but it was a place where you were a stranger just once

If Hurt’s supporters want to make donations to him during the session or if they want to hold events in his name, the voters shouldn’t be troubled by that. But how would it look if Hurt has time to attend fundraisers or to actively seek financial support for his campaign?

It would look like he has one set of standards for debates and another for raising money. He can easily avoid this problem — and he should do so

For Pittsylvania County Schools, the road back will be much, much longer.

It’s not the budget cuts in a down economy that hurts so much, it’s how long it took to build the school system to where it is today — and how difficult it will be to get back to this point