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Short takes

Quick views on some of the week's news.

These little piggies stayed home

One more time, folks: People are catching H1N1 -- also known as swine flu -- from people, not pigs, though pigs, a cat and a ferret have caught the virus from people. ...

Sculpting an arts and cultural district

Roanoke City Council is looking to deepen its support of the arts. New state legislation allows localities to create arts and cultural districts and offer them a variety of support, including forgoing certain taxes. ...

Speeders no longer need to look up

Virginians, can you keep a secret? Those signs on the highways that warn, "Speed limit enforced by aircraft"? Well, they aren't true anymore. ...

Read more.

Downtown development needn't cause a parking nightmare

Jeremy Holmes

Holmes is the program director of RIDE Solutions in Roanoke.

Recent days have seen two interesting developments for downtown Roanoke. The first was the welcome announcement that Ed Walker, father of the Cotton Mill Lofts and the Hancock Building, has purchased the redoubtable Patrick Henry Hotel. Walker made clear in his morning press conference that, whatever else happens with the building, we could count on at least 100 new apartments being at the core of the project, significantly growing downtown's residential capacity.

Read more.

Today's letters to the editor take up Mill Mountain, global warming and more.

- American politics. Governors, senators, congressmen... No wonder nothing ever gets done.

- That's what we're going to fix, Mr. Zartan.

What isn't getting done this weekend?

After Barack Obama was elected last year, there was hope around the world that the U.S. might finally assume a leadership position in the fight against global warming. But when the Climate Congress convenes in Copehagen next month, delegates from the United States will have nothing.

The fault lies not with Obama, but with a Democratic Congress that couldn't pass climate legislation in time to demonstrate that the United States is taking the threat seriously and is ready to be a global leader on this most pressing of issues.

Or so we'll argue in an editorial we're writing for Monday.

... who's to say they can't take your healthy appendix tomorrow and eat it in front of you and your children?"

Jon Stewart channels Glenn Beck, and it's hilarious:

Make SOL report public

A principal accused of cheating says testimony clears her. She should release the transcript.

Stimulating to excess

At great expense, Congress sweetens the deal for homebuyers.

Health care isn't just a product

From the RoundTable blog

Read the latest entries

• Friday's letters to the editor
• Friday open thread
• Has Susan Willis been 'vindicated'?
• GOP Health Care 'Reform'

Darrell K. Shomaker
Shomaker, of Pearisburg, teaches bioethics and critical thinking at Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke.

The economic recession in the United States appears to be drawing to a close. Despite that encouraging news, the nation's economy continues to lose jobs in traditionally strong sectors such as manufacturing and construction. The health care sector, on the other hand, is adding jobs. Throughout the course of the recession, the health care industry added an average of 8,800 new jobs every month. Consequently, the industry has become known as the "recession-proof" sector of the U.S. economy where displaced workers and recession-motivated career switchers can find good-paying positions with benefits, and most important, job security.

Read Friday's letters to the editor here.