Hearsay With Cathy Lewis

The December of 2010 saw a revolutionary wave of protests, demonstrations and even civil war sweep across the Arab world. The phenomenon came to be known as the "Arab Spring." As part of its ongoing lecture series Old dominion University has gathered experts to shed new light on this regional transformation and upheaval. The lecturers and moderator join HearSay host Cathy Lewis in advance of their April 3rd and 4th talks at the Batten Arts and Letters Building, on ODU's main campus.

Join us for another edition of Headlines, where we tackle the latest news headlines that have you talking. This week we'll discuss a troubling outlook for Hampton Roads Transit after a recent review of their financial situation. We open up our lines for you to let us know your thoughts by calling in live at 440-2665 or 1-800-940-2240. You can also e-mail the program at hearsay@whrv.org or join us on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/hearsaywithcathylewis.

As the weather starts to warm, pets and their owners will be heading outdoors for exercise and play. Our resident veterinarian, Dr. Phyllis Neuman, joins Cathy Lewis to prep you for another season of outdoor adventures. She'll offer up tips on easing your pets into higher levels of activity and what pests to look out for. We'll also hear from the founder of the Peninsula Chicken Keepers (Peck) about the benefits of raising chickens at your home.

Elsewhere in the country, snowfall on the first day of Spring might be considered strange, but it's business as usual here in Hampton Roads. The frenetic weather can make it hard for gardeners to plan and even harder for gardens to survive. Thankfully our gardening guru, Jim Orband, is here to coach you through the mad weather of March.

Segment A: Flavor Profiles First up in our monthly cooking program, HearSay host Cathy Lewis talks with our favorite foodie Patrick Evans-Hylton and gets the latest dish on local restaurants and eateries with our popular "Flavor Profiles" segment. Segment B: The Drunken Botanist The next time you're sipping on a glass of your favorite potent potable, consider the plants behind your beverage of choice. In her latest book, Amy Stewart unearths the botanical ingredients and joins us to share some of her findings with HearSay's host Cathy Lewis. Segment C: The Delicious Food Truck Phenomenon - LIVE! The food truck phenomenon has pulled up in Hampton Roads and today HearSay with Cathy Lewis takes you live outside the studio for our very own "food truck roundup." Stop by the station at noon on Wednesday for a bite to eat, learn what started this food truck trend and see how the region has embraced these on-the-move, delicious dives. We'll see you here!

Join us for another edition of Headlines, where we tackle the latest news headlines that have you talking. This week we'll highlight the growing number of cyber attacks to our nation's digital infrastructure and share some tips for safeguarding your home or office networks from attack.

This year the Virginia Governor's School for the Arts celebrates its 25th anniversary. Today HearSay host Cathy Lewis is joined by the school's executive director and chairs of the Dance and Theatre departments to discuss the program's rich history and explore its continuing mission to develop excellence, nurture creativity, inspire artistic vision in its students while continuing to foster passion for the arts in the local community.

Water scarcity - and the political unrest it creates - continues to be a growing concern. In advance of this year's World Water Day, we bring you a previous conversation with experts on the issues of water quality and water availability and examine how those concerns shape socioeconomic development across the globe. We'll also look at local steps Hampton Roads residents can take to conserve this resource.

Segment A: Higher Local Learning Today on HearSay, Cathy Lewis continues our series of conversations with the presidents of our region's community colleges. As the cost of college attendance continues to rise, and the job market remains uncertain, two-year colleges are an increasingly valuable resource for students just out of high school or boomers looking to jump-start an encore career. Join us for a look at how the Virginia Community College System is preparing our region's students for a brighter future. Segment B: Principals Before Position In October of last year, Dr. Karen Remley stepped down as Virginia Health Commissioner, citing the heavily politicized abortion clinic regulations that the Board of Health had recently passed under pressure. Today she joins HearSay host Cathy Lewis to discuss the circumstances of her resignation and why the Commonwealth's approach to women's health legislation continues to finds its way into the national spotlight.

As soon as this week, civilian defense contractors across Hampton Roads will begin receiving furlough notices. On today's edition of HearSay from the Headlines, we'll examine what impact 22 unpaid days will have on one of our region's largest work forces. The Virginia-Pilot's Julian Walker also joins us for an update on Virginia's two-year ban on unmanned drones and details how the $100 hybrid fee's impact will apply to more than just automobiles.

This weekend, dozens of local entrepreneurs gather to pitch their best web-product ideas at START NORFOLK, a friendly competition where the winner receives expert advice on how best to bring their idea to market. On today's broadcast, we'll learn how the competition has evolved over the past two years, and how previous winners have benefited from their START NORFOLK victories.

Few things stimulate a city's city economic development and growth like an invested population, and that's the city of Norfolk's motivation behind the revitalization of the two-block stretch of Granby Street from Olney Road to Addison Street. City leaders have partnered with Team Better Block to spearhead the transformation; they specialize in low-cost, high-impact community-sourced improvement. The development whiz-kids behind Team Better Block join host Cathy Lewis to discuss how the transformation of one block can be a catalyst for citywide change.

Early last year, The Virginia Association of School Superintendents crafted a blueprint for educational reform in Virginia. The document provides a comprehensive analysis of the direction the Commonwealth's educational system is headed in and, more importantly, what it will take to get there. One of the largest components of that plan is technology, more specifically mobile connectivity and distance based learning. Today on HearSay we examine how one local school division's utilization of cutting edge technology is drawing nationwide attention.

On today's edition of HearSay from the Headlines, Larry Sabato joins us to offer his unique insight into the local and national impacts of sequestration and discusses the likelihood of Congress reaching a budget compromise before the looming March deadline and subsequent government shutdown. As always, our lines are open, and we invite you to join us with your questions and comments at 440-2665 or 1-800-940-2240. You can also e-mail the program at hearsay@whrv.org or join us on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/hearsaywithcathylewis.

Segment A: The Politics of Hip-Hop Virginia Wesleyan professor Dr. Murrell Brooks began researching his current curriculum over two decades ago, but he might not have realized it at the time. In 1980's L.A., Murrell was a founding member of hip-hop group Double Trouble. He's taken those experiences and applied them to his "Politics of Hip-Hop" course. He joins Cathy Lewis to share how he's using the genre's trajectory as the road map for teaching the societal circumstances that have shaped the art form since the 60s. Segment B: Academic Integrity Earlier this month, The University of Virginia's student body approved sweeping changes to the institution's honor system, one of the oldest in America. HearSay host Cathy Lewis discusses the nature of the pending changes with the chair of UVA's Honor Committee and considers the greater implication for academia those changes pose with Old Dominion University's Director of Student Conduct.

Today on HearSay, Cathy Lewis begins a series of conversations with the presidents of our region's community colleges. As the cost of college attendance continues to rise, and the job market remains uncertain, two-year colleges are an increasingly valuable resource for students just out of high school or boomers looking to jump-start an encore career. Join us for a look at how the Virginia Community College System is preparing our region's students for a brighter future.

As part of our ongoing American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen initiative, we've examined the myriad of issues depressing graduation rates and talked with the educators and administrators who are fighting to take their students to graduation day. Today on HearSay, we'll turn our attention from the people raising graduation rates to the places where they have to make it happen. Journalist Ron Berler joins host Cathy Lewis for an examination of America's public school system as he shares the story of a year spent in one of America's 45,000 failing schools.

The Daily Press and Christopher Newport University's Wason Center for Public Policy are hosting a "Transportation Town Hall" meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, March 4 at the CNU campus. The goal of the meeting and panel discussion is to help bring attention to our region's transportation funding issues and discuss possible solutions. HearSay host Cathy Lewis is joined today by a selection of the meeting's panelists to continue the conversation and discuss key points from the previous evening's Transportation Town hall.

On a Monday edition of HearSay from the Headlines, we'll examine what gridlock in Washington and the unaverted sequestration cuts mean for our region's civilian and military populations. Plus, we'll get an update from Richmond as the 2013 Virginia General Assembly session draws to a close. As always our lines are open, and we invite you to share your thoughts and questions by calling in live at 440-2665 or 1-800-940-2240. You can also e-mail the program at hearsay@whrv.org or join us on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/hearsaywithcathylewis.

Throughout the past year, as part of our ongoing American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen initiative, we've spoken with educators, administrators and innovators who are manning the front lines of the fight to see every student make it to graduation day. Today we bring you a selection of those 2012 conversations, featuring discussions about the importance of ongoing science and math education, the role of "graduation coaches" in local schools and an examination of the factors most responsible for rising dropout rates.