St. Francis Creche Preschool at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Great Falls performed the Christmas Story. Pictured: Bell Ringers singing “Mary riding on a Donkey” are Sam Rhines, Eva Steorts, Jamie Roth and Carter Martin. Classifieds, Page 10 Classifieds, v Entertainment, Page 9 v Preschoolers Present Opinion, Page 4 Christmas Story News, Page 7 County Faces More Wellbeing Budget Challenges Page 8 Commentary, Page 4 Session Brings Sea Change News, Page 3 Photo contributed Photo January 3-9, 2018 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com 2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-778-9414 or
[email protected] Session Brings Sea Change ing marijuana. Several states across the Wave election country have already done this, and now that California has legalized pot for recre- swamps Richmond ational use many feel that the tide may be turning on this issue. According to a recent with freshman report by the Virginia State Crime Commis- sion, law enforcement officers have arrested members eager to more than 130,000 people for possession of marijuana in the last decade — 84 per- make their mark. cent of them first-time offenders. “I think people are realizing how inap- By Michael Lee Pope propriate it is to give people a criminal pen- The Connection alty for a drug that so many people have tried and used and is arguably less signifi- his year’s General Assembly cant and harmful than alcohol,” said Ebbin. will be like no other. For start- “It’s still a tough fight. But we’ve got Sen- T ers, the members walking the ate Majority Leader Tommy Norment sup- halls of the Capitol will not look porting it generally.