General Assembly debates bills to thwart immigration enforcement abuses in Virginia

Amid a nationwide reckoning with Trump-era immigration policy, the Virginia General Assembly is weighing a slate of legislation regulating immigration enforcement in the Commonwealth. Charlottesville representatives are among those championing the legislation, including Del. Katrina Callsen and Sen. Creigh Deeds. Both legislators cite ICE detentions in the Albemarle County Courthouse last April as the impetus. […]

Money moves

It’s a big week for money in Charlottesville, with City Council appropriating more than $1 million, and the school district’s draft budget totaling almost $130 million. At its February 2 meeting, City Council focused on funds in the current budget rather than FY27, making two major appropriations to Piedmont Housing Alliance initiatives. The largest allocation, […]

City of Promise takes a nontraditional approach to public education funding 

With the Virginia legislature and governor teed up, City of Promise Executive Director Price Thomas says now is the time to take “big swings” in public education. Founded in 2010, the Charlottesville nonprofit aims to tackle generational poverty by improving education outcomes through social interventions. Charlottesville students spend more than four times as many hours […]

Resignations portend big Board of Visitors changes as Spanberger takes office

Five members of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors resigned on January 16 and 17, just before and during the inauguration of Gov. Abigail Spanberger. A university spokesperson confirmed the resignees: former Rector Rachel Sheridan and Vice Rector Porter Wilkinson, as well as Paul Manning, Douglas Wetmore, and Stephen Long. Board members submit resignations […]

Virginia Attorney General agrees to DOJ call for end to Virginia Dream Act

Outgoing Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice December 29, committing to end the Virginia Dream Act. The legislation, passed in 2020, allows eligible immigrant students attending Virginia high schools to access in-state university tuition regardless of legal status. To qualify for the Virginia Dream Act, students must […]

City officials want to amend Charlottesville’s homestay ordinance—and its occupancy limits

Charlottesville was among the first localities in the United States to regulate residential short-term rentals in 2015. More than a decade later, the city wants to update its rules, but it’s still juggling the often competing feedback from homestay operators and neighbors. Short-term rentals, also referred to as homestays, gained popularity during the mid-2010s surge […]

UVA Board selects new president amid widespread calls for a delay

The Board of Visitors named Scott Beardsley the 10th President of the University of Virginia. The December 19 announcement, issued around 3:30pm the Friday before the University shuts down for the holiday season, follows statements from numerous student, faculty, and community organizations calling on the board to delay its search and appointment. Beardsley, currently the […]