Charlottesville’s economic development director addresses AI-powered parking 

The company that now operates both municipal downtown parking garages only collects data in order to make it easier for vehicles to get in and out, Charlottesville’s economic development director told City Council on January 5.  “The system involves a camera, optical character recognition, and/or license plate recognition to start and end a parking session,” […]

Women hunters give chase to give back

With eyes closed and mouth open, I hear deer everywhere. It’s just before sundown on the day after Christmas, and we’re clustered in a hunter’s blind beside an old privy in a field flanked by woods, waiting for a deer to tiptoe into view. The forest floor, littered with dry autumn leaves, is crackling. The […]

ACPS Board swears in new members and leaders

At its first meeting of 2026, the Albemarle County School Board swore in two new members: Bob Beard and Jim Dillenbeck. While Beard ran uncontested for the Samuel Miller District seat, Dillenbeck’s election to the Rio District has been a years-long effort. He successfully unseated Board appointee Leslie Pryor last November with 51.3 percent of […]

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 […]

From Perriello to Warner, political candidates and leaders react to Democrats’ plans to remake Virginia’s Congressional districts

As President Trump pushes Republican-led states to redraw their Congressional districts for their party’s benefit in this year’s midterm elections, Virginia’s General Assembly plans to respond in kind. Democrats, who hold a majority in both the state House and Senate, are moving forward with a plan that amends Virginia’s constitution to allow mid-decade redistricting. Depending […]

Design panel votes against permit required for planned student housing

In yet another test of the city’s new zoning code, the Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review has denied a necessary permit required for the current design of an apartment complex. The December 16 vote against the certificate of appropriateness was 6 to 1. On December 31, an attorney for developer LCD Acquisitions filed for an […]