Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney is on the outs—City Manager Chip Boyles terminated her contract last Wednesday evening. Brackney, the first Black woman to hold the job, had been at the head of the department since June 2018. A recent survey of police officers indicated that the rank-and-file had lost trust in Brackney, but other […]
Last week, city and county public schools welcomed students back for five-days-a-week, in-person instruction for the first time since March 2020. Both districts have already reported COVID-19 cases among students, but say they still feel confident in their health and safety precautions. After the first day of classes, two city schools students reported symptoms, and […]
Charlottesville SWAT team officers filmed their kids setting off explosives. They fired semi-automatic, department-owned weapons at unauthorized events. One officer consoled a colleague who was frustrated with police department leadership by suggesting “we kill them all and let God sort it out.” When videos documenting these behaviors made it to the chief, one officer was […]
Walk into Soul Food Joint and the first thing that hits you is the smell—tangy, greasy goodness fills the air. The menu features all the classic soul food favorites, from fried chicken to pulled pork to mac and cheese. And if the food didn’t tip you off, the decor screams “I’ve got soul:” A photo […]
Those smoked tomatoes! If you’re a Charlottesville foodie, you know the ones. The Tomates Asados at Mas Tapas in Belmont are transcendent—warm, zesty, rich, drenched in salty oil. Mas has far more complicated items on its broad tapas menu, but no matter what else you order, the tomatoes are always a highlight. Hearing Mas’ head […]
Said with complete seriousness: The Bread Basket English muffins will change your life. The Floyd-based bakery (Integral Yoga has the local hookup) makes each of its products from scratch, and while area restaurants often feature its twisty baguettes, our money’s on the muffins. Stick one in the toaster and you’ll hear the dense slice sizzle […]
We’ve all had moments—maybe this year more than ever—when we wish we could escape reality and fly off into a fantasy realm full of wizards, dragons, ogres, and magic. Who would you be in this mystical world? An adventurous hero with a legendary sword? A powerful witch who shoots fire from her fingertips? A wise […]
A collection of 100 or so area gun lovers gathered on the lawn of the Albemarle County Office Building last Wednesday afternoon to register their opposition to a proposed ordinance that would ban firearms on county-owned property, like parks and City Hall. At a meeting after the rally, the county ultimately decided to hold off on […]
On Saturday afternoon, just hours after the Confederate statues in downtown Charlottesville were removed, the city’s contractors also took down the statue of Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea from the intersection of Ridge and Main streets. Local activists and descendants of Sacagawea had long called for the statue’s removal. It portrays Lewis and Clark standing tall, […]
“Origin stories matter, for individuals, groups of people, and for nations,” writes Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed in her new book, On Juneteenth. “They inform our sense of self; telling us what kind of people we believe we are, what kind of nation we believe we live in.” Gordon-Reed, a Texas native and Harvard Law […]