Boyles says bye

Earlier this year, Charlottesville City Manager Chip Boyles was brought in to stabilize a shaky local government, but after eight months on the job, he resigned last week.  Following a closed session with City Council, Boyles said he believes he shored up city leadership and boosted employee morale during his tenure, but that his process […]

On firing

More than a month after the firing of Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney, city leadership continues to argue over the decision-making process that led to her dismissal.  At Monday’s council meeting, after grilling from city councilors, City Manager Chip Boyles once again offered an explanation for his decision that left some councilors unsatisfied. Though Boyles […]

On call

Last summer, hundreds of people took to the streets of downtown Charlottesville, demanding justice for Black people murdered by police across the country. Many protesters urged the city to drastically reduce the Charlottesville Police Department’s $18 million budget, and reallocate those funds toward community services, including mental health treatment.  Thanks to new legislation, a mental […]

Walker walks away

Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker has called off her re-election campaign. She had planned to compete this November for a second four-year term on City Council, but pulled her name off the ballot last week in the immediate wake of the firing of Police Chief RaShall Brackney. Walker, the city’s first Black woman mayor, was elected […]

Back to school

Last month, Charlottesville and Albemarle County schools opened their doors for full-time, in-person learning for the first time since March 2020. Both school divisions require employees to show proof of vaccination—or submit a negative COVID test every week—and have implemented universal mask mandates, among other strict mitigation measures. Still, the divisions have seen a rise […]

Taking the helm

Dr. Royal A. Gurley will be the next superintendent of Charlottesville City Schools, the district announced last week. Dr. Rosa Atkins, the former longtime superintendent, resigned in March to take a job with the Virginia Department of Education in Richmond.  Gurley has been the assistant superintendent for academic services for Dinwiddie County Public Schools since […]

Open arms

Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan a few weeks ago, more than 100,000 Afghans have fled the country, fearing for their lives. Many are currently going through strict immigration and security screening in other countries, like Qatar and Bahrain, but thousands who are further along in their applications for Special Immigrant Visas—which allow interpreters, […]

Growing in conference

Environmental activists celebrated last summer when Dominion Energy announced it was canceling the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which would have brought natural gas 600 miles from West Virginia to North Carolina, crossing right through central Virginia and disrupting a historically Black community in rural Buckingham County. Activists have since turned their focus to the many other […]

‘The right to safety’

With an array of Pride flags, masks, and posters on display, dozens of families gathered in front of the Albemarle County Office Building on a hot August Thursday to show their support for the school division’s proposed policy outlining the rights of transgender and gender-expansive students. A handful of cars sporting colorful decorations honked their […]

New heights

Nothing ends the day like a cocktail at one of your favorite bars—especially if it comes with a spectacular view of Charlottesville. Here’s where you can grab a drink overlooking our beautiful city. Quirk Charlottesville You don’t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy the rooftop at the Quirk. Nested above the four-story West […]