Over the last year, thousands of Virginia renters have been able to stay in their homes thanks to a variety of eviction prevention measures, including a statewide rent relief program. But on July 1, Governor Ralph Northam lifted Virginia’s state of emergency, which spells the end for some of those protections. And on July 31, […]
It’s no secret that Charlottesville has an ongoing affordable housing crisis, in part due to the city’s long racist history of segregation, redlining, and racial covenants. Behind a huge push from local activists, the city has set aside millions of dollars in recent years to build more affordable housing units. And after releasing an affordable […]
Get your bongs, blunts, and bowls ready—starting July 1, everyone 21 and over can legally possess and use marijuana recreationally in Virginia. Adults will be able to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to four marijuana plants at home, as long as they keep them out of public view and away […]
Over the past month, Charlottesville’s Historic Resources Committee has met virtually with more than a dozen descendants of enslaved laborers, seeking their thoughts and ideas on how to best pay tribute to the thousands of people bought and sold in Court Square. Now, the committee plans to establish a formal timeline for the highly anticipated […]
In April, the United States began offering the coronavirus vaccine to anyone age 16 and older, and right away millions of people lined up outside stadiums, schools, and other mass vaccination centers, relieved to finally get the life-saving shot. But now, nearly two months later, vaccination rates have plummeted across the U.S. The country is […]
After over a year of empty stages, music lovers finally have something to look forward to. Last month, Governor Ralph Northam lifted all social distancing and capacity restrictions, meaning live music will soon be back at several Charlottesville venues. On June 18, the newly renamed Ting Pavilion will reopen with the return of Fridays After […]
Earlier this month, Jennifer McArtor went online to enroll her kids in Mountain View Elementary’s after-school program for the upcoming school year, only to find out she could not register her rising fifth grader. Through another parent, she was surprised to learn that her daughter might be transferred to Walton Middle School, 10 minutes down […]
After years of heated debate and public backlash, Charlottesville City Council seems to have decided to shelve a proposed multi-million dollar downtown parking garage, opting to explore cheaper—and potentially greener—options. During a May 25 work session, the councilors discussed how the city should fulfill a 2018 promise to provide 90 parking spots to Albemarle […]
Last December, 32-year-old Jamarcus “Buck” Washington was found dead in the South First Street public housing complex, a victim of rising gun violence in Charlottesville’s predominantly Black neighborhoods over the past year. Pained by his friend’s murder, Pertelle Gilmore contacted his mentor Herb Dickerson, and recruited a handful of people in the city’s Black community […]
While serving as a magistrate judge in Virginia’s 23rd judicial circuit, Ashley Reynolds Marshall heard a case that made her rethink her entire career. An undocumented woman, who had fled violence in Honduras, needed protection from her abusive husband. Marshall offered to have the husband kicked out of the house and issue a restraining order, […]