Catie Ratliff

At an August 13 hearing, the Albemarle Circuit Court ruled that Michael Swiney must remain in custody without bail. Swiney, a former social emotional learning coach for Albemarle County Public Schools, faces 11 felony counts, including multiple charges of aggravated sexual battery and indecent liberties.  More details about the allegations against Swiney emerged during the […]

Albemarle County Police Chief Sean Reeves, who’s been on medical leave since May 8, will retire October 1. He will remain on leave until his official exit, and Deputy Chief Randy Jamerson will take over as acting chief August 14, replacing Deputy Chief Camille Stewart. “Serving as your Chief of Police for the past four […]

The Albemarle County School Board will hold a special meeting August 4 to discuss an independent investigation into the district’s handling of abuse allegations and staff misconduct. The meeting will be held at 10am in Room 241 of the Albemarle County Office Building. Per a July 21 announcement, the meeting’s focus will be on the […]

All eyes are once again on the Free Bridge encampment, with Charlottesville police investigating reports of a sexual assault and Mayor Juandiego Wade announcing that efforts to clear the area are underway. On the evening of July 9, officers were dispatched to the encampment, where a victim reported being raped by someone potentially known to […]