IMPACT places focus on housing and transportation

More than 1,100 organizers with Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together turned out to its annual Nehemiah Action on April 8. This year’s gathering focused on housing and transportation in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Affordable housing is a longtime priority for IMPACT, with efforts dating back to 2016, according to the organization’s website. The […]

New executive order allowing logging could affect area forests

An April 3 memo from United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins designates 112,646,000 acres of national forest lands as an Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act “emergency situation.” The directive, which comprises 59 percent of all National Forest Service lands and includes most of the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, allows for expanded […]

Charlottesville City Council approves $265+ million budget for FY26

In a special, single-item meeting on April 14, Charlottesville City Council unanimously adopted a $265,248,446 budget for FY26. While councilors voted on the budget less than 30 minutes into the session, the final budget is the culmination of months of work and conversations between city leadership and local organizers. The sky-high total comes in at […]

2025 Dogwood Festival dropped

The 2025 Charlottesville Dogwood Festival has been cancelled. Organizers hope to bring the celebration back in 2026, but the future of the 76-year-long tradition is murky. Founded as the Apple Harvest Festival in 1950, the Charlottesville Dogwood Festival got its current moniker in 1958. Beyond the name change, the festival has seen a multitude of […]

UVA hires Ryan Odom to lead men’s basketball team

The University of Virginia men’s basketball team welcomed Ryan Odom, its new head coach, to John Paul Jones Arena on March 24. Odom is no stranger to Charlottesville or UVA basketball, having served as a ball boy for the Cavaliers during his father’s time as assistant coach from 1982 to 1989. He credits his dad, […]

Albemarle County weighing two tax increases

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors is in the midst of budget season, with a draft budget of $642,386,163. To balance the budget for fiscal year 2026, the county has proposed increases to its real property and personal property taxes. Under the current FY26 budget, the real property tax (also known as the real estate […]

Ron Sanchez not returning as UVA men’s basketball head coach next season

The University of Virginia men’s basketball team will be under new leadership next season, with the athletics department opting not to retain interim Head Coach Ron Sanchez, as announced March 12. Sanchez was thrust into the job on October 15, when longtime head coach Tony Bennett retired months after signing a contract extension. Sanchez led […]

City Council discusses Parks & Rec Master Plan

Charlottesville City Council took a break from the FY26 budget at its March 17 meeting to review the Parks & Recreation Master Plan. The agenda will inform what the city does for the next decade, with the first financial allocations expected next year. Community feedback and demographic research was prioritized in the master plan, created […]