News

Public space

As the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Downtown Mall approaches in 2026, the city of Charlottesville is looking to make some improvements. The Downtown Mall Action Plan presented to city council outlines stakeholders’ priorities and suggested next steps, with a focus on the Mall as a public space. “The goal was not to […]

Catie Ratliff | May 29, 2024

News

Open and shut

More than four years after closing its doors due to COVID-19, Region Ten’s Women’s Center still has not reopened. While the community service board cites staffing difficulties, concerned members of Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together (IMPACT) are frustrated with the lack of progress in reopening the facility. Opened in 2018, the Women’s Center […]

Catie Ratliff | May 22, 2024

News

Path for improvement

With the missing medians, peeled-up pavement, and barrage of cones, it’s hard to miss the construction on Hydraulic Road and U.S. 29. But Virginia Department of Transportation Project Manager Will Stowe says there’s a method to the madness. Construction along the busy corridor started earlier this year and has mostly consisted of right-of-way acquisitions up […]

Catie Ratliff | May 15, 2024

News

Conflicting accounts

Administrators, faculty, students, and the broader Charlottesville community continue to grapple with the forceful removal of a pro-Palestine encampment from the University of Virginia by police on Saturday, May 4. No one can agree on exactly what happened. University leadership, including President Jim Ryan and University Police Chief Tim Longo, outlined the timeline of events […]

Catie Ratliff | May 15, 2024

News

Breaking camp

Tensions between organizers and university leadership reached a boiling point underneath the gray skies on Saturday, May 4, when police forcefully broke up a pro-Palestine encampment at the University of Virginia.  By all accounts, the UVA Encampment for Gaza organized peacefully on Grounds, with demonstrators intermittently chanting, decorating signs, and working on their finals throughout […]

Catie Ratliff | May 8, 2024

News

Educational opportunities

Nestled at the edge of the 10th and Page neighborhood, Lugo-McGinness Academy looks like a miniature version of a typical American high school. The alternative school is sandwiched between houses, standing out with its parking lot, two-building campus, solar panel-covered tin roof, and cyan columns that frame the main entrance.  Compared to Charlottesville High School, LMA is tiny—which […]

Catie Ratliff | May 1, 2024

News

‘Permanent damage’

After almost three months, Charlottesville police have dropped charges against Patrick McNamara for the January 12 assault of a woman on the Rivanna Trail. The case against McNamara has been dismissed, but the arrest continues to affect his life. On January 18, McNamara was taking a break outside while working from his apartment when he […]

Catie Ratliff | April 24, 2024

News

Price of prevention

Controversy arose last week when local violence interruption group the B.U.C.K. Squad announced that City Council reduced its funding for 2025. While councilors argue the $200,000 allocation from the Vibrant Community Fund shows strong support for the group, the B.U.C.K. Squad’s leadership is disappointed and confused by the decrease from the proposed $456,000. “The BUCK […]

Catie Ratliff | April 17, 2024

News

Questioning

Dozens of Charlottesville residents braved the rain on March 31 to attend the first-ever trans Q&A at The Beautiful Idea. While the weather outside was gloomy, the atmosphere inside the trans-owned, anti-fascist bookstore was cozy, with chairs set up under string lights, and pride flags draped across the ceiling. The event was the brainchild of […]

Catie Ratliff | April 3, 2024

News

Penciled in

The Albemarle County School Board approved a redistricting plan on March 14. While some parents are celebrating, others are less than thrilled that their children will be attending new schools. The decision to redistrict was prompted by a population surge in the northern part of Albemarle County, and significant overcrowding at Baker-Butler Elementary School. As […]

Catie Ratliff | March 20, 2024