Catie Ratliff, Author at C-VILLE Weekly

Rep. McGuire calls on city to delay opening Holiday Drive site, offering no alternatives or support

In a social media letter to Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders, 5th District Rep. John McGuire called on the city to delay the opening of the Holiday Drive emergency shelter. The congressman raised concerns about the impact on businesses in the area and the physical condition of the building, but gave no alternatives for housing […]

Catie Ratliff | August 26, 2026

News

Albemarle Circuit Court orders Swiney remain in custody

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 […]

Catie Ratliff | August 19, 2026

Environment News

A look at data centers planned in the Charlottesville area

Despite the high concentration of data centers in the Commonwealth, Charlottesville has few actual or proposed sites—no matter how you define “data center.” Virginia has a lot of data centers, with 371 operating and more than 800 proposed as of August 2026, per Cleanview estimates. None are in Charlottesville or Albemarle. Other sources, using different […]

Catie Ratliff | August 19, 2026

News

ACPD Chief Sean Reeves retires after months of medical leave

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 […]

Catie Ratliff | August 12, 2026

Feature News

The city hopes a new emergency shelter at 2000 Holiday Dr. will ease a growing crisis around the Rivanna Trail

The situation at the Rivanna Trail encampments is reaching a boiling point, with a viral video of a man (who has since been identified as a white supremacist who believes Heather Heyer’s killer should be free) walking through the area. The video, along with the deaths of unhoused persons living at the site, tent fires, […]

Catie Ratliff | July 29, 2026

News

Albemarle School Board schedules meeting on independent investigation

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 […]

Catie Ratliff | July 29, 2026

Education News

Albemarle school board adopts new professional boundary policy ahead of 2026-27 school year

The Albemarle County School Board unanimously adopted a new professional boundaries policy at its July 16 meeting. The Board plans to update the policy and its language as needed, but some parents and community members are calling on the district to pursue an independent investigation into its protocols and handling of recent sexual abuse allegations. […]

Catie Ratliff | July 22, 2026

News

Charlottesville mayor says efforts to clear encampment underway following reported sexual assault

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 […]

Catie Ratliff | July 15, 2026

News Politics

Swords Into Plowshares announces design team, concept for transforming bronze from former Lee statue into public art

On the fifth anniversary of the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue, Swords Into Plowshares announced the design concept for the next stage of the project: ROOTED, by Model of Architecture Serving Society and Dana King. The former monument’s melted-down bronze will be transformed into a new public artwork at the center of a […]

Catie Ratliff | July 10, 2026

Immigration News

They tried to fit in and follow the rules—until traffic stops turned their lives upside down

Mass detentions in Ruckersville on June 23 were an escalation in an ongoing effort to expunge undocumented immigrants from our area, according to eyewitnesses, family members, and people detained. The operation, a joint effort between the Greene County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had been active since at least June 2, says […]

Catie Ratliff | July 2, 2026