Much to the dismay of a local civil libertarian, outgoing Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo will finally get the surveillance cameras on the Downtown Mall he’s long desired. Hardware estimates fell from their previous high of $300,000, and the police surveillance system nine years in the making has finally won the support of City Council. […]
If Kurt Kroboth was hoping for a better life with a new identity in California, the ex-convict received a painful surprise last week when he was arrested for a parole violation that may, ironically, have stemmed from something he put on his name change application. Kroboth is being held (under that name) without bond at […]
Kurt Kroboth, a convicted would-be wife killer who was bothered by lingering notoriety over his Albemarle crimes, has convinced a California judge to change his identity. Following a hearing in early May, the Superior Court of Contra Costa County entered a decree giving Kroboth a new name: Oscar Michel Glass. “Only on the left coast,” […]
“I felt utterly helpless,” she said. “I feared this was to be the end of my life.” A rapt Fairfax courtroom gave the woman attacked by Jesse L. Matthew Jr. a chance to convey the terror he inflicted, testimony that could play a role in putting Matthew behind bars for life. The 33-year-old Charlottesville man […]
The Rotunda is the central structure of University of Virginia’s present and past. It’s a neoclassical architectural masterpiece designed by the founder, Thomas Jefferson, that has become so revered that the UN named it a World Heritage Site. And now, as part of a $52-million renovation, it’s getting a rooftop paint job costing over $450,000. […]
“Good news,” tweeted Amherst-area Delegate Ben Cline. “VA Supremes endorse our Sweet Briar argument. Back to Bedford Circuit for rehearing and hopefully injunction to stop closure!” With its opinion rendered less than two business days after an already accelerated hearing, the Supreme Court of Virginia has sent a message, according to legal analysts, that the […]
By now, practically everyone in academic circles has heard the official explanation—declining enrollment and revenue—for why the board of directors voted to close Sweet Briar College. Harder to understand is the follow-up question, particularly now that an alumni group claims to have raised at least $16 million: Why would any board endure three lawsuits to […]
As the fight over Sweet Briar College heads toward the Virginia Supreme Court, one key question swirls around the board, which recently voted to close the 114-year-old institution. The trustees find themselves opposed at practically every level by students, alumnae, faculty, and even elected officials. Three lawsuits have been filed, the judge hearing them says […]
College presidents don’t usually skip commencement, but the leader’s absence is just one of the bumps endured by the Sweet Briar College Class of 2015, which graduated Saturday. The largest earthquake in memory struck during their registration in August 2011. And now their college is going out of business—but not if the message delivered by […]
The conspiracy theories swirling around the planned closure of Sweet Briar College found a voice last Saturday in the form of a financial whistleblower who says his private investigative firm has uncovered fraud and conspiracy. “I see an injustice,” said Everett Stern. “The college can be saved.” In his Saturday, May 9 meeting with students, […]