Planning Charlottesville’s first Pride Festival

Conservatives across the nation ate mountains of waffle fries in support of “traditional marriage” on August 1, hooplah associated with a politicized discussion over one CEO’s opposition to gay marriage. And while local gay rights activist Amy Sarah Marshall said she was appalled by the local turnout for “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” here in Charlottesville, she […]

City Council approves Downtown Ambassadors program to improve Mall safety

Two months after removing fountain-side benches in an effort to curb panhandling and alleged inappropriate behavior on the Downtown Mall, city officials say they are taking another step toward making Charlottesville a safe, welcoming place. City Councilors recently voted to adopt a Downtown Ambassadors pilot program, which is intended to address problematic areas on the […]

City approves master plan for east side of McIntire Park

It’s been over a year in the making, and City Council finally voted on it: the master plan for the eastern side of McIntire Park. Citizens have shown up for meeting after meeting to express concerns about golf, gardens, soccer fields, and skate parks, and after several presentations and revisions, Tuesday night Council adopted a […]

PEC works to turn backyards into native wildlife habitats

Who doesn’t love looking out the kitchen window at all the feathered friends Central Virginia’s backyards have to offer? Unfortunately, due to declining grassland and shrubland areas in the region, a number of native Virginia bird species, like the bobolink and bobwhite quail, are in danger of becoming extinct. The Piedmont Environmental Council’s James Barnes, […]

Neighboring counties differ on approaches to school consolidation

Ongoing discussions about rural county schools have raised one question over and over: Are small schools worth preserving for the sake of community, even if it means spending more money? This summer the Albemarle County School Board voted in favor of funding renovations to keep three small elementary schools open, a decision widely supported by […]

George Huguely faces 23 years in prison

After hearing three hours’ worth of testimony from family, friends, teammates, even a Catholic priest, Judge Edward L. Hogshire made his final decision and sentenced convicted murderer George Huguely to 23 years in prison, reduced from the jury recommended sentence of 25 years for second degree murder and one year for grand larceny. Several of […]

Obama’s optimism resonates with supporters

From UVA students to senior citizens, from volunteers to the guys selling Obama rocks—local stones with “Obama rocks” etched into them—nobody seemed to mind waiting around for the President yesterday. President Barack Obama made a stop in Charlottesville, and supporters from all over the region began lining up on the Downtown Mall hours before the […]

LIVE BLOG: Obama stops in Charlottesville; message targets students

The line to enter the pavilion for President Obama’s rally, which formed hours before the gates opened today at 1pm, stretched as far as Christian’s Pizza on the Downtown Mall. The President has traveled to Virginia 12 times since January, and today marks his 40th visit to the Commonwealth since the beginning of his presidency. […]

Local stonemason continues maintenance of historic Monticello wall

Shelton Sprouse has never worked a day in his life. That’s how he feels, anyway, because the Monticello stonemason loves his job. Sprouse’s work has revolved around all things Thomas Jefferson since the 1980s, when he built the stone wall that surrounds and retains the 1,000′ garden Jefferson cut out of the east side of […]

Sullivan will field questions at UVA faculty senate meeting

University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan will address the Faculty Senate for the first time since she resigned and was reinstated this summer. The Faculty Senate will hold its meeting in the Abbot Center Auditorium—the same location as the meeting in June, which overflowed into surrounding rooms—Tuesday, August 28, at 5:30pm. The meeting will be […]