Police arrest prolific teen burglar
Kevin Leon Smith, 18, was arrested Friday, July 28, while burgling an Albemarle home, and faces more than 40 chargesâmostly theftsâin the city and county.
Civil liberties group stands up for christian rockers
A Charlottesville-based civil liberties group will appeal a court decision against a Christian rock band that was barred from performing at a school-sponsored event. The Rutherford Institute represents members of the band Pawn, who say their constitutional rights were violated when school officials at the Rossford Exempted Village School District in Rossford, Ohio, kept them […]
Crozet intersection gets poor marks
As development continues in Crozet, increasing traffic means some intersections aren’t making the grade. The intersection of Routes 240 and 250 gets an “F” for drivers trying to turn left from 240, according to Lou Hatter, spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Transportation. This means travelers heading to Charlottesville from one of Crozet’s major roads […]
Robert Lee Cooke talks from jail
Just inside the double-locked doors, past the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail’s lobby, the air is stuffy and hot. Inmates in orange jumpsuits line a narrow, tiled hallway-alking, joking, dragging their feet.
Inmate breaks from work crew in city
A man with only four months left to serve made a dash for freedom Wednesday, July 19, when he jumped from an Albemarle County work crew truck at the corner of Avon Street and Elliott Avenue. Spokespeople for the County say this is the first escape incident since the 18-month-old program began, and it remains […]
Property owners, cops crack down
An Albemarle County Police Department program that allows landlords to evict problem tenants more easily is catching on. About seven apartment communities in the County have been certified as “Crime Free Multi-Housing” and police estimate another two dozen will seek certifications. Critics say it might make finding housing even more difficult for poorer or comparatively […]
BOV approves new cancer care center
On Thursday, July 27, the UVA Board of Visitors Buildings and Grounds Committee approved the design for a $59 million, eco-friendly cancer care center to be built at the heart of the medical center complex. With tons of glass providing natural light and even an herb garden, the center reflects national trends in sustainability and […]
Local farmers association protests national animal ID program
The Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (VICFA), a statewide organization with leaders locally, has formed a national grassroots organization to lobby against the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), the group announced last week. NAIS seeks to keep track of all livestock through microchip technology. Federal officials say the system will allow them to chase […]
The $5 tomato
It’s a sunny summer day and, at 2 in the afternoon, a shopper browses through Feast, one of the chicest, most expensive groceries in Charlottesville. She may be wearing clogs, sandals or a pair of those colorful Crocsâgardening shoes that sell for $30 a pair. Her practical, well-crafted shoes squeak slightly on Feast’s polished hard pine floors as she moves through the lush carousels, an Italian leather tote hanging off her shoulder…
Dean of African-American affairs placed on leave
UVA’s Dean of African-American Affairs M. Rick Turner was placed on administrative leave on Friday, July 14, after signing an agreement with federal prosecutors to avoid prosecution. According to the feds, Turner lied about his knowledge concerning the activities of a drug dealer in a July 2005 investigation.