Foxfield lawsuit: Plaintiffs say there’s no finish line in sight

Garth Road neighbors and horse racing aficionados have filed a lawsuit against the Foxfield Racing Association to affirm that selling any of its acreage would be illegal. The catch? It wasn’t listed for sale. “There has been a lot of discussion in the community about the future of the land and a lot of speculation, […]

Group protests Ricky Gray execution

Just hours before Ricky Gray’s scheduled execution for the murders of a Richmond couple and their two young daughters, a group of locals opposing the death penalty formed in front of Charlottesville Circuit Court. “Killing is not a solution. It’s never a solution,” says Virginia Rovnyak. “Mr. Gray, in particular, deserves some mercy in his […]

Historic conservation at center of controversy

A proposed historic conservation district in Woolen Mills has the neighborhood divided. While some residents are pushing for a neighborhood association-requested ordinance that would promise protection of their historic assets, others say the drafted rules concerning additional construction in the area—for both big and small projects—would require them to jump through too many hoops. The […]

Huguely’s wrongful death trial postponed

Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Rick Moore has granted a motion to continue the trial date in the $30 million civil suit against former UVA student George Huguely for the wrongful death of his on- and off-again girlfriend, Yeardley Love, whom he was convicted of murdering in February 2012. The nearly three-week trial is now set […]

Talking shop: Filling Stonefield vacancies is a priority

It was difficult to snag a parking space on a recent middle-of-the-day trip to The Shops at Stonefield—the upscale shopping center that houses Trader Joe’s and Regal Cinema and was recently acquired by a national development firm. Though the place was crowded with shoppers before New Year’s Eve, the new owners say filling the center’s […]

Ending the bucha battle: Local company settles for new name

In April, Gallo—the $4 billion corporation responsible for making Barefoot Wine—sued local mom-and-pop Barefoot Bucha purveyors Kate and Ethan Zuckerman for infringing on its name and logo’s trademark. The kombucha makers settled the suit in August by agreeing to change their name, and now, they are announcing the new moniker customers will see on their […]

Co-ed controversy: Women’s college operating at a loss

Mary Baldwin University, a historic women’s college in Staunton, will start accepting applications to the University College Program, the school’s first residential program to accept men, its president announced November 28. While some alumnae have scorned the decision, one man who’s already enrolled in a graduate program at the school supports the administration’s decision. “I’m […]

Bugs, leaks, condoms: The list goes on at Crescent Halls

In the heat of last summer, tensions boiled at a City Council meeting heavily attended by Crescent Halls residents who had been experiencing a major air conditioner failure, leading Mayor Mike Signer to temporarily suspend the meeting. Residents brought new concerns to a December 20 protest outside the Monticello Avenue apartment complex. “I’ve seen roaches […]

A Vinegar Hill memorial you can actually see

A forthcoming addition to the Downtown Mall will commemorate Vinegar Hill, the historically African-American neighborhood that saw displacement of 158 families when city residents voted to develop the land in the 1960s. Officially called Vinegar Hill Park, this chunk of real estate between the Omni hotel and Main Street Arena will house $15,000 worth of interpretive […]

UPDATED: Biking greenlit at Ragged Mountain

After a year of debate, and a plea last week from the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors to delay a decision, the Charlottesville City Council voted 3-2 December 19 to allow mountain biking and trail running at Ragged Mountain Natural Area. “We are looking forward to working collaboratively with the city parks staff and all […]