City-provided toilets improve waste concerns at the Rivanna encampment

As the unhoused encampment by the Rivanna River near Free Bridge grows, so have community concerns about sanitation—even though recent tests show very low levels of harmful bacteria in the water downstream. New temporary facilities provided by the city could help both the river and its new residents until Charlottesville can find a better solution. […]

How postmodern dance influenced the Downtown Mall

For the past 50 years, Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall has been a site in and of transition. The blocking off and bricking up of East Main Street, completed on July 3, 1976, converted the city’s main drag into a pedestrian promenade and central business district that aimed to keep consumers and community members in place. But […]

ADUs: what they are, what they cost, and how to get them built

For years, discussions of zoning and affordable housing in Charlottesville have invariably thrown around the acronym “ADU.” Part of the abbreviation, “dwelling unit,” is generally agreed upon. There is decidedly less consensus about what the “A” stands for: additional, accessory, or affordable. ADU generally refers to an additional or accessory unit built on a property […]

Atlanta City Council agrees to impose heavy tax penalty on unfinished Dewberry office building

More than 17 years have passed since construction stopped on a luxury hotel in the middle of Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall—and there are no active initiatives to move the project forward or move on.    “The building is currently being marketed for sale by commercial brokers on behalf of the owner,” said Charlottesville Economic Development Director […]

Early voting opens for midterm primaries

Early in-person voting for both party primaries is underway in Virginia through August 1. In Charlottesville, votes can be cast on weekdays between 8:30am and 4:30pm. at the Office of Voter Registration, located on the first floor of City Hall Annex at 120 Seventh St. NE. Sunday voting runs from noon to 5pm on July […]

Greene County Sheriff’s Office stages mass immigration detention in concert with federal officials

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office conducted a large-scale immigration enforcement operation near the intersection of Routes 29 and 33 in Ruckersville on June 23. “I just saw them pull someone over right now where I’m sitting,” says Andrew Young, an environmental lawyer who drove to the scene to document and offer legal aid after seeing […]

Jefferson School and Black Business Expo join forces to celebrate and uplift Black community members

The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center and Charlottesville Albemarle Black Business Expo combine forces on June 20 for their third annual joint event. The all-day gathering is the culmination of months of preparation and years of history. Before coming to the Jefferson School, Charlottesville’s Juneteenth Celebration was held at Piedmont Virginia Community College and […]

Superintendent asked to resign amid outrage over handling of sexual assault allegations at elementary schools

After two days of heated public meetings regarding the district’s handling of sexual assault allegations against a former elementary-school staff member, the Albemarle County School Board requested Superintendent Matthew Haas’ resignation on June 11. Michael J. Swiney, 37, started as a social and emotional learning coach at Woodbrook Elementary School in December 2021. For unknown […]