Planning commission recommends approval of rezoning

The Albemarle County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a rezoning that would allow a mixed-use development with 600 homes on 62.5 acres of land close to the junction of U.S. 29 and Interstate 64.  In September, members of the appointed body thought the plan was too vague with a proposed minimum of 100 units […]

Project Censored’s list of buried stories hits half-century mark

Half a century ago, Peter Jensen launched Project Censored, in part as a response to how the Watergate break-in was covered. Richard Nixon didn’t censor the initial reporting, but he didn’t have to. The press simply didn’t cover it with any serious scrutiny until well after Nixon was elected. The story didn’t reach the American […]

City officials want to amend Charlottesville’s homestay ordinance—and its occupancy limits

Charlottesville was among the first localities in the United States to regulate residential short-term rentals in 2015. More than a decade later, the city wants to update its rules, but it’s still juggling the often competing feedback from homestay operators and neighbors. Short-term rentals, also referred to as homestays, gained popularity during the mid-2010s surge […]

UVA Board selects new president amid widespread calls for a delay

The Board of Visitors named Scott Beardsley the 10th President of the University of Virginia. The December 19 announcement, issued around 3:30pm the Friday before the University shuts down for the holiday season, follows statements from numerous student, faculty, and community organizations calling on the board to delay its search and appointment. Beardsley, currently the […]

Five reasons UVA football fans should stay excited for 2026

Scott Stadium has an official capacity of 61,500. That’s why it was noticeable to both University of Virginia football Coach Tony Elliott and his players that home crowds averaged fewer than 39,000 fans in 2024. “We need them,” Elliott said last October of the fans missing from those 22,000 empty seats. “We need folks to […]

City using AI-powered license plate readers to charge for garage parking

Those who use public parking garages in downtown Charlottesville experienced big changes December 16 when the city moved to a system where access is controlled by new software.  “With the new system, residents and visitors will be able to enjoy an easy experience where their vehicle becomes their parking pass,” reads a press release sent […]

Tom Perriello launches run for his former Congressional seat

“Someone asked me yesterday why I thought it was a good idea to jump off this cliff,” former Democratic Congressman Tom Perriello said at his campaign launch event on December 10. “And I said that I knew if I jumped, there were hundreds of people ready to jump behind me.” The shoulder-to-shoulder crowd packed into […]

Amtrak adjusting Northeast Regional schedule to accommodate bridge construction

People accustomed to catching a morning train to Washington, D.C., and other points north will have to make some adjustments in the next few years as Amtrak makes service changes while a key construction project is underway.  In December 2019, then-Gov. Ralph Northam announced an investment of $3.7 billion in rail infrastructure as an alternative […]