Nomination contests kick off for Virginia’s 2025 General Election

It’s primary season in Virginia, and here’s what is—and notably isn’t—on the ballot June 17. Virginia and New Jersey’s off-year elections are historically treated as bellwethers, taking the temperature of public opinion one year after presidential elections. Despite the hoopla, there’s no gubernatorial primary in Virginia this June, with Abigail Spanberger and Lt. Gov. Winsome […]

Charlottesville City School Board approves rezoning

The Charlottesville City School Board has officially rezoned its elementary schools for the first time in more than 50 years. While the months-long process was the source of heated debate earlier this year, the new school zones were adopted unanimously at the May 1 board meeting. Neighborhoods affected by the redistricting include the area west […]

MVP Southgate back again?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a permit request for the Southgate extension of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline on April 30. According to the notice, the natural gas pipeline is “subject to special emergency permitting procedures to address an energy supply situation” under a January executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The […]

Plainclothes agents detain two men at Albemarle County Courthouse

Local judicial and law enforcement systems were turned upside down on April 22, when two men were detained by plainclothes immigration officers at the Albemarle County General District Court. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is standing by its actions despite numerous concerns and questions raised by immigration activists and civil rights organizations, including the American Civil […]

CCS and UVA both interested in acquiring the Federal Executive Institute

UPDATE 5/1: Charlottesville City Schools has been approved to acquire the former Federal Executive Institute property, according to an April 30 press release. The district was awarded a Public Benefit Allowance discount of 100 percent through the Federal Real Property Assistance Program to obtain the 14-acre site at no cost. CCS plans to centralize its […]

Early season

Early voting in the June 17 Democratic Primary for Charlottesville City Council begins May 2, officially kicking off the city’s experiment with ranked-choice voting. Mayor Juandiego Wade and Vice-Mayor Brian Pinkston are both seeking reelection, but face a challenge from Jen Fleisher for the two available seats. Rather than filling in two bubbles as usual, […]

Divided Albemarle Planning Commission recommends key approval for floodplain development in Woolen Mills 

One of the areas Albemarle Board of Supervisors has identified for industrial development is along Broadway Street in a land-locked section of the county only accessible via roads through Charlottesville.  The future happens one application at a time and the Board will soon consider whether it wants to allow the owners of a project called […]