Fire resulted in changes and charges in Louisa County

The man authorities say caused last year’s 227-acre fire, which ripped through a local commune and caused an estimated $1 million in damages, faced charges earlier this summer in Louisa County General District Court for leaving a fire unattended and careless damage to property by fire. On March 20, 2024, a brush fire from James […]

Out and proud

Despite a nationwide decrease in corporate support for Pride events, local celebrations will feature more vendors than ever before, according to Nick Hutchins, president of Charlottesville Pride. Nearly 80 vendors will be at the 2025 event—which kicks off at 12:30pm on Saturday, September 6, at the Ting Pavilion.  “This festival … has just seen such […]

Will Albemarle land an AstraZeneca pharmaceutical factory?

In July, officials with the British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca announced they would be investing $50 billion in the United States for new factories and research centers. According to a press release, this would include a new “multi-billion dollar drug substance manufacturing centre focused on chronic diseases” to be located in Virginia.  However, no official announcement […]

How aggressive immigration policy undermines due process rights in Charlottesville, and the entire country

In late April, three plainclothes federal agents swept into Albemarle County General District Court, and carried out some of the Trump administration’s earliest-known local courthouse detentions. There, in front of stunned witnesses, agents detained Teodoro Dominguez-Rodriguez and Pablo Aparicio-Marcelino, who had each appeared in court while facing separate criminal charges. The sudden arrests—and the failed […]

PHAR resists West Main student housing

When Charlottesville City Council adopted a new zoning code in December 2023, a key idea was to reduce the role elected and appointed officials play in determining what can be built where. The idea was to improve certainty for developers.  Under those rules, the LV Collective has the right to build an 11-story building at […]

Judge reverses ruling that voided city’s zoning

Charlottesville is once again legally in the clear to implement a zoning code that was adopted in December 2023, and was intended to allow developers to build more places to live across the city. But legal clouds remain on the horizon.  In a written opinion published August 22, Circuit Court Judge Claude Worrell reversed a […]

General registrar Lauren Eddy resigns a month before early voting

The Albemarle County Electoral Board, which usually meets once a month, has three sessions scheduled between August 26 and September 2. While it’s normal for the board to meet more in the lead-up to Election Day, the three-member body is navigating this election season without a registrar following the resignation of Lauren Eddy earlier this […]

Downtown Mall toy store Alakazam announces closure

After 20 years on the Downtown Mall, Alakazam Toys will close its doors. An official closing date had not been announced at press time. Ellen Joy, who took over Alakazam in March 2019, shared the news in an August 23 social media post. “In a world that can often feel challenging, I’ve always believed in […]

Glenmore house explodes after suspected natural gas leak 

A house explosion at 2331 Ferndown Ln. shook Keswick’s Glenmore neighborhood on August 19. One person was killed and another is recovering at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Evans-Haynes Burn Center. The blast, caused by a suspected gas leak, leveled a large two-story home with a basement, and scattered debris—including insulation, bricks, and wood—across adjacent properties. Area […]