The Kondo effect: Donations surge as people purge

Local Goodwill stores collected 13,800 donations in the month of January —an 18.5 percent increase from those gathered this time last year. And they’re attributing it to a Netflix special about a now world-famous Japanese decluttering expert named Marie Kondo. Perhaps you’ve heard of her. Before starring in “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” she made […]

The work goes on: What’s happening in the General Assembly

With Richmond in turmoil over Governor Ralph Northam’s blackface past and assault allegations against Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, it’s been hard to focus on the legislature. But the session is halfway through, and February 6 is crossover day, when each house sends the bills it’s passed to the other chamber. Here are some survivors—and some […]

Republican sheriff backs Dem deputy

Albemarle Chief Deputy Chan Bryant got an unusual endorsement when she announced her run for sheriff as a Democrat January 30. Her boss, Republican Sheriff Chip Harding, introduced her and said that in his nearly 50 years of service in the justice system, she was in the top 5 percent of law enforcement supervisors with […]

Windfall blowback: UVA donation spurs backlash

UVA announced the biggest donation in its history, from hedge fund quant Jaffray Woodriff, with much pomp and circumstance, including an appearance by Governor Ralph Northam. But not everyone was happy with the McIntire alum’s decision to spend $120 million on a School of Data Science. Some feel Woodriff’s donation could have served better causes. […]

New look: Seminole Square eyes apartments to replace empty retail

A new proposal could turn empty retail space at the Seminole Square shopping center into much-needed housing. Great Eastern Management Company went before the city’s Planning Commission last week for recommendations before submitting an official application for what construction and development manager David Mitchell says could be as many as 500 one-, two-, and three-bedroom […]

In brief: Happy hour, Master Charles, prof charged and more

Dead or alive Virginia’s General Assembly has been hard at it for three weeks now, tackling the 2,000 or so bills legislators filed. While most bills will die quietly in subcommittee, here are a few survivors—and committee casualties. Alive A judge has already ruled Virginia’s law that suspends driver’s licenses for unpaid court fines is […]