Permit-less: Kessler withdraws motion for August 11-12 rallies

After plaintiff Jason Kessler showed up 45 minutes late to federal court for his own motion to order Charlottesville to grant him a permit to hold an event the weekend of August 12, it took the judge about two seconds to grant Kessler’s attorney’s request to withdraw the motion. “He’s not going to hold a […]

Paying the consequence: Activists fined $15 for late-night street protest

When Corey Long was found guilty of disorderly conduct last month for pointing a homemade flamethrower at white supremacists on August 12, a slew of local activists who’ve dubbed him a “community defender” waited until the sun went down to take to the streets and protest his conviction. In Charlottesville General District Court on July […]

In brief: Local Park Place, park monikers, parking suit and more

Mansion sweet mansion Wondering what to do with the extra millions you’ve got lying around the house? Buy a new one! Edgemont, a Palladian-inspired pad built in 1796 and surrounded by 570 acres of farmland, “is a home whose design is reputed to be the only remaining private residence attributed to Thomas Jefferson,” according to […]

Get in line: Ting’s network expansion slower than expected

When the folks at a “lightning-fast” fiber gigabit internet company decided to roll out their service in Charlottesville, they knew it would be popular—but now it’s in such high demand that there are hundreds of city residents waiting for access to its network. Ting has been in town for more than three years, and is […]

Etched in memory: Pilgrimage to Montgomery honors local lynching victim

A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey that, with its elements of symbolism, ritual and enlightenment, seems almost medieval in the 21st century. The symbolic reason approximately 100 Charlottesvillians boarded buses July 8 for a six-day civil rights pilgrimage was to commemorate the 1898 lynching of John Henry James, which was virtually unknown until about two years […]

Not healed: #ResilientCville showcases residents’ distrust of officials

By Jonathan Haynes Indignation hung in the air during the July 12 city-sponsored #ResilientCville event as around 150 Charlottesville residents filed into the pews of Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church to confront a panel of public officials about the city’s failure to contain white supremacists on August 11 and 12. The crowded panel—consisting of […]

‘Crime against humanity:’ Jail urged to stop voluntary ICE reporting

When incarcerated undocumented immigrants are released from the local jail, they exit through the sally port, where they often have an unfortunate encounter. It’s not unusual that a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent will be there waiting for them. In a July 12 Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail authority board meeting, jail superintendent Martin Kumer said […]

Inspector gadget: CVEC deploys its first survey drones

By Jonathan Haynes This year’s transmission line inspection from the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative was decidedly more low-key than in previous efforts, when the company used a piloted helicopter to make the rounds. In fact, local residents likely have no idea the weeks-long process was taking place, as CVEC deployed an unmanned aerial system to […]