Statue hearing: Councilors immunity still being argued

  So far, Judge Rick Moore has accumulated six files pertaining to the lawsuit filed a year ago against Charlottesville and its city councilors for voting to remove the statue of General Robert E. Lee—and that doesn’t include the transcripts, he told lawyers in Charlottesville Circuit Court April 11. At the latest hearing, the city […]

Trash talk: Highway adopters say littering worse than ever

There’s a famous scene from “Mad Men” in which the Draper family goes on a picnic. Afterward, Don tosses his beer can on the ground and Betty shakes the tablecloth out and leaves the trash from their outing, a not uncommon occurrence in that era before Lady Bird Johnson joined the Keep America Beautiful campaign […]

In brief: FA5 tightens up, free the nipple, another renaming and more

Fridays new format Treasured Charlottesville tradition Fridays After Five kicks off April 13, with a not-so-special nod to the realities of crowds gathering in the 21st century. After-Fivers will find enhanced security at the Sprint Pavilion with bag checks and fewer entrances to the area. “Anyone in the event industry holding mass gatherings understands the […]

Re-righting history: Katie Couric documents what divides us

During her 15-year tenure as NBC “Today Show” co-anchor, UVA alum and journalist Katie Couric was known as America’s Sweetheart. These days, she’s way past that chipper morning news persona, and having finished a six-part series delving into the most contentious issues facing the country today, she says she’s exhausted. Couric was in Charlottesville April […]

Tracci’s motion: Asks judge to vacate Kessler dismissal

Two weeks ago a judge dismissed a perjury charge against whites-righter Jason Kessler because the prosecution didn’t establish that the alleged crime took place in Albemarle. Legal pundits decried the misstep as a rookie move. Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Tracci filed a motion to vacate that decision April 3, claiming that Judge Cheryl Higgins erred twice […]

County controversy: Farmers say rain tax targets rural areas

A proposed stormwater utility fee in Albemarle that has widely become known as the “rain tax” has caused quite the ruckus. But a similar one in the city continues to go off without a hitch. County farmers say rural areas are unfairly targeted by the potential fee, because it will be calculated based on the number […]

Death row dog: ‘Save Niko’ plea falters in court

Nearly 20 people in “Save Niko” T-shirts lined the benches inside of Albemarle County Circuit Court in support of a pitbull and his owners, who are pleading for another shot at saving the animal that’s been on doggy death row since 2014. In a March 29 hearing, Judge Cheryl Higgins dismissed a case for Audrey […]