Fight fire with practice

Earlier this month, area wildfires were in the headlines, but fire season is year-round in Albemarle County. “There are seasonal factors—more brush fires in summer, more chimney fires in winter,” says Matt Ascoli, battalion chief for the Albemarle County Department of Fire Rescue. “But we can be called out any time.” That’s why on a […]

In brief

Peace talks Charlottesville City Council passed a resolution on April 1 that calls for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The resolution was first introduced at the March 18 council meeting and failed, with three councilors voting no. Though he originally voted against the resolution, Councilor Brian Pinkston joined Councilors Michael […]

Greener pastures

By Laura Vogel The Southern Environmental Law Center has fought—and won—some mighty environmental battles in its 35 years of existence. Right now, though, it’s in the midst of one of its biggest legal challenges: Pulling Virginia away from the brink of leaving the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative for good, after Governor Glenn Youngkin encouraged the […]

More homes away from home

A nonprofit group that provides a place to stay for families of young patients at the University of Virginia Medical Center has made a significant property purchase in Fifeville. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charlottesville purchased a one-time auto repair garage at 316 Ninth St. SW for $700,000. The March 15 acquisition of the former […]

Judge rules

For nearly three years, the Department of Justice has investigated whether Sentara made false claims for $665 million in Affordable Care Act subsidies when it jacked its rates 266 percent in Charlottesville in 2017, making them the highest in the country. In November, the DOJ took the unusual step of petitioning a federal judge to […]

Work smarter, swim harder

The University of Virginia women’s swim and dive team brought home the NCAA Division 1 championship title for the fourth year in a row. UVA is now part of a small list of Division 1 women’s swim teams that have won more than three consecutive NCAA championships, joining the University of Texas and Stanford University. […]

We Are C-VILLE

Our We Are C-VILLE issue returns this year with another set of letters from some of our most insightful community members. In celebration of this little town surrounded by mountains, we asked those in politics, government, nonprofits, and even meteorology to tell us what they love about Charlottesville.—Richard DiCicco Thanks for asking me to write […]

In brief

Learning experience Sen. Tim Kaine visited the Thomas Jefferson Adult Career Education division of Piedmont Virginia Community College on March 25. Located at Ix Art Park, TJACE works with adult learners to build education, language, and career skills. Classes through the center are free, ranging from English for Speakers of Other Languages courses to entrepreneurship […]

In brief

Buy in Two first-time homebuyers in Crozet celebrated with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville on March 16. Katrena Cooper and Tanjah Wheeler are still closing on their homes, but they enjoyed meeting their new neighbors and soaking in the sunny weather during the afternoon celebration. “It means a lot to me to be closer […]

A done deal?

Charlottesville’s unionized bus drivers reached their first agreement with the city after City Council passed a groundbreaking ordinance to allow collective bargaining for public sector employees. The focal point of the deal was a substantial wage increase for bus drivers. Charlottesville Area Transit representatives, now members of the Amalgamated Transit Union, negotiated a tiered system […]