Writer tax: County is all business in targeting freelancers

In an area crawling with writers, it’s a well-known fact: Unless you’re a John Grisham or Jan Karon, the odds of being able to pay the rent by writing are pretty low. Nonetheless, that hasn’t deterred Albemarle County from requiring a $50 business occupational professional license—and collecting it for the past five years, with interest […]

In brief: ‘Jihadist Threat,’ local government responsiveness and more

Chief of economic development splits While Albemarle County is all about economic development these days, Faith McClintic lasted 19 months before departing, and cited frustration working with the Board of Supervisors as one reason for taking a job with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in Richmond, according to Charlottesville Tomorrow. Not Republican enough? Downtown Business […]

Girl power: Locals proud to stand with her

Born in 1914, Grace Damon was 6 years old when women were given the right to vote. And while few can say they’ve been politically active for nearly a century, this 102-year-old Democrat was chauffeured to the polls October 12 to cast her ballot early for the person she hopes will become the first female […]

Connections abound at this year’s film festival

The lead-off film at this year’s Virginia Film Festival (Nov. 3-6) is remarkable in its story and its timing. As we look out from our fledgling blue state to the country’s contentious societal landscape, the nasty presidential campaign to be decided on Tuesday and the glaring Supreme Court vacancy, director Jeff Nichols syncs up history […]

Day 13: Attorneys make final pitches in Rolling Stone trial

It was closing argument day November 1 in U.S. District Court, the site of former UVA associate dean Nicole Eramo’s defamation trial against Rolling Stone for its now-retracted “A Rape on Campus,” and lawyers for both sides spent more than three hours each trying to sway the jury to find for their clients. Plaintiff’s attorney Tom Clare noted the “tremendous […]

Bikes in, dogs out at Ragged Mountain

In a 6-2 vote, the Charlottesville Parks & Recreation Advisory Board recommended on October 19 that City Council allow biking on some trails at Ragged Mountain Natural Area, but some sports enthusiasts still have their concerns about the endorsement. Dave Stackhouse, an advocate for shared use of the trails, says he’s disappointed the board recommended […]

Day 12: Judge tosses part of Eramo’s suit against Rolling Stone

The third week of former UVA dean Nicole Eramo’s $7.5 million defamation trial against Rolling Stone began October 31, and in a nod to Halloween, Eramo chose black and orange attire for her court appearance. Her attorney, Libby Locke, came in sporting crutches, but those were not a costume and came from a sprained ankle […]

Day 11: Wenner defiant, Eramo rests in Rolling Stone trial

After 11 days of evidence, plaintiff Nicole Eramo rested her case against Rolling Stone October 28– but not before testimony from magazine founder Jann Wenner raised stakes and eyebrows in this $7.5 million libel case. “We have never retracted the whole article– and don’t intend to,” declared the magazine owner in a videotaped deposition played for the […]

Day 10: Rolling Stone’s remorse in defamation trial

The final Thursday witness for the plaintiff in the $7.5 million libel trial against Rolling Stone was Sara Surface. A friend to Jackie, Surface seemed to have a purpose in alleging that reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely had prejudged plaintiff Nicole Eramo. “She disregarded me because I didn’t fit the narrative,” said Surface. An email released […]

Day 9: UVA believed Jackie, too, say witnesses

Attorneys for plaintiff Nicole Eramo called her former boss, Dean of Students Allen Groves, to the stand October 26 to bolster her claims that she was unfairly portrayed as a callous administrator to victims of sexual assault in Rolling Stone’s article, “A Rape on Campus.” “My first impression, and it remains my impression, it painted […]