Community gardens are a place of refuge for all

Tucked alongside Moores Creek in Azalea Park, two wide rows of garden plots form a welcoming and fruitful oasis. Canes of blackberries stand tall, bunches of unripe grapes hang from the vine, tasseling corn peeks over the tops of fences and in the far corner, a grove of banana trees rises in a tropical salute. […]

Point of view: Power line rebuild draws discord

City and county residents heavily criticized Dominion Virginia Power’s plans to rebuild area transmission lines at a recent public hearing, and a Rockbridge County man, who has filed suit against the power company after a similar rebuild in his area, says locals’ concerns are justified. “They marred one of the most beautiful valleys in the […]

In brief: Heated exchanges, out-of-jurisdiction chase and more

CPD car chase in Waynesboro An off-duty Charlottesville cop in a squad car spotted an unidentified traffic violation on I-64 the evening of August 13, and pursued the alleged offender to Waynesboro, according to the Newsplex. No arrest was made and no injuries reported. Sweltering in Crescent Halls Nearly two dozen residents showed up at […]

Let the 5th District debates begin

Congressional candidates Jane Dittmar and Tom Garrett met August 10 for the first of four forums, and the two agreed on several issues—and disagreed on many more. Around 200 people crammed into the Senior Center for the event sponsored by the Senior Statesmen of Virginia (no relation to the center). Democrat Dittmar, a mediator, is […]

Gene Washington’s lawyers want grand jury records

Attorneys for the man charged with the capital murders of a beloved teacher and her daughter in 2014 asked a judge for the grand jury records for the past four years in Charlottesville Circuit Court today. The slayings of Robin Aldridge, 58, a special education teacher with Albemarle County, and 17-year-old Mani, a junior at […]

Eramo’s status: Public figurehood will determine how lawsuit plays out

A phalanx of lawyers assembled to argue motions in former UVA associate dean Nicole Eramo’s lawsuit against Rolling Stone, along with plaintiff Eramo herself, August 12 in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville. Eramo’s $7.85 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine, writer Sabrina Rubin Erdley and Wenner Media is scheduled for a jury trial in October, and […]

DBAC meltdown: Downtown business org in disarray; chair resigns

Simmering undercurrents from the parking war between the city and Charlottesville Parking Center over the Water Street Garage have splintered the Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville, whose chairman abruptly resigned August 8 after being told he was illegally elected. The move leaves some members confused about who’s in charge and one who is working to […]

Rescinded: Felons who registered to vote do not pass go

For DeShon Langston, having his right to vote restored—and then unrestored—was like having a really nice dream and waking up to reality. That’s his reaction to a 4-3 Supreme Court of Virginia decision July 22 that the state constitution did not give Governor Terry McAuliffe the authority to restore voting rights en masse, as he […]

2,200 miles: Interstate natural gas pipelines already here

Locally, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline has amassed intense opposition since Dominion Energy formally announced its project plans in September 2014. What some challengers may not know, however, is that more than 2,000 miles of pipelines have sliced through Virginia for several decades, sparking little to no debate. “I think the fact that most people are […]

Living room: Community housing makes a comeback in Crozet

Choosing to live in cohousing may be a difficult decision for some, but for Charlottesville residents James and Rebecca Gammon, signing on to be future residents of Emerson Commons in Crozet was a no-brainer. “It makes life easier for everybody,” Rebecca says. She and her husband are currently raising their 21-month-old son, Connor, in their […]