$84K assistant: Human rights office not being gutted, says Jones

Three years ago, local activist Walt Heinecke was elated when, after years of task forces on human rights, City Council finally approved a human rights commission with enforcement power and put $197,000 into funding an office. Today, Heinecke accuses City Manager Maurice Jones of “killing” the Office of Human Rights by cutting its staff while […]

Rally to remove Robert E. Lee statue brings flagwavers

Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy’s March 22 press conference at Lee Park to advocate removing the General Robert E. Lee statue and changing the name of the park drew Confederate supporters such as Virginia Flaggers, who at times shouted down speakers. “When people come to this park, they should never feel uncomfortable,” said Charlottesville High School ninth-grader […]

Cavaliers head to the Windy City for Sweet 16 showdown

With a second round win against No. 9-seed Butler, Tony Bennett’s Cavaliers will head to Chicago this weekend to take on No. 4-seed Iowa State in the Sweet 16. They join fellow ACC opponents Syracuse, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Duke and Miami in the round, a record for the most teams from any conference still […]

UVA student sentenced to prison in North Korea

UVA third-year Otto Warmbier, 21, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea March 16 for allegedly attempting to steal a propaganda poster from the Yanggakdo International Hotel in Pyongyang, where he was staying as part of a tourist group arranged by Young Pioneer Tours. Todd Sechser, an associate professor in the […]

A third fox joins the gang that’s terrorizing downtown

Early this morning, a fox bit a Charlottesville woman on her lower leg, making her the third person in two weeks to report being attacked or bitten by a potentially rabid fox. According to city police, animal control responded to a report of a fox acting aggressively in the 1200 block of Monticello Road around […]

Power play: General Assembly Republicans do that thing they do

So here’s the thing: For many who don’t pay close attention, Virginia’s legislature still tends to be viewed through a prism of bipartisan compromise. It is still considered, by some, as an exemplar of the fabled Virginia way, in which all arguments are settled through convivial relations and principled debate, and all members of the […]

Goal in sight: Local soccer team hopes to kick up support

It may not be the FIFA World Cup, but an amateur adult soccer team in Charlottesville is gearing up for a major competition on a national level. Aromas Café FC, a team comprised of players who hail from all over the globe, hopes to bring soccer to the forefront in Charlottesville through its participation in […]

From the Oval Office: Obama responds to local’s letter

After a friend was one of the estimated 13,393 people shot and killed in America last year, Batesville resident Jay Varner wrote to eight political representatives about the increasing threat of gun violence. Last month, he received a handwritten response from the president of the United States. The August 26 on-air slayings of WDBJ7 reporter […]

Winners and losers: The General Assembly is adjourned

Legislators in Richmond ended the General Assembly session one day early after passing a record $105 billion biennial budget March 11 and sending it to Governor Terry McAuliffe. Both sides of the aisle praise its passage, while regretting the what-might-have-beens. McAuliffe didn’t get the Medicaid expansion he wanted—again—but he commends the oft-contentious legislature for investing […]

Committee advocates for Pantops pedestrian bridge

The Pantops Walkability Committee is hosting its first community meeting to discuss the need for a pedestrian bridge over Route 250 at Rolkin Road. The committee, under the leadership of Diane Berlin, hopes retailers and residents in the Pantops area will support their vision for the proposed bridge, which would follow the Pantops master plan and make the area […]