Electric feel: City powers ahead with charging stations (updated)

General contractor Martin Horn has been generating its own energy for months with an array of rooftop solar panels, and the company just gave passersby a new energy-saver to ogle. Martin Horn had already installed 82 grid-tied solar panels that produce 260 watts each, enough to run the office most of the time. In September, […]

Planned Parenthood Project detours in Charlottesville

The McIntire Amphitheater was lined with pink crosses October 7 as the Planned Parenthood Project, an organization dedicated to defunding the 98-year-old reproductive health services organization, held an informational session with students about abortion and women’s health. The crosses, totaling 897, were symbolic of the number of abortions that the group claims Planned Parenthood performs […]

Tsaye Simpson faces new charges

A man who was acquitted of a murder charge in May and was previously known for surviving a high-speed car chase on Rugby Road is now charged with assaulting a Charlottesville police officer. Tsaye Simpson’s latest encounter with law enforcement came October 8 at approximately 12:40am when an officer allegedly smelled marijuana coming from a […]

Tourism revenue up while 18 percent of families live in poverty

Two recent reports demonstrate the highs and lows of area economics. Tourism in Albemarle and Charlottesville brought in more than $553 million in 2014, while 18 percent of families in this area don’t make enough money to pay for basic needs. The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau reported a $29 million increase in revenues […]

Delayed extension: What’s up with Water Street?

Exactly one year ago, Water Street Extended was expected to open by the end of the year. Twelve months later, city officials are saying it could be accessible soon. “We’re hopeful that it will be open later in the autumn,” says Miriam Dickler, the city’s director of communications. The developer in charge of the extension […]

Judge denies Jesse Matthew’s request for secret hearing

Attorneys for Jesse Matthew, who is accused of capital murder in the death of UVA student Hannah Graham, asked in court October 7 for a separate judge to hear their request for experts without the prosecution’s presence. Even naming the expert or the broad area of expertise in open court would “compromise” Matthew’s trial strategy, […]

No loitering: Where you can(’t?) stand on the Downtown Mall

On any given day Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall plays host to a crowd of visitors, locals and out-of-towners alike. The pedestrian walking street fills up with families going out to dinner, students doing homework in coffee shops and friends shopping together. With the Downtown Mall acting as a center for social activity, a “no loitering” sign […]

Resident omission: Will Friendship Court be unfriended?

The public announcement September 21 that Piedmont Housing Alliance would option its right of first refusal to purchase the land and housing complex of Friendship Court has the potential to forever change the landscape and fabric of downtown Charlottesville. The fully occupied 150-unit complex, designated as lower-income housing, sits sandwiched between the increasingly popular Ix […]

In it to win it: A comprehensive guide to the 2015 election

If you care about whether Albemarle expands its growth area or what Charlottesville does about the Belmont bridge or whether you pay more in meals tax or any other myriad local issues that directly affect your quality of life, this is the election to head to the polls. Sure it doesn’t have the star power […]

Greene County firing range could be rejected

Those opposing the development of an outdoor open-air firing range near the Godalming neighborhood in Greene County may soon be able to celebrate. At the end of September, the Greene County Planning Commission recommended Big Iron Outdoors’ proposal be denied and cited the range’s proximity to the neighborhood as the main precaution. Godalming resident Carolyn […]