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 […]

Judge sides with pipeline surveyors over landowners

Five Nelson County landowners filed a suit against Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC to block members of the company from entering and surveying their properties without written permission. A federal judge dismissed the suit September 30. Together, landowners Peter and Karen Osborne, James and Joan Klemic and Charlotte Rea own almost 330 acres in Nelson County. […]

Gene Washington appears for motions

The man charged with killing a special education teacher and her daughter appeared in Charlottesville’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations court for a motions hearing on October 5. Gene Washington’s attorney requested the authority to issue subpoenas for records without having to notify the prosecution, but Judge Rick Moore denied the request. Other motions were mostly […]

Matthew given three life sentences for attempted Fairfax murder

Amidst screams from his sobbing mother who says she hopes the judge “rot[s] in hell,” Jesse Matthew was given three life sentences today for sexually assaulting a 26-year-old Fairfax woman while attempting to rape and kill her in September 2005. C-VILLE did not attend the sentencing, but followed live tweets by news organizations and reporters in […]

UPDATED- Mass murder in America: What General Assembly candidates say

The slaughter of unarmed people has become a regular feature of American life. Relatively unknown Umpqua Community College in Oregon joined the body count list with nine gunned down in the October 1 rampage. President Barack Obama made his 15th speech on mass shootings since he took office, according to CNN. “We’ve become numb to […]

McAuliffe warns of worst case scenario

On September 30, well in advance of Hurricane Joaquin, Governor Terry McAuliffe declared Virginia in a state of emergency. In a teleconference October 1, McAuliffe and other Virginia safety officials said everyone in the commonwealth can expect between 4 and 10 inches of rainfall, whether or not Joaquin turns east and heads out into the ocean. […]