Commonwealth needs more time in Martese Johnson case

At a scheduled May 28 court hearing, the prosecution asked for more time to review the Virginia State Police investigation into the bloody March 18 arrest by Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control agents of 20-year-old UVA student Martese Johnson. Prosecutors said in a motion that a final meeting with state police is set for the first week […]

School bus mom: Child hit back of her car

Dana Monroe said she could see the school bus at the top of the hill at Rives and Vine streets as she turned out of Ridgecrest Drive in Belmont. And when she felt something hit her car, she pulled over. Monroe was charged May 15 for disregarding a stopped school bus in an incident in […]

Light House Studio buys Vinegar Hill Theatre

Charlottesville’s iconic independent movie theater, Vinegar Hill, which has been shuttered for two years, has been sold to Light House Studio, a nonprofit that encourages young filmmakers, for $850,000. Light House initially was interested in the space as a rental. “Back in November, we realized in sort of an aha moment that we could put […]

Report from Nepal: Local lives through aftershocks

Western Albemarle High grad Marli Gordon was walking through her impoverished Kathmandu neighborhood of Nayabazar on April 25 when she began to lose her balance. Screaming filled the streets as people ran from their houses, and Gordon instantly realized she was in the midst of an earthquake. “Pieces of bricks were falling off of houses […]

Immortal Joe Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner

There have been, in the history of this column, a grand total of three all-timers. The first was U.S. Representative Virgil Goode—a genial doofus with a white-cloud coiffure and career-long propensity for grandly offensive pronouncements. The second was good ol’ George “Macaca” Allen, former governor, one-term U.S. senator and presidential aspirant, whose awesome display of […]

Chief concerns: Tim Longo’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year

In the past year, Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo stood in front of the national media scrum multiple times to deal with a horrific murder and a searing rape allegation, while nationwide people were protesting fatal police encounters with black men. Then came the arrest of Martese Johnson by Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control agents on […]

Republican challenges Lunsford for Albemarle prosecutor job

A former federal prosecutor has filed to run as a Republican in the Albemarle race for commonwealth’s attorney against two-term incumbent Denise Lunsford, the Democratic nominee. Robert Tracci, 43, served as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Department of Justice in Charlottesville. He worked as a deputy assistant attorney at the U.S. Department of […]

Sullivan extended

The University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted May 19 to extend President Teresa Sullivan’s contract until July 31, 2018. Her current contract is set to end on July 31, 2016. A provision in the newly passed contract stipulates that Sullivan’s successor could assume office as early as November 1, 2017. If the board has […]

Mascot unmasked

Three students who graduated from the University of Virginia last weekend additionally gave up their coveted positions as Cav Man, the University’s official game day mascot. Though the students who assume the Cav Man role are anonymous, Sam Meredith, class of 2015, revealed his identity as one of the masked men. In an interview with […]