What makes tech take off?

In our first-ever Tech Issue, we’re taking a look at four relatively young startups whose founders chose to root them here. Their reasons for doing so are varied, and so are their ventures. But whether they’re in app development or designing cancer cures, they share an outlook we see again and again among local technology […]

Business entities sue VDOT over Rio interchange

The owners of Albemarle Square and a local Wendy’s have hired state Senator and former attorney general candidate Mark Obenshain to file a federal lawsuit against VDOT and Federal Highway Administration officials over the planned grade-separated interchange at Rio Road and Route 29. The suit, filed March 6, alleges that VDOT failed to get a […]

Spycam case: Fired fire department mechanic reinstated

A three-person city panel ruled that J.R. Harris, the Charlottesville Fire Department mechanic who was fired in October because his bosses said his work was a safety hazard and because a liquid alleged to be alcohol was found in his desk, should be reinstated. The one-sentence February 26 letter to Harris said, “After considering oral testimony […]

Poor health: Meet the Virginians who might destroy Obamacare

Believe it or not, there is some actual good news concerning the Affordable Care Act (aka Obama-care) in Virginia. With the most recent enrollment period now ended, it turns out that the number of residents signing up for health insurance on the federal exchange has far exceeded expectations, with around 385,000 Virginians taking advantage of […]

Lena Seville enters City Council Democratic primary

Lena Seville first came to Charlottesville more than a decade ago when she transferred to UVA from Virginia Tech to study environmental science and the application of environmental thinking to planning and design. She said she grew to love the community and stayed, and for the last several years, she’s been a full-time activist and […]

Fork it over: Parsing the arguments in the meals tax debate

As Charlottesville grapples with its proposed 2016 budget, one line item has garnered much of the attention: A proposal to increase the city’s meals tax from 4 to 5 percent. The penny-on-the-dollar hike is actually a 25 percent increase in the rate, and would generate an estimated $2.1 million in new revenue for the city’s […]

Fire department firing: Spycam used to justify termination

Longtime Charlottesville Fire Department mechanic J.R. Harris was well known to be a teetotaler, and even his bosses said they didn’t think the alleged bottle of booze one of them found in his desk was his. Nonetheless, when Harris got an October 7, 2014, termination letter, one of the reasons cited for his dismissal was […]

Richmond rundown: Taking a tally of the legislative session that was

How did our elected officials fare in the General Assembly session that ended February 27? Here’s a snapshot of some of what local legislators got passed that’s awaiting the governor’s signature. Delegate Rob Bell (R-58th) Tebow bill: Maybe the sixth time is the charm, because Bell’s bill that allows home-schooled kids to play in public […]

Clara Belle Wheeler named to state Electoral Board

A local real estate developer is now one of the top election officials in Virginia. Clara Belle Wheeler was approved by the General Assembly last week as the newest member of the State Board of Elections, which oversees the work of local electoral boards and registrars. Wheeler, a Republican who until this month was the […]