In brief

Off to the races With the November election just around the corner, residents can now vote early in-person across the Charlottesville region. In addition to state Senate and House of Delegates races, which may determine party control of the state legislature, there are a number of other highly competitive local races in our area. To […]

Confidential payout

More than seven years after eight African Americans filed a lawsuit accusing an Albemarle police officer of racial profiling, the county has settled the complaint.   “Not with a bang, but with a whimper,” says plaintiffs’ attorney Jeff Fogel, who had prepared to go to trial several times over the course of the case. “It […]

Zoning in

After hearing feedback from supporters and opponents at its September 14 public hearing, the Charlottesville Planning Commission held a September 19 work session to consider the draft zoning ordinance. The commission, which hopes to adopt a new zoning ordinance by the end of the year, continues to consider changes to key elements of the law, […]

Party of one

In an odd way, the handsome 36-year-old at Vinny’s Italian Grill is a bit of a hero. Philip Andrew Hamilton, a divorced legal process server who’s reasonably new to Charlottesville, got crushed by Sally Hudson two years ago in a delegate race. Now, in the local state Senate “race,” the Republican is challenging central Virginia’s […]

The Big Picture

Charlottesville’s oldest restaurant just reached a milestone. Opened in 1923 by University of Virginia alums Billy Gooch and Ellis Brown, The Virginian (shown at left in 1983) celebrated its 100th anniversary on September 23. The Corner mainstay has grown and changed a lot during the past century, from serving soda during Prohibition, to desegregation in […]

In brief

Resilient Together  To combat the local impacts of climate change and better prepare for natural disasters, the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the University of Virginia are collaborating on a new program, Resilient Together. In a September 15 press release announcing the project, the group highlighted how each jurisdiction’s independent climate efforts will be […]

Plan of attack

After years of effort, the Charlottesville Planning Commission finally entered the formal review process for the draft zoning ordinance. Though the city has emphasized community involvement throughout the project, the September 14 public hearing to discuss the draft lasted more than five hours. City leadership hopes to adopt the zoning ordinance by the end of […]

Following suit

On September 12, Albemarle County Public Schools representatives were in court to defend against allegations its anti-racism policies are discriminatory.   Previously dismissed with prejudice in April 2022, the case, Ibañez v. Albemarle County School Board, went before the Court of Appeals of Virginia in the chambers of the Virginia Supreme Court for oral arguments […]

What’s in a name? 

When the first students arrive at new residence halls on Brandon Avenue next summer, they’ll move in to buildings that carry the names of two professors whose lives were entwined with some of the struggles of the mid-20th century.  “It is the custom at the university to name residence halls after esteemed faculty members,” says […]

In brief

Worth a shot  On September 11, the Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 boosters, manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer. The shots will be rolled out alongside the seasonal flu vaccine. The vaccines are approved for all individuals 12 years and older, and are considered safe for those between 6 months and 11 years. Across […]