Homestay business is booming thanks to Airbnb and local firms. Is it legal?

In the trees Half an hour up 29 N., property owners in Greene County are also taking advantage of opportunities to generate some income by hosting guests at home. Long-time Greene resident David VanDerveer’s hill-top property has evolved from a 24×24’ A-frame to an elaborate, commune-style retreat center featuring a treehouse, two saunas, a barn […]

Lockn’ shock: Nelson County cop compares ABC agent to “storm trooper”

The Nelson County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia Board of Alcoholic Beverage Control took starkly different approaches to policing last year’s Lockn’ Music Festival, testimony revealed at a May 16 hearing in Richmond, which concluded the state agency’s investigation into whether the festival should lose its license to sell alcohol. While ABC agents videotaped a […]

What’s coming up in Charlottesville-Albemarle the week of May 19?

Each week, the news team takes a look at upcoming meetings and events in Charlottesville and Albemarle we think you should know about. Consider it a look into our datebook, and be sure to share newsworthy happenings in the comments section. Albemarle County’s Architectural Review Board meets at 1pm Monday, May 19 in Room 241 […]

Murder charges, gang connection in death of Waynesboro officer Kevin Quick

The kidnapping and murder of Waynesboro police reservist Kevin Quick was part of a gang-related crime spree involving nine individuals, many of whom were members of a Central Virginia set of the Blood gang known as the “99 Goon Syndikate,” according to a May 14 indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Charlottesville. The 39-page indictment, released at […]

What’s Happening at the Jefferson School?

Vinegar Hill Cafe Welcomes New Staff Member, Latasha Mathews Latasha Mathews, aka Nicky, started at Vinegar Hill Cafe about six weeks ago and enjoys her new role at the cafe at the Jefferson School City Center, in customer service. “I like the people and I like that it’s a nonprofit and I’m working for a […]

Everything bagel: The unlikely transformation of Mark Herring

Way back in November of last year, when State Senator Mark Herring squeaked into the attorney general’s office by a margin of 907 votes, nobody expected great things. Throughout his long career as a lawyer and elected official, Herring had developed a reputation as a capable-but-boring technocrat, a man who excelled at his job, but […]

Inside the Randy Allen Taylor trial: Jury rejects defendant’s claims, delivers murder conviction

Before a Nelson County jury found Randy Allen Taylor guilty on May 8 for the murder of 17-year-old Alexis Murphy, Commonwealth’s Attorney Anthony Martin had urged them to not reward Taylor “for disposing of this child’s body.” They didn’t, and Martin accomplished something extremely rare: a murder conviction without a body. “There’s precedent, but such […]

The UVA Issue: Around Grounds

It’s definitely been a year of change at the University, from the announcement of some major departures to a big reveal to the Rotunda dome’s makeover, but it’s also been a bang-up year for advancement, thanks to research and writing from the faculty. And be sure to check out the other part of our UVA feature, highlighting student achievements […]